Olfactory and gustatory functions, appetite, and nutritional status in Alzheimer's disease in a care facility

Kaneko N., Nohara K., Tanaka N., et al. Olfactory and gustatory functions, appetite, and nutritional status in Alzheimer's disease in a care facility. Oral Science International , (2024); https://doi.org/10.1002/osi2.1236

Effects of Thickening Agents on the Mucociliary Transport Function: Comparison by the Type of Thickening Agents and the Viscosity of Thickened Water

The version of record of this article, first published in Dysphagia, is available online at Publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-024-10704-3.Thickening agents effectively prevent liquid aspiration, but their impact on the ease of discharging aspirated liquids from the trachea remains unclear due to alterations in the physical properties of liquids. This study clarifies the effects of thickening agents, comprising various raw materials, on mucociliary transport function, focusing on the viscosities of thickened waters. The subjects were 23 healthy adults. Five types of saccharin solution were prepared: a solution without a thickening agent, a starch-based nectar-like solution, a starch-based honey-like solution, a xanthan-gum-based nectar-like solution, and a xanthan-gum-based honey-like solution. Using these five types of saccharin solutions randomly, each subject underwent five trials of the saccharine dye test to evaluate the mucociliary transport function of the respiratory tract. The saccharin time was defined as the time from the placement of the saccharin solution on the nasal vestibule of the subject to when the subject reported that they became aware of the sweetness. The saccharin transit times for all samples of thickened water were longer compared to those of water without a thickening agent (p < 0.01). A comparison between thickened water samples with different viscosities showed that the saccharin transit time was longer when thickened water samples with high viscosity were prepared using the same thickening agent (p < 0.01). This suggests that while thickening reduces aspiration, the use of thickening agents may increase the difficulty in discharging aspirated fluids from the trachea

Comparison of Saccharin Time in Nursing Home Residents With and Without Pneumonia: A Preliminary Study

ackground/Aim: Although mucociliary clearance is important for preventing pneumonia, its association with the onset of pneumonia is unclear. The aim of this study is to examine the association between saccharin test results as a potential measure of mucociliary clearance and history of pneumonia in nursing home residents. Patients and Methods: Ninety elderly nursing home residents (elderly group) were selected, 35 of whom had a history of pneumonia. Twenty-five healthy adults (adult group) were also investigated to provide baseline values for this study. We conducted the saccharin test to evaluate mucociliary clearance and compared the saccharin time (ST) between those with and without history of pneumonia. Results: Mean ST in the adult group was 12±6 min. The ST in the pneumonia group was significantly longer than that in the non-pneumonia group (32±23 min vs. 17±13 min) (p<0.05). Conclusion: Impaired mucociliary clearance is a factor in the development of pneumonia among nursing home residents

The Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form as a predictor of nursing home mortality in Japan: A 30-month longitudinal study

Objectives: We examined whether the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA (R)-SF) predicted mortality in 367 nursing home residents (82% women; mean age = 84.4 +/- 8.5 years) in Japan. Measurements: We examined participants' basic characteristics (sex, age, height, weight, and medical history), the Barthel index (BI), clinical dementia rating (CDR), and six items of the MNA (R)-SF. The association between the MNA (R)-SF and 30-month mortality was assessed using a Cox proportional regression analysis. Results: During the study, 157 (42.8%) participants died. MNA (R)-SF scores in the Survival group were significantly higher than in the Death group (9.4 +/- 2.1 vs. 8.4 +/- 2.3, respectively; p < .001). After adjusting for age, sex, history of aspiration pneumonia, BI, and CDR, MNA (R)-SF scores were significantly associated with 30-month mortality (hazard ratio: 0.89, 95% confidence interval: 0.82-0.97, p = .005). Conclusion: The MNA (R)-SF was an effective predictor of mortality among nursing home residents in Japan, even after adjusting for potential confounders. These results indicate that periodically evaluating nutritional status using the MNA (R)-SF, and nutritional interventions according to status, may result in maintenance and improvement of nutritional status, as well as lead to reduced mortality

Regenerating Salivary Glands in the Microenvironment of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

This report describes our initial attempt to regenerate salivary glands using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells in vivo and in vitro. Glandular tissues that were similar to the adult submandibular glands (SMGs) and sublingual glands could be partially produced by the transplantation of iPS cells into mouse salivary glands. However, the tumorigenicity of iPS cells has not been resolved yet. It is well known that stem cells affect their microenvironment, known as a stem cell niche. We focused on the niche and the interaction between iPS cells and salivary gland cells in our study on salivary gland regeneration. Coculture of embryonic SMG cells and iPS cells have better-developed epithelial structures and fewer undifferentiated specific markers than monoculture of embryonic SMG cells in vitro. These results suggest that iPS cells have a potential ability to accelerate differentiation for salivary gland development and regeneration

Regulation of the epithelial adhesion molecule CEACAM1 is important for palate formation.

Cleft palate results from a mixture of genetic and environmental factors and occurs when the bilateral palatal shelves fail to fuse. The objective of this study was to search for new genes involved in mouse palate formation. Gene expression of murine embryonic palatal tissue was analyzed at various developmental stages before, during, and after palate fusion using GeneChip® microarrays. Ceacam1 was one of the highly up-regulated genes during palate formation, and this was confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR. Immunohistochemical staining showed that CEACAM1 was present in prefusion palatal epithelium and was degraded during fusion. To investigate the developmental role of CEACAM1, function-blocking antibody was added to embryonic mouse palate in organ culture. Palatal fusion was inhibited by this function-blocking antibody. To investigate the subsequent developmental role of CEACAM1, we characterized Ceacam1-deficient (Ceacam1(-/-)) mice. Epithelial cells persisted abnormally at the midline of the embryonic palate even on day E16.0, and palatal fusion was delayed in Ceacam1(-/-) mice. TGFβ3 expression, apoptosis, and cell proliferation in palatal epithelium were not affected in the palate of Ceacam1(-/-)mice. However, CEACAM1 expression was retained in the remaining MEE of TGFβ-deficient mice. These results suggest that CEACAM1 has roles in the initiation of palatal fusion via epithelial cell adhesion

Expression of CEACAM1 in embryonic developing craniofacial tissue.

<p>CEACAM1 expression in the craniofacial region in wild-type embryo at E14.0 (A). Dotted rectangles show the medial edges of the epithelium and submandibular duct. These areas are shown enlarged (B, C). CEACAM1 was expressed in the epithelia of pre-fusion palatal shelf (B, arrowhead), submandibular duct (C) and submandibular gland (D). Scale bar, 200 µm (A), 50 µm (B), 100 µm (C, D).</p