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Objective Assess patient characteristics, real-world treatment patterns, and health care resource utilization (HCRU) among patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in Japan. Methods Patients diagnosed with PsA from April 2009 through July 2017 were identified from the Medical Data Vision database. Patient characteristics, treatment patterns, and HCRU were evaluated for these patients. Results A total of 639 patients met inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis for patients with a PsA diagnosis. Over 12 months following diagnosis, patients received oral NSAIDs (61.7%), conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) (55.1%), corticosteroids (35.1%), topical NSAIDs (34.0%), adalimumab (14.7%), infliximab (9.7%), secukinumab (5.0%), ustekinumab (4.5%), ixekizumab (1.6%), and golimumab (1.6%). A total of 227 (35.5%) patients initiated biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs) over the median 25.2 months of study follow-up. Compared with the overall group of patients diagnosed with PsA, patients who initiated bDMARDs had higher median total per-patient health care costs ($27,772 vs. $11,316), lower median per-patient hospitalization costs ($31,164 vs. $39,359), and fewer median hospital days per admission (8.0 vs. 12.0 days). Conclusion This study presents knowledge of the current state of patient characteristics, treatment patterns, HCRU, and costs among patients with PsA in Japan. Considering the relatively recent guideline recommendations, the preliminary treatment patterns suggest physicians may be following treatment guidelines.

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells have frequently been used in biotechnology as a mammalian host cell platform for expressing genes of interest. Previously, we constructed a detailed physical chromosomal map of the CHO DG44 cell line by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) imaging using 303 bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones as hybridization probes (BAC-FISH). BAC-FISH results revealed that the two longest chromosomes were completely paired. However, other chromosomes featured partial deletions or rearrangements. In this study, we determined the end sequences of 303 BAC clones (BAC end sequences), which were used for BAC-FISH probes. Among 606 BAC-end sequences (BESs) (forward and reverse ends), 558 could be determined. We performed a comparison between all determined BESs and mouse genome sequences using NCBI BLAST. Among these 558 BESs, 465 showed high homology to mouse chromosomal sequences. We analyzed the locations of these BACs in chromosomes of the CHO DG44 cell line using a physical chromosomal map. From the obtained results, we investigated the regional similarities among CHO chromosomes (A–T) and mouse chromosomes (1–19 and sex) about 217 BESs (46.7% of 465 high homologous BESs). Twenty-three specific narrow regions in 13 chromosomes of the CHO DG44 cell line showed high homology to mouse chromosomes, but most of other regions did not show significant correlations with the mouse genome. These results contribute to accurate alignments of chromosomes of Chinese hamster and its genome sequence, analysis of chromosomal instability in CHO cells, and the development of target locations for gene and/or genome editing techniques. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s10616-018-0233-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Objectives This study aimed to identify factors associated with initiation and adherence of osteoporosis medication from a patient perspective. Methods A web-based survey was developed based on health behavior theories. Descriptive analyses were conducted for all survey items. Analyses in a structural equation modeling framework were conducted to identify factors associated with treatment initiation and adherence. Results Five hundred forty-five women completed the questionnaire. A majority were currently receiving medications for osteoporosis (n = 376, 69.0%) and 25.0% of these patients (n = 94) were considered adherent to their treatment. Knowledge was strongly associated with osteoporosis treatment initiation (standard error [SE], 0.58). Greater knowledge of disease was associated with increased likelihood of initiating medication. Medication complexity (SE, 0.49) and perceived susceptibility to fracture and loss of independence (SE, −0.37) were also associated with initiation. Perceived barriers (SE, −0.85) such as inconvenience, lack of efficacy and financial burden were observed to be the greatest obstacle to adherence. The greater the perceived barriers, the less likely patients were to adhere to medication. Patients' perception of self-efficacy (SE, 0.37) also affected adherence. The greater the patient perception of ability to independently manage their medication, the more likely they were to adhere to the medication. Conclusions Different factors were found to be associated with initiation and adherence of osteoporosis medication. Patient knowledge of their disease and the perception of barriers were found to be the most influential. Empowering patients with the knowledge to better understand their disease and decreasing the perception of barriers through education initiatives may be effective in improving patient outcomes.

The Spontaneously Diabetic Torii (SDT) fatty rat, a model for obese type 2 diabetes, shows bone quantitative abnormalities, namely low bone mineral density (BMD). The objective of this study was to evaluate bone morphological changes, in particular identifying the bone qualitative abnormalities, in the SDT fatty rat. Male SDT fatty rats showed increases in total trabecular area and trabecular number and decreases in trabecular thickness in cancellous bones of the proximal tibia, indicating trabecular miniaturization. The SDT fatty rat is useful for investigation of pathophysiological changes in bone quality in diabetic osteoporosis.

The Spontaneously Diabetic ToriiLeprfa(SDT fatty) rat is a novel type 2 diabetic model wherein both male and female rats develop glucose and lipid abnormalities from a young age. In this study, we investigated gender differences in abnormalities and related complications in SDT fatty rats. Food intake was higher in males compared to female rats; however, body weight was not different between genders. Progression of diabetes, including increases in blood glucose and declines in blood insulin, was observed earlier in male rats than in females, and diabetic grade was more critical in male rats. Blood lipids tended to increase in female rats. Gonadal dysfunction was observed in both male and female rats with aging. Microangiopathies, such as nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy, and osteoporosis, were seen in both genders, and pathological grade and progression were more significant in males. Qualitative and quantitative changes were observed for metabolic disease gender differences in SDT fatty rats. The SDT fatty rat is a useful model for researching gender differences in metabolic disorders and related diseases in diabetes with obesity.

Short-acting oral calcilytics, calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) antagonists, have been considered as alternatives for parathyroid hormone (PTH), an injectable bone anabolic drug used in the treatment of osteoporosis. Previously, we identified aminopropandiol 1, which transiently stimulated endogenous PTH secretion in rats. However, the inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2D6 and the low bioavailability of 1 remain to be solved. Attempts to change the physicochemical properties of the highly lipophilic amine 1 by introduction of a carboxylic acid group as well as further structural modifications led to the discovery of the highly potent biphenylcarboxylic acid 15, with a markedly reduced CYP2D6 inhibition and a significantly improved bioavailability. Compound 15 evoked a rapid and transient elevation of endogenous PTH levels in rats after oral administration in a dose-dependent manner at a dose as low as 1 mg/kg. The PTH secretion pattern correlated with the pharmacokinetic profile and agreed well with that of the exogenous PTH injection which exerts a bone anabolic effect.

It is well-known that the liquid component of blood can be an important marker for assessing health conditions. But the cellular components of blood also convey to us various other information. This paper explains the knowledge obtained from the author's experiments examining blood cells, and how this knowledge elucidates regulational functions of aging. For example, from the facts that: 1. the life span of germfree mice was longer than that of conventional mice, 2. the life span of normal mice with restricted diet(60%)was longer than that of non-restricted normal mice, and that, as the author's experiment revealed, 3. the length and life of their small intestinal epithelial cells were also greater than those of each control group, the author surmises that small intestinal epithelial cells might be a marker for detecting the situation of the regulation of aging. Experiments designed to measure the life span of red blood cells lead the author to find that the number of T-cells in mice on restricted diets increased and immune responses were accelerated. And finally, the author explains experiments examining platelets of laboratory mice to determine the function of EPA(Eicosapentaenoic acid)in the blood coagulation system.

This review assesses the feasibility of using glycemic index (GI) as a predictor of appetite, hunger and satiety by surveying published human intervention studies. We also discuss the relationship between GI and two appetite/satiety control hormones, leptin and ghrelin. Ingestion of high-GI food increased hunger and lowered satiety in short-term human intervention studies. This effect may be attributed to the rapid decline in blood glucose level following a hyperinsulinemic response caused by a sharp and transient increase in blood glucose level that occurs after the ingestion of high-GI food, which is defined as the glucostatic theory. However, appetite, hunger and satiety after the ingestion of foods with varying GI were inconsistent among long-term human intervention studies. From the few relevant long-term studies available, we selected two recent well-designed examples for analysis, but they failed to elicit clear differences in glycemic and insulinemic responses between high- and low-GI meals (consisting of a combination of different foods or key carbohydrate-rich foods incorporated into habitual diets). One of the reasons that these studies could not predict glycemic response to mixed meals is presumably that the GI of each particular food was not reflected in that of the mixed meals as a whole. Thus, it is difficult to conclude that the GI values of foods or mixed meals are a valid long-term predictor for appetite, hunger and satiety. Both insulin and insulin-mediated glucose uptake and metabolism in adipose tissue affect blood leptin concentration and its diurnal pattern. Circulating ghrelin level is suppressed by carbohydrate-rich meals, presumably via glycemia and insulinemia. Accordingly, low-GI foods may not necessarily increase satiety or suppress appetite and/or hunger because of the lack of insulin-mediated leptin stimulation and ghrelin suppression. However, insulin-mediated leptin stimulation and ghrelin suppression per se is not consistent among studies; thus we were not able to identify a clear relationship among GI, satietogenic leptin, and appetitic ghrelin.

Polystyrene (PS)-based hybrid particles containing a large amount of Mg(OH)2powder treated with methylhydrogen polysiloxane (MHS) were fabricated by a bulk and subsequent suspension two-step polymerization method. All the particles fabricated showed spherical shape and their particle sizes were about 500 μm, irrespective of the additive amount of the Mg(OH)2powder modified with MHS (ST-1). The actual content of ST-1 powder incorporated inside each kind of hybrid particle was almost the same as that in the raw mixture, and agglomeration of ST-1 powder was hardly observed inside the hybrid particles. The compressive strength of the hybrid particles remained almost unchanged, even when the ST-1 powder content increased from 10 to 50 phr. Furthermore, a composite fabricated by employing the hybrid particles achieved homogenous distribution of ST-1 powder and showed a higher oxygen index than that of a composite fabricated by directly mixing of PS pellets and ST-1 powder.

哺乳類の骨格筋や脳に多く含まれ,食肉中の機能性成分として注目されているヒスチジン含有ペプチド(カルノシン,アンセリン)の加齢に伴う筋肉含有量の変化を把握する目的で,2,8,18,40,50,60週令のマウスを用いて検討を行った。また,カルノシンを経口投与した影響も検討した。本研究により,マウス骨格筋中カルノシン量は,8週令のマウスに比較し50週令まで増加を示し,60週令では減少する傾向が観察された。また,40週令マウスの骨格筋におけるカルノシン経口投与の影響は観察されなかった。今後さらに週令の高い動物での検討やカルノシン投与量の検討が必要である。, Carnosine is a β-alanyl-L-histidine dipeptide and is found in skeletal muscle and nervous tissue at concentrations ranging from 1 to 25mM. The muscle food that has been postulated to be a bioactive food component contains this dipeptide. Some anti-aging effects of carnosine have also been demonstrated at the whole animal level. There is evidence that carnosine concentrations may decline with age in rodents and humans and the carnosine concentration in the muscles of short-lived species appears to be much lower than that in long-lived species. While carnosine has been detected in mouse muscle, very little is known about the changes of carnosine concentration with, age in detail and after intake of carnosine. Therefore, we investigated the age-related change of carnosine concentration in mouse muscle and the effects of carnosine intake. In this study, carnosine concentration in muscle was increased after birth and carnosine concentration in 60-week-old mice was slightly decreased. While the effects after intake of carnosine was not observed. Further studies should be performed to investigate the changes of carnosine concentration in more aged-mice and the effects after intake of carnosine.

内因性抗酸化物カルノシンの神経細胞保護効果を検討する目的で,7週令及び40週令マウスを用いて,脳内海馬CA1領域における病理組織及び免疫組織化学的解析を行った。その結果,7週令マウスに比較し40週令マウスの海馬CA1領域では,神経細胞の脱落が観察され,eNOSやCu/Zn-SOD免疫染色性の増加も確認された。これに対し,40週令マウスに2週間のカルノシソ(100mg/kg)を投与した群では,40週令コントロールマウスにみられた神経細胞の脱落が抑制されたことが確認された。また,カルノシソ投与によるGFAP陽性アストロサイトの活性増大とCu/Zn-SOD活性抑制傾向が観察された。カルノシンはアストロサイトの活性化とfree radical scavenging機能により,海馬領域の神経細胞を保護することが示唆されるが,その詳細なメカニズム解明にあたってはさらなる検討が必要である。, Carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine) is an endogenous dipeptide and is found in brain and other long-lived tissues of humans at concentrations as high as 20mM. It is demonstrated that carnosine has several functions, such as anti-ischemic activity, anti-glication effect and membrane-protecting properties. In this study, we investigated the effect of L-carnosine on age-related histopathological and immunohistochemical alteration in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) protein of the hippocampal CAl sector in 7- and 40-week old mice. Histopathological observations showed that neuronal change or hippocampal CA1 neurons, which was observed in 40-week old mice, was preserved by carnosine treatment. Immunohistochemical stainings for GFAP and nNOS were unchanged in 40-week old mice. However, immunohistochemical stainings for eNOS and Cu/Zn-SOD increased in hippocampal cells of 40-weeks old mice compared with 7-week old mice. Additionally, GFAP immunopositive cells in carnosine treatment mice were increased compared with 7-week old mice. From these observations, we suggest that carnosine is effective on age-related neurodegeneration of hippocampal CA1 sector.

Reports have shown that soybeans are goitrogenic. In the present study, we investigated the effects of a high soybean diet in rats that were fed normal or iodine-deficient chow on the regulation of anterior pituitary hormone production. Iodine deficiency alone resulted in thyroid hyperplasia, reduced serum thyroxine levels, and a tendency towards an increase in serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). The combination of a high soybean and low iodine diet (ID + DS) acted synergistically to induce thyroid hypertrophy, reduce serum thyroxine and tri-iodothyronine, and markedly increase serum TSH. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that rats fed the ID + DS diet exhibited a marked increase in their number of pituitary TSH, prolactin (PRL), and growth hormone (GH) producing cells. Pituitary transcription factor-1 (Pit-1) which is involved in the expression of the TSH, PRL, and GH genes was also increased in ID + DS fed rats. These results suggest that a diet high in soybean products modulates anterior pituitary hormone production by regulating Pit-1 induction, in iodine-deficient animals.

The Spontaneously Diabetic Torii-Lepr(fa) (SDT-fa/fa) rat, a model of obese type 2 diabetes, shows obesity, hyperglycaemia and low bone mineral density (BMD). The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of parathyroid hormone (1-34) [PTH(1-34)] on BMD and glucose metabolism in the SDT-fa/fa rat. SDT-fa/fa rats showed obesity with hyperglycaemia and decreased serum osteocalcin levels and the tibial BMD. A 4-week treatment of PTH(1-34) (20 µg/kg/day) increased the serum osteocalcin levels and the tibial BMD, and decreased the serum glucose levels without changing the serum insulin levels. These findings indicate that PTH(1-34) improved not only BMD but also glucose metabolism in SDT-fa/fa rats. This study suggests that PTH(1-34) is a novel agent for the treatment of diabetic osteoporosis.

Functionally graded PMN-PT ceramics, which had a continuously varying graded composition from one surface toward the other of the specimen, were examined with respect to their dielectric property. Specimens were prepared by sintering superposed layers of green compacts of (1-x)PMN-xPT solid solutions with different values of x. The electric permittivity (e) of single-phase (1-x)PMN-xPT ceramics showed a peak at the Curie temperature, which shifted towards higher temperatures with increasing x. On the other hand, the profile of e vs temperature (T) for the graded PMN-PT ceramics experienced a linear characteristic. Furthermore, a flat profile was obtained by varying the volume of layers. The relative permittivity was 10000 ± 200 in the temperature range from room temperature to 120°C. In addition, the temperature coefficient of permittivity could be arbitrary adjusted by cutting the specimen diagonally.

