Effects of Z-Isomerization on the Bioavailability and Functionality of Carotenoids: A Review

Carotenoids, the most common fat-soluble plant pigments in nature, are beneficial to human health due to their strong antioxidant activities and abilities to prevent various diseases. Carotenoids have many geometrical isomers forms caused by E/Z-isomerization at arbitrary sites within the multiple conjugated double bonds. Several studies have addressed that the bioavailability as well as the antioxidant, anticancer, and antiatherosclerotic activities of carotenoids varies among the isomers. In addition, those variations differ among carotenoids: Z-isomerization resulted in “positive” or “negative” effect for carotenoids bioavailability and functionality, for example, Z-isomers of lycopene are more bioavailable than the all-E-isomer, whereas the opposite is observed for β-carotene. Thus, to efficiently promote the beneficial effects of carotenoids by ingestion, it is important to have a good understanding of the impact of E/Z-isomerization on the corresponding functional changes. The objective of this contribution is to review the effects of carotenoid Z-isomerization on bioavailability and functionality and describe their differences among carotenoids

Ischemia Alters the Expression of Connexins in the Aged Human Brain

Although the function of astrocytic gap junctions under ischemia is still under debate, increased expression of connexin 43 (Cx43) has been observed in ischemic brain lesions, suggesting that astrocytic gap junctions could provide neuronal protection against ischemic insult. Moreover, different connexin subtypes may play different roles in pathological conditions. We used immunohistochemical analysis to investigate alterations in the expression of connexin subtypes in human stroke brains. Seven samples, sectioned after brain embolic stroke, were used for the analysis. Data, evaluated semiquantitatively by computer-assisted densitometry, was compared between the intact hemisphere and ischemic lesions. The results showed that the coexpression of Cx32 and Cx45 with neuronal markers was significantly increased in ischemic lesions. Cx43 expression was significantly increased in the colocalization with astrocytes and relatively increased in the colocalization with neuronal marker in ischemic lesions. Therefore, Cx32, Cx43, and Cx45 may respond differently to ischemic insult in terms of neuroprotection

Some Jurassic Trigoniids from Peru

In 1973 and 1979, the geological and palaeontological reconnaissance surveys on the Mesozoic group of Los Andes Cordillera, Central Peru were carried out by the members of Palaeontological Party of Chiba University and of Instituto de Geologico, Minero y Metalurgico, Ministerio de Energia y Minas, INGEMMET, as the cooperative study supported by the Overseas Scientific Research Funds, Ministry of Education, Government of Japan. The Jurasso•Triassic marine sediments are distributed widely on the western foot and the midst of Los Andes Cordillera in the southern part of Peru. Some Jurassic trigoniids from this part are described in this paper as one of the results obtained by the cooperative study. The fossils treated in this paper were collected by the geologists of INGEMMET through the geological survey for making the geological sheet map of the southern part of Peru. Their fossils are buried generally in the light or dark gray, medium-grained sandstone or in the dark impure hard limestone. The fossil localities are shown in text-figure 1

A possible serologic biomarker for maternal immune activation-associated neurodevelopmental disorders found in the rat models

AbstractEpidemiological studies have shown that maternal infection during early pregnancy increases the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders (i.e., schizophrenia or autism) in offspring. Recently, diagnostic/stratification biomarkers for the maternal immune activation background in patients with neurodevelopmental disorders have been energetically searched for in the patient blood. Here, we report a novel serologic marker candidate for the disorders found in the maternal immune activation (MIA) rat model. Serum proteome analysis of the MIA rat showed that the immunoglobulin (Ig) light chain is reproducibly augmented. The Ig light chain in sera takes two forms — free form or bound to the Ig heavy chain. Only the former is an inflammatory disease marker, but pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in the sera of the MIA rats were below detectable limits of the ELISA protocol we used. We thereby carried out serum assays of Ig light chains and pro-inflammatory cytokines of commercially available schizophrenia patient sera for research. Although the number of samples was limited, we found augmentation of free Ig light chains but not pro-inflammatory cytokines in sporadic schizophrenia patient sera. Our findings suggest that Ig light chain assay of the schizophrenia/autism patient sera would be worthy to be validated in larger scale

Age and gender effect on alexithymia in large, Japanese community and clinical samples: a cross-validation study of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20)

