Effect of Oral Skim Milk Administration on Skeletal Muscle Protein Synthesis after Total Gastrectomy in Rat.

Leucine is a branched-chain amino acid that is present in protein, and it is an essential factor in activating the mechanistic target of the rapamycin complex 1 signaling pathway and increasing muscle protein synthesis. However, the loss of digestive function after total gastrectomy leads to impaired protein absorption, potentially failing to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether muscle protein synthesis is enhanced by oral skim milk administration after total gastrectomy. Male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into total gastrectomy (TG) and sham surgery (S) groups. After five weeks postoperatively, we orally administered skim milk to achieve 3.1 g protein/kg body weight and collected blood and gastrocnemius muscle. The gastrocnemius muscle weight was significantly lower in the TG group than in the S group (p < 0.05). The increase in plasma leucine concentration was significantly lower in the TG group than in the S group (p < 0.05). The skeletal muscle protein synthesis and the phosphorylation of p70S6K and 4E-BP1 showed a similar increase in both groups. Even after TG, muscle protein synthesis was stimulated by consuming skim milk, accompanied by a sufficient rise in plasma leucine concentration.

Investigation of Patients' Motivation for Cosmetic Surgery in a Nationwide Cosmetic Surgery Group.

Background: Recently, cosmetic surgeons in Japan have used social media to advertise their procedures. We analyzed the influence of social and other media on patients' motivation to visit our clinic using the aggregated results of a questionnaire distributed to our cosmetic surgery group. Methods: We obtained the data of 146,108 patients from our database between September 2018 and February 2023. To understand changes in patient motivation over time, patient motivation was compared between the opening (September 2018-February 2020), growth (March 2020-August 2021), and expansion (September 2021-February 2023) periods. Results: Most patients were motivated to visit clinics by the internet (53.7%) and Instagram (17.3%). Between the opening and growth periods, the internet [odds ratio (OR) 1.28; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.14-1.43] and referrals (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.08-2.01) significantly increased. Between the opening and expansion periods, there was a significant increase in TV (OR, 4.86; 95% CI, 3.09-7.65) and TikTok use (OR, 24.9; 95% CI, 3.50-177.0). There was more variability in the motivation to visit our clinic during the expansion period than during the other periods, and patients' motivation differed by procedure and region. In addition, TikTok was used primarily by patients in their late teens and early twenties, whereas TV was used by those in their twenties and forties. YouTube, referrals, and review websites were distributed bimodally. Conclusions: Patients choose information from various media sources. To attract more patients to our clinics, it is important to disseminate information on both the internet and social media.

Recent Status of Procedures in a Single Nationwide Cosmetic Surgery Group.

Background: Recently, cosmetic surgery demand has increased due to the spread of promotional social media in Japan. However, understanding the overall landscape remains difficult due to many clinics with varied procedure options. To understand the current trends and status of cosmetic surgery in Japan, we analyzed large-scale data from a group of clinics throughout the country. Methods: We analyzed data from 152,457 patients in our database. The periods from September 2018 to August 2021 and September 2021 to February 2023 were defined as the first and second periods, respectively, and the statuses of procedures were compared between the two. Results: Eye procedures were the most common (23.6%), followed by face-lifts (19.5%) and dark circles under the eyes (10.4%). Between the first and second periods, the number of procedures in the second period (128,898 cases) was overwhelmingly higher than that in the first period (23,559 cases). Orbital fat removal for dark circles under the eyes significantly increased (OR 2.97, 95%CI 2.78-3.17); procedures in provincial cities significantly increased (Kinki/Chugoku/Shikoku: OR 2.21, 95%CI 2.08-2.36); and procedures for patients with occupations where appearance is considered important, such as nightlife businesses or being a celebrity, decreased (celebrity: OR 0.44, 95%CI 0.38-0.51, nightlife business: OR 0.58, 95%CI 0.53-0.62). Conclusions: In Japan, cosmetic surgery has become increasingly common in recent years, and the trend has been changing over time. In the future, it will be important to organize and enhance our large-scale database to disseminate more accurate and useful information.