The effects of brewer's yeast cell walls and two of its components, glucan and mannan, on the absorption of 59Fe by anemic rats were investigated. After administration of the label, the percentage of 59Fe taken up into the blood of group given glucan was generally similar to that of a group given yeast cell walls, both values were higher than in controls. The incorporation of 59Fe into the small intestines was higher in the group given glucan than in the controls or a group given a glucan-mannan mixture. Glucan is the main substance in yeast cell walls that increases iron absorption.

The specificity and dose dependence of the synergistic effects of soybean intake with iodine deficiency on the induction of thyroid proliferation were investigated in female F344 rats. In the first experiment, rats were divided into 6 groups, each consisting of 5 animals, and fed a basal diet containing 20% gluten, an iodine-deficient basal diet alone or an iodine-deficient diet containing 0.2%, 1.0%, 5.0% or 25% defatted soybean for 5 weeks. Soybean feeding synergistically induced thyroid hyperplasias with iodine deficiency only at the 25% dose. In the second experiment, rats were also divided into 6 groups, each consisting of 5 animals, and fed a basal diet, a diet containing 20% defatted soybean, 0.025% sulfadimethoxine (SDM), 20% defatted soybean + 0.025% SDM, 0.05% phenobarbital (PB) or 20% defatted soybean + 0.05% PB for 5 weeks. The SDM treatments significantly (P < 0.05 - 0.01) increased the thyroid weights, but this increase rate was less prominent in the SDM + soybean group than in the SDM alone group. The PB treatment was also associated with a tendency for increase in thyroid weight, but again this was smaller in the PB + soybean group than in the PB alone group. Although the SDM or PB treatments reduced the serum triiodothyronine and thyroxine levels and consequently increased the serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, the soybean feeding did not affect or rather attenuated these changes. Our results clearly indicate that soybean feeding does not synergistically enhance the effects of SDM or PB on the rat thyroid. Thus it can be concluded that soybean intake specifically interacts with iodine deficiency in induction of thyroid proliferative lesions in rats, only at high doses.

Background Body temperature is usually regulated by opposing controls of heat production and heat loss. However, systemic administration of capsaicin, the pungent ingredient of hot peppers, facilitated heat production and heat loss simultaneously in rats. We recently found that the capsaicin-induced heat loss and heat production occur simultaneously and that the biphasic change in body temperature is a sum of transient heat loss and long-lasting heat production. Moreover, suppression of the heat loss response did not affect capsaicin-induced heat production and suppression of heat production did not affect capsaicin-induced heat loss. These observations suggest the independent peripheral mechanisms of capsaicin-induced thermal responses. Thus, the capsaicin-induced thermal responses apparently lack an integrated control. Methods Male Wistar rats were maintained at an ambient temperature of 24 +/- 1 degrees C on a 12 h on-off lighting schedule at least for two weeks before the experiments. They were anesthetized with urethane (1.5 g/kg, i.p.) and placed on a heating pad, which was kept between 29 and 30 degrees C. Skin temperature(Ts) was measured with a small thermistor, which was taped to the dorsal surface of the rat's tail, to assess vasoactive changes indirectly. Colonic temperature(Tc) was measured with another thermistor inserted about 60 mm into the anus. O2 consumption was measured by the open-circuit method, and values were corrected for metabolic body size (kg0.75). Capsaicin (Sigma) was dissolved in a solution comprising 80% saline, 10% Tween 80, and 10% ethanol, and injected subcutaneously at a dose of 5 mg/kg. Each rat received a single injection of capsaicin because repeated administration of capsaicin renders an animal insensitive to the subsequent administration of capsaicin. Laminectomy was performed at the level of the first and second cervical vertebrae to expose the cervical spinal cord for sectioning. The brain was transected at 4-mm rostral from the interaural line with an L-shaped knife. Results After administration of capsaicin, O2 consumption increased from 13.5 +/- 0.4 mL/min/kg0.75 at 0 min to a peak of 15.9 +/- 0.4 mL/min/kg0.75 at 71 min and gradually declined but remained higher than the basal value until the end of the 4-h observation period. Ts also immediately increased from 27.7 +/- 0.2 degrees C to 31.9 +/- 0.3 degrees C at 39 min, and it returned to the baseline level within 90 min after the capsaicin administration. Tc initially decreased from 37.1 +/- 0.1 degrees C to 36.8 +/- 0.2 degrees C at 43 min and then gradually increased over the baseline level and remained at 37.6 +/- 0.2 degrees C until the end of the experiment. In spinalized rats, the capsaicin-induced increases in O2 consumption was largely attenuated, while the basal O2 consumption was similar to that of control rats. The basal Ts of spinalized rats was 32.4 +/- 0.3 degrees C, which was higher than that of control rats. Capsaicin increased Ts by less than 1 degree C, and Tc did not change after the capsaicin administration. O2 consumption of decerebrated rats was statistically higher than that of control rats after the injection of capsaicin. However, capsaicin did not increase Ts, showing a lack of a vasodilatory response. Decerebration between the hypothalamus and midbrain prevented the capsaicin-induced heat loss but not the heat production response. Conclusion These results show that the capsaicin-induced heat production and heat loss are controlled separately by the brainstem and by the forebrain, respectively, and suggest that the body temperature regulation is performed without an integrative center.

