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We discovered that the phospholipids present in the internal organs of scallops (Patinopecten yessoensis), which are primarily composed of glycerophospholipids and ceramide 2-aminoethylphosphonate (CAEP), reduced the serum and liver cholesterol contents in mice. This study evaluated the effects of scallop CAEP on lipid metabolism by comparing it to sphingomyelin. The study involved feeding four-week-old male KK-Ay mice either a high-fat diet or a high-fat diet supplemented with 0.5 wt% each of CAEP and sphingomyelin for 35 days. We found that CAEP intake lowered the serum triacylglycerol content, partly via a reduction in the mRNA expression levels of fatty acid synthesis-related genes in the liver. Furthermore, the CAEP diet reduced the serum and liver cholesterol contents. This effect was partially mediated by the increase in fecal total sterol excretion. Thus, this study indicates CAEP will be employed as a health-promoting component to lower the body’s triacylglycerol and cholesterol contents.

Background: Early postoperative functional recovery is important in older patients with lower-extremity fractures to prevent disuse, and periprosthetic femoral fractures (PFFs) are no exception. This study aimed to compare the postoperative functional recovery in the early phase after revision for PFF with loose stems between cemented and cementless stems. Methods: Eighteen patients with Unified Classification System type B2 PFF were included in this retrospective cohort study with a follow-up period of about 2 years. All patients underwent stem revision and were divided into 2 groups: the cemented stem group (n = 9) and the cementless stem group (n = 9). In postrevision, functional independence measure score, independent walk rate, activities of daily living recovery rate to the original level at 2 weeks postoperatively, the Beals and Tower classification for radiological status, and survival rate for readmission as endpoints were compared between the 2 groups. Results: Patients in the cemented group recovered functional mobility earlier than in the cementless group, with higher postoperative functional independence measure functional subscale values (73 vs 50 points, P = .02), higher independent walk rate (89 vs 11%, P < .01), and more postoperative activities of daily living recovery (100% vs 44%, P = .03) at 2 weeks postoperatively. The Beals and Tower classification and survival rates were similar in both groups. Conclusions: Revision using a cemented stem for PFF in older patients was a useful surgical procedure in terms of early postoperative functional recovery. Cemented stem revision was comparable with cementless in bone union and safety at 2 years postoperatively.

We report a novel case of the simultaneous post and cone fractures of a polyethylene (PE) insert in a mobile-bearing posterior-stabilized total knee arthroplasty. Twelve years after the primary total knee arthroplasty, the 72-year-old male patient presented with a recurring right knee instability and was diagnosed with the wear of the PE insert based on physical and radiological examinations. Revision surgery was performed. The post and cone of the PE insert had fractured simultaneously. Moreover, the femoral and tibial components were in direct contact with each other. One year post-revision, knee function had improved. To diagnose a PE breakage, such as a post or cone fracture, surgeons should consider the possibility of PE breakage even in the absence of pain since patients might complain of subjective instability only.

Studies on the domestication, genetic differentiation, and crop evolution of foxtail millet are reviewed in this paper. Several genetic studies were carried out to elucidate the genetic relationships among foxtail millet accessions originating mainly from Eurasia based on intraspecific hybrid pollen semi-sterility, isozymes, DNA markers, and single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Most studies suggest that China is the center of diversity of foxtail millet, and landraces were categorized into geographical groups. These results indicate that this millet was domesticated in China and spread over Eurasia, but independent origin in other regions cannot be ruled out. Furthermore, the evolution of genes was reviewed (i.e., the Waxy gene conferring amylose content in the endosperm, the Si7PPO gene controlling polyphenol oxidase, the HD1 and SiPRR37 genes controlling heading time, the Sh1 and SvLes1 genes involved in grain shattering, and the C gene controlling leaf sheath pigmentation), and the variation and distribution of these genes suggested complex patterns of evolution under human and/or natural selection.

