BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Corn silk (CS) extract contains large amounts of maysin, which is a major flavonoid in CS. However, studies regarding the effect of CS extract on cholesterol metabolism is limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of CS extract on cholesterol metabolism in C57BL/6J mouse fed high-fat diets. MATERIALS/METHODS: Normal-fat group fed 7% fat diet, high-fat (HF) group fed 25% fat diet, and high-fat with corn silk (HFCS) group were orally administered CS extract (100 mg/kg body weight) daily. Serum and hepatic levels of total lipids, triglycerides, and total cholesterol as well as serum free fatty acid, glucose, and insulin levels were determined. The mRNA expression levels of acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT), cholesterol 7-alpha hydroxylase (CYP7A1), farnesoid X receptor (FXR), lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), low-density lipoprotein receptor, 3-hyroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase), adiponectin, leptin, and tumor necrosis factor α were determined. RESULTS: Oral administration of CS extract with HF improved serum glucose and insulin levels as well as attenuated HF-induced fatty liver. CS extracts significantly elevated mRNA expression levels of adipocytokines and reduced mRNA expression levels of HMG-CoA reductase, ACAT, and FXR. The mRNA expression levels of CYP7A1 and LCAT between the HF group and HFCS group were not statistically different. CONCLUSIONS: CS extract supplementation with a high-fat diet improves levels of adipocytokine secretion and glucose homeostasis. CS extract is also effective in decreasing the regulatory pool of hepatic cholesterol, in line with decreased blood and hepatic levels of cholesterol though modulation of mRNA expression levels of HMG-CoA reductase, ACAT, and FXR.
Adipokines ; Adiponectin ; Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Blood Glucose ; Cholesterol* ; Diet ; Diet, High-Fat* ; Fatty Liver ; Glucose ; Homeostasis ; Insulin ; Leptin ; Metabolism* ; Mice* ; Oxidoreductases ; Phosphatidylcholine-Sterol O-Acyltransferase ; Receptors, Lipoprotein ; RNA, Messenger ; Silk* ; Sterol O-Acyltransferase ; Triglycerides ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Zea mays*

OBJECTIVETo acquire cDNA sequence of lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) from tree shrew and analyze the sequence structure.

METHODSThe first strand cDNA was acquired by reverse transcription using mRNA from tree shrew liver as template. By the method of SMART RACE PCR, tree shrew LCAT cDNA was acquired and deduced its amino acids sequence. The sequence and structure of tree shrew LCAT cDNA and amino acid were analyzed and predicted by the molecular software.

RESULTSTree shrew LCAT cDNA is composed of 1,340 bp, including 2 bp 5' untranslated region (5' UTR), 1,320 bp open reading frame (ORF) which encodes protein precursor of 440 amino acids (24 amino acids signal peptide and 416 amino acids mature peptide), and 18 bp 3' untranslated region (3'UTR). The stop codon is TAA and there is a poly (A) signal sequence AATAAA and a 25 bp poly (A) tail. Tree shrew LCAT cDNA sequence has been accepted by GenBank as a new gene, accession number AF272861 and its homology with human and baboon was 90% and 89%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe sequence of LCAT cDNA in tree shrew has high identity with that of human and other experimental animal species.

Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; Liver ; enzymology ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Open Reading Frames ; genetics ; Phosphatidylcholine-Sterol O-Acyltransferase ; chemistry ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, Protein ; Tupaiidae

PURPOSE: To report a case of a familial lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) deficiency patient with bilateral corneal opacities. CASE SUMMARY: A 26-year-old man with bilateral corneal opacities visited our hospital. We took slit lamp examination, corneal thickness measurement, corneal endothelial cell counts and fundus examination. Blood and urine tests were included. Kidney biopsy was done. The tissues were observed by a light microscopy and an electron microscopy. Hemolytic anemia, proteinuria, hematuria, hypertriglyceridemia, decreased HDL cholesterol level, and lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) deficiency were found. At kidney biopsy, electron-lucent vacuoles and lamellar inclusion body were found. CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral corneal opacities can be an imporant clinical sign of systemic disease which is caused by abnormal lipid metabolism like the familial lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) deficiency.
Adult ; Anemia, Hemolytic ; Biopsy ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Corneal Opacity ; Corneal Pachymetry ; Endothelial Cells ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Hypertriglyceridemia ; Inclusion Bodies ; Kidney ; Light ; Lipid Metabolism ; Microscopy ; Microscopy, Electron ; Phosphatidylcholine-Sterol O-Acyltransferase ; Proteinuria ; Vacuoles

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect and mechanism of Yangxincao Capsule (YXCC) in regulating lipids.

METHODSSixty rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, the normal control group (A), the hyperlipidemia model group (B), the high, middle and low dose YXCC treated groups (C, D and E), and the Shanzhajing (SZJ) treated group (F) for positive medicine control. Except for the rats in the normal control group, the other 50 were daily fed with fatty emulsion for 10 days to establish hyperlipidemic model. From the I th day on, in the same time of continually feeding with fatty emulsion they were administered with water, high (1.08 g/kg), middle (0.54 g/kg), low dose (0.27 g/kg) of YXCC and SZJ (5.4 mg/kg) respectively for 10 days, while to rats in Group A equal volume of water was given. At the 21th day, after rats were fasted for 16 h, their blood was extracted from post-orbital vein to detect the level of serum lipids, lipoprotein, apolipoprotein (apo) and lipid metabolic enzyme.

RESULTSCompared with Group A, the levels of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) increased remarkably, and the level of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) dropped obviously in Group B. While in the four treated groups the levels of TC, TG and LDL-C were significantly reduced, HDL-C and its sub-components 2 and 3 (HDL2-C and HDL3-C), as well as the ratio of HDL-C/TC were raised. Besides, the content of apo-Al was increased and apo-B was decreased significantly in Group C and D, activity of lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) increased in the three YXCC treated groups, all showed statistical significance (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) as compared with those in Group B.

CONCLUSIONYXCC could remarkably modulate the lipid metabolic disorder in hyperlipidemic rats, and has a certain bi-directional regulating function on lipoprotein, inferring that it could reduce the risk of occurring coronary artery diseases. The mechanism of regulating lipid metabolism might be related with the increasing activity of LCAT, LPL and eliminating of cholesterol by the elevated level of HDL2-C.

Animals ; Capsules ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; Cholesterol, LDL ; blood ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Hyperlipidemias ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Lipoprotein Lipase ; metabolism ; Male ; Phosphatidylcholine-Sterol O-Acyltransferase ; metabolism ; Phytotherapy ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Triglycerides ; blood

OBJECTIVETo explore the distribution of lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase gene (LCAT) 608C/T polymorphism in Chinese Han population and the relationship of the polymorphism association with the occurrence of atherosclerotic cerebral infarction.

METHODSThe lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase gene 608C/T polymorphism is identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP)and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) in 150 patients with ACI and 122 healthy controls matching age and sex.

RESULTSThe distribution of LCAT 608C/T gene polymorphism was in accordance with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The CT genotype frequency (14.0%) and T allele frequency (7.0%) in ACI group were significantly higher than those in control group (P<0.05). The concentration of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in 608CC subgroups were significantly higher than those in 608CT subgroups both in ACI group and in control group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe LCAT 608C/T polymorphism is possibly a predisposing factor in ACI happening of Chinese Han population. T allele frequency is possibly concerned with the metabolism of HDL-C.

Aged ; Alleles ; Cerebral Infarction ; etiology ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Intracranial Arteriosclerosis ; complications ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phosphatidylcholine-Sterol O-Acyltransferase ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo examine the distribution of 3 polymorphisms of lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase gene in Chinese population and the association of these polymorphisms with lipid metabolism in patients with atherosclerotic heart disease (CHD).

METHODSGenotypes and frequencies of 3 sites were examined by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique in 209 unrelated normal control individuals and 203 CHD patients.

RESULTSThe observed allele frequencies conform well to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The frequency of 608T allele was significantly higher in controls than that in patients (P=0.034). Compared with the CHD patients without 608T, the CHD patients with 608T exhibited a significant increase in plasma HDL-C concentration (P=0.015). 911T/C and 1188C/T polymorphisms were not found in either group.

CONCLUSION608T polymorphism of LCAT gene was associated with higher plasma HDL-C level in CHD patients, while 911T/C and 1188C/T polymorphisms maybe very rare in Chinese population.

Alleles ; China ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; Cholesterol, LDL ; blood ; Cholesterol, VLDL ; blood ; Coronary Artery Disease ; enzymology ; genetics ; DNA ; genetics ; metabolism ; DNA Restriction Enzymes ; metabolism ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Lipid Metabolism ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phosphatidylcholine-Sterol O-Acyltransferase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Triglycerides ; blood

The development of clinically applicable scaffolds is important for the application of cell transplantation in various human diseases. The aims of this study are to evaluate fibrin glue in a novel protein replacement therapy using proliferative adipocytes and to develop a mouse model system to monitor the delivery of the transgene product into the blood and the fate of the transduced cells after transplantation. Proliferative adipocytes from mouse adipose tissue were transduced by a retroviral vector harboring the human lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (lcat) gene, and were subcutaneously transplanted into mice combined with fibrin glue. The lcat gene transduction efficiency and the subsequent secretion of the product in mouse adipocytes were enhanced using a protamine concentration of 500 microg/ml. Adipogenesis induction did not significantly affect the lcat gene-transduced cell survival after transplantation. Immunohistochemistry showed the ectopic enzyme production to persist for 28 days in the subcutaneously transplanted gene-transduced adipocytes. The increased viability of transplanted cells with fibrin glue was accompanied with the decrease in apoptotic cell death. The immunodetectable serum LCAT levels in mice implanted with the fibrin glue were comparable with those observed in mice implanted with Matrigel, indicating that the transplanted lcat gene-transduced adipocytes survived and functioned in the transplanted spaces with fibrin glue as well as with Matrigel for 28 days. Thus, this in vivo system using fibrin is expected to serve as a good model to further improve the transplanted cell/scaffold conditions for the stable and durable cell-based replacement of defective proteins in patients with LCAT deficiency.
Adipocytes/*cytology/transplantation ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Survival/drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagen/metabolism ; Drug Combinations ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Fibrin Tissue Adhesive/*administration & dosage ; Genetic Vectors/administration & dosage ; Humans ; Laminin/metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Nude ; Phosphatidylcholine-Sterol O-Acyltransferase/*genetics/*metabolism ; Proteoglycans/metabolism ; RNA, Messenger/genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; *Tissue Engineering

The aim of this study is to establish a simple and stable model like poloxamer 407 (P-407)-induced dyslipidemia of golden hamster model, and investigate the mechanism of lipid metabolism disturbance in this model. PPARalpha agonist and HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor were administrated to validate the efficacy on regulating lipid metabolism in the dyslipidemia golden hamster model. Six weeks male golden hamsters were chosen to inject P-407 intraperitoneally at a bolus dose of 300 mg x kg(-1), an intermittent injection at a dose of 200 mg x kg(-1) every 72 hours after the bolus. The results showed that P-407-induced golden hamster model characterized as increased serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), free cholesterol (free-CHO), cholesteryl ester (CE), free fatty acids (FFA) and apoB levels, and the hyperlipidemia state maintained at a stable level persistently. Meanwhile, augmented malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) level was observed. LCAT and SR-B I mRNA levels in liver of model group were down-regulated (expression ratio is 0.426; 0.783), while HMG-CoA reductase mRNA level was up-regulated (expression ratio is 1.493) compared with those of the normal group. The serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels were significantly lower in P-407-induced dyslipidemia hamster model after treated with atorvastatin (Ato) at a dose of 50 mg x kg(1) or fenofibrate (Fen) at 100 mg x kg(-1) for two weeks. These findings suggest that serum lipid distribution in dyslipidemia golden hamster is similar to that of human, and which may be relevant to the disturbance of the enzymes expression involved in lipid metabolism in liver. Results obtained from this study support the concept that dyslipidemia golden hamster may be an adequate animal model to evaluate the efficacy of lipid-lowering agents.
Animals ; Anticholesteremic Agents ; pharmacology ; Atorvastatin Calcium ; CD36 Antigens ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cricetinae ; Disease Models, Animal ; Dyslipidemias ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; Fenofibrate ; pharmacology ; Heptanoic Acids ; pharmacology ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Hypolipidemic Agents ; pharmacology ; Lipid Metabolism ; Liver ; metabolism ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Mesocricetus ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; PPAR alpha ; agonists ; Phosphatidylcholine-Sterol O-Acyltransferase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Poloxamer ; Pyrroles ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism