The essential oil of Citrus sudachi (sudachi oil) is extracted from the peel of sudachi, a citrus... more The essential oil of Citrus sudachi (sudachi oil) is extracted from the peel of sudachi, a citrus plant. We investigated the effect of sudachi oil on immune function in both in vitro antigen (Ag) induced lymphocyte activation and in vivo Ag-specific immune response. In the in vitro study, the proliferative activity of splenocytes upon Ag-specific and non-specific stimulation was suppressed by treatment with sudachi oil in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the expression level of Ag-presentation-related molecules and their Ag-presenting function on dendritic cells were suppressed by sudachi oil. To examine how sudachi oil regulates an Ag-specific immune response in vivo, mice were immunized with ovalbumin and the immune response of the mice was investigated. Ag-specific proliferation response of splenocytes from mice treated with sudachi essential oil was significantly suppressed. The results indicate that sudachi oil suppresses T cell and dendritic cell functions in vitro and Ag-specific T cell induction in vivo.
The isoflavone genistein is a phytoestrogen found in high levels in soy products that has been as... more The isoflavone genistein is a phytoestrogen found in high levels in soy products that has been associated with decreased incidences of breast and prostate cancers. In this study, we examined effect of genistein on the antigen-specific immune responses in ovalbumin (OVA)-immunized BALB/c mice. Groups of mice were exposed to vehicle or genistein by gavage. The doses of genistein used were 4 and 20 mg/kg body/day. OVA-specific proliferative responses, IFN-and IL-4 productions were decreased in genistein administered mice compared to those in control mice without decreasing responses to anti-CD3 mAb. OVA-specific IgG1, IgG2a and IgG2b productions were also decreased in genistein administered mice. However, genistein administration did not influence the TNP-Ficoll-specific IgM and IgG levels. These findings suggest that genistein suppresses antigen-specific immune responses by suppressing the induction of antigen-specific T cells. Moreover, treatment with ICI 182, 780 decreased OVA-specific proliferative responses, but genistein did not suppress these responses synergistically in ICI 182, 780 treated mice. The mechanism for the suppression of T cell induction by genistein is responsible for the competition with endogenous 17-estradiol for estrogen receptors.
Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, 2006
We investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of zinc (Zn) with or without vitamin A (Vi... more We investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of zinc (Zn) with or without vitamin A (Vit. A), to elucidate any cross activity between the two micronutrients, on memory and nerve growth factor (NGF) production in ddY male mice depleted for the two elements. After 3 mo-feeding with a Zn and Vit. A deficient (VAD) diet, mice were divided into three groups and replenished with normal Zn with VAD diet (NZ-VAD), high Zn with VAD diet (HZ-VAD) or normal Zn ϩ normal Vit. A (NZ-NVA) for additional 2 mo. One more group was made and given the normal diet for the same period (Control group). Levels of NGF were measured from extracts of hippocampus, cerebellum and cortex at the end of the 3rd and 5th month. In addition, a radial arm maze task was performed at the end of the 5th month. The two Zn supplemented groups (NZ-VAD and HZ-VAD) tended to show high NGF concentration but memory was not improved. However, improved memory was observed in the NZ-NVA group. From these results we concluded that Zn may increase NGF; however, memory was improved only when Vit. A was sufficient.
Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, 2007
To elucidate the effect of a typical Vietnamese diet including a high content of white rice on po... more To elucidate the effect of a typical Vietnamese diet including a high content of white rice on postprandial blood glucose levels, the present study was designed. Thirty healthy female subjects with a similar body mass index, 10 each in their twenties, forties and sixties, were recruited. Four meals with a similar protein energy percentage (13-15%) but different energy ratios of fat and carbohydrate (FC ratio) and vegetable contents were provided by cross-over design. Meal A was designed according to the commonly consumed diet in Vietnam. The FC ratio was 14 : 71 and 84 g of carbohydrate was from rice. Meal B contained carbohydrate in a lower ratio than meal A by fat replacement and its FC ratio was 30 : 57. Meal C was similar to meal A except lacking vegetables. The energy of meal A, B and C was about 2.1 MJ. Meal D was designed to match the amount of carbohydrate and fat within A and B, respectively. The FC ratio of meal D was 26 : 61 and the energy was about 2.4 MJ. Fasting blood glucose was measured before consumption of a test meal. Postprandial blood glucose was measured every 30 min for 2 h. Areas under the curve (AUC) were calculated to compare the glycemic response among the four test meals. There was no significant difference in AUC among the four test meals in the subjects in their twenties. In the subjects in their forties, the AUC of meal A tended to be lower than that of meal C (p ϭ 0.07). In the subjects in their sixties, the AUC of meal A was significantly higher than that of meal B (p Ͻ 0.001). Glycemic responses showed a significant relationship with age (r ϭ 0.26, p Ͻ 0.01); however, there was no association between glycemic responses and BMI (p ϭ 0.20). Dietary fat ratios were inversely associated with glycemic responses (r ϭϪ 0.28, p Ͻ 0.01). In conclusion, the diet with about 70% energy from carbohydrate which is commonly consumed by Vietnamese may increase glycemic response, especially in elderly people and dietary vegetables may be beneficial to prevent such an increase in glycemic response.