Abstract We constructed recombinant inbred lines (RILs) between a Japanese and a Taiwanese landrace of foxtail millet and employed next-generation sequencing, such as flexible ddRAD-seq and Nanopore sequencing to identify the candidate genes involved in the crop evolution of foxtail millet. We successfully constructed a linkage map using flexible ddRAD-seq with parents and RILs and detected major QTLs for each of three traits: leaf sheath colors, spikelet-tipped bristles (stb), and days to heading (DTH). (1) For leaf sheath colors, we identified the C gene on chromosome IV. (2) We identified a homeobox (HOX14) gene for stb on chromosome II, which shows homology with HvVrs1 in barley. (3) Finally, we identified a QTL with a large effect on DTH on chromosome II. A parent of the RILs from Taiwan and Yugu1 had a Harbinger-like TE in intron 3 of this gene. We also investigated the geographical distribution of the TE insertion type of this gene and found that the insertion type is distributed in the northern part of East Asia and intensively in South and Southeast Asia, suggesting that loss/reduction of function of this gene plays an important role in spreading into the northern part of East Asia and subtropical and tropical zones.

In this study, we successfully prepared scallop oil (SCO), which contains high levels of phospholipids (PL) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), from the internal organs of the Japanese giant scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis), one of the most important underutilized fishery resources in Japan. The intake of SCO lowers the serum and liver cholesterol contents in mice; however, whether the fatty acids (FA) composition or PL of SCO exhibits any cholesterol-lowering effect remains unknown. To elucidate whether the cholesterol-lowering function is due to FA composition or PL of SCO, and investigate the cholesterol-lowering mechanism by SCO, in the present study, mice were fed SCO's PL fraction (SCO-PL), triglyceride (TG)-type oil with almost the same FA composition as SCO-PL, called SCO's TG fraction (SCO-TG), soybean oil (SOY-TG), and soybean's PL fraction (SOY-PL). Male C57BL/6J mice (5-week-old) were fed high-fat and cholesterol diets containing 3% (w/w) experimental oils (SOY-TG, SOY-PL, SCO-TG, and SCO-PL) for 28 days. The SCO-PL diet significantly decreased the serum and liver cholesterol contents compared with the SOY-TG diet, but the intake of SOY-PL and SCO-TG did not show this effect. This result indicated that the serum and liver cholesterol-lowering effect observed in the SCO intake group was due to the effect of SCO-PL. The cholesterol-lowering effect of SCO-PL was in part related to the promotion of liver cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) expression, which is the rate-limiting enzyme for bile acid synthesis. In contrast, the expression levels of the ileum farnesoid X receptor (Fxr) and fibroblast growth factor 15 (Fgf15), which inhibit the expression of liver CYP7A1, were significantly reduced in the SCO-PL group than the SOY-TG group. From these results, the increase in the liver CYP7A1 expression by dietary SCO-PL was in part through the reduction of the ileum Fxr/Fgf15 regulatory pathway. Therefore, this study showed that SCO-PL may be a health-promoting component as it lowers the serum and liver cholesterol contents by increasing the liver CYP7A1 expression, which is not seen in SOY-PL and SCO-TG.

Fish paste products such as kamaboko (KB) are traditional Japanese foods prepared from fish meat. The health-promoting properties of fish proteins and their lysates include improving glucose and lipid metabolism. Although the KB manufacturing process and quality have been examined, limited studies have reported the health-promoting function of KB. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of processing Alaska pollock protein (APP) into KB protein (KBP) on serum lipids levels and postprandial glucose tolerance. Obese male Zucker fa/fa rats were fed on different diets for 4 weeks as follows: APP group, fed on a diet in which APP constituted 25% of total protein intake; KBP group, fed on a diet with APP-processed protein as the protein source; control group, fed on a diet with 100% casein as the protein source. Compared with those in the control group, the serum total cholesterol (TC) level was reduced and the elevated postprandial blood glucose level was mitigated during the high-carbohydrate meal tolerance test in the APP and KBP groups. Further, KBP exerted significantly higher effects on serum TC levels and glucose tolerance than APP.

Previously, we have reported that the intake of oyster extract (OE), prepared from Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas), can attenuate symptoms of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced acute experimental colitis in mice. Herein, we aimed to evaluate whether OE intake ameliorates chronic experimental colitis induced by repeated DSS administration in mice. Male C57BL/6J (4-week-old) mice were fed either the standard diet AIN93G (control diet) or the control diet containing 5.0% (w/w) OE (OE diet). After 21 days of diet feeding, chronic experimental colitis was induced by three cycles of 2.0% (w/w) DSS solution administration (5 days), followed by distilled water (5 days). Mice fed OE alleviated the shortened colonic length, increased the relative weight of the spleen, colonic histopathological score (regeneration), and blood in the stool score compared with mice fed control diet. A tendency to improve the α-diversity of fecal microbiota, which was exacerbated by colitis, was observed in mice fed OE. Correlation analysis suggested that the anti-colitis effect of OE intake could be related to the valeric acid content and relative abundances of Ruminococcus and Enterococcus in the feces. In conclusion, OE could ameliorate DSS-induced chronic experimental colitis by improving the gut environment, including the microbiota community and SCFA composition.

