ABSTRACT
We have reported that oil thermally processed with protein promoted safe and steady weight loss in animal experiments. In the present study, an oil for use in weight control was prepared by heating fresh oil with wheat gluten or soybean protein to determine the influence of protein differences on the weight loss-promotion effect. The 2 kinds of oil obtained, which differed neither from commercial fresh oil (starting oil) nor from one another in appearance, chemical properties, and aroma, were mixed (7%) with powdered AIN93G no-fat, defined standard diet and fed to 10-week-old Wistar rats ad libitum. After a 12-week feeding period, the rats were sacrificed to obtain blood and organs. There were no differences in amounts ingested, body weight increases, fecal excretion, organ weights, serum biochemical analyses, contents and fatty acid compositions of lipids of retroperitoneal fat tissue, or organ observations. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (AST), and histological analysis supported the safety of the oil. In conclusion, the differences between wheat gluten and soybean protein in amino acid composition, both of the proteins and as free amino acids, were unrelated to the weight loss-promoting effect of the oil. Minor components in the vegetable proteins may have contributed to the effect on body weight.
Subject(s)
Oils , Plant Proteins/physiology , Weight Loss , Animals , Male , Rats , Rats, Wistar/growth & developmentABSTRACT
We report a case of nodular fasciitis of the breast, which is a rare histological type of breast tumor. A 41-year-old woman had noticed a mass in her right breast. The mass was elastic-hard, 15 mm x 15 mm in size, and located mainly in the upper outer quadrant of the right breast. Mammography demonstrated an oval dense mass with spiculation. Ultrasonography revealed a hypoechoic lesion, 8 mm x 10 mm in size. Fine needle aspiration cytology and core needle biopsy showed no evidence of malignancy. Excisional biopsy was performed. The tumor was characterized by a proliferation of fibroblastic cells. Histologically, the excised tumor was consistent with nodular fasciitis of the breast. Nodular fasciitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a mass suspicious for breast cancer.
Subject(s)
Breast Diseases/diagnosis , Fasciitis/diagnosis , Adult , Biopsy , Breast Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Breast Diseases/pathology , Diagnosis, Differential , Fasciitis/diagnostic imaging , Fasciitis/pathology , Female , Humans , Mammography , Ultrasonography, MammaryABSTRACT
Germline mutations in the RET proto-oncogene are responsible for the development of human hereditary diseases, including multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 2A and 2B, familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (FMTC), and Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR). It has been reported that some families developed both MEN 2A/FMTC and HSCR, in which a mutation in a cysteine residue at codon 609, 618, or 620 in the RET gene was present. Here we report a novel RET mutation detected in a Japanese family with medullary thyroid carcinoma and HSCR. A germline mutation in cysteine 611 of the RET gene was identified in this family, which introduced an amino-acid change from cysteine to serine. By biological and biochemical analyses of mutant RET proteins, we previously predicted the potentiality that amino-acid substitution for cysteine 611 as well as cysteines 609, 618, and 620 would promote the development of MEN 2A/FMTC and HSCR. This clinical case substantiates our suggestion for the mechanism of the development of both the diseases.
