Naringenin suppresses neutrophil infiltration into adipose tissue in high-fat diet-induced obese mice

Recruitment of immune cells to adipose tissue is altered dramatically in obesity, which results in chronic inflammation ofthe adipose tissue that leads to metabolic disorders, such as insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The regulationof immune cell infiltration into adipose tissue has prophylactic and therapeutic implications for obesity-related diseases. Wepreviously showed that naringenin, a citrus flavonoid, suppressed macrophage infiltration into adipose tissue by inhibitingmonocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) expression in the progression phase to high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity.In the current study, we evaluated the effects of naringenin on neutrophil infiltration into adipose tissue, because neutrophilsalso infiltrate into adipose tissue in the progression phase to obesity. Naringenin suppressed neutrophil infiltration into adiposetissue induced by the short-term (2 weeks) feeding of a HFD to mice. Naringenin tended to inhibit the HFD-inducedexpression of several chemokines, including MCP-1 and MCP-3, in adipose tissue. Naringenin also inhibited MCP-3 expressionin 3T3-L1 adipocytes and a co-culture of 3T3-L1 adipocytes and RAW264 macrophages. However, naringenin did notaffect the expression of macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2), an important chemokine for neutrophil migration andactivation, in macrophages or in a co-culture of adipocytes and macrophages. Our results suggest that naringenin suppressesneutrophil infiltration into adipose tissue via the regulation of MCP-3 expression and macrophage infiltration.九州保健福祉大学201

Maternal multivitamin intake and orofacial clefts in offspring: Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS) cohort study

Objectives: Orofacial clefts are common birth defects with a lack of strong evidence regarding their association with maternal nutrition. We aimed to determine whether a relationship exists between maternal nutrient or multivitamin intake and orofacial clefts. Design: This is a prospective, population-based nationwide cohort study. Setting: The study was conducted in 15 regional centres, consisting of local administrative units and study areas. Participants: A total of 98 787 eligible mother–child pairs of the Japan Environment and Children’s Study were included. Intervention: Exposures were maternal nutrition and the use of supplemental multivitamins in mothers. Primary and secondary outcome measures: Outcomes were the occurrence of any orofacial cleft at birth. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between maternal multivitamin intake and the incidence of orofacial clefts. Results: Of the 98 787 children, 69 (0.07%) were diagnosed with cleft lip alone, 113 (0.11%) were diagnosed with cleft lip and palate, and 52 (0.05%) were diagnosed with cleft palate within 1 month after birth. Regarding the total orofacial cleft outcome, statistically significant point estimates of relative risk ratios (RR) were determined for multivitamin intake before pregnancy (RR=1.71; 95% CI 1.06 to 2.77) and during the first trimester (RR=2.00; 95% CI 1.18 to 3.37), but the association was not significant for multivitamin intake after the first trimester (RR=1.34; 95% CI 0.59 to 3.01). Maternal micronutrient intake via food was not associated with the incidence of orofacial clefts in offspring. Conclusions: Intake of multivitamin supplements shortly before conception or during the first trimester of pregnancy was found to be associated with an increased incidence of orofacial clefts at birth. Pregnant women and those intending to become pregnant should be advised of the potential risks of multivitamin supplementation

An Enantioselective Synthesis of 2-Imidazolidinones through Bifunctional Thiourea-Catalyzed Tandem Mannich/Cyclization of Isocyanatomalonate Diester

A chiral bifunctional thiourea-catalyzed Mannich reaction of diethyl 2-isocyanatomalonate with N-sulfonylimines was described. The tandem cyclization proceeded smoothly after Mannch reaction, directly furnishing chiral 2-imidazolidinones in 72‒99% yields with 83‒98% ees. Sterically demanding sulfonyl group was crucial for aliphatic imines to afford the corresponding product in high enantioselectivity