In 2003, the authors conducted a population-based, cross-sectional survey to determine the preval... more In 2003, the authors conducted a population-based, cross-sectional survey to determine the prevalence of osteoporosis and related factors in Vietnamese adult women by using quantitative ultrasound at the heel bone (calcaneus). A total of 2,232 adult women aged 20 years, living in Hanoi City, and free of illnesses affecting bone metabolism were randomly selected to participate in the study. Subjects' bone mass was assessed by speed of sound at the calcaneus, referred to as quantitative ultrasound measurement. The T-score threshold, defined as ÿ1.8, was used to identify subjects with osteoporosis. The crude prevalence of osteoporosis in Hanoi City was 15.4%; after adjustment for age, it was 9.0%. Among premenopausal women, the crude prevalence of osteoporosis was higher in the urban areas compared with the rural areas. By contrast, postmenopausal women in the rural areas had a higher prevalence of osteoporosis. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that factors associated with low speed of sound were age, menopause, educational level, lifelong occupation, recreational weight-bearing exercise, number of births, and height. Results suggest that osteoporosis is a noteworthy problem in Vietnam, and intervention strategies should be considered to control it, especially in high-risk populations.
Multiple sclerosis is an organ-specific autoimmune disease that targets the myelin antigen in the... more Multiple sclerosis is an organ-specific autoimmune disease that targets the myelin antigen in the central nervous system. Nobiletin is a dietary polymethoxylated flavonoid found in citrus fruits. In this study, we investigated how nobiletin affects the disease state and immune responses to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mice. Nobiletin was administered orally from 14 days before immunization until the end of the experiment, and clinical scores were determined. The production levels of interleukin-17A and interferon-γ were measured in a culture supernatant of splenocytes stimulated with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein. In addition, flow cytometric analysis was performed to examine the effect of nobiletin on T cell differentiation in vitro. Administration of nobiletin significantly decreased the clinical score and interleukin-17A production in splenocytes. Furthermore, in vitro analysis showed that nobiletin significantly suppress...
Multiple sclerosis is an organ-specific autoimmune disease that targets the myelin antigen in the... more Multiple sclerosis is an organ-specific autoimmune disease that targets the myelin antigen in the central nervous system. Nobiletin is a dietary polymethoxylated flavonoid found in citrus fruits. In this study, we investigated how nobiletin affects the disease state and immune responses to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mice. Nobiletin was administered orally from 14 days before immunization until the end of the experiment, and clinical scores were determined. The production levels of interleukin-17A and interferon-γ were measured in a culture supernatant of splenocytes stimulated with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein. In addition, flow cytometric analysis was performed to examine the effect of nobiletin on T cell differentiation in vitro. Administration of nobiletin significantly decreased the clinical score and interleukin-17A production in splenocytes. Furthermore, in vitro analysis showed that nobiletin significantly suppressed Th17 cell differentiation and interleukin-17A production in a dosedependent manner. The results suggest that nobiletin attenuates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis severity through modulation of Th17 cell differentiation.
Regents NOB, NTD and HMF were provided by Ushio-Chemix Co. (Shizuoka, Japan). Ovalubumin (OVA) 32... more Regents NOB, NTD and HMF were provided by Ushio-Chemix Co. (Shizuoka, Japan). Ovalubumin (OVA) 323-339 peptide was synthesized by Sigma-Aldrich (MO, USA) and the purity was over 97%. 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) was obtained from Tokyo Chemical Ind. Co. Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan). Mice BALB/c mice (Japan SLC, Shizuoka, Japan) and DO11.10 mice on a BALB/c background (The Jackson Laboratory, ME, USA) were maintained under specific pathogenfree conditions with a 12-h light:dark cycle at 25 ± 2°C and 55 ± 10% relative humidity. The mice were given free access to water and food throughout the experiment. All studies were performed in accordance with the ethical guidelines for animal experimentation by the Institution of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Tokushima, Japan and were approved by the institution review board of the animal ethics committee. Proliferation Assay Splenocytes (5 x 10 5 cells/well) from DO.11.10 mice were treated with NOB, NTD or HMF for 24 h in 96-well flat-bottom plate and then further cultured with 5 µg/mL OVA 323-339 peptide for 48 h at 37°C in a total volume 100 μL. Twenty μL of MTT solution was added to the culture 4 h before the end of culture. Fifty μL of 10% SDS solution was added to the well and incubated overnight at 37°C. Absorbance at 550/630 nm was measured using a microplate reader. Cytokine Production Splenocytes (2.5×10 6 cells/well) from DO11.10 mice were pretreated with NOB, NTD or HMF in a 48-well flat-bottom plate at 37°C under 5% CO 2 for 24 h and then the cells were stimulated with 5 µg/mL OVA OVA 323-339 peptide for 48 h. After the culture, culture superna
We examined the effect of nobiletin (5,6,7,8,3′,4′-hexamethoxyflavone) on immune response in oval... more We examined the effect of nobiletin (5,6,7,8,3′,4′-hexamethoxyflavone) on immune response in ovalbumin (OVA)-immunized mice. Treatment with nobiletin increased OVA-specific IL-4 and IL-10 production. In addition, mice that received nobiletin showed higher levels of OVA-specific IgE, IgG and IgG1 production than did control mice. The antibody response to the thymus-independent antigen 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl-Ficoll was not different in the control and nobiletin groups, suggesting that nobiletin does not directly stimulate antibody production. An in vitro study showed that treatment with nobiletin enhanced the ability of antigen presentation of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells. The in vivo and in vitro results indicate that nobiletin regulates immune function.