The distributions of phylloquinone (PK) and menaquinone-4 (MK-4) in various tissues were assessed after the oral administration of phylloquinone. Wistar rats were fed a vitamin-K-deficient diet for nine days, fasted for 24 h and then given phylloquinone orally at 4 mg/kg body weight. Rats were sacrificed 0, 6, 12 and 24 h after the administration, and an analysis was made of the vitamin K analogues in the plasma, liver, brain, testis, kidney and spleen. The phylloquinone concentration in plasma and the tissues reached a peak 6 h after the oral administration of phylloquinone. By contrast, the concentration of MK-4 peaked in the liver, plasma, kidney and spleen at 12 h, and in brain and testis at 24 h. This data suggests that the ingested phylloquinone was probably converted into MK-4 within the tissues themselves, rather than via hepatic metabolism. The evidence for this is that, after phylloquinone administration, (i) in each of the tissues, the MK-4 concentration increased much more slowly than that of phylloquinone, and (ii) the MK-4 concentration in the plasma and liver reached only much lower levels than those seen in other tissues.

Single-fiber preparations of the rat chorda tympani (CT) nerve were used to study the mechanism of action of capsaicin on salt-taste transduction. Capsaicin selectively suppressed the responses to NaCl of the CT nerve fibers (N-fibers) that are sodium-specific (insensitive or poorly sensitive to potassium). Among the more broadly responsive, cation-sensitive fibers (E-fibers) there are two subtypes, both of which responded to capsaicin but in different ways ('enhanced' type and 'suppressed' type). In both N- and E-fibers, 5% ethanol (the vehicle for capsaicin) slightly reduced the response to 100 mM NaCl. The suppressive effect of capsaicin on the response of the N-type fibers to 100 mM NaCl was significantly stronger than the effect of 5% ethanol. The suppression lasted for at least 20 s after the simultaneous application of 100 p.p.m. capsaicin-100 nM NaCl. These results indicate that 100 p.p.m. capsaicin can modify the response of CT fibers to NaCl. The observed effect of capsaicin on gustatory fibers could be the net result of opposite suppressive and enhancing processes in the taste buds cells and excited intra- or extragemmal trigeminal nerve endings.

Background The fastest growing age group globally is older adults, and preventing the need for long-term nursing care in this group is important for social and financial reasons. A population approach to diet and physical activity through the use of social services can play an important role in prevention. This study examined the effectiveness of a social health program for community-dwelling older adults aimed at introducing and promoting physical activity in the home at each individual’s pace, helping participants maintain good dietary habits by keeping self-check sheets, and determining whether long-standing unhealthy or less-than-ideal physical and dietary habits can be changed. Method This cluster randomized trial conducted at 6 community centers in an urban community involved 92 community-dwelling older adults aged 65–90 years. The intervention group (3 community centers; n = 57) participated in the social health program “Sumida TAKE10!” which is an educational program incorporating the “TAKE10!® for Older Adults” program, once every 2 weeks for 3 months. The control group (3 community centers; n=35) was subsequently provided with the same program as a crossover intervention group. The main outcome measures were changes in food intake frequency, food frequency score (FFS), dietary variety score (DVS), and frequency of walking and exercise. The secondary outcome measures were changes in self-rated health, appetite, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology (TMIG) Index of Competence score. Results Compared to baseline, post-intervention food intake frequency for 6 of 10 food groups (meat, fish/shellfish, eggs, potatoes, fruits, and seaweed), FFS, and DVS were significantly increased in the intervention group, and interaction effects of FFS and DVS were seen between the two groups. No significant differences were observed between baseline and post-intervention in the control group. Frequency of walking and exercise remained unchanged in both groups, and no significant difference in improvement rate was seen between the groups. Self-rated health was significantly increased in the intervention group. Appetite and TMIG Index of Competence score were unchanged in both groups. Conclusions The social health program resulted in improved dietary habits, as measured by food intake frequency, FFS, and DVS, and may improve self-rated health among community-dwelling older adults. Trial registration number UMIN000007357

The effects of papain-hydrolyzed pork meat on plasma and liver cholesterol levels were studied in rats fed a cholesterol-enriched diet. In rats fed the low-molecular-weight fraction of papain-hydrolyzed pork meat, the plasma cholesterol concentration, more particularly the VLDL and LDL cholesterol concentrations, were significantly lower (p

We investigated the effects of fructooligosaccharides (FO)-feeding on the absorption of iron (Fe), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) and on the biochemical parameters in Fe-deficient anemic rats. Fe-deficient anemic rats were made by feeding an Fe-deficient diet for 3 weeks. Then these Fe-deficient rats were fed an experimental diet that contained one of two levels of Fe (15 or 30 mg/kg diet), in the form of ferric pyrophosphate, and one of two levels of FO (0 or 50 g/kg diet) for 2 weeks. After the rats were fed these experimental diets, FO-feeding increased the hematocrit ratio, the concentration of hemoglobin and the hemoglobin regeneration efficiency during the first week. Also, the apparent absorption of Fe was increased by FO-feeding. The levels of Fe in the diet did not affect the absorption of Ca and Mg. However, FO-feeding increased the absorption of Ca and Mg. FO-feeding lowered the pH and raised the solubility of Fe, Ca and Mg in the cecal contents, suggesting that those increasing effects of FO-feeding on absorption of these minerals is correlated with fermentation of FO in the large intestine, namely, the cecum and colon. We concluded that FO-feeding improved recovery from anemia and increased the absorption of Fe, Ca and Mg in Fe-deficient anemic rats.