How Property Rents and Expenses Depreciate: A Case of Tokyo Office Properties

This is the first comprehensive study on the age profile of new rents, average rents, operating expenses, net operating income, capital expenditure, and net cash flow for office properties in Tokyo. The Intrinsic Estimator method is employed to decompose the observed depreciation into two components: physical deterioration and functional obsolescence. There are four main findings. First, the rate of rental depreciation in Japan is low and explains less than half of the rate of depreciation of property prices, although it is higher in earlier years. Second, average rents exhibit nominal rigidity. Third, approximately half of the observed depreciation in new rents is due to physical deterioration as opposed to functional obsolescence, which is driven by changes in tenant preferences and advances in building technology. Last, operating expenses are independent of age, whereas capital expenditure increases in the first 20 years. Our study contributes to the literature by estimating depreciation rates for commercial real estate rents, costs, and cash flows, with new insights into the detailed age profile and sources of economic depreciation. Keywords: commercial real estate, offices, Japan, depreciation, age-period-cohort decomposition, hedonic model. JEL Codes: R33, L16, E3

Destruction of mesoscopic chemically modulated domains in single phase high entropy alloy via plastic deformation

Chemically modulated mesoscopic domains in a fcc single phase CrMnFeCoNi equi-atomic high entropy alloy (HEA) are detected by small angle diffraction performed at a synchrotron radiation facility, whereas the mesoscopic domains cannot be detected by conventional X-ray diffraction and 2D mappings of energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy by scanning electron microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy. The mesoscopic domains are deformed and shrieked, and finally destructed by plastic deformation, which is supported by the comprehensive observations/measurements, such as electrical resistivity, Vickers hardness, electron backscattering diffraction, and hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The destruction of the mesoscopic domains causes the decrease in electrical resistivity via plastic deformation, so called K-effect, which is completely opposite to the normal trend of metals. We confirmed that the presence and the size of local chemical ordering or short-range order domains in the single phased HEA, and furthermore, Cr and Mn are related to form the domains

Analysis of Immunity against Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella Zoster in Adult Recipients of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Single-Center Experience

Vaccine-preventable disease (VPD) infections are more severe in immunocompromised hosts. Vaccination against measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella zoster (VZV) (MMRV) is therefore recommended for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) recipients. However, studies on adult HCT recipients with VPD infections are limited. At our institution, we have systematically conducted serological MMRV tests as a part of check-up examinations during long-term follow-up (LTFU) after HCT since 2015. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate changes in the serostatus between before and 2 years after allogeneic HCT. Among 161 patients, the pre-transplant seropositivity was 82.7% for measles, 86.8% for mumps, 84.2% for rubella, and 94.3% for VZV. Among 56 patients who underwent LTFU including serological MMRV tests at 2 years after HCT, the percentages maintaining seroprotective antibody levels for measles, mumps, rubella and VZV were 71.5% (40/56), 51.8% (29/56), 48.2% (27/56), and 60.7% (34/56), respectively. Vaccination was recommended for 22 patients, and 12 were vaccinated. Among the 12 vaccinated patients, rates of seroconversion were examined in 2-6 patients for each of the four viruses. They were 100% (3/3) for measles, 33.3% (1/3) for mumps, 50% (3/6) for rubella, and 0% (0/2) for VZV. Further studies are warranted to clarify the effect of vaccination in adult HCT recipients

Alisol B, a triterpene from Alismatis rhizoma (dried rhizome of Alisma orientale), inhibits melanin production in murine B16 melanoma cells

To develop new whitening agents from natural products, we screened 80 compounds derived from crude drugs in Kampo medicine in a melanin synthesis inhibition assay using murine B16 melanoma cells. The screen revealed that treatment with alisol B, a triterpene from Alismatis rhizoma, significantly decreased both melanin content and cellular tyrosinase activity in B16 cells. However, alisol B did not directly inhibit mushroom tyrosinase activity in vitro. Therefore, we investigated the mechanism underlying the inhibitory effect of alisol B on melanogenesis. Alisol B suppressed mRNA induction of tyrosinase and its transcription factor, microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF). Furthermore, alisol B reduced the phosphorylation of CREB and maintained the activation of ERK1/2. These results suggest that the reduction in melanin production by alisol B is due to the downregulation of MITF through the suppression of CREB and activation of ERK, and that alisol B may be useful as a new whitening agent