Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition最新文献

This study aimed to evaluate gender differences of hemodialysis patients in adverse events, gastrointestinal bleeding, and bone fractures during 5 year longitudinal follow-up period in the regional core hospital in Japan. This study included 151 patients with maintenance hemodialysis for end-stage renal failure at Takagi Hospital in December 2017. All the patients, divided into females-group of 61 and males-group of 90. Data were evaluated in the electronic medical record. Multivariate analysis indicated a decrease in diabetes mellitus (odd ratio: 2.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.1-4.8, p = 0.03) and less mortality in those younger than 75 years old (odd ratio: 0.2, 95% confidence interval: 0.1-0.8, p = 0.02) were characterized factors in females. Gastrointestinal bleeding were not different between genders. Bone fractures were high in females (females: 34.4% vs males: 18.9%; p<0.03), whereas the mortality rate of bone fractured patients was markedly high in males (females: 28.6% vs males: 76.5%; p = 0.003) with lower body bone fractures. In conclusion, diabetes mellitus-induced end-stage renal failure was less common in females. The mortality rate during hemodialysis was higher in males less than 75 years old with increased mortality with lower bone fractures.

The role of the gut microbiota, especially bacterial flora, in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is becoming clearer. Advances in gut microbiota analysis and the use of gnotobiotics models have underscored the importance of gut bacteria and their metabolites in the progression of IBD. Fecal microbiota transplantation has shown promise in clinical trials for ulcerative colitis started as Advanced Medical Care B in Japan, raising expectations for its outcomes. This review explores the gut microbiota's role in IBD, encompassing both current knowledge and future prospects.

Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) have been reported to improve sleep quality in several studies, but meta-analyses have been inconclusive. We conducted this study to investigate the effects of omega-3 LC-PUFAs on sleep in clinical trials. The study was planned in accordance with the criteria of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-2020), and was performed by searching PubMed, The Cochrane Library, and Ichushi-web databases. Randomized controlled trials and clinical trials with control groups were included. Finally, eight studies were selected for inclusion in this study. Sleep efficiency was significantly higher in the omega-3 LC-PUFA group than in the control group, while sleep latency and total sleep duration did not differ significantly. Subjectively assessed sleep was significantly improved by omega-3 LC-PUFA, but heterogeneity was so high that a subgroup analysis based on dose of omega-3 supplementation was performed. It showed low heterogeneity and significant improvement in the omega-3 LC-PUFA group compared with the control group. Omega-3 LC-PUFAs have been shown to may improve sleep quality. Further studies are needed to confirm the relationship between omega-3 LC-PUFAs and sleep. The protocol for this review was registered in UMIN000052527.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a noninvasive cancer treatment modality that involves the administration of photosensitizers and light irradiation. Previously, we established a polycation-containing hematoporphyrin (aHP) formulation that demonstrated superior antitumor efficacy in vivo, than the original hematoporphyrin (HP). In this study, we investigated underlining mechanisms of the high antitumor effect of aHP using cell experiments. Time-lapse imaging of rat gastric cancerous cell line (RGK45) treated with aHP exhibited swelling, cell rupture, and subsequent scattering of small vesicles upon light irradiation, in contrast to the small changes in morphology of RGK45 treated with HP. Furthermore, aHP presented concentrated localization on the cell membranes to a greater extent than HP. Additionally, neither aHP nor HP induced morphological changes in rat gastric mucosa cell line (RGM1). Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated a higher fluorescence of wheat germ agglutinin-conjugated dye in RGK45 than in RGM1, suggesting differential glycan expression patterns. These findings collectively suggest that the cellular toxicity of aHP may be augmented in RGK45 cells owing to its heightened affinity toward negatively charged structures on cellular membranes and its preferential localization on them. The observed membrane rupture and release of extracellular vesicles may confer an abscopal effect, in addition to direct PDT effect, thereby positioning aHP as a promising next-generation photosensitizer.