This study examined the effects of dietary Alaska pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) protein (APP) on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and gut microbiota in leptin-deficient ob/ob mice. Mice were fed with high-fat diet containing either casein or APP for six weeks. Then, lipid accumulation and mRNA expression levels in the liver and the composition and metabolites of the gut microbiota were evaluated. Dietary APP attenuated liver steatosis in part through the enhancement and suppression of gene expression involved in liver fatty acid oxidation and synthesis, respectively. The enhancement of liver peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha mRNA expression level by APP consumption may be partly due to the high acetic acid content in cecal contents. Moreover, APP consumption modified the structure of the microbiota and high relative abundance of probiotic bacteria and low relative abundances of Bacteroides and Blautia in cecal content. Therefore, APP consumption could help prevent NAFLD development.

Protein derived from fish has not only nutritional properties but also health-promoting properties. Few studies have examined the effect of dietary Alaska pollock protein (APP) on the anticolitis effect reported to be associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS). This study investigated the effect of APP intake on colitis symptoms, gut microbiota, and its metabolites in the experimental colitis mouse model induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). Male C57BL/6J mice were divided into three groups: (1) DSS-untreated mice fed an American Institute of Nutrition (AIN) 93G diet (protein source is casein), (2) DSS-treated mice fed an AIN93G diet, and (3) DSS-treated mice fed an APP diet. After the mice were fed the diets for 21 days, experimental colitis was induced by three cycles of 2% DSS administration for 5 days followed by washouts over the course of 5 days. APP-reduced body weight loss increased the disease activity index, and elevated spleen weight and alleviated colon length shortening and colonic tissue damage. Furthermore, APP altered the structure and composition of the microbiota and short-chain fatty acids in feces. Since APP intake alleviates experimental colitis induced by DSS administration through alterations in the gut microbiota and its metabolites, we deduced that APP would inhibit MetS progression via colitis suppression.

Drugs for inflammatory bowel diseases can be associated with serious side effects, and the development of alternative candidate resources derived from natural products has attracted considerable attention. Oyster extract (OE) derived from Crassostrea gigas contains glycogen, taurine, and amino acids, and has been assigned diverse health-promoting properties. This study investigated the anti-colitis effect of OE intake on fecal microbiota and its metabolites of acute experimental colitis mouse model induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). C57BL/6J mice (male) were divided into three groups: (1) American Institute of Nutrition (AIN) 93G diet + DSS-untreated, (2) AIN93G diet + DSS-treated, and (3) 5% OE diet + DSS-treated. Mice were fed each diet for 21 days, and then administered 2.5% DSS solution to induce acute colitis for 7 days. In DSS-induced colitis mice, OE decreased body weight loss and increased disease activity index during the DSS-induced period. In addition, OE tended to decrease the colon length shortening and the relative spleen weight and alleviated colonic tissue damage. Moreover, OE improved fecal short-chain fatty acids compositions and altered the structure of fecal microbiota. These results provide insight into the health-promoting property of OE in alleviating DSS-induced acute colitis, providing a basis for the development and use of functional foods.

Internal organs of discarded scallops are rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, but it is not used as a food ingredient due to the presence of toxic substances. Recently, our research team prepared high-quality scallop oil (SCO) from the internal organs of the Japanese giant scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis), in which cadmium and diarrhetic shellfish toxin are below regulated levels. In this study, SCO was prepared from the internal organs of scallops obtained from Mutsu and Uchiura bays in Japan, and was referred to as SCO-M (scallop oil from Mutsu bay) and SCO-U (scallop oil from Uchiura bay), respectively. Acute and subacute toxicity studies were performed to assess the safety of the prepared SCO. In acute toxicity study, mice were orally administered SCO-M and SCO-U at a single dose of 5,000 mg/kg body weight. In a 28-day repeated oral dose toxicity study, the mice were fed diets containing 1% and 5% SCO-M and SCO-U; and in a 13-week repeated oral dose toxicity study, the mice were fed 5% SCO-M and SCO-U. There were no toxicologically significant changes in clinical signs, hematology, blood chemistry, and organ weights at any dose during the experiment. Therefore, it was concluded that SCO-M and SCO-U are safe for use as food ingredients under the experimental conditions of this study.