BACKGROUND: The construct validity of alexithymia and its assessment using the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) in Japan is unknown. Low reliability has been found for the third factor of the TAS-20 in some cultures, and the factor structure for psychosomatic disorder patients has not been adequately investigated. Although alexithymia most likely has certain developmental aspects, this has infrequently been investigated. METHODS: The newly-developed Japanese TAS-20 was administered to a normative sample (n = 2,718; 14–84 y.o.), along with the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) for cross validation. Psychosomatic patients (n = 1,924, 12–87 y.o.) were tested to evaluate the factor structure in a clinical sample. College students (n = 196) were used for a test-retest study. Internal reliability and consistency were assessed, and the factorial structure was evaluated using confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses for both the normative and the clinical samples. The correlations between the TAS-20 and the NEO-FFI factor scores were evaluated. Age-related and gender differences in the TAS-20 were explored using analysis of variance in the normative sample. RESULTS: The original three-factor model of the TAS-20 was confirmed to be valid for these Japanese samples, although a 4-factor solution that included negatively keyed items (NKI) as an additional factor was more effective. Significant correlations of the TAS-20 with the NEO-FFI were found, as has been previously reported. Factor analyses of the normative and patient samples showed similar patterns. The TAS-20 total, difficulty in identifying feelings (DIF), and difficulty in describing feelings (DDF) scores were high for teenagers, decreased with age, and from 30s did not change significantly. In contrast, externally oriented thinking (EOT) scores showed an almost linear positive correlation with age. DIF scores were higher for females, while EOT scores were higher for males, without any interaction between gender and age differences. CONCLUSION: The original three-factor concept of the TAS-20 was generally supported for practical use. Age-related differences in TAS-20 scores indicate developmental aspects of alexithymia. Alexithymia is made up of two components with different developmental paths: DIF/DDF and EOT

Relationships between feeding behaviors and emotions : an electroencephalogram (EEG) frequency analysis study

Feeding behaviors may be easily affected by emotions, both being based on brain activity; however, the relationships between them have not been explicitly defined. In this study, we investigated how emotional environments modulate subjective feelings, brain activity, and feeding behaviors. Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings were obtained from healthy participants in conditions of virtual comfortable space (CS) and uncomfortable space (UCS) while eating chocolate, and the times required for eating it were measured. We found that the more participants tended to feel comfortable under the CS, the more it took time to eat in the UCS. However, the EEG emergence patterns in the two virtual spaces varied across the individuals. Upon focusing on the theta and low-beta bands, the strength of the mental condition and eating times were found to be guided by these frequency bands. The results determined that the theta and low-beta bands are likely important and relevant waves for feeding behaviors under emotional circumstances, following alterations in mental conditions

Laterality of the Activation of the Vastus Lateralis Muscle in Females with Parkinson\u27s Disease during the Medication State Compared with Healthy Controls

This study quantified the laterality of motor unit activation properties in females with Parkinson’s disease during force production (low to high-intensity contraction) using high-density surface electromyography. Sixteen females with Parkinson’s disease (age = ± 7.6 years, disease duration = 4.9 ± 5.1 years) and 14 healthy female subjects (age = 68.6 ± 3.6 years) performed submaximal ramp-up contractions during isometric knee extension. High-density surface electromyography signals were recorded from both vastus lateralis muscles. The level of heterogeneity was calculated in the spatial distribution patterns of the high-density surface electromyography signals to determine the modified entropy, coefficient of variation of the root mean square and correlation coefficient to evaluate motor unit activation properties. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated to examine the relationships between disease severity and the root mean square and electromyography variables. The root mean square value and heterogeneity were significantly higher and lower on the more-affected side in females with Parkinson’s disease than on the contralateral side in females with Parkinson’s disease or either side in control subjects (p \u3c 0.05). Females with Parkinson’s disease that exhibited temporal changes of spatial motor unit activation properties showed significant laterality when compared to healthy control subjects in both the low and high-intensity contractions. Moderate-to-strong correlations were observed between disease severity and root mean square and electromyography variables in females with Parkinson’s disease (r\u3e 0.6, p \u3c 0.001). The laterality of motor unit activation properties was compared between the subjects with Parkinson’s disease and the control subjects. The findings suggest that females with Parkinson’s disease have asymmetrical motor unit activation properties, independent of the magnitude of force production