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Umesu phenolics were obtained from the salt extracts of Japanese apricot (Nanko-mume cultivar of Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc.) as purified phenolics. The antiviral activities of umesu phenolics obtained were then examined against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2), enveloped DNA viruses. The phenolics inhibited the multiplication of these viruses when added to the culture media of the infected cells. This inhibition occurred at phenolic concentrations at which they showed no severe cytotoxicity. One-step growth experiments showed that the eclipse period in the HSV-1 multiplication process was extended in the presence of umesu phenolics and that the addition of phenolics after the completion of viral DNA replication did not affect their multiplication. More drastic effects were observed on virucidal activities against HSV-1 and HSV-2; the infectivity decreased to 0.0001 when infected cells were incubated with 3 mg/ml phenolics at 30°C for 5 min. These results demonstrate the antiviral and virucidal activities of umesu phenolics and suggest a potential pharmacological use for these phenolics as a sanitizing or preventive medicine against superficial HSV infections., (© 2019 The Societies and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

The relationships between alcohol consumption, serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels, and the prevalence of major coronary risk factors were analyzed cross-sectionally in 2,399 male and 1,402 female middle-aged workers, to clarify the effects of moderate alcohol consumption on the development of the metabolic syndrome. Male moderate drinkers, consuming less than 60 ml of alcohol per day, had a lower prevalence of upper body obesity and low serum HDL-cholesterolemia (LHDLC) in comparison with nondrinkers, but not of hypertension, impaired glucose tolerance or hypertriglyceridemia (HTG). In women, alcohol consumption did not show any significant associations with the coronary risk factors. Men with an elevated serum GGT (EGGT) of 40 U/l or above had a significantly higher odds ratio for all the coronary risk factors as compared with those with normal GGT, even after adjusting for alcohol consumption, together with age, body mass index, cigarette consumption and physical activity. Women with an EGGT of 25 U/l or above had similar findings, although significance was found only in HTG. Nearly 80% and 55% of the appearance of EGGT in men and women were attributable to alcohol consumption, and 20% and 10% of the male and female moderate drinkers had EGGT. These results suggest that even moderate alcohol consumption will increase coronary risk factors characteristic of the metabolic syndrome in drinkers who have an increase in serum GGT. Further studies are required to confirm the causal association between alcohol consumption, increase in serum GGT and development of the metabolic syndrome.

Nine hundred eight women aged 40-88 years living in a non-Cd-polluted area in Japan were analyzed for urinary cadmium (Cd), N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity, beta(2)-microglobulin (B2MG) concentration, and for the stiffness index (STIFF) of calcaneal bone using an ultrasound method. The urinary Cd in the subjects, with a mean and range of 2.87 and 0.25-11.4 microg/g creatinine, respectively, showed a significant correlation with NAG but not with B2MG. STIFF was significantly inversely correlated with urinary Cd, and the association remained significant after adjusting for age, body weight, and menstrual status, suggesting a significant effect of Cd on the bone loss in these subjects without signs of Cd-induced kidney damage. A two-fold increase in urinary Cd was accompanied by a decrease in STIFF corresponding to a 1.7-year rise in age. These results emphasize the need for reassessment of the significance of Cd exposure in the general Japanese population.