Rich Fat Research Articles

Xanthogranuloma of the Sellar Region -Case Report-

A 55-year-old woman presented with a rare xanthogranuloma of the sellar region after complaining of severe headache and visual disturbance 3 months previously. Clinical examination showed she was alert with early signs of bitemporal hemianopsia. Endocrinological examination revealed hypopituitarism. Magnetic resonance imaging showed an intrasellar mass extending into the suprasellar region and compressing the optic chiasma, which appeared homogeneously hyperintense on T(1)-weighted images. Endonasal transsphenoidal resection of the tumor was performed. Histological examination disclosed granulomatous tissue with cholesterol clefts, hemosiderin deposits, fibrous tissues, and macrophages containing rich fat. The histological diagnosis was xanthogranuloma of the sellar region. Her visual symptoms recovered postoperatively although the hypopituitarism remained. Xanthogranuloma of the sellar region is rare, but must be considered in the differential diagnosis of tumors of the sellar region.

Effect of providing a polyunsaturated fatty acid-rich protected fat to lactating goats on growth and body composition of suckling goat kids

AbstractThe aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of improving the composition of goat meat, in terms of the fatty acid composition of the different fat deposits. For this purpose, we used two groups of 12 female goats each of which had recently undergone a double birth. The animals were maintained under semi-extensive conditions and trough-fed with a concentrate that was either non-supplemented or supplemented with 50 g/kg of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)-rich fat protected against ruminant metabolism. The kid goats born to each group were suckled by their dams and a representative sample of each was slaughtered at 45 days after birth. The milk produced by the dams receiving the fat-supplemented diet contained fat with a lower content of saturated fatty acids and a higher content of n-3 PUFA, trans-C18: 1 and CLA. The kid goats suckled by these dams grew faster and the legs of the carcasses presented greater muscular development compared with the non-fat-supplemented diet group. The cover, intermuscular and intramuscular fat presented a different fatty acid composition, with a higher proportion of n-3 PUFA, trans C18: 1 and CLA, while that of n-6 PUFA remained unchanged. The change in the lipid metabolism of the kid goats was made evident by the blood levels of certain biochemical parameters. We discuss the improvement in the quality of the meat obtained, taking into account the feeding strategy provided and the class of animal in question.

Digestion and absorption of olive oil

Olive oil is a monounsaturated (oleic acid)-rich fat, mainly constituted by triglycerides (>98 %) and minor compounds. As other macronutrients, dietary triglyceride digestion and absorption are a complex processes involving enzyme activities and physicochemical changes. In humans, hydrolysis of olive oil triglycerides begins in the stomach where it is catalyzed by an acid-stable gastric lipase. Triglyceride hydrolysis continues in the duodenum, by the synergetic actions of gastric and colipase-dependent pancreatic lipases and bile secretion. Gastric lipolysis leads to the hydrolysis of 10-30 % of ingested triglycerides, generating mainly diglycerides (DG) and free fatty acids. This facilitates subsequent triglyceride hydrolysis by pancreatic lipase by allowing fat emulsification. Pancreatic lipase cleaves the sn-1 and sn-3 positions of triglycerides and/or DG obtaining sn-2 monoglycerides. Different lipid metabolites are quickly absorbed along the epithelial cells of the small intestine, acting olive oil as a supplier of oleic-acid-rich hydrocarbon skeletons for cellular synthesis of triglycerides and phospholipids. Absorption of mostly minor compounds of (extra virgin) olive oil takes place in the small intestine, as native or derivatives. Compared to diets rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, olive oil suppresses gastric acid secretion and is a potent releasing factor of cholecystokinin peptide, which consistently indicate that the consumption of olive oil might be beneficial in digestive diseases.

The postprandial response of gastric inhibitory polypeptide to various dietary fats in man.

Gastric Inhibitory Polypeptide (GIP) is secreted in response to oral glucose, amino acid, and fats. In the presence of hyperglycemia, GIP augments nutrient stimulated insulin secretion. Studies looking at the effect of fat on GIP release, however, have focused primarily on corn oil, a polyunsaturated fat. To determine if other fats give similar GIP results to those with corn oil, nine normal subjects underwent four tolerance tests with fats derived from saturated (cocoa butter), monounsaturated (olive oil), or polyunsaturated (corn oil and fish oil) sources. Fifty grams of each triglyceride rich fat were ingested and serum cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, insulin, and GIP levels were determined over a 180-minute period. Serum cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, and insulin levels were similar following each fat tolerance test. GIP concentrations, however, were significantly lower (P less than 0.01) with the fish oil, when compared to the other fats studied. Similar GIP responses were observed with olive oil and corn oil, but both were higher than with the cocoa butter. These findings suggest that the source of fatty acids affect GIP secretion. The reason for these differences in serum GIP responses is uncertain, but is not readily explained by changes in serum glucose, insulin, or triglyceride concentrations. Since GIP augments nutrient stimulated insulin release 1-3 hours postprandially, the source of dietary fat consumed as part of a mixed meal could ultimately influence pancreatic beta cell insulin secretion.

Capacity for substrate utilization in oxidative metabolism by neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes from developing brain in primary culture.

