George Grant | University of Aberdeen (original) (raw)

Papers by George Grant

Am. J. Resp. Crit. Care Med, 1997

Respiratory tract infection by Pseudomomas aeruginosa may be life-threatening for intensive care ... more Respiratory tract infection by Pseudomomas aeruginosa may be life-threatening for intensive care patients and patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The colonization of airways can be facilitated by bacterial lectins (carbohydrate-binding proteins) that attach bacteria to the glycoconjugates of the mucosa. We show in this paper that the fucosespecific lectin P. aeruginosa agglutinin II (PAII) produced by these bacteria can, in addition to facilitating bacterial adhesion, arrest ciliary beating in human airways in vitro. This inhibitory effect of the lectin can be abolished by preincubating PAII with its specific sugar, fucose. Furthermore, ciliary beating is completely restored by addition of fucose 2 h after administration of PAII to cell cultures. Therefore, adding a simple monosaccharide to nebulizers may improve the management of P. aeruginosa infection by abrogating the effect of PAII on ciliary beating, thus restoring part of the nonspecific pulmonary defense mechanisms of the airways. Adam EC, Mitchell BS, Schumacher DU, Grant G, Schumacher U. Pseudomonas aeruginosa II lectin stops human ciliary beating: therapeutic implications of fucose.

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - PLANT FOOD HUM NUTR, 1999

In short-term feeding experiments, about 78% of the phaseolin administered to rats was degraded r... more In short-term feeding experiments, about 78% of the phaseolin administered to rats was degraded regardless of the amounts of phaseolin intubated. In contrast, the total N found in the feces increased rapidly and exceeded the original administered amounts. The bulk of N output was not immunologically related to the glycoprotein. The effects of phaseolin on the stimulation of endogenous N secretion in the small intestine were confirmed from the results of acute experiments. Phaseolin fragments, derived from the breakdown of the native protein, when reapplied intragastrically to rats, were broken down further and to a similar extent as the original glycoprotein and were even more potent related to stimulation of N secretion. It is suggested that this secretagogue biological activity of phaseolin and not its resistance to gut proteolysis, is the main reason for the poor nutritional value of this glycoprotein.

British Journal of Nutrition, 1985

1. Inclusion of raw kidney bean (Phasealus vulgaris) proteins in the diet for rats was shown to a... more 1. Inclusion of raw kidney bean (Phasealus vulgaris) proteins in the diet for rats was shown to affect the weight of some internal organs. Of these, in addition to the well-known hypertrophy of the pancreas attributable to dietary trypsin inhibitors, the observed atrophy of the thymus and the doubling in weight of the small intestine are related to the protein or lectin content of the bean diet, or both.2. Changes in tissue composition of the small intestine were also recorded. Its protein content increased by about 40–50% and carbohydrate content doubled suggesting the occurrence of increased mucinous glycoprotein secretion. Increased DNA content (by about 30–40 %) however also indicated mucosal hyperplasia.3. Changes were also observed in mineral content, urea concentration and some enzyme activities in sera and urine, possibly as a result of disturbances in systemic metabolism or hormone levels, or both.4. The results gave further support to previous suggestions that the oral tox...

Regulatory Peptides, 1996

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021

Overfishing of sea cucumber Isostichopus badionotus from Yucatan has led to a major population de... more Overfishing of sea cucumber Isostichopus badionotus from Yucatan has led to a major population decline. They are being captured as an alternative to traditional species despite a paucity of information about their health-promoting properties. The transcriptome of the body wall of wild and farmed I. badionotus has now been studied for the first time by an RNA-Seq approach. The functional profile of wild I. badionotus was comparable with data in the literature for other regularly captured species. In contrast, the metabolism of first generation farmed I. badionotus was impaired. This had multiple possible causes including a sub-optimal growth environment and impaired nutrient utilization. Several key metabolic pathways that are important in effective handling and accretion of nutrients and energy, or clearance of harmful cellular metabolites, were disrupted or dysregulated. For instance, collagen mRNAs were greatly reduced and deposition of collagen proteins impaired. Wild I. badionot...

Nutrients, 2020

Sea cucumber body wall contains several naturally occurring bioactive components that possess hea... more Sea cucumber body wall contains several naturally occurring bioactive components that possess health-promoting properties. Isostichopus badionotus from Yucatan, Mexico is heavily fished, but little is known about its bioactive constituents. We previously established that I. badionotus meal had potent anti-inflammatory properties in vivo. We have now screened some of its constituents for anti-inflammatory activity in vitro. Glycosaminoglycan and soluble protein preparations reduced 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced inflammatory responses in HaCaT cells while an ethanol extract had a limited effect. The primary glycosaminoglycan (fucosylated chondroitin sulfate; FCS) was purified and tested for anti-inflammatory activity in vivo. FCS modulated the expression of critical genes, including NF-ĸB, TNFα, iNOS, and COX-2, and attenuated inflammation and tissue damage caused by TPA in a mouse ear inflammation model. It also mitigated colonic colitis caused in mice by dextran...

