Effects of Milk or Soy Milk Combined with Mild Resistance Exercise on the Muscle Mass and Muscle Strength in Very Old Nursing Home Residents with Sarcopenia.

Background and aims: Sarcopenia is recognized as a major public health issue, because it is prevalent in the elderly, especially those who live in long-term care facilities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the beneficial effects of milk or soy milk combined with resistance exercise on the muscle mass and muscle strength of individual elderly nursing home residents with sarcopenia. Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial (clincaltrials.gov as NCT05035121) that recruited very old (>75 years) subjects with sarcopenia in a nursing home (Su-Ao and Yuanshan Branches, Taipei Veterans General Hospital) from June to December 2017. Thirty-five elderly (84.9 ± 6.1 years old) subjects were recruited and divided into three groups: control (n = 12), milk supplemented (n = 12), and soy milk supplemented (n = 11). All participants joined a mild resistance exercise training program three times a week (30 min/time). Moreover, elderly subjects in the milk and soy milk groups drank 200 mL of milk or soy milk for breakfast and as a snack after exercise. Results: After 12 weeks, compared to the baseline, calf circumferences had significantly increased in the control and soy milk groups (p = 0.0362 and p = 0.0197, respectively). Hand grip strength had significantly improved in the milk and soy milk groups (p = 0.0407 and p = 0.0096, respectively). In addition, there was no difference among the three groups. Conclusions: Mild resistance exercise combined with milk or soy milk improved the calf circumference and hand grip strength in very old nursing home residents with sarcopenia.

Amyloid ß peptide-mediated neurotoxicity is attenuated by the proliferating microglia more potently than by the quiescent phenotype.

BACKGROUND: The specific role of microglia on Aß-mediated neurotoxicity is difficult to assign in vivo due to their complicated environment in the brain. Therefore, most of the current microglia-related studies employed the isolated microglia. However, the previous in vitro studies have suggested either beneficial or destructive function in microglia. Therefore, to investigate the phenotypes of the isolated microglia which exert activity of neuroprotective or destructive is required. RESULTS: The present study investigates the phenotypes of isolated microglia on protecting neuron against Aß-mediated neurotoxicity. Primary microglia were isolated from the mixed glia culture, and were further cultured to distinct phenotypes, designated as proliferating amoeboid microglia (PAM) and differentiated process-bearing microglia (DPM). Their inflammatory phenotypes, response to amyloid ß (Aß), and the beneficial or destructive effects on neurons were investigated. DPM may induce both direct neurotoxicity without exogenous stimulation and indirect neurotoxicity after Aß activation. On the other hand, PAM attenuates Aß-mediated neurotoxicity through Aß phagocytosis and/or Aß degradation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the proliferating microglia, but not the differentiated microglia, protect neurons against Aß-mediated neurotoxicity. This discovery may be helpful on the therapeutic investigation of Alzheimer's disease.

Cudrania cochinchinensis attenuates amyloid ß protein-mediated microglial activation and promotes glia-related clearance of amyloid ß protein.

BACKGROUND: Microglial inflammation may significantly contribute to the pathology of Alzheimer's disease. To examine the potential of Cudrania cochinchinensis to ameliorate amyloid ß protein (Aß)-induced microglia activation, BV-2 microglial cell line, and the ramified microglia in the primary glial mixed cultured were employed. RESULTS: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Interferon-γ (IFN-γ), fibrillary Aß (fAß), or oligomeric Aß (oAß) were used to activate microglia. LPS and IFN-γ, but not Aßs, activated BV-2 cells to produce nitric oxide through an increase in inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression without significant effects on cell viability of microglia. fAß, but not oAß, enhanced the IFN-γ-stimulated nitric oxide production and iNOS expression.The ethanol/water extracts of Cudrania cochinchinensis (CC-EW) and the purified isolated components (i.e. CCA to CCF) effectively reduced the nitric oxide production and iNOS expression stimulated by IFN-γ combined with fAß. On the other hand, oAß effectively activated the ramified microglia in mixed glial culture by observing the morphological alteration of the microglia from ramified to amoeboid. CC-EW and CCB effectively prohibit the Aß-mediated morphological change of microglia. Furthermore, CC-EW and CCB effectively decreased Aß deposition and remained Aß in the conditioned medium suggesting the effect of CC-EW and CCB on promoting Aß clearance. Results are expressed as mean ± S.D. and were analyzed by ANOVA with post-hoc multiple comparisons with a Bonferroni test. CONCLUSIONS: The components of Cudrania cochinchinensis including CC-EW and CCB are potential for novel therapeutic intervention for Alzheimer's disease.