We investigated genetic variation of a rice HEADING DATE 1(HD1) homolog in foxtail millet. First, we searched for a rice HD1 homolog in a foxtail millet genome sequence and designed primers to amplify the entire coding sequence of the gene. We compared full HD1 gene sequences of 11 accessions (including Yugu 1, a Chinese cultivar used for genome sequencing) from various regions in Europe and Asia, found a nucleotide substitution at a putative splice site of intron 1, and designated the accessions with the nucleotide substitution as carrying a splicing variant. We verified by RT-PCR that this single nucleotide substitution causes aberrant splicing of intron 1. We investigated the geographical distribution of the splicing variant in 480 accessions of foxtail millet from various regions of Europe and Asia and part of Africa by dCAPS and found that the splicing variant is broadly distributed in Europe and Asia. Differences of heading times between accessions with wild type allele of the HD1 gene and those with the splicing variant allele were unclear. We also investigated variation in 13 accessions of ssp. viridis, the wild ancestor, and the results suggested that the wild type is predominant in the wild ancestor.

This study investigated the effects of cod protein (CP) on the serum, liver, fecal lipid contents and fatty acid (FA) composition in the liver of obese type-2 diabetic KK-Ay mice. Male KK-Ay mice were fed a casein-based semi-purified diet (Control) or a diet with substitution of part of the dietary protein (50%) by CP for 4 weeks. The CP diet significantly decreased the contents of serum triacylglycerol (TAG), serum non-esterified FAs, serum alanine aminotransferase, and liver TAG compared with the Control diet. In addition, dietary CP decreased saturated FA, monounsaturated FA, and the FA desaturase indices (C16:1/C16:0 and C18:1/C18:0) in the liver. The changes in FA desaturase indices induced by the FP diet could be inhibited by stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD)-1 activity due to suppression of the SCD-1 mRNA expression level. These results suggest that the intake of CP has a beneficial effect on the liver in the presence of obesity and diabetes.

Salmon ovary outer membrane (SOM) is a byproduct of the salmon industry; however, the effective utilization of SOM for food materials and supplements is anticipated as the demand for fish and seafood increases worldwide. The purposes of the present study were to assess the chemical composition of SOM, the characteristics of SOM protein (SOMP), and its effects on serum and fecal biochemical parameters in mice. SOM contained high levels of crude protein (61.9 g/100 g) and crude lipid (18.9 g/100 g). The protein pattern of SOMP was different from those of fish muscle protein and roe; it was abundant in collagen, as calculated from the hydroxyproline content. In addition, SOMP exhibited lower protein digestibility during in vitro digestion analyses compared with casein. Male C57BL/6J and KK-Ay mice were fed a casein-based semi-purified diet or a diet with replacement of part of the dietary protein (50%) by SOMP for four weeks. Mice fed the diet containing SOMP showed elevated fecal nitrogen and mucins contents and reduced levels of serum liver injury markers and fecal ammonia. These results show for the first time that chemical composition of SOM, and SOMP, contain a resistant protein fraction and a large amount of collagen. Therefore, SOM is a potential source of marine collagen and functional food material for promoting the health of the liver and colon.