European journal of clinical nutrition, Jan 18, 2018
Data were derived from the National Institute for Longevity Sciences-Longitudinal Study of Aging.... more Data were derived from the National Institute for Longevity Sciences-Longitudinal Study of Aging. Subjects comprised 403 men and 373 women aged 60-81 years at baseline who participated in the follow-up study at least once. Bean, soy product and soy isoflavone intake was assessed using a 3-day dietary record at baseline. Cognitive function was assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). MMSE scores of ≤23 were used to define cognitive impairment. The relationship between bean, soy product and soy isoflavone intake and cognitive impairment was assessed using a generalized estimating equation. Multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for cognitive impairment with a 1 s.d. increase in total bean, total soybean and total soy isoflavone intakes were 0.48 (0.28-0.81; p = 0.006), 0.51 (0.32-0.83; p = 0.007), and 0.55 (0.32-0.93; p = 0.026), respectively, in women. Total soybean and soy isoflavone intake might decrease the risk of cognitive impairment in elderly...
Propolis is a bee product with various biological properties. C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat di... more Propolis is a bee product with various biological properties. C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat diet and treated with propolis for 14 weeks. Body weight in mice treated with 2% propolis was less than that in control mice from 3 weeks after the start of treatment until 14 weeks except for the 7th week. Mice treated with propolis showed significantly lower epididymal fat weight and subcutaneous fat weight. Infiltration of epididymal fat by macrophages and T cells was reduced in the propolis group. Supplementation of propolis increased feces weight and fat content in feces, suggesting that mechanisms of weight reduction by propolis partly include a laxative effect and inhibition of fat absorption.
Introduotlon: It has been shown earlier that short pre-treatment of tumor cells at 3H2"C followed... more Introduotlon: It has been shown earlier that short pre-treatment of tumor cells at 3H2"C followed by the synthesis of heat-inducible proteins renders cells partially resistant to cytotoxicity mediated by different stimuli, such as TNF, metals, cytotoxic cells and other (Jaattela et al., 1990, Stand. J. Immunol. 31: 175). Earlier we have shown that alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) could distinctly increase low dose TNF-cytotoxfcity and practically completely cancel cytotoxicity induced bv hiah TNF in HepG2 cells (Semenkova et al., 1997, Tumor Biol., 18: 58). Here-we-have studied the effect of heating and the treatment with small heat shock protein Hsp 25 and acrystatlln (a-Cry) on the sensttivity of HepGP and MCF7 cells to the-TNF/AFP mediated cytotoxicity. MaterlaIr and Methods: HepG2 cells were pre-treated for 1 h at 42% and after 2-h of adaptation at 37% serially diluted AFP and/or TNF were added to the cells. In the other experiments serially diluted AFP was added to the MCR cells together with recombinant bacterial Hsp25 or bovine a-Cry. Relative cell prolifer&on was assayed by rH]-thymidine tncorporation assay. Results: It was demonstrated that l-h cell heating at 42°C significantly increased (two-fold) cell sensitivity to the AFP mediated cytotoxicity. It was also shown that cell pm-heating also increased HepG2 sensitivity to the low doses of TNF in the presence of 1 mkg/ml ActD and low doses of endogenous AFP. The pm-treatment of MCF7 cells with sHsp25 and a-Cry have been shown to enhance distinctly cell sensitivity to AFP-mediated cytotoxicity. Conclusions: Our data demonstrated, that heat induced synthesis of Hsp's or exogenous Hsp's addition significantly enhanced HepGP cell sensitivity to the AFP-mediated cytotoxicity and also distinctly increased cell cytotoxtc response to low TNF in the presence of low doses of endogenous AFP. These data could explain the effect of heating in the therapy of tumors by the simultaneous action of endogenous AFP. TNF and heat shock proteins.
