maltitol and Disease-Models--Animal

Clinical imaging is widely used to detect, characterize and stage cancers in addition to monitoring the therapeutic progress. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) aided by contrast agents utilizes the differential relaxivity property of water to distinguish between tumorous and normal tissue. Here, we describe an MRI contrast method for the detection of cancer using a sugar alcohol, maltitol, a common low caloric sugar substitute that exploits the chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) property of the labile hydroxyl group protons on maltitol (malCEST). In vitro studies pointed toward concentration and pH-dependent CEST effect peaking at 1 ppm downfield to the water resonance. Studies with control rats showed that intravenously injected maltitol does not cross the intact blood-brain barrier (BBB). In glioma carrying rats, administration of maltitol resulted in the elevation of CEST contrast in the tumor region only owing to permeable BBB. These preliminary results show that this method may lead to the development of maltitol and other sugar alcohol derivatives as MRI contrast agents for a variety of preclinical imaging applications.

Topics: Algorithms; Animals; Blood-Brain Barrier; Brain Neoplasms; Contrast Media; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Glioma; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Maltose; Phantoms, Imaging; Rats; Rats, Inbred F344; Sugar Alcohols

This study investigated the effects of maltitol on intestinal glucose absorption and muscle glucose uptake using ex vivo and in vivo experimental models. The ex vivo experiment was conducted in isolated jejunum and psoas muscle from normal rats. The in vivo study investigated the effects of a single bolus dose of maltitol on gastric emptying, intestinal glucose absorption and digesta transit in normal and type 2 diabetic rats. Maltitol inhibited glucose absorption in isolated rat jejunum and increased glucose uptake in isolated rat psoas muscle in the presence of insulin but not in the absence of insulin. In contrast, maltitol did not significantly (p > 0.05) alter small intestinal glucose absorption or blood glucose levels as well as gastric emptying and digesta transit in normal or type 2 diabetic rats. The results suggest that maltitol may not be a suitable dietary supplement for anti-diabetic food and food products to improve glycemic control.

Topics: Absorption, Physiological; Animals; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Dietary Supplements; Disease Models, Animal; Gastric Emptying; Gastrointestinal Agents; Gastrointestinal Transit; Glucose; Hyperglycemia; Hypoglycemic Agents; In Vitro Techniques; Insulin; Intestinal Absorption; Intestinal Mucosa; Jejunum; Male; Maltose; Muscle, Skeletal; Psoas Muscles; Random Allocation; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Sugar Alcohols

A daily eatable candy that has possible protective activity against oral candidiasis was experimentally produced. The candy was made from reduced-maltose as main constituent and from several natural products, such as oligonol (depolymerized polyphenols derived from lychee), cinnamon (cassia), citral, and capric acid, which are known to have anti-Candida activity in vitro and in vivo. The candy effectively inhibited the mycelial growth of C. albicans, even when it was diluted 1,000 times with culture media. We assessed the protective activity of the candy against murine candidiasis. When 50μl of candy dissolved and diluted 4 times with water was administered 3 times into the oral cavity of Candida infected mice, the score of lesions on the Candida-infected tongues improved on day 2. These findings suggest that this candy has potential as food that provides protective activity against oral candidiasis.

Topics: Acyclic Monoterpenes; Animals; Candida albicans; Candidiasis, Oral; Candy; Cassia; Catechin; Codonopsis; Decanoic Acids; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Combinations; Drug Resistance, Fungal; Fatty Acids; Glycyrrhiza; Maltose; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Monoterpenes; Phenols; Plant Extracts; Polyphenols; Propolis; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; Starch; Sugar Alcohols; Treatment Outcome

Maltitol is a disaccharide alcohol generated by hydrogenation of maltose and exhibiting resistance to intestinal disaccharidases. We demonstrated previously that maltitol stimulates transepithelial transport of calcium in the ileum, accompanied by an elevation of intestinal calcium absorption as well as calcium retention in the body. In this study, we examined whether the maltitol-induced increase in intestinal calcium absorption leads to an alteration of the physical properties of bones in rats subjected to ovariectomy. We used this study as a simulation model for postmenopausal females who are at risk for osteoporosis. Following the intake of a low-calcium diet for 28 d ovariectomized rats were fed diets containing either 10% maltose (control) or 10% maltitol, together with increased amounts of calcium (0.3% in Experiment 1 and 1.2% in Experiment 2) for 21 d. Balance studies performed during the final 5-d (Experiment 1) or 2-d (Experiment 2) period of the experiments showed that maltitol increased intestinal calcium absorption and retention. The breaking force of femoral bones was significantly elevated (by 5-7%) in animals fed the maltitol diet compared with that in rats fed the maltose diet. The calcium content in the femoral bones as well as the mineral bone density of the tibial metaphysis was also elevated in rats fed the maltitol diet. These results indicate that maltitol stimulates the intestinal absorption of dietary calcium leading to an increase in calcium content in the bone, and coinciding with the elevation of the breaking strength of the bone in ovariectomized rats.

Topics: Analysis of Variance; Animals; Bone Density; Calcium; Calcium, Dietary; Dietary Carbohydrates; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Femur; Humans; Maltose; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal; Ovariectomy; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Sugar Alcohols; Tibia