Sarcopenia is an age-related skeletal muscle atrophy. Exercise is effective in improving sarcopenia via two mechanisms: activation of skeletal muscle satellite cells (SCs) and stimulation of muscle protein synthesis. In contrast, most nutritional approaches for improving sarcopenia focus mainly on muscle protein synthesis, and little is known about SC activation. Here, we investigated the effect of lemon myrtle extract (LM) on SC activation both in vitro and in vivo. Primary SCs or myoblast cell lines were treated with LM or its derived compounds, and incorporation of 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine, an indicator of cell cycle progression, was detected by immunocytochemistry. We found that LM significantly activated SCs (p < 0.05), but not myoblasts. We also identified casuarinin, an ellagitannin, as the active compound in LM involved in SC activation. The structure–activity relationship analysis showed that rather than the structure of each functional group of casuarinin, its overall structure is crucial for SC activation. Furthermore, SC activation by LM and casuarinin was associated with upregulation of interleukin-6 mRNA expression, which is essential for SC activation and proliferation. Finally, oral administration of LM or casuarinin to rats showed significant activation of SCs in skeletal muscle (p < 0.05), suggesting that LM and casuarinin may serve as novel nutritional interventions for improving sarcopenia through activating SCs.

Objective. This study evaluated the 5-year failure rate of naftopidil (NAF) or tamsulosin hydrochloride (TAM) in lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH/LUTS) and compared the prognostic factor of two α₁-blockers. Material and methods. A total of 131 patients with International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) ≥ 8 or IPSS quality of life (IPSS-QOL) ≥ 3 with BPH/LUTS receiving treatment with α₁-blockers had been administered NAF or TAM, and failure rates were calculated for 5 years. Age, prostate volume (PV), acute urinary retention (AUR), overactive bladder (OAB), IPSS, IPSS-QOL and postvoiding residual volume (PVR) were evaluated as prognostic factors. Results. No significant differences in failure rate were observed between the drugs. The failure rate was significantly high for patients with a PV ≥ 35 ml, PVR ≥ 30 ml, a history of AUR or complications of OAB symptoms. The failure rate for patients with a history of AUR was significantly higher than in those without AUR in the NAF group. By contrast, in the TAM group, it was significantly higher in patients who had OAB symptoms than in those without OAB. Conclusions. No significant differences were observed between the drugs for the failure rate. Each treatment had a unique factor for prognosis, such as history of AUR for NAF and complications of OAB for TAM. Therefore, it will be necessary to use the two α₁-blockers properly, considering the patient's background.

Clinical and pharmacological studies of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have suggested that the serotonergic systems are involved in the pathogenesis, while structural imaging studies have found some neuroanatomical abnormalities in OCD patients. In the etiopathogenesis of OCD, few studies have performed concurrent assessment of genetic and neuroanatomical variables. We carried out a two-way ANOVA between a variable number of tandem repeat polymorphisms (5-HTTLPR) in the serotonin transporter gene and gray matter (GM) volumes in 40 OCD patients and 40 healthy controls (HCs). We found that relative to the HCs, the OCD patients showed significant decreased GM volume in the right hippocampus, and increased GM volume in the left precentral gyrus. 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in OCD patients had a statistical tendency of stronger effects on the right frontal pole than those in HCs. Our results showed that the neuroanatomical changes of specific GM regions could be endophenotypes of 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in OCD.