The IFN-y was produced by CD4 positive T cells and not by CD6 positive T cells. In some cultures,... more The IFN-y was produced by CD4 positive T cells and not by CD6 positive T cells. In some cultures, 112 was also expressed by T cells after incubation with Leishmania antigen. IL4 and IL10 was not produced by a significant number of T cells. Conduelon: These results show that incubation with Leishmania antigens in PMBC from these individuals induced high frequencies of IFN-y expressing T ceils. These T cells were CD4 positive.
Malnutrition is frequent in the geriatric population and is often undetected and untreated. Altho... more Malnutrition is frequent in the geriatric population and is often undetected and untreated. Although we often use serum albumin as a nutritional marker, it has limitations in elderly patients in terms of predicting diseases and infections. Anthropometric measurements are not commonly used, despite their simple, easy, and effective characteristics. We evaluated the associations between anthropometric measurements with other nutritional factors and examined its relationship with mortality, decubitus ulcer, length of hospital stay and antibiotic usage. We enrolled 223 patients, performed anthropometric measurements and then followed them for a mean of 24 months. Patients with hypoalbuminemia but with normal body measurements tended to increase serum albumin levels over the next 24 months and had more favorable outcomes including being discharged. Patients with normal albumin but decreased body measurements resulted in a progressive drop in serum albumin and had a higher mortality rate. Additionally, patients with hypoalbuminemia had higher antibiotic usage than patients without hypoalbuminemia. Decreases in anthropometric measurements were related to mortality, length of hospital stay, and decubitus ulcer. Anthropometric measurements are easily obtained and closely associated with mortality, decubitus ulcer, and length of hospital stay. Anthropometric measurements used in conjunction with serum albumin are more predictive of patient outcome then serum albumin alone.
Poster presentations NK cells 381 cultured macrophages and macrophagedenved cell line. Stimulatio... more Poster presentations NK cells 381 cultured macrophages and macrophagedenved cell line. Stimulation with IFN-y and TNFa augmented HSPt35 expression in macrophages, which suppressed apoptosis of them infected with 7: gondii. Furthermore, this suppressive effect was abrogated by prior culture with antisense oligonucleottde for HSP65. Condurlon: These results suggest that HSP65 prevents macrophage apoptosis induced by intracellular protozoan infection. P. 1.07.14 Heat shock protein induced by NKT cells contrlbutes to protectlve immunity in murlne lelshmaniasls
The intraperitoneal infection with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) caused accumulation of gamma del... more The intraperitoneal infection with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) caused accumulation of gamma delta T, NK, NK1.1+T-like (NKT) cells at inflamed sites. To clarify the roles of these cells in protection against T. gondii at the inflamed sites, BALB/c mice were depleted of gamma delta T, NK, NK and NKT cells by treatment with antibody against TCR-gamma delta, asialoGM1 or Interleukin-2 receptor beta-chain (IL-2 R beta), respectively, prior to infection. Mice treated with anti-TCR-gamma delta monoclonal antibody (mAb) became more susceptible to infection, whereas mice treated with anti-IL-2R beta mAb acquired resistance. Treatment with anti-asialoGM1 Ab showed no effect. We previously reported that heat shock protein 65 (HSP65) in macrophages induced by gamma delta T cells plays an essential role in protective immunity against T. gondii infection, by preventing apoptotic death of infected macrophages. In the present study, we showed that treatment with anti-IL-2R beta mAb, but not with anti-asialoGM1 Ab, enhanced the HSP65 induction in macrophages, and inhibited Interleukin-4 (IL-4) expression in nonadherent peritoneal exudate cells. Furthermore, neutralization of endogenous IL-4 by anti-IL-4 mAb enhanced the HSP65 induction in macrophages. These findings suggest that NKT cells, but not NK cells, negatively regulate the protective immunity against T. gondii infection possibly by producing IL-4 and suppressing HSP65 induction.
The Journal of Medical Investigation Jmi, Aug 1, 2003
Oolong tea is a traditional Chinese tea that has long been believed to be beneficial to health su... more Oolong tea is a traditional Chinese tea that has long been believed to be beneficial to health such as decreasing body fat. We were interested in this assertion and tried to evaluate the effect of oolong tea on energy expenditure (EE) in comparison with green tea. The subjects were eleven healthy Japanese females (age 20+/-1 y; body mass index (BMI) 21.2+/-2.5 kg/m2) who each consumed of three treatments in a crossover design: 1) water, 2) oolong tea, 3) green tea. Resting energy expenditure (REE) and EE after the consumption of the test beverage for 120 min were measured using an indirect calorimeter. The cumulative increases of EE for 120 min were significantly increased 10% and 4% after the consumption of oolong tea and green tea, respectively. EE at 60 and 90 min were significantly higher after the consumption of oolong tea than that of water (P<0.05). In comparison with green tea, oolong tea contained approximately half the caffeine and epigallocatechin galate, while polymerized polyphenols were double. These results suggest that oolong tea increases EE by its polymerized polyphenols.