The formation of selenium (Se) adducts of protein in the liver of rats administered Se in excess of nutritional requirements was confirmed using high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICPMS). Male Wistar rats aged 4 weeks old were divided into three groups and fed a basal Se-deficient diet or basal diet supplemented with 0.2 or 2.0 µg Se/g of selenite for 4 weeks, respectively. The liver Se concentration and GPX activity were markedly elevated in rats fed the Se-added diet; the 2.0 µg Se/g group showed a higher Se concentration than the 0.2 µg Se/g group, but GPX did not differ between the two groups. HPLC-ICPMS analysis of liver protease hydrolysates led to the detection of only selenocystine in the 0.2 µg Se/g group, while the 2.0 µg Se/g group showed the presence of four unknown Se compounds in addition of selenocystine. In another experiment, rats weighing 250 g and previously fed the Se-deficient diet for 4 weeks were intraperitoneally administered 50 µg Se/day of selenite or L-selenomethionine for 7 days, and their liver protease hydrolysates were analyzed by HPLC-ICPMS. In selenite-treated rats, peaks of several unknown Se compounds other than selenocystine were detected. In selenomethionine-treated rats, selenomethionine was detected in addition to selenocystine. Unknown Se compounds were also present, but the number and height of peaks were smaller than in selenite-treated rats. These results indicate that with supranutritional Se, accumulation in organs occurs in the form of Se adducts on selenite exposure and mainly nonspecific insertion of selenomethionine into positions of methionine residues of proteins on selenomethionine exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scallop oil (SCO) prepared from the internal organs of the Japanese giant scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) contains eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and phospholipids (PL). It was previously shown that SCO consumption improves cholesterol and triacylglycerols (TG) contents in mice. The present study demonstrated the effects of daily SCO consumption (1.2 g/day, containing 376 mg of EPA, 63 mg of DHA, and 150 mg of PL) for 12 weeks in human subjects. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group comparison study, 70 Japanese subjects with serum TG levels ≥120 but < 200 mg/dL were recruited and randomly assigned to the SCO or placebo group. All subjects ingested six capsules per day for 12 weeks. We conducted medical interviews, body composition measurements, vital sign examinations, and blood sampling at weeks 0 (baseline), 4, 8, and 12, and measured peripheral blood flow at weeks 0 and 12. In the case of subjects with higher serum TG levels, SCO consumption decreased the changes in serum TG and malondialdehyde-low density lipoprotein (MDA-LDL) levels compared with the placebo group. Safety assessment revealed no medically significant changes due to continuous SCO consumption. The findings indicate that 1.2 g/day of SCO consumption may be beneficial for reducing serum TG and MDA-LDL levels in persons with higher TG levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the variation and geographical distribution of the Pseudoregulator response 37 (Setaria italica PRR37; SiPRR37) gene, which is involved in heading time (photoperiodism) in foxtail millet. An allele of the SiPRR37 gene, in which an approximately 4.9-kb transposable element (designated TE1) is inserted (a loss-of-function or reduction-of-function type), is distributed sporadically in East Asia and broadly in Southeast Asia and South Asia, implying that this gene is important in latitudinal adaptation. In addition, we found a new allele of SiPRR37 with an insertion of a 360-bp TE (TE2) at this locus and investigated the geographical distribution of this new type. This SiPRR37 allele with TE2 is distributed in Japan, Korea, Nepal, Iran and Turkey. Both TE1 and TE2 are useful markers for tracing foxtail millet dispersal pathways in Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In cereals and legumes, phytic acid is present as phytin bound with magnesium and zinc. In this study, the nutritional availability of zinc-containing phytin as a zinc source was compared between rats with an adequate zinc status and those with a low zinc status. Twenty-four male 4-week-old Wistar rats were divided into four groups (AZ, AZP, LZ, and LZP): the AZ group was fed a basal AIN93G diet containing adequate amounts of zinc (zinc concentration, 35.6 mg/kg), the AZP group was fed a phytin-supplemented basal diet (40.7 mg/kg), the LZ group was fed a low zinc diet (5.0 mg/kg), and the LZP group was fed a phytin-supplemented low zinc diet (10.2 mg/kg) for 4 weeks. The LZ group showed significantly lower feed intake, body weight, organ weights, organ and serum zinc concentrations, and serum alkaline phosphatase activity than the AZ group, indicating that they were moderately zinc-deficient. In the LZP group fed the phytin-supplemented low zinc diet, the apparent absorption rate of zinc was lower than in the LZ group, but the amount of apparent absorption was higher than in the LZ group, and feed intake, body weight, and organ weights recovered to the same levels as in the AZ group. Organ and serum zinc levels in the LZP group were also significantly higher than in the LZ group. On the other hand, although the AZP group consumed more zinc than the AZ group, they excreted markedly more zinc in their feces, and the apparent amount of zinc absorption was significantly lower than that of the AZ group. In addition, serum and femoral zinc concentrations and serum alkaline phosphatase activity were significantly lower in the AZP group than in the AZ group. These results indicate that zinc-containing phytin is utilized as a zinc source in the presence of a low zinc status, but inhibits zinc utilization when the zinc status is adequate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]