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Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) is a rich source of dietary bioactive compounds such as rosmarinic acid and carnosol with a large repertoire of pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective activities. In the present study, we investigated rosemary as a potential new therapeutic agent for cognitive function and other symptoms of aging. In this present study, we have aimed to investigate the effects of oral administration of rosemary extract (RME) on learning and memory in the context of other biomarkers-related cognitive function and neurotransmitter levels in senescent accelerated prone 8 (SAMP8) mouse, a model of accelerating aging and Alzheimer's disease. The Morris water maze (MWM) test showed improved spatial learning and memory behavior in RME treated SAMP8 mouse. Moreover, RME decreased Aβ 42 and inflammatory cytokine levels and increased BDNF, Sirt1, and neurotransmitter levels in SAMP8 mouse. Whole-genome microarray analysis revealed that RME significantly increased gene expression related to oligodendrocyte differentiation, myelination, and ATP production in the hippocampus and decreased gene expression related to stress, neuroinflammation, and apoptosis. Also, in the SAMP8 hippocampus, RME significantly increased Olig1 and Olig2 expression. Altogether, our study is the first to report improvement of spatial learning and memory of RME, modulation of genes important for oligodendrogenesis, and Anti-neuroinflammatory effect by suppressing Aβ 42 levels in mouse brain and thus highlights the prospects of RME in the treatment of cognitive dysfunction and aging., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.)

Background and Purpose: Parkinson disease is a prevalent disease, with olfactory dysfunction recognized as an early nonmotor manifestation. It is sometimes difficult to differentiate Parkinson disease from atypical parkinsonism using conventional MR imaging and motor symptoms. It is also known that olfactory loss occurs to a lesser extent or is absent in atypical parkinsonism. To the best of our knowledge, no study has examined olfactory bulb changes to differentiate Parkinson disease from atypical parkinsonism, even in an early diagnosis, and its association with conventional MR imaging findings. Hence, we aimed to assess the utility of olfactory bulb measurements in differentiating Parkinson disease from atypical parkinsonism even in the early stage., Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, we enrolled 108 patients with Parkinson disease, 13 with corticobasal syndrome, 15 with multiple system atrophy, and 17 with progressive supranuclear palsy who developed parkinsonism. Thirty-nine age-matched healthy subjects served as controls. All subjects underwent conventional MR imaging and 3D FIESTA for olfactory bulb measurements using manual ROI quantification of the cross-sectional olfactory bulb area using the coronal plane. Bilateral olfactory bulb measurements were averaged. For group comparisons, we used the Welch t test, and we assessed diagnostic accuracy using receiver operating characteristic analysis., Results: Patients with Parkinson disease had a mean olfactory bulb area of 4.2 (SD, 1.0 mm 2 ), significantly smaller than in age-matched healthy subjects (6.6 [SD, 1.7 mm 2 ], P  < .001), and those with corticobasal syndrome (5.4 [SD, 1.2 mm 2 ], P  < .001), multiple system atrophy (6.5 [SD, 1.2 mm 2 ], P  < .001), and progressive supranuclear palsy (5.4 [SD, 1.2 mm 2 ], P  < .001). The receiver operating characteristic analysis for the olfactory bulb area measurements showed good diagnostic performance in differentiating Parkinson disease from atypical parkinsonism, with an area under the curve of 0.87, an optimal cutoff value of 5.1 mm 2 , and a false-positive rate of 18%. When we compared within 2 years of symptom onset, the olfactory bulb in Parkinson disease (4.2 [SD, 1.1 mm 2 ]) remained significantly smaller than in atypical parkinsonism (versus corticobasal syndrome (6.1 [SD, 0.7 mm 2 ]), P  < .001; multiple system atrophy (6.3 [SD, 1.4 mm 2 ]), P  < .001; and progressive supranuclear palsy (5.2 [1.3 mm 2 ], P  = .003, respectively)., Conclusions: 3D FIESTA-based olfactory bulb measurement holds promise for distinguishing Parkinson disease from atypical parkinsonism, especially in the early stage., (© 2024 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.)