Heart failure is a major manifestation of vitamin B₁ deficiency; beriberi. We have previously reported that even vitamin B₁ insufficiency, milder than deficiency, is a risk for heart failure in the institutionalized elderly. Then in this cross-sectional study, sixty-eight cardiology outpatients were evaluated for their whole blood vitamin B₁ and plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentrations, a sensitive marker of heart failure, as well as their dietary intake. Whole blood vitamin B₁ concentration was significantly correlated with plasma BNP level in vitamin B₁-deficient/insufficient patients (whole blood vitamin B₁<28 ‍ng/ml) but not in sufficient patients. Whole blood vitamin B₁ concentration was significantly lower in loop diuretics users than non-users. Multiple regression analysis has identified whole blood vitamin B₁ concentration and eGFR as the significant contributors to log-transformed plasm BNP level, and loop diuretics use, serum albumin level, and eGFR as the contributors to whole blood vitamin B₁ concentration. ROC analysis has shown the significant predictability of whole blood vitamin B₁ for plasma BNP ≥100 pg/ml with the cut-off value of 23.5 ‍ng/ml. Vitamin B₁ insufficiency is a risk of heart failure in the cardiology outpatients, and the therapeutic use of loop diuretics aggravates heart failure and possibly forms a vicious cycle.

In strategies to extend a healthy lifespan, early detection and prevention of frailty are critical. The purpose of this study was to analyze the current state and clinical risk factors of frailty among community-dwelling older to conduct a cross-sectional analysis of the individuals, correlation between frailty and nutrient intake, dietary diversity, and dietary patterns, and to elucidate the correlation between frailty-related dietary factors and the gut microbiota. The study included 786 participants aged ≥65 years from the Kyotango Multipurpose Cohort Study who had available data on their gut microbiota. Frailty was quantitatively assessed by selecting 32 items from the previously reported frailty index, with those scoring ≥0.21 classified as frailty (n = 119) and those with scores <0.21 as non-frailty (n = 667), followed by group comparisons. The frailty group had significantly higher values and rates than the non-frailty group for the following items: age, obesity (in females only), diabetes, hypertension, history of cancer treatment, polypharmacy, disturbed sleep quality, low physical activity, serum insulin levels, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. The frailty group had significantly lower levels of nutrients, including plant proteins, potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), vitamins B and C, folic acid, and total, soluble, and insoluble dietary fiber. When analyzed by food groups of dietary fiber, the frailty group had significantly lower intakes of soy products and non-green-yellow vegetables, specifically. The Japanese Diet Index score (rJDI12) was significantly lower in the frailty group, with significant deficiencies in soy products and mushrooms included in the rJDI12. Cluster analysis of the Spearman correlation values between nutrient intake related to frailty and the gut microbiota abundance revealed a positive correlation between the cluster containing dietary fiber and the abundance of the phylum Bacillota, including the [Eubacterium]_eligens_group. In conclusion, our findings clarify the current state of frailty among older community residents and suggest the importance of a diverse range of plant-based foods, including soy products and non-green yellow vegetables, through correlation analysis with nutrients and food groups, and partially reveal the involvement of the gut microbiota.

Hepatocellular carcinoma has high fatality and poor prognosis. For curing hepatocellular carcinoma, the demand for effective therapeutic reagents with low toxicity is urgent. Herein, we investigated plasma-activated medium, an emerging reagent obtained via irradiation of cell-free medium with cold atmospheric plasma. Plasma-activated medium exerts inhibitory effect on many types of tumor cells with little toxicity to non-cancerous cells. In present study, we verified the tumor-specific inhibition of plasma-activated medium on hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines. Under the effect of plasma-activated medium, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and loss of intracellular NAD⁺ and ATP were detected inside cells, suggesting an energy depletion. Through investigating the salvage pathway which synthesizes NAD⁺ and maintains the respiratory chain in hepatocellular carcinoma, we found that the energy failure was resulted by the blockage of the salvage pathway. Moreover, nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the salvage pathway, was determined as an important target to be inactivated by the effect of plasma-activated medium. Additionally, the blockage of the salvage pathway activates AMPKα and suppresses mTOR pathway, which reinforces the cell growth inhibition. Overall, our findings demonstrated that the disruption of functions of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase and the salvage pathway contribute to the tumor-specific cytotoxicity of plasma-activated medium.