We investigated whether a blend of probiotics (KABP-021, KABP-022, and KABP-023) improved diarrhea-related problems in healthy Japanese adults who routinely lived under stressful conditions. Twenty-six females and 34 males were divided randomly into the probiotic and placebo groups in this double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group comparison study. All participants ingested 1 capsule of probiotics or placebo per day for 4 weeks. Intervention with probiotics significantly reduced diarrhea-related problems assessed by the Izumo scale compared with placebo treatment (P < 0.001). In the Short Form-8 questionnaire, probiotic intervention improved mental component scores (P = 0.002), role emotional scores (P = 0.002), and mental health scores (P < 0.001). Treatment with probiotics also reduced the effects of diarrhea on daily activities (P < 0.001) and overall working habits (P = 0.010), including missing work (absenteeism) and impaired productivity (presenteeism), as assessed by the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire: General Health. Furthermore, there was a correlation between improved scores for diarrhea on the Izumo scale and increased abundance of Faecalibacterium, a butyric acid-producing bacterium, in the gut in the probiotic group (P = 0.047), whereas no such a correlation or trend was found in the placebo group. Our strategy of supplementation for 4 weeks with a specific blend of probiotics reduced diarrhea-related symptoms and may improve the mental health and daily activities of healthy individuals under stress.

Background and Purpose: Latilactobacillus sakei KABP‐065 derived from pickled vegetables of East Asia can improve skin condition in patients with atopic dermatitis through a mechanism that suppresses immune hyperactivity. Here we investigated whether KABP‐065 postbiotics can improve the facial skin condition of healthy middle‐aged women. Methods: Japanese women ( n = 60) aged ≥ 30 to < 50 years who met inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to postbiotic or placebo groups. The participants consumed capsules containing either heat‐treated KABP‐065 (1 × 10 ¹⁰ cells/day) or placebo for 8 weeks. The effect of the postbiotic on skin condition parameters was assessed on the skin of the cheeks before the intervention, and at 5 and 8 weeks after the intervention. Subjective evaluations of skin conditions and mental and gastrointestinal symptoms, as well as safety evaluations, were also conducted. Results: Cheek skin moisture and transepidermal water loss improved for both groups after the intervention. The postbiotic group had significantly improved skin elasticity relative to the placebo group. A stratified analysis of participants in their 40s showed that, compared to the placebo group, the postbiotic group had a greater improvement in skin elasticity and a significantly greater improvement in cheek moisture. No exacerbation of gastrointestinal symptoms was seen with postbiotic supplementation, and the frequency of adverse events was similar between the postbiotic and placebo groups. Conclusion: KABP‐065 postbiotics could be effective for improving the skin condition of healthy women aged ≥ 30 to < 50 years, especially those in their 40s.

Previous literature has shown that combining lemon myrtle (LM) leaf extract with low-load resistance training may promote muscle hypertrophy. The current our studies aimed to verify the effects of LM intake combined with different training volumes on anterior thigh (AT) muscle thickness in older adults. Two independent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. Community-based training intervention program. A total of 125 Japanese adults aged ≥65 years, with self-reported declines in muscle strength or walking ability. Study 1 (n = 47; LM group: n = 25, placebo group: n = 22) and Study 2 (n = 41; LM group: n = 22, placebo group: n = 19) were conducted independently, each with separate randomization into LM and placebo groups. Both studies involved low-load bodyweight resistance training twice weekly for 12 weeks. Study 1 compared LM + three sets of training with placebo + three sets; whereas Study 2 compared LM + one set with placebo + one set. AT muscle thickness (primary outcome) was assessed using B-mode ultrasound at baseline, 6, and 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes were normal walking speed (10-m walk test, m/s), maximum walking speed (10-m walk test, m/s), and 30-second chair stand (CS-30, repetitions). In Study 1, the LM + exercise group showed a greater increase in AT muscle thickness than the placebo + exercise group (12-week difference: 1.29 mm; 95% CI: -0.17 to 2.75 mm), although the difference was not statistically significant. In Study 2, the LM + exercise group showed a significant increase in AT muscle thickness compared with the placebo + exercise group (1.59 mm; 95% CI: 0.19-2.98 mm). No significant group-by-time interaction was found for secondary outcomes in either study. LM intake may enhance muscle hypertrophy when combined with low-load resistance training in older adults with self-reported declines in muscle strength decline, particularly under low-volume training conditions. Further studies are needed to establish its clinical relevance.