Neuron, astrocyte, and oligodendrocyte cultures which were established from developing rat brain were examined for their utilization of glucose, ketone bodies, and free fatty acids by oxidative processes. 14CO2 production was measured in these cells from [1-14C] or [6-14C]glucose; [1-14C]octanoate and [1-14C], [6-14C], or [16-14C]palmitate; and [3-14C]acetoacetate and D(-)-3-hydroxy[3-14C]butyrate. Pyruvate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.4.1.) and 3-oxoacid-CoA transferase (EC 2.8.3.5) activities were found at high levels in each of the cell populations. Astrocytes and oligodendrocytes produced much more 14CO2 from [1-14C]glucose than from [6-14C]glucose, indicating substantial hexose monophosphate shunt activity. This process was not as active in neurons. All three cell populations readily utilized the ketone bodies for oxidative metabolism at rates 7-9 times greater than they utilized glucose. Only astrocytes were able to utilize fatty acids for 14CO2 production, and the rate of utilization was greater than that of the ketone bodies. We found that the metabolic patterns of these brain cells which were derived from the developing brain complement the nature of the diet of the suckling animal which is rich in fat and low in carbohydrate. They readily utilized the ketone bodies or fatty acids and spared glucose for processes that metabolites of fat cannot fulfill.

Food utilization and metabolic efficiency in larval and adult house crickets

The most rapid growth of the fat body, ovaries and residual body occurred only at the time of maximal feeding, which was the time of highest metabolic rate. Larvae ceased feeding before the next moult and lost weight. Adult females did not cease feeding and never lost weight. Mated females maintained a high feeding rate that corresponded to a constant oviposition rate with no gonotrophic cycles. Virgin females maintained a lower feeding rate and maintained fully mature eggs in a viable state for life. Growth during the last larval stadium was entirely somatic and characterized by a great accumulation of a lipid rich (65%) fat body. Net growth during the first 10 days of adult life was entirely gonodal, because the small amount of residual body growth was matched by the amount of fat body loss. However, since the residual body was 60% protein and the fat body was 60% lipid, some of the somatic protein growth had to come from the diet and some of the fat body lipid went for ovarial growth. The 20% dietary protein was more than sufficient for all somatic and ovarial growth, and some protein was catabolized for energy. The amount of uric acid in larval faeces accounted for almost all protein catabolism, but in adult females half of the catabolized protein nitrogen did not appear in the faeces. With only 5% dietary lipid both larvae and adults had to synthesize additional lipids from carbohydrates to supplement absorbed lipids for growth demands. Almost all absorbed and synthesized lipids were used for somatic growth in the larvae and for ovarial growth in the adults, because the per cent of food calories used for growth greatly exceeded the per cent dry weight of food used for growth. Based on the calories and dry weight of available fuel, almost all energy production was based on carbohydrate oxidation. Some carbohydrate was used for lipid synthesis but very little was used for growth. Probably the absorption efficiency (72%) and growth efficiency (28%) was the same for both the last instar larvae and virgin females because they ate exactly the same food. However, the larval metabolic efficiency (42%) was higher than that of females (37%), which indicated that more of the absorbed food was converted to tissue during larval growth (somatic) than during adult growth (ovarial). Of the dry weight of food eaten during the last larval stadium, 30% was egested, 32% was oxidized, 28% appeared as growth, and 10% was condensed to lipid and became part of the 28% growth. Of the dry weight of food eaten during the first 10 days of adult life, 27% was egested, 41% was oxidized, 25% appeared as growth, and 6% was condensed to lipid.

Changes of fibrinolytic activities after two different kinds of meals; one with carbohydrate and the other rich fat

Changes of fibrinolytic activities after two different kinds of meals; one with carbohydrate and the other rich fat

Comparative studies on arteriosclerosis in wild and domestic animals. I. Spontaneous arteriosclerosis in the emu, Dromiceius novaehollandiae

Up to the present time, knowledge and information on arteriosclerosis in wild anddomestic animals have been quite limited in veterinary circles in Japan. Recently, theauthors had an opportunity to examine vascular lesions in the emu, Dromiceius novaehol-landiae, which died of senility in Ten-noji Zoological Garden of Osaka City. Angio-pathological studies were made on the heart and the aorta and its main branches. Thefollowing results were obtained.l) Arteriosclerotic Iesions were found in the left and right coronary arteries, thoracicand abdominal aortae, and their branches, such as the brachiocephalic, celiac, cranialmesenteric, external iliac, lumbar, and middle sacral arteries. Of these blood vessels, theabdominal aorta and the coronary arteries were affected most severely, showing lesions ofatherosclerotic type.2) The results of this observation were compared with those reported by tworesearch groups, VASTESAEGER et al. (1959) and LINDSAY et al. (1965), which had examinedthe emu. It became obvious that the vascular damage of the present case was severerthan those of the cases of the two groups. The chautge found in the left coronary arterywas equivalent to the most intensive Iesion of atherosclerotic type in the human being.3) It was known that this bird had been fed a specially prepared ration containinghens egg and rich fat for 8 consecutively months before death. This ration was con-sidered to have maintained good nutritional conditions of this bird in spite of its oldage. It may have lived long enough to develop such severe lesion in the coronary arteries, as well as in the abdominal aorta.

Influence of dietary fat on histamine stimulated gastric secretion in rats.

Gastric secretory function was studied for 24 h in rats bearing permanent gastric fistulas and permanent intra-venous cannulas. Rats were fed normal, fat free and rich fat diets for three months prior to collection of gastric content. Saline or histamine in saline were infused intravenously for 24 h during the collection period. Feeding fat rich diet induced the significant depression of histamine stimulated gastric secretion.The absence of normal post-histaminic increase of gastric secretory function in ratsfed fat rich diet is considered due to “work hypoplasia”, resulting from prolongedand repeated inhibition of secretory function of parietal cells.