Nutritional information on hospitalized patients with COVID-19 is limited. We aimed to (1) investigate the prevalence of nutrition risk defined by the Scored Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS 2002) and malnutrition assessed by prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and controlling nutritional status score (CONUT), (2) observe the nutritional intervention, and (3) explore the predictors of critical condition and mortality. Nutritional risk was 53.00% and the prevalence of malnutrition was 79.09% and 88.79% among 464 patients based on PNI and CONUT, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for hypersensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), PNI, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), and CONUT were 0.714, 0.677, 0.243, 0.778, 0.742, and 0.743, respectively, in discerning critical patients. The mortality-related area under the curve of hs-CRP, PLR, PNI, NLR, SII, and CONUT were 0.740, 0.647, 0.247, 0.814, 0.758, and 0.767, respectively. The results showed that CONUT and NLR were significantly correlated with the critical conditions. Our study revealed a high prevalence of nutritional risk and malnutrition among hospitalized patients with COVID-19. NLR, PLR, hs-CRP, SII, and CONUT are independent predictors of critical conditions and mortality. CONUT and NLR could assist clinicians in discerning critical cases.

Coenzyme Q10 is an essential lipid in the mitochondrial electron transport system and an important antioxidant. It declines with age and in various diseases, there is a need for a method to compensate for the decrease in coenzyme Q10. Resveratrol, a well-known anti-aging compound, has been shown to undergo metabolism to coenzyme Q10's benzene ring moiety in cells. However, administration of resveratrol did not alter or only slightly increased total intracellular coenzyme Q10 levels in many cell types. Synthesis of coenzyme Q10 requires not only the benzene ring moiety but also the side chain moiety. Biosynthesis of the side chain portion of coenzyme Q10 is mediated by the mevalonic acid pathway. Here, we explore the impact of resveratrol on coenzyme Q10 levels in HepG2 cells, which possess a robust mevalonic acid pathway. As a results, intracellular coenzyme Q10 levels were increased by resveratrol administration. Analysis using ¹³C₆-resveratrol revealed that the benzene ring portion of resveratrol was converted to coenzyme Q10. Inhibition of the mevalonic acid pathway prevented the increase in coenzyme Q10 levels induced by resveratrol administration. These results indicate that resveratrol may be beneficial as a coenzyme Q10-enhancing reagent in cells with a well-developed mevalonic acid pathway.

Mitophagy plays a vital role in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. However, the research on the mechanism of mitophagy in esophageal cancer metastasis is limited. This study explored the regulatory mechanism of RECQL4 in mitophagy and affects esophageal cancer metastasis. The RECQL4 expression in esophageal cancer tissues and cells was examined by bioinformatics and qRT-PCR. Bioinformatics analysis was used to determine the upstream regulatory factor of RECQL4 and CREB1. Their binding relationship was evaluated by dual luciferase and Chromatin Immunoprecipitation assays. The effects of RECQL4 on esophageal cancer cells viability, metastasis, and mitophagy were examined using CCK-8, Transwell, immunofluorescence, and Western blot assays. The expression of RECQL4 was up-regulated in esophageal cancer tissues and cells. Overexpression of RECQL4 promoted the cells viability, invasion, migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition by inhibiting mitophagy. Bioinformatics analysis revealed a positive correlation between RECQL4 and CREB1, their binding relationship was validatied by dual luciferase and ChIP assays. CREB1 knockdown promoted mitophagy and prevented the metastasis of cancer cells, which could be countered by overexpressing RECQL4. In conclusion, CREB1 was found to transcriptionally activate RECQL4 to inhibit mitophagy, thereby promoting esophageal cancer metastasis. Targeting mitophagy could be an effective therapeutic approach for esophageal cancer.