Effects of a comprehensive intervention program, including hot bathing, on physical function in community-dwelling healthy older adults: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To study the effects of a comprehensive intervention program comprising exercise, diet, and hot bathing in community-dwelling older adults by using a randomized controlled trial. METHODS: The program included 61 community-dwelling healthy older adults (mean [SD] age, 69.9 [5.3] years) who were using a hot bath facility. The participants were randomly assigned to four groups as follows: an exercise, diet, and hot bath intervention group (A); an exercise and diet intervention group (B); a hot bath intervention group (C); and a control group (D). Individuals in groups A and B participated in a comprehensive intervention program (including exercise and diet classes) twice a week for 3 months, and those in groups A and C took hot baths. RESULTS: After 3 months, the participants in groups A and B showed a significantly greater improvement in their timed up and go test and stepping test scores than the participants in groups C and D. However, the participants in groups A and C did not show any dependent or independent effects of hot bathing. Three months after the intervention, a follow-up assessment indicated that the group A participants maintained the effect of the intervention and showed improved lower extremity function and health-related quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that a comprehensive intervention program involving hot bathing may improve lower extremity function and that its effects can be maintained even in healthy older adults. However, the dependent or independent effects of hot bathing may not be expected for healthy older adults.

Improvement in the high-fat diet-induced dyslipidemia and adiponectin levels by fish oil feeding combined with food restriction in obese KKAy mice.

The effect on weight reduction of fish oil combined with food restriction in comparison with that of beef tallow was investigated in high-fat diet-induced obese KKAy mice. Although the reduction of body and white adipose tissue weight was similar in the two groups, fish oil increased adiponectin levels in the plasma, improved dyslipidemia accompanied by suppression of lipid synthesis in the liver when compared with beef tallow.

Fenugreek with reduced bitterness prevents diet-induced metabolic disorders in rats.

BACKGROUND: Various therapeutic effects of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) on metabolic disorders have been reported. However, the bitterness of fenugreek makes it hard for humans to eat sufficient doses of it for achieving therapeutic effects. Fenugreek contains bitter saponins such as protodioscin. Fenugreek with reduced bitterness (FRB) is prepared by treating fenugreek with beta-glucosidase. This study has been undertaken to evaluate the effects of FRB on metabolic disorders in rats. METHODS: Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with high-fat high-sucrose (HFS) diet for 12 week to induce mild glucose and lipid disorders. Afterwards, the rats were divided into 5 groups. In the experiment 1, each group (n = 8) was fed with HFS, or HFS containing 2.4% fenugreek, or HFS containing 1.2%, 2.4% and 4.8% FRB, respectively, for 12 week. In the experiment 2, we examined the effects of lower doses of FRB (0.12%, 0.24% and 1.2%) under the same protocol (n = 7 in each groups). RESULTS: In the experiment 1, FRB dose-dependently reduced food intake, body weight gain, epididymal white adipose tissue (EWAT) and soleus muscle weight. FRB also lowered plasma and hepatic lipid levels and increased fecal lipid levels, both dose-dependently. The Plasma total cholesterol levels (mmol/L) in the three FRB and Ctrl groups were 1.58 ± 0.09, 1.45 ± 0.05*, 1.29 ± 0.07* and 2.00 ± 0.18, respectively (*; P < 0.05 vs. Ctrl). The Hepatic total cholesterol levels (mmol/g liver) were 0.116 ± 0.011, 0.112 ± 0.006, 0.099 ± 0.007* and 0.144 ± 0.012, respectively (*; P < 0.05 vs. Ctrl). The calculated homeostasis model assessment as an index of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) indicated 0.52 ± 0.04*, 0.47 ± 0.06*, 0.45 ± 0.05* and 1.10 ± 0.16, respectively (*; P < 0.05 vs. Ctrl). None of the FRB groups showed any adverse effect on the liver, kidney or hematological functions. In the experiment 2, no significant difference of food intake was observed, while the 1.2% FRB group alone showed nearly the same effects on glucose and lipid metabolism as in the experiment 1. CONCLUSIONS: Thus we have demonstrated that FRB (1.2 ~ 4.8%) prevents diet-induced metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and fatty liver.

Regulation of lipid metabolism by palmitoleate and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in mice fed a high-fat diet.

We investigated whether oral administration of palmitoleate ameliorates disorders of lipid metabolism to clarify the effects of one of the components of fish oil. Lipid levels in the liver and plasma were significantly decreased by palmitoleate and by EPA administration. These results suggest that palmitoleate, in addition to EPA, plays a role in the regulation of lipid metabolism by fish oil.

TRPV1 agonist monoacylglycerol increases UCP1 content in brown adipose tissue and suppresses accumulation of visceral fat in mice fed a high-fat and high-sucrose diet.

The administration of such a transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) agonist as capsaicin, which is a pungent ingredient of red pepper, promotes energy metabolism and suppresses visceral fat accumulation. We have recently identified monoacylglycerols (MGs) having an unsaturated long-chain fatty acid as the novel TRPV1 agonist in foods. We investigated