Diseases, 2020

Crohn’s Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC) are world-wide health problems in which intestin... more Crohn’s Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC) are world-wide health problems in which intestinal dysbiosis or adverse functional changes in the microbiome are causative or exacerbating factors. The reduced abundance and diversity of the microbiome may be a result of a lack of exposure to vital commensal microbes or overexposure to competitive pathobionts during early life. Alternatively, many commensal bacteria may not find a suitable intestinal niche or fail to proliferate or function in a protective/competitive manner if they do colonize. Bacteria express a range of factors, such as fimbriae, flagella, and secretory compounds that enable them to attach to the gut, modulate metabolism, and outcompete other species. However, the host also releases factors, such as secretory IgA, antimicrobial factors, hormones, and mucins, which can prevent or regulate bacterial interactions with the gut or disable the bacterium. The delicate balance between these competing host and bacteria fact...

British Journal of Nutrition, 2000

Vitamin A deficiency during pregnancy is associated with detrimental effects in the offspring. We... more Vitamin A deficiency during pregnancy is associated with detrimental effects in the offspring. We have developed a rat model to examine specific effects of maternal vitamin A status on perinatal growth and development. A total of 54 female rats were fed a vitamin A-free (VAF), -marginal (VAM) or -sufficient (VAS) diet from weaning until mating (at 7 weeks) and throughout pregnancy. Half of the rats in each group were injected with a single large dose of vitamin A on day 10 of pregnancy. Fetal and neonatal samples were taken on day 20 of pregnancy and the day of birth respectively. Maternal plasma retinol concentrations on day 20 and at birth were 50 % and 30 % lower in the VAF and VAM when compared to the VAS group. Fetal weight and survival did not differ between groups although placental: fetal ratio was higher in the VAF group than in the VAS group (0·195 (SE 0·005) V. 0·175 (se 0·004), P < 0·05). Rats fed the VAF diet gave birth at 23·5 d, an average of 1 d later than the oth...

British Journal of Cancer, 2000

European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2019

22-Oxocholestanes bearing the oxime functionality in the side chain have been synthesized from di... more 22-Oxocholestanes bearing the oxime functionality in the side chain have been synthesized from diosgenin and evaluated in vivo as anti-inflammatory agents in an acute inflammation mouse ear model, against the commercial glucocorticoid dexamethasone. The final compounds were all regioselectively obtained with an E configuration at the oxime double bond. The title compounds reduced ear-induced inflammation and edema. The most active oximes repressed the expression of proinflammatory genes TNF-α, COX-2, and IL-6; including macrophage migration inhibitory factor. Overall, our data suggest that 22-oxocholestane oximes exert a strong in vivo anti-inflammatory activity.

PharmaNutrition, 2018

Abstract Sea cucumbers contain many bioactive compounds with potential health benefits. Their wid... more Abstract Sea cucumbers contain many bioactive compounds with potential health benefits. Their widespread use in East Asia, in traditional medicines and as food supplements, are depleting many local stocks and thus increasing their harvest worldwide. In recent years this has included heavy fishing of Isostichopus badionotus from the Yucatan Peninsula. The bioactivities in sea cucumber are known to vary greatly with species and growth conditions. Despite this, little study has been done on the capacity of I. badionotus captured from Yucatan to modulate health in vivo. Sea cucumbers were harvested from the Yucatan coast and body wall prepared, freeze dried and ground. The anti-inflammatory properties were evaluated using a hen’s egg test – chorioallantoic membrane (HET-CAM) assay, a rat feeding trial, and with a mouse ear inflammation model. Additional analysis was done by histology and qRT-PCR. Extracts of lyophilized I. badionotus exerted a strong anti-inflammatory activity in each of the assays. They attenuated histological disruption caused by inflammatory agents, repressed the expression of pro-inflammatory genes including TNFα, iNOS, COX2, NFκB or IL-6, and slightly enhanced the expression of anti-inflammatory or survival genes. Our study demonstrates that sea cucumber I. badionotus from the Yucatan Peninsula exhibits potent anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 2018

The Journal of Nutrition, 1993

Frontiers in Immunology, 2017

Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2008

20513 Background: Chemotherapy and radiotherapy can damage normal cells in the alimentary tract, ... more 20513 Background: Chemotherapy and radiotherapy can damage normal cells in the alimentary tract, leading to epithelial loss and ulceration (mucositis). In vivo, plant lectins stimulate gut epitheli...

Biochemical Society Transactions, 1988

Journal of Medical Microbiology, 2001

Progress in food & nutrition science, 1989

Inclusion of raw soyabean in diets considerably inhibits the growth of young animals. This is due... more Inclusion of raw soyabean in diets considerably inhibits the growth of young animals. This is due to interference with normal gut and systemic metabolism, particularly of pancreas, liver and muscle. Pancreatic hypertrophy and hyperplasia occur in the young of a number of species given soyabean. In the rat, this enlargement, which is primarily a result of interference with CCK-mediated feedback control of exocrine pancreatic secretion, persists upon prolonged feeding and leads to a susceptibility of the pancreas to carcinogens and an increased incidence of neoplasia. In contrast, with pigs or dogs, in which feedback regulation is primarily mediated via secretin, no increase in pancreas enlargement results from consumption of soyabean. Dietary soyabean or trypsin inhibitors do however alter pancreatic secretion in humans. It is at present unclear how this response is mediated. The growth inhibition and interference with intestinal and systemic metabolism observed upon soyabean feeding...

