Effects of Fermented Rice Vinegar Kurozu and Its Sediment on Inflammation-Induced Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) Increase

Kurozu is a traditional black rice vinegar in Japan. Kurozu-moromi is the solid sediment that arises during the production of Kurozu. Kurozu is thought to have blood thinning and antithrombotic activities but a specific effect has not been proven. Plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) inhibits fibrinolysis and when elevated, it is a risk factor for the development of thrombotic diseases. Here, we examined the effects of a diet containing Kurozu and Kurozu-moromi on LPS (lipopolysaccharide)-induced increases in plasma PAI-1 levels in mice and on TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor α) increased PAI-1 production in the medium of a cultured endothelial cell line. Mice were fed with a diet containing 0.25% (w/w) concentrated Kurozu or 0.5% (w/w) Kurozu-moromi for four weeks, and then subcutaneously injected with 0.015 mg/kg of LPS in saline and sacrificed three hours later. Orally administered concentrated Kurozu and Kurozu-moromi significantly suppressed the LPS-induced increase in PAI-1 antigen and its activity in mouse plasma. The ethanol extract of Kurozu-moromi inhibited TNF-α induced increases of PAI-1 in the culture medium of the EA.hy926 endothelial cell line. The present findings showed that Kurozu and Kurozu-moromi contain natural products that decrease thrombotic tendencies by decreasing PAI-1 production in inflammatory states and have potential as antithrombotic foodstuffs.

Relationship between Dietary Habits and Plasma Homocysteine Concentrations in Elderly Japanese Women and Men

The plasma homocysteine concentration is a good indicator of various diseases such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, and dementia. This study examined the relationship between plasma homocysteine concentrations and dietary habits in a population of elderly Japanese people from the Amami Islands. Data from 1131 participants collected during a baseline survey for the Japan Multi-institutional Collaborative Cohort study, which is a prospective cohort study, were used. Information on dietary habits was collected using a food frequency questionnaire. The plasma homocysteine concentration was associated with age in women only. Smoking in men and menopause were significantly associated with homocysteine concentrations. Analysis of blood biochemical data showed that estimate of glomerular filtration rate negatively correlated with plasma homocysteine in women (R = ?0.91, p < 0.001) and men (R = ?0.49, p < 0.001). There was no common food associated with homocysteine concentrations among the groups, but in each group, some food types were associated with homocysteine concentrations. In men, Chinese tea was a common factor showing a negative correlation with homocysteine concentrations. Natto showed a negative correlation with homocysteine concentrations in non-smoking men (β = ?0.11, p < 0.05) and premenopausal women (β = ?0.20, p < 0.01). Eggs (β = ?0.21, p < 0.01) and food processed from fish eggs (β = ?0.21, p < 0.01) negatively correlated with homocysteine concentrations in smoking men. Miso soup (β = ?0.13, p < 0.01) and yoghurt (β = ?0.10, p < 0.05) negatively correlated with homocysteine concentrations in postmenopausal women. Consumption of folate-rich food did not necessarily correlate with a low plasma Hcy concentration.

Lactobacillus pentosus S-PT84 and Rubus suavissimus leaf extract suppress lipopolysaccharide-induced gut permeability and egg allergen uptake

Increased gut permeability facilitates the uptake of food allergens into the bloodstream and triggers allergenic reactions.The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of Lactobacillus pentosus S-PT84(S-PT84)and Rubus suavissimus leaf extract(RSLE)against egg ovomucoid(OVM)-uptake in lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced increased gut-permeability mice model of food allergy.Six-eight weeks old,female C57BL6 mice were continuously fed with LPS(300μg/kg BW),for 3 months to increase gut permeability.Reduction in the expression of sealing claudin-4,increase in the expression of pore-forming claudin-2,and increase in D-mannitol absorption into the blood plasma in the LPS treated groups suggested the increase in gut permeability after LPS treatment.The oral administration of major egg allergen,OVM,after LPS intervention,significantly increased the plasma mast cell protease-1 and OVMspecific IgE compared to the negative control group.These results indicated that continuous LPS intervention developed OVM-induced food allergy.However,both the treatment of S-PT84 and RSLE suppressed the claudin-2 expression and the gut permeability induced by LPS.Furthermore,S-PT84 and RSLE treatment also reduced the plasma mast cell protease-1 and OVM-specific IgE,indicating the potential beneficial effect against LPS intervention developed OVM-induced food allergy.These findings suggest that S-PT84 and RSLE ameliorated LPS induced gut permeability and food allergic reactions.