The essential oil of Citrus sudachi (sudachi oil) is extracted from the peel of sudachi, a citrus... more The essential oil of Citrus sudachi (sudachi oil) is extracted from the peel of sudachi, a citrus plant. We investigated the effect of sudachi oil on immune function in both in vitro antigen (Ag) induced lymphocyte activation and in vivo Ag-specific immune response. In the in vitro study, the proliferative activity of splenocytes upon Ag-specific and non-specific stimulation was suppressed by treatment with sudachi oil in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the expression level of Ag-presentation-related molecules and their Ag-presenting function on dendritic cells were suppressed by sudachi oil. To examine how sudachi oil regulates an Ag-specific immune response in vivo, mice were immunized with ovalbumin and the immune response of the mice was investigated. Ag-specific proliferation response of splenocytes from mice treated with sudachi essential oil was significantly suppressed. The results indicate that sudachi oil suppresses T cell and dendritic cell functions in vitro and Ag-specific T cell induction in vivo.
The isoflavone genistein is a phytoestrogen found in high levels in soy products that has been as... more The isoflavone genistein is a phytoestrogen found in high levels in soy products that has been associated with decreased incidences of breast and prostate cancers. In this study, we examined effect of genistein on the antigen-specific immune responses in ovalbumin (OVA)-immunized BALB/c mice. Groups of mice were exposed to vehicle or genistein by gavage. The doses of genistein used were 4 and 20 mg/kg body/day. OVA-specific proliferative responses, IFN-and IL-4 productions were decreased in genistein administered mice compared to those in control mice without decreasing responses to anti-CD3 mAb. OVA-specific IgG1, IgG2a and IgG2b productions were also decreased in genistein administered mice. However, genistein administration did not influence the TNP-Ficoll-specific IgM and IgG levels. These findings suggest that genistein suppresses antigen-specific immune responses by suppressing the induction of antigen-specific T cells. Moreover, treatment with ICI 182, 780 decreased OVA-specific proliferative responses, but genistein did not suppress these responses synergistically in ICI 182, 780 treated mice. The mechanism for the suppression of T cell induction by genistein is responsible for the competition with endogenous 17-estradiol for estrogen receptors.
Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, 2006
We investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of zinc (Zn) with or without vitamin A (Vi... more We investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of zinc (Zn) with or without vitamin A (Vit. A), to elucidate any cross activity between the two micronutrients, on memory and nerve growth factor (NGF) production in ddY male mice depleted for the two elements. After 3 mo-feeding with a Zn and Vit. A deficient (VAD) diet, mice were divided into three groups and replenished with normal Zn with VAD diet (NZ-VAD), high Zn with VAD diet (HZ-VAD) or normal Zn ϩ normal Vit. A (NZ-NVA) for additional 2 mo. One more group was made and given the normal diet for the same period (Control group). Levels of NGF were measured from extracts of hippocampus, cerebellum and cortex at the end of the 3rd and 5th month. In addition, a radial arm maze task was performed at the end of the 5th month. The two Zn supplemented groups (NZ-VAD and HZ-VAD) tended to show high NGF concentration but memory was not improved. However, improved memory was observed in the NZ-NVA group. From these results we concluded that Zn may increase NGF; however, memory was improved only when Vit. A was sufficient.
Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, 2007
To elucidate the effect of a typical Vietnamese diet including a high content of white rice on po... more To elucidate the effect of a typical Vietnamese diet including a high content of white rice on postprandial blood glucose levels, the present study was designed. Thirty healthy female subjects with a similar body mass index, 10 each in their twenties, forties and sixties, were recruited. Four meals with a similar protein energy percentage (13-15%) but different energy ratios of fat and carbohydrate (FC ratio) and vegetable contents were provided by cross-over design. Meal A was designed according to the commonly consumed diet in Vietnam. The FC ratio was 14 : 71 and 84 g of carbohydrate was from rice. Meal B contained carbohydrate in a lower ratio than meal A by fat replacement and its FC ratio was 30 : 57. Meal C was similar to meal A except lacking vegetables. The energy of meal A, B and C was about 2.1 MJ. Meal D was designed to match the amount of carbohydrate and fat within A and B, respectively. The FC ratio of meal D was 26 : 61 and the energy was about 2.4 MJ. Fasting blood glucose was measured before consumption of a test meal. Postprandial blood glucose was measured every 30 min for 2 h. Areas under the curve (AUC) were calculated to compare the glycemic response among the four test meals. There was no significant difference in AUC among the four test meals in the subjects in their twenties. In the subjects in their forties, the AUC of meal A tended to be lower than that of meal C (p ϭ 0.07). In the subjects in their sixties, the AUC of meal A was significantly higher than that of meal B (p Ͻ 0.001). Glycemic responses showed a significant relationship with age (r ϭ 0.26, p Ͻ 0.01); however, there was no association between glycemic responses and BMI (p ϭ 0.20). Dietary fat ratios were inversely associated with glycemic responses (r ϭϪ 0.28, p Ͻ 0.01). In conclusion, the diet with about 70% energy from carbohydrate which is commonly consumed by Vietnamese may increase glycemic response, especially in elderly people and dietary vegetables may be beneficial to prevent such an increase in glycemic response.