Am. J. Resp. Crit. Care Med, 1997

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - PLANT FOOD HUM NUTR, 1999

British Journal of Nutrition, 1985

Regulatory Peptides, 1996

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021

Nutrients, 2020

Diseases, 2020

British Journal of Nutrition, 2000

British Journal of Cancer, 2000

European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2019

PharmaNutrition, 2018

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 2018

The Journal of Nutrition, 1993

Frontiers in Immunology, 2017

Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2008

Biochemical Society Transactions, 1988

Journal of Medical Microbiology, 2001

Progress in food & nutrition science, 1989

Diseases [MDPI], 2020

Crohn's Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC) are worldwide health problems in which intestina... more Crohn's Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC) are worldwide health problems in which intestinal dysbiosis or adverse functional changes in the microbiome are causative or exacerbating factors. The reduced abundance and diversity of the microbiome may be a result of a lack of exposure to vital commensal microbes or overexposure to competitive pathobionts during early life. Alternatively, many commensal bacteria may not find a suitable intestinal niche or fail to proliferate or function in a protective/competitive manner if they do colonize. Bacteria express a range of factors, such as fimbriae, flagella, and secretory compounds that enable them to attach to the gut, modulate metabolism, and outcompete other species. However, the host also releases factors, such as secretory IgA, antimicrobial factors, hormones, and mucins, which can prevent or regulate bacterial interactions with the gut or disable the bacterium. The delicate balance between these competing host and bacteria factors dictates whether a bacterium can colonize, proliferate or function in the intestine. Impaired functioning of NOD2 in Paneth cells and disrupted colonic mucus production are exacerbating features of CD and UC, respectively, that contribute to dysbiosis. This review evaluates the roles of these and other the host, bacterial and environmental factors in inflammatory bowel diseases.

Progress in Food and Nutrition Science 13, 317-348, 1989

Journal of the Pancreas (On line) 2, 43-49., 2001

Secondary Plant Products. Antinutritional and beneficial actions in animal feeding (Caygill JC, Mueller-Harvey, I. eds) Nottingham University Press, Nottingham. pp. 87-110., 1999

Aliment Pharmacol.Ther. 18, 853-874, 2003

Microbial Ecology of the Growing Animal Holzapfel WH, Naughton PJ. (Eds). London, Elsevier. pp. 235-257

Diabetic Medicine 23, Issue s4, 2006

19th World Diabetes Congress (Cape Town, South Africa, December 2006) Prevalence and predisposin... more 19th World Diabetes Congress (Cape Town, South Africa, December 2006)

Prevalence and predisposing factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus in urban and rural black Ndebele males and females of Matebeleland, Zimbabwe

1,2. Todlana, F.S., 2. Grant, G, 3. Read, J.S. and 3. Djarova, T.G.

1. University of Westminster
2. Rowett Research Institute, Aberdeen, Scotland.
2.Department of Applied Biology and Biochemistry, National University of Science and Technology, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

Abstract
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM) is now an important public health problem in Southern Africa with devastating results particularly when diagnosed in its late stages. By the time patients seek medical assistance, complications including retinopathies, neuropathy, macro-vascular and microvascular complications are often present.

The aim of this investigation was to monitor the incidence and risk factors for diabetes in Ndebele people living in Matabeleland, a relatively deprived agricultural area of Zimbabwe. In this study (n=300) black urban and (n =135) rural Ndebele males and females (age 18-70 years) were recruited in the Bulawayo area in Summer season of 2002. The parameters studied were body mass index, percentage body fat, systolic and diastolic blood pressures and fasting capillary blood glucose. Twenty-four-hour food and physical activity diaries were also compiled.

In the study, fasting blood glucose levels could be discriminated into 4 groupings: normal, 3.6-6.0 mmol/l. impaired blood glucose, 6.1-6.9 mmol/l. diabetic, 7.0-10.0 mmol/l. supra-diabetic, >10 mmol/l. On this basis, all population groups could be classed as exhibiting a significant incidence of possible diabetes (16-27 per hundred). The incidence in urban and rural males appeared to be similar (21-23 per hundred), although the proportion of urban males with supra-diabetic glucose levels (10 per hundred) was higher than in the rural population (5 per hundred). The incidence amongst urban women appeared slightly lower than that for urban and rural men. In contrast, rural women appeared to have a high incidence of possible diabetes (27 per hundred) compared with the other groups.

These results are being examined in relation to changing food patterns in rural areas and the influence of social factors, which may be pre-disposing these population groups to diabetes.