Research Activities in the Department of Nursing

Research activity at the Department of Nursing is overviewed from the point of research topics, the theme of the projects admitted for grant from the Ministry of Education and Science of Japan, and expected research topics, trying to clarify the needs and challenges of the Department from multilateral aspects in future research activities. The Department of Nursing, Aino University is currently divided into the five areas and further into 12 fields. On the other hand, according to the Scientific Research Grant Program (2015 fiscal year), the research topics in nursing science is subdivided into the five areas; a) basic nursing, b) clinical nursing, c) lifelong developmental nursing, d) elderly nursing, and e) community health nursing

Impact of central and peripheral estrogen treatment on anxiety and depression phenotypes in a mouse model of postmenopausal obesity.

Obesity and diabetes increase the risk of depression, and the incidence of these conditions increases rapidly after menopause, but few animal models of postmenopausal obesity have been available. We developed a mouse model of postmenopausal obesity that exhibited anxiety and depressive phenotypes in behavioral tests. To examine the effect of estradiol (E2) in the model, we prepared 4 experimental groups: 1) control, sham-operated female C57BL/6 mice fed a regular diet; 2) OVX-HF, ovariectomized (OVX) mice fed a high-fat diet (HF); 3) E2-SC, OVX-HF mice administered subcutaneous (SC) E2 (50 μg/kg/day); and 4) E2-ICV, OVX-HF mice administered intracerebroventricular (ICV) E2 (1 μg/kg/day). OVX-HF mice exhibited anxiety phenotypes in the open field test, but not in the light-dark box test, and E2 treatment via both routes effectively ameliorated it. OVX-HF mice demonstrated depressive phenotypes in the tail suspension test and forced swim test. Both E2 treatments achieved significant improvement in the tail suspension test, but not in the forced swim test. Serum corticosterone levels did not differ among the groups. Hippocampal expression of glucocorticoid receptor mRNA and serotonin 1A receptor mRNA was significantly increased in OVX-HF mice and was decreased in E2-treated mice. The hypothalamic level of pro-brain-derived neurotrophic factor (proBDNF) protein was tended to decrease in OVX-HF mice, but neither E2 treatment increased it. Since this mouse model exhibited anxiety and depressive phenotypes in relatively short experimental periods without genetic manipulations, it would be useful for further exploring psychiatric phenotypes or screening of therapeutic candidates in postmenopausal obesity

Intestinal Microbiota is Different in Women with Preterm Birth: Results from Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis - Figure 1

<p>A. Principal component analysis of fecal microbiota. Principal component analysis scores are plotted based on the relative abundance of OTUs of vaginal microbiota. The percentage of variation explained by the principal coordinates is indicated on the axis. Open circles (○) represent the non-PTL group, open triangles (△) the PTL group, and closed triangles (▴) the PTB group. A dotted line, on the left in Figure 1A, shows ‘cluster 1′, which contains all 10 cases of the PTB group, as well as 2/20 of the non-PTL group and 7/11 of the PTL group. A solid circle, on the right in Figure 1A, shows 90% of the non-PTL group (18/20) and 36.4% of the PTL group (4/11). The PTL group occupied an intermediate position between the non-PTL group and the PTB group. B. Principal component analysis of vaginal microbiota. Principal component analysis scores are plotted based on the relative abundance of OTUs of vaginal microbiota. The percentage of variation explained by the principal coordinates is indicated on the axis. Open circles (○) represent the non-PTL group, open triangles (△) the PTL group, and closed triangles (▴) the PTB group.</p

Average OTU scores in vaginal samples.

<p>OTU: operational taxonomic unit.</p><p>T-RF: terminal restriction fragment.</p><p>non-PTL: non-preterm labor.</p><p>PTL: preterm labor.</p><p>PTB: preterm birth.</p><p>Average OTU scores in vaginal samples.</p

Clinical characteristics of all participants.

<p>BMI: Body mass index (kg/m²).</p><p>non-PTL: non-preterm labor.</p><p>PTL: preterm labor.</p><p>PTB: preterm birth.</p><p>Clinical characteristics of all participants.</p

Average OTU sores in fecal samples.

<p>OTU: operational taxonomic unit,</p><p>T-RF: terminal restriction fragment.</p><p>non-PTL: non-preterm labor.</p><p>PTL: preterm labor.</p><p>PTB: preterm birth.</p><p>Average OTU sores in fecal samples.</p