In 2003, the authors conducted a population-based, cross-sectional survey to determine the preval... more In 2003, the authors conducted a population-based, cross-sectional survey to determine the prevalence of osteoporosis and related factors in Vietnamese adult women by using quantitative ultrasound at the heel bone (calcaneus). A total of 2,232 adult women aged 20 years, living in Hanoi City, and free of illnesses affecting bone metabolism were randomly selected to participate in the study. Subjects' bone mass was assessed by speed of sound at the calcaneus, referred to as quantitative ultrasound measurement. The T-score threshold, defined as ÿ1.8, was used to identify subjects with osteoporosis. The crude prevalence of osteoporosis in Hanoi City was 15.4%; after adjustment for age, it was 9.0%. Among premenopausal women, the crude prevalence of osteoporosis was higher in the urban areas compared with the rural areas. By contrast, postmenopausal women in the rural areas had a higher prevalence of osteoporosis. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that factors associated with low speed of sound were age, menopause, educational level, lifelong occupation, recreational weight-bearing exercise, number of births, and height. Results suggest that osteoporosis is a noteworthy problem in Vietnam, and intervention strategies should be considered to control it, especially in high-risk populations.
Multiple sclerosis is an organ-specific autoimmune disease that targets the myelin antigen in the... more Multiple sclerosis is an organ-specific autoimmune disease that targets the myelin antigen in the central nervous system. Nobiletin is a dietary polymethoxylated flavonoid found in citrus fruits. In this study, we investigated how nobiletin affects the disease state and immune responses to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mice. Nobiletin was administered orally from 14 days before immunization until the end of the experiment, and clinical scores were determined. The production levels of interleukin-17A and interferon-γ were measured in a culture supernatant of splenocytes stimulated with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein. In addition, flow cytometric analysis was performed to examine the effect of nobiletin on T cell differentiation in vitro. Administration of nobiletin significantly decreased the clinical score and interleukin-17A production in splenocytes. Furthermore, in vitro analysis showed that nobiletin significantly suppress...
Multiple sclerosis is an organ-specific autoimmune disease that targets the myelin antigen in the... more Multiple sclerosis is an organ-specific autoimmune disease that targets the myelin antigen in the central nervous system. Nobiletin is a dietary polymethoxylated flavonoid found in citrus fruits. In this study, we investigated how nobiletin affects the disease state and immune responses to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mice. Nobiletin was administered orally from 14 days before immunization until the end of the experiment, and clinical scores were determined. The production levels of interleukin-17A and interferon-γ were measured in a culture supernatant of splenocytes stimulated with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein. In addition, flow cytometric analysis was performed to examine the effect of nobiletin on T cell differentiation in vitro. Administration of nobiletin significantly decreased the clinical score and interleukin-17A production in splenocytes. Furthermore, in vitro analysis showed that nobiletin significantly suppressed Th17 cell differentiation and interleukin-17A production in a dosedependent manner. The results suggest that nobiletin attenuates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis severity through modulation of Th17 cell differentiation.
Regents NOB, NTD and HMF were provided by Ushio-Chemix Co. (Shizuoka, Japan). Ovalubumin (OVA) 32... more Regents NOB, NTD and HMF were provided by Ushio-Chemix Co. (Shizuoka, Japan). Ovalubumin (OVA) 323-339 peptide was synthesized by Sigma-Aldrich (MO, USA) and the purity was over 97%. 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) was obtained from Tokyo Chemical Ind. Co. Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan). Mice BALB/c mice (Japan SLC, Shizuoka, Japan) and DO11.10 mice on a BALB/c background (The Jackson Laboratory, ME, USA) were maintained under specific pathogenfree conditions with a 12-h light:dark cycle at 25 ± 2°C and 55 ± 10% relative humidity. The mice were given free access to water and food throughout the experiment. All studies were performed in accordance with the ethical guidelines for animal experimentation by the Institution of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Tokushima, Japan and were approved by the institution review board of the animal ethics committee. Proliferation Assay Splenocytes (5 x 10 5 cells/well) from DO.11.10 mice were treated with NOB, NTD or HMF for 24 h in 96-well flat-bottom plate and then further cultured with 5 µg/mL OVA 323-339 peptide for 48 h at 37°C in a total volume 100 μL. Twenty μL of MTT solution was added to the culture 4 h before the end of culture. Fifty μL of 10% SDS solution was added to the well and incubated overnight at 37°C. Absorbance at 550/630 nm was measured using a microplate reader. Cytokine Production Splenocytes (2.5×10 6 cells/well) from DO11.10 mice were pretreated with NOB, NTD or HMF in a 48-well flat-bottom plate at 37°C under 5% CO 2 for 24 h and then the cells were stimulated with 5 µg/mL OVA OVA 323-339 peptide for 48 h. After the culture, culture superna
We examined the effect of nobiletin (5,6,7,8,3′,4′-hexamethoxyflavone) on immune response in oval... more We examined the effect of nobiletin (5,6,7,8,3′,4′-hexamethoxyflavone) on immune response in ovalbumin (OVA)-immunized mice. Treatment with nobiletin increased OVA-specific IL-4 and IL-10 production. In addition, mice that received nobiletin showed higher levels of OVA-specific IgE, IgG and IgG1 production than did control mice. The antibody response to the thymus-independent antigen 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl-Ficoll was not different in the control and nobiletin groups, suggesting that nobiletin does not directly stimulate antibody production. An in vitro study showed that treatment with nobiletin enhanced the ability of antigen presentation of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells. The in vivo and in vitro results indicate that nobiletin regulates immune function.