The insulin secretion expressed in terms of plasma concentration in response to an oral glucose load (1.8g per kg body weight) in biotin-deficient male Wistar rats was approximately one-sixth that of pair-fed controls. However, the insulin content of the pancreas in biotin-deficient rats was no lower than that of control rats. The reduction in insulin secretion in the biotin-deficient rats was reversed to a significant extent by the simultaneous administration of biotin (1mg per kg body weight) with the glucose solution. This suggests that biotin may play an important role in the secretion of insulin from the β-cells of the pancreas.

The influence of proline and lysine solution ingestion on ethanol metabolism after chronic oral ethanol administration was investigated in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). Compared with rats that were not administered ethanol (control group), the prolonged ethanol-administered rats (EtOH group) showed little change in their blood ethanol levels, but a remarkable increase and slow appearance in the blood acetaldehyde levels after the oral administration of ethanol. When prolonged ethanol-administered rats ingested the proline solution (EtOH/Pro group), higher levels of blood ethanol continued. However, the increase in blood acetaldehyde levels was not observed in the EtOH/Pro group. In the case of prolonged ethanol-administered rats that ingested the lysine-containing solution (EtOH/Lys group), blood ethanol levels decreased and disappeared 4h after the oral administration. An effect of lowered blood acetaldehyde levels was also observed. When prolonged ethanol-administered rats ingested both proline and lysine (EtOH/Pro+Lys group), the effect on blood ethanol levels was similar to that of rats that had ingested lysine only, and the influence on blood acetaldehyde was like that of rats that had only ingested proline. These results suggest that proline and lysine can regulate ethanol metabolism and the influence of proline on ethanol metabolism is different from that of lysine.

The chemiluminescence (CL) emitted from polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and aflatoxins (AF) in an S9 mix system can be detected by use of a chemiluminescence analyzer. These CL intensities were significantly correlated with the degree of mutagenicity as measured by the Ames test (using S. typhimurium TA 100), and of clastogenicity measured by the micronucleus test using ICR mice. The emission spectra of the CL detected from aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) indicated a distinctive blue light around 440nm. In the case of AFs, there was a strong correlation between CL intensity and genotoxicity. CL intensity detected from nonsubstitutional polyaromatic hydrocarbons was significantly correlated with the degree of superdelocalizability. These CL emissions observed from PAHs and AFs not only correspond to the genotoxicity of these compounds but also reflect the electronic configuration of them.

The Spontaneously Diabetic Torii-Lepr(fa) (SDT- fa/fa) rat is a new model of obese type 2 diabetes. The female SDT-fa/fa rat shows obesity, hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia from a young age. However, it is not known whether diabetes and estrogen deficiency can lead to bone abnormalities in the female SDT-fa/fa rat. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of ovariectomy (OVX) on bone metabolism and bone mineral density (BMD) in the female SDT-fa/fa rat. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were used as control animals. The BMDs of the whole tibia and fifth lumbar (L5) vertebral body were analyzed at 30 weeks after OVX. Serum osteocalcin, a bone formation marker, and urine deoxypyridinoline (DPD), a bone resorption marker, were sequentially analyzed before and at 5, 15 and 30 weeks after OVX. Serum osteocalcin and urine DPD levels were lower in SDT-fa/fa rats than in control rats before OVX. Both serum osteocalcin and urine DPD levels were elevated in control rats 5-30 weeks after OVX, but only the urine DPD levels were elevated in SDT-fa/fa rats 5-30 weeks after OVX. SDT-fa/fa rats showed a decrease in the BMDs of the whole tibia and L5 vertebral body compared with control rats. OVX decreased the BMDs of the whole tibia and L5 vertebral body in control rats, but not in SDT-fa/fa rats. These data suggest that estrogen deficiency is not a risk factor for bone loss in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

In Japan, the number of low weight birth babies is increasing. The increase in the number of slim young women is considered to be associated with the rising number of low birth weight babies in Japan. In 1993, Barker et al. published highly influential findings indicating a relationship between low birth weight and increased risk of developing symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Here, we report on results that occur when dietary restriction is applied during all periods of pregnancy. It was shown that, at 5 d, the mean weight of pups in the dietary restriction group was lower than the mean weight of pups in the control group. Catch-up growth began when milk yields of the dietary restriction group pups attained the same levels as those of the control group pups. Intra-abdominal adipose tissue weights of the dietary restricted group were significantly higher than those of the control group in males at 280 d after birth. Intra-abdominal adipose tissue weights of the dietary restricted group had a tendency to be higher than those of the control group for female rats. In male rats, it is considered that increase in intra-abdominal adipose tissue is related to lean body mass but it is not related to the function of brown adipose tissue (BAT). In female rats, it is considered that the increase in intra-abdominal adipose tissue is related to the function of BAT and lean body mass.