Periodontal disease is caused by oral pathogenic bacteria and is associated with systemic disease and frailty. Therefore, its prevention is crucial in extending healthy life expectancy. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of orally administered oleanolic acid, extracted from wine pomace, on periodontopathic bacterial growth in healthy individuals. In this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group comparison study, 84 healthy adults were assigned to a placebo ( n = 29), low-dose ( n = 29, 9 mg oleanolic acid), or high-dose ( n = 26, 27 mg oleanolic acid) groups. The number of oral bacteria in their saliva, collected before and 5 h after administration, was determined using the polymerase chain reaction-invader technique. The proportion of periodontopathic bacteria among the total oral bacteria in the saliva was calculated. Oleanolic acid significantly decreased the proportion of Porphyromonas gingivalis among the total oral bacteria in a dose-dependent manner ( p = 0.005 (low-dose) and p = 0.003 (high-dose) vs. placebo, Williams' test). Moreover, high-dose oleanolic acid decreased the proportion of Tannerella forsythia ( p = 0.064 vs. placebo, Williams' test). Periodontopathic bacteria are closely associated with the development and progression of periodontal disease; thus, the continuous daily intake of oleanolic acid derived from pomace may be helpful in maintaining a healthy oral microbiome by controlling the proportion of periodontopathic bacteria., Competing Interests: This study was conducted by Clinical Creative Co., Ltd. (Saitama, Japan), and the Nippn Corporation (Tokyo, Japan) provided the research funds and test foods. Authors, K.S., K.O., S.F. and K.A., were employed by the Nippn Corporation. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Borderline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (120-139 mg/dl) increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the use of functional dietary nutrients is expected to control blood low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of dietary secoisolariciresinol diglucoside on blood cholesterol in healthy adults with borderline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. A randomized, parallel, controlled, double-blinded clinical trial was performed for participants with borderline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, for 12 weeks with secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (60 mg/day) or placebo. Lipid profile [low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, total cholesterol, and triglycerides] and liver disease risk markers were measured at weeks 0, 4, 8, and 12. Analyzing 36 participants in each group revealed a significant interaction between treatment and time, indicating reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( p  = 0.049) and total cholesterol ( p  = 0.020) levels in secoisolariciresinol diglucoside-receiving men but not women. However, no significant differences were observed in other markers regardless of gender. The results suggest that a daily intake of 60 mg of secoisolariciresinol diglucoside lowers low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol levels in men with borderline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, proposing secoisolariciresinol diglucoside potential as a functional dietary nutrient for cardiovascular disease prevention. This study was registered in the UMIN-CTR database (UMIN000046202)., Competing Interests: All authors were employed by NIPPN Corporation. Clinical experiments were conducted by Clinical Creative Corporation and Sapporo Yurinokai Hospital with funds provided by NIPPN Corporation. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2024 JCBN.)

Abstract: We obtained breath-hold zero TE (ZTE) magnetic resonance imaging for the evaluation of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations before and after embolotherapy. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no reports of ZTE for the entire lung imaging in single breath-hold scan time such as 20 seconds. Breath-hold ZTE magnetic resonance imaging can be a useful technique for magnetic resonance-based follow-up of vascular lung diseases without using contrast media, reducing the undesired artifacts from metallic devices., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest and Source of Funding: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this article., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Zero echo time (ZTE) sequence is recent advanced magnetic resonance technique that utilizes ultrafast readouts to capture signals from short-T2 tissues. This sequence enables T2- and T2* weighted imaging of tissues with short intrinsic relaxation times by using an extremely short TE, and are increasingly used in the musculoskeletal system. We review the imaging physics of these sequences, practical limitations, and image reconstruction, and then discuss the clinical utilities in various disorders of the musculoskeletal system. ZTE can be readily incorporated into the clinical workflow, and is a promising technique to avoid unnecessary radiation exposure, cost, and time-consuming by computed tomography in some cases. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 1., (© 2023 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)