European journal of clinical nutrition, Jan 18, 2018
Data were derived from the National Institute for Longevity Sciences-Longitudinal Study of Aging.... more Data were derived from the National Institute for Longevity Sciences-Longitudinal Study of Aging. Subjects comprised 403 men and 373 women aged 60-81 years at baseline who participated in the follow-up study at least once. Bean, soy product and soy isoflavone intake was assessed using a 3-day dietary record at baseline. Cognitive function was assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). MMSE scores of ≤23 were used to define cognitive impairment. The relationship between bean, soy product and soy isoflavone intake and cognitive impairment was assessed using a generalized estimating equation. Multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for cognitive impairment with a 1 s.d. increase in total bean, total soybean and total soy isoflavone intakes were 0.48 (0.28-0.81; p = 0.006), 0.51 (0.32-0.83; p = 0.007), and 0.55 (0.32-0.93; p = 0.026), respectively, in women. Total soybean and soy isoflavone intake might decrease the risk of cognitive impairment in elderly...
Propolis is a bee product with various biological properties. C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat di... more Propolis is a bee product with various biological properties. C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat diet and treated with propolis for 14 weeks. Body weight in mice treated with 2% propolis was less than that in control mice from 3 weeks after the start of treatment until 14 weeks except for the 7th week. Mice treated with propolis showed significantly lower epididymal fat weight and subcutaneous fat weight. Infiltration of epididymal fat by macrophages and T cells was reduced in the propolis group. Supplementation of propolis increased feces weight and fat content in feces, suggesting that mechanisms of weight reduction by propolis partly include a laxative effect and inhibition of fat absorption.
Introduotlon: It has been shown earlier that short pre-treatment of tumor cells at 3H2"C followed... more Introduotlon: It has been shown earlier that short pre-treatment of tumor cells at 3H2"C followed by the synthesis of heat-inducible proteins renders cells partially resistant to cytotoxicity mediated by different stimuli, such as TNF, metals, cytotoxic cells and other (Jaattela et al., 1990, Stand. J. Immunol. 31: 175). Earlier we have shown that alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) could distinctly increase low dose TNF-cytotoxfcity and practically completely cancel cytotoxicity induced bv hiah TNF in HepG2 cells (Semenkova et al., 1997, Tumor Biol., 18: 58). Here-we-have studied the effect of heating and the treatment with small heat shock protein Hsp 25 and acrystatlln (a-Cry) on the sensttivity of HepGP and MCF7 cells to the-TNF/AFP mediated cytotoxicity. MaterlaIr and Methods: HepG2 cells were pre-treated for 1 h at 42% and after 2-h of adaptation at 37% serially diluted AFP and/or TNF were added to the cells. In the other experiments serially diluted AFP was added to the MCR cells together with recombinant bacterial Hsp25 or bovine a-Cry. Relative cell prolifer&on was assayed by rH]-thymidine tncorporation assay. Results: It was demonstrated that l-h cell heating at 42°C significantly increased (two-fold) cell sensitivity to the AFP mediated cytotoxicity. It was also shown that cell pm-heating also increased HepG2 sensitivity to the low doses of TNF in the presence of 1 mkg/ml ActD and low doses of endogenous AFP. The pm-treatment of MCF7 cells with sHsp25 and a-Cry have been shown to enhance distinctly cell sensitivity to AFP-mediated cytotoxicity. Conclusions: Our data demonstrated, that heat induced synthesis of Hsp's or exogenous Hsp's addition significantly enhanced HepGP cell sensitivity to the AFP-mediated cytotoxicity and also distinctly increased cell cytotoxtc response to low TNF in the presence of low doses of endogenous AFP. These data could explain the effect of heating in the therapy of tumors by the simultaneous action of endogenous AFP. TNF and heat shock proteins.
