Genomic imprinting variances of beef carcass traits and physiochemical characteristics in Japanese Black cattle.

The objective of this study was to estimate variance components related to imprinting for carcass traits and physiochemical characteristics in Japanese Black cattle. The carcass records obtained from 4,220 Japanese Black feedlot cattle included carcass weight (CW), rib eye area (REA), rib thickness, subcutaneous fat thickness, and beef marbling score (BMS), and the physiochemical characteristics were fat, moisture, glycogen per proportion of moisture content, oleic acid, and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). To detect gametic effects, an imprinting model was fitted. High additive heritabilities were estimated for all traits (from 0.516 for glycogen to 0.853 for fat) and were reduced in Mendelian heritability. The range of the differences was from 0.002 (CW) to 0.331 (fat and moisture), and the reductions were due to their imprinting variances. The ratio of the imprinting variance to the total additive genetic variance for REA (0.374), BMS (0.291), fat (0.387), moisture (0.388), and MUFA (0.337) were large (p < 0.05). These imprinting variances were due to the maternal contribution and suggested the existence of maternally expressed genomic imprinting effects on the traits in Japanese Black cattle. Therefore, maternal gametic effects should be considered in breeding programs for Japanese Black cattle.

Plasma omentin levels are inversely associated with atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes patients with increased plasma adiponectin levels: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Omentin and adiponectin are among the anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic adipokines that have potentially beneficial effects on cardiovascular disorders. Recent studies indicate a paradoxical relationship between adiponectin and cardiovascular mortality across many clinical settings including type 2 diabetes. In this study, we characterized the clinical features of type 2 diabetes patients with increased adiponectin levels and examined the association between omentin and atherosclerosis in those patients. METHODS: The subjects were 413 patients with type 2 diabetes. Fasting plasma omentin and total adiponectin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery was measured by ultrasonography. The subjects were stratified according to the median value of plasma adiponectin. RESULTS: In high-adiponectin group, omentin levels were higher, while IMT tended to be greater than those in low-adiponectin group. The high-adiponectin group also exhibited older age, higher systolic blood pressure, lower kidney function, body mass index, and insulin resistance index compared to the low-adiponectin group. Multivariate analysis revealed that omentin levels were independently and negatively associated with IMT in high-adiponectin group, but not in low-adiponectin group, after adjusting for adiponectin levels and traditional cardiovascular risk factors. On the other hand, adiponectin levels were not significantly associated with IMT in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma omentin levels are inversely associated with IMT in type 2 diabetes patients with increased adiponectin levels and multiple cardiovascular risk factors. This study suggests a protective role of omentin against atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes patients, which is potentially influenced by adiponectin level and cardiovascular risk status.

Determination of theaflavins including methylated theaflavins in black tea leaves by solid-phase extraction and HPLC analysis.

A quantitative method for four theaflavins and two methylated theaflavin derivatives in black tea leaves was developed by solid-phase extraction and a high-performance liquid chromatographic method with photodiode array detection. The theaflavins in black tea leaves were extracted three times with 40 vol 50% aqueous ethanol (mg dry tea powder/mL) containing 2% ascorbic acid. The ethanol extracts were diluted 4-fold with distilled water. All diluted extracts were directly applied to the solid-phase C18 cartridge column without concentration. The fraction of theaflavins was obtained by 40% ethanol extraction after rinsing with water followed with 15% ethanol extraction. An aliquot of theaflavins after concentration was injected onto an ODS C18 reversed-phase column, and four theaflavins and two methylated theaflavins were sufficiently separated by a linear gradient system using distilled water and acetonitrile with 0.5% acetic acid. This analytical method is sensitive for the determination of a small amount of methylated theaflavins, since various interfering substances produced during the fermentation process were eliminated in advance by solid-phase extraction. Using this analytical method, we also demonstrated that methylated theaflavins were easily produced during the manufacture of black tea.