Examination was made of the effects of amino acids on alcohol intake in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). The animals were divided into two groups according to dietary protein level, normal (15%) and low (5%). The two groups were further divided into two groups according to whether they selected the ethanol solution containing amino acids (non-amino acid group and amino acid group). The 5% ethanol solutions with and without various amino acids were prepared in a water-supplying tube to which the animals had free access for 40 days. The 5% ethanol solution intake in rats fed the normal protein diet was higher than that of the low protein group. Regardless of dietary protein level, 5% ethanol solution intake increased in the amino acid group. Intake of the 5% ethanol solution containing 100 mM L-proline, 100 mM L-lysine, and 100 mM L-threonine was large. For the amino acid group of rats fed normal protein and low protein, plasma glutamate oxalacetate transaminase (GOT) activity was significantly reduced. It is suggested that the alcohol intake may increase by adding amino acid to the alcohol solution.

The therapeutic efficacy of biotin was evaluated in 43 patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. The serum biotin concentration in the patients was significantly lower than that in the 64 healthy control subjects and inversely correlated with the fasting blood glucose level. The oral administration of biotin, 9mg daily, corrected the hyperglycemia in the patients with no change in their serum insulin level. The serum levels of pyruvate and lactate decreased to their normal ranges after the administration. These observations suggest that the biotin administration ameliorates abnormal glucose metabolism in diabetic patients, presumably by enhancing the activity of the biotin-dependent enzyme, pyruvate carboxylase, with a subsequent promotion of glucose utilization for the entry into the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The administration also enhanced the response to glibenclamide in patients who had been resistant to the agent, suggesting a significant increase in the potency of the endogenous insulin action. The result demonstrates that biotin administration is effective for the treatment of the patients. Neither a relapse of clinical symptoms nor an occurrence of undesirable side effects has been observed.

The implication of biotin depletion in metabolic abnormalities occurring in 30 patients with sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis was studied, because the patients had low serum biotin levels. Levels of serum amino acids and fatty acids, fasting blood glucose level, plasma ascorbic acid level, and urinary excretion of hydroxyproline were measured in the patients before and after their treatment with biotin, which was done as 9mg daily in three divided doses. Before the treatment, the levels of serum branched-chain amino acids, threonine, serine, glutamic acid, glutamine, proline, and taurine were elevated in the patients. Fatty acids in the serum phospholipids from the patients contained higher levels of 18: 2n-6 and 18: 3n-3 but lower levels of 20: 4n-6 and 20: 5n-3. Hyperglycemia and abnormal glucose tolerance were observed in the patients. Plasma ascorbic acid level tended to be low, while urinary excretion of hydroxyproline was high in the patients. The biotin treatment corrected these abnormalities, resulting in clinical improvement. The results suggest that the metabolic abnormalities resulting from biotin depletion may have an important role in the development of sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis.

The substrate specificity and the affinity of rat purified lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase towards the molecular species of phosphatidylcholine (PC) were studied in comparison with the human enzyme. The substrate vesicles were prepared with 40% of a test PC, 60% of egg yolk PC, and tritium cholesterol. Both human and rat enzymes showed similar high reactivity to the substrates containing three major PCs (16: 0-18: 1 PC, 16: 0-18: 2 PC, and 18: 0-18: 1 PC) of egg yolk compared with the vesicles of egg yolk PC alone. In the case of 18: 0-20: 4 PC, the rat enzyme had the highest activity among all the test PCs, but the human enzyme only had a moderate activity. Even when the substrate consisted of 18: 0-20: 4 PC alone, the rat enzyme had a high activity, but the activity of the human enzyme was not detected. Symmetrical diacyl-PCs (18: 2-18: 2 PC, 18: 1-18: 1 PC, 18: 0-18: 0 PC) were not a preferable substrate for either enzyme. The transfer of both the human and rat enzymes from the vesicles containing 18: 0-20: 4 PC to the egg yolk PC vesicles was on a higher level than that from the vesicles containing 18: 2-18: 2 PC. This suggests that the activity of the LCA T can be easily influenced by the kinds of PC molecular species and its relative content in the substrate and that the substrate may provide the extent of the enzyme transfer between the substrate particles.

We investigated in 30 healthy adults the glycemic index (GI) of five strawberry jams made from various sugar compositions. The jam containing the highest ratio of glucose showed a high GI, while that containing a high ratio of fructose, a jam made from polydextrose, showed a low GI. There was a high correlation (r=0.969, p=0.006) between the GI and the predicted GI calculated from the sugar composition of the jams. Moreover, the influence on postprandial blood glucose response after an intake of only 20 g of jam and one slice of bread with 20 g jam was measured in 8 healthy adults. The blood glucose level after an intake of 20 g of the high GI jam containing the high glucose ratio was higher than that of other jams at 15 min, but there was no significant difference after 30 min. Regardless of whether the GI was low or high, differences in the jams were not observed in the postprandial blood glucose level or the area under the curve after eating either one slice of bread (60 g) or one slice of bread with less than 20 g of jam.

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of specific fatty acid esters on lipid metabolism of rats fed diets containing highly purified fatty acid ethyl esters of palmitate, stearate, palmitoleate, oleate, linoleate, and alpha linolenate. The hypocholesterolemic and hypotriglyceridemic activity of palmitoleate was comparable with that of linoleate and alpha linolenate and was significantly greater than that of palmitate, stearate, and oleate. Plasma cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol were significantly higher in rats fed the palmitate diet than those fed the stearate one. Lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity was higher in rats fed the palmitoleate, linoleate, and alpha linolenate than in rats fed the palmitate, stearate, and oleate. There was a highly negative correlation between LCAT activity and plasma cholesterol and free cholesterol levels. These results demonstrate that palmitoleate appears to be as effective as linoleate in lowering plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The stearate does not strongly increase plasma cholesterol levels as much as palmitate.

The developmental mechanism of the bone disorder induced by biotin deficiency was studied in osteogenic disorder rats, animals that have a hereditary defect in ascorbic acid-synthesizing ability. The osteogenic disorder rats fed a biotin-deficient diet containing raw egg white were afflicted with bone abnormality including a hunch in the vertebral column. In the case of biotin deficiency, although the ascorbic acid content in the diet was in excess of the required amount, ascorbic acid levels of the plasma and the organs in the rats were significant lower than those of control rats. This suggests that the bone disorder induced by biotin deficiency in the rats may result from the promotion of ascorbic acid consumption or the impairment of ascorbic acid incorporation in the animal tissues.

The quality of fuel oil which uses residuum after refinement of crude oil tends to degrade year by year. Even in this tendency of lowering quality of fuel, fuel oils should complete burning in good condition and release their thermal energy fully within the combustion chamber of marine diesel engines.The paper describes the experimental study on pyrolysis of residual fuel oils in heating using a gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy analyser (GC-MS) .The result shows that the pyrolysis and polymerization of residual fuel oils in heating process were made clear. The considerations were also performed on the combustion characteristics of residual fuel oils relating with the substances formed after pyrolysis and polymerization in heating process.

The effect of dietary safflower phospholipid (Saf-PL) on the postprandial changes of steroids in the small intestinal and cecal contents was examined in rats fed a hypercholesterolemic diet. The triglyceride mixture (SP-Oil) containing a comparable amount of linoleic acid to Saf-PL was used as a reference fat source. Saf-PL suppressed the elevation of plasma cholesterol levels at all times after meal intake, when compared to SP-Oil. The reduction of plasma cholesterol in rats fed the Saf-PL diet was exclusively observed both in chylomicron plus very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) fractions. The rate of gastric emptying was not modified by the Saf-PL diet. The level of neutral steroids in the small intestinal contents was almost comparable in both groups, but in the cecal contents and feces it was significantly higher in rats fed the Saf-PL diet. On the other hand, the level of acidic steroids in the small intestinal contents tended to be higher in rats fed the Saf-PL diet than in those fed the SP-Oil diet, whereas in the cecal contents and feces it was comparable in the two diets. These results suggest that Saf-PL causes the accumulation of neutral steroids in the cecum due to the rapid transit through the small intestine.

豚肉の酵素加水分解物の血漿chol上昇抑制効果についてラットを用いて検討し,次の結果が得られた.(1) 豚肉のパパイン加水分解物は,豚肉に比べて血漿chol濃度の上昇を抑制した.(2) パパインの添加量を増加させ,ペプチドの産出が多くなるほど血漿chol濃度は抑制された.しかし,完全アミノ酸混合物を想定した酸加水分解物ではその効果は見られなかった.これらのことから,豚肉の酵素加水分解物の血漿chol上昇抑制効果はペプチドによるものと考えられた.(3) 酵素処理豚肉摂取時に,血漿リポタンパク質のcholに特徴的な変動は見られず,血漿遊離アミノ酸については大豆タンパク質摂取時と類似してきた.(4) これらのことから,畜肉製品において,今までに血漿chol濃度上昇抑制効果を有することが報告されてきた大豆タンパク質や食物繊維などの添加物を使用することなく,畜肉原料のみで血漿cho1の上昇抑制効果のある食肉加工品を作り得る可能性が示唆された.

We determined a method to measure the triglyceride levels in tissues by using a modified enzymatic kit. This enzymatic kit was originally designed to be used to measure the triglyceride levels in plasma. Our method of triglyceride level determination includes dissolving the tissue lipid extracts in an alcohol. Before using the enzymatic kit directly, the lipids were dissolved in tert-butyl alcohol, then a Triton X-100/methyl alcohol mixture was added (1/1 by volume). The presence of organic surfactants such as tert-butyl alcohol and methyl alcohol, and of a surfactant such as Triton X-100, did not interfere with the enzymatic activity. This method enabled us to determine triglyceride levels between 10 and 90 nmol, by using a spectrophotometer to measure the absorbances.

We determined the changes in the sources of energy supply in biotin-deficient osteogenic disorder Shionogi rats. Plasma glucose level of biotin-deficient rats decreased gradually and steadily from the 59th day of the dietary regimen. Plasma insulin decreased sharply on day 59, although plasma glucose was still sufficient. Plasma insulin in response to an oral glucose load in the deficient rats was approximately one-third less in concentration than that of the control. The decrease in the insulin level may be induced by biotin deficiency in the early stage in the deficient rats. In the later stage of the deficiency period, when plasma glucose decreased to under 50% compared with the control level, the plasma non-esterified fatty acid level greatly increased. This suggests that the source of energy supply in the biotin-deficient rats changed from glucose to non-esterified fatty acid supplied by adipose tissue. The time of increase in the plasma non-esterified fatty acid level coincided with the onset of the clinical features of biotin deficiency in the rats.