The IFN-y was produced by CD4 positive T cells and not by CD6 positive T cells. In some cultures,... more The IFN-y was produced by CD4 positive T cells and not by CD6 positive T cells. In some cultures, 112 was also expressed by T cells after incubation with Leishmania antigen. IL4 and IL10 was not produced by a significant number of T cells. Conduelon: These results show that incubation with Leishmania antigens in PMBC from these individuals induced high frequencies of IFN-y expressing T ceils. These T cells were CD4 positive.
Malnutrition is frequent in the geriatric population and is often undetected and untreated. Altho... more Malnutrition is frequent in the geriatric population and is often undetected and untreated. Although we often use serum albumin as a nutritional marker, it has limitations in elderly patients in terms of predicting diseases and infections. Anthropometric measurements are not commonly used, despite their simple, easy, and effective characteristics. We evaluated the associations between anthropometric measurements with other nutritional factors and examined its relationship with mortality, decubitus ulcer, length of hospital stay and antibiotic usage. We enrolled 223 patients, performed anthropometric measurements and then followed them for a mean of 24 months. Patients with hypoalbuminemia but with normal body measurements tended to increase serum albumin levels over the next 24 months and had more favorable outcomes including being discharged. Patients with normal albumin but decreased body measurements resulted in a progressive drop in serum albumin and had a higher mortality rate. Additionally, patients with hypoalbuminemia had higher antibiotic usage than patients without hypoalbuminemia. Decreases in anthropometric measurements were related to mortality, length of hospital stay, and decubitus ulcer. Anthropometric measurements are easily obtained and closely associated with mortality, decubitus ulcer, and length of hospital stay. Anthropometric measurements used in conjunction with serum albumin are more predictive of patient outcome then serum albumin alone.
Poster presentations NK cells 381 cultured macrophages and macrophagedenved cell line. Stimulatio... more Poster presentations NK cells 381 cultured macrophages and macrophagedenved cell line. Stimulation with IFN-y and TNFa augmented HSPt35 expression in macrophages, which suppressed apoptosis of them infected with 7: gondii. Furthermore, this suppressive effect was abrogated by prior culture with antisense oligonucleottde for HSP65. Condurlon: These results suggest that HSP65 prevents macrophage apoptosis induced by intracellular protozoan infection. P. 1.07.14 Heat shock protein induced by NKT cells contrlbutes to protectlve immunity in murlne lelshmaniasls
The intraperitoneal infection with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) caused accumulation of gamma del... more The intraperitoneal infection with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) caused accumulation of gamma delta T, NK, NK1.1+T-like (NKT) cells at inflamed sites. To clarify the roles of these cells in protection against T. gondii at the inflamed sites, BALB/c mice were depleted of gamma delta T, NK, NK and NKT cells by treatment with antibody against TCR-gamma delta, asialoGM1 or Interleukin-2 receptor beta-chain (IL-2 R beta), respectively, prior to infection. Mice treated with anti-TCR-gamma delta monoclonal antibody (mAb) became more susceptible to infection, whereas mice treated with anti-IL-2R beta mAb acquired resistance. Treatment with anti-asialoGM1 Ab showed no effect. We previously reported that heat shock protein 65 (HSP65) in macrophages induced by gamma delta T cells plays an essential role in protective immunity against T. gondii infection, by preventing apoptotic death of infected macrophages. In the present study, we showed that treatment with anti-IL-2R beta mAb, but not with anti-asialoGM1 Ab, enhanced the HSP65 induction in macrophages, and inhibited Interleukin-4 (IL-4) expression in nonadherent peritoneal exudate cells. Furthermore, neutralization of endogenous IL-4 by anti-IL-4 mAb enhanced the HSP65 induction in macrophages. These findings suggest that NKT cells, but not NK cells, negatively regulate the protective immunity against T. gondii infection possibly by producing IL-4 and suppressing HSP65 induction.
The Journal of Medical Investigation Jmi, Aug 1, 2003
Oolong tea is a traditional Chinese tea that has long been believed to be beneficial to health su... more Oolong tea is a traditional Chinese tea that has long been believed to be beneficial to health such as decreasing body fat. We were interested in this assertion and tried to evaluate the effect of oolong tea on energy expenditure (EE) in comparison with green tea. The subjects were eleven healthy Japanese females (age 20+/-1 y; body mass index (BMI) 21.2+/-2.5 kg/m2) who each consumed of three treatments in a crossover design: 1) water, 2) oolong tea, 3) green tea. Resting energy expenditure (REE) and EE after the consumption of the test beverage for 120 min were measured using an indirect calorimeter. The cumulative increases of EE for 120 min were significantly increased 10% and 4% after the consumption of oolong tea and green tea, respectively. EE at 60 and 90 min were significantly higher after the consumption of oolong tea than that of water (P<0.05). In comparison with green tea, oolong tea contained approximately half the caffeine and epigallocatechin galate, while polymerized polyphenols were double. These results suggest that oolong tea increases EE by its polymerized polyphenols.
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Papers by Tohru Sakai