👤 Tomohiro Rogi

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) are important constituents of biomembranes. Observation of blood fatty acids indicated that LCPUFA biosynthesis is affected by aging and FADS polymorphisms. This study examined the effects of aging and FADS polymorphisms on LCPUFA biosynthetic capacity via direct quantification using [U- Show less

Sesamin is a major lignan in sesame seed. We confirmed that ingestion of sesamin and α-tocopherol synergistically reduced the concentration of blood cholesterol in rats given a high-cholesterol diet. To elucidate the molecular mechanism behind this effect, we analyzed the gene-expression profiles in rat liver after co-ingestion of sesamin and α-tocopherol. Six-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a 1% cholesterol diet (HC) or HC containing 0.2% sesamin, 1% α-tocopherol or sesamin + α-tocopherol for 10 days. Blood samples were collected on days 1, 3, 7, and 10 and livers were excised on day 10. The gene expressions of ATP-binding cassette, sub-family G (WHITE), members 5 (ABCG5) and 8 (ABCG8) were significantly increased, while the gene expression of apolipoprotein (Apo) A4 was significantly decreased. ABCG5 and ABCG8 form a functional heterodimer that acts as a cholesterol efflux transporter, which contributes to the excretion of cholesterol from the liver. ApoA4 controls the secretion of ApoB, which is a component of low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol. These studies indicate that the cholesterol-lowering mechanism underlying the effects of co-ingestion of sesamin and α-tocopherol might be attributable to increased biliary excretion of cholesterol and reduced ApoB secretion into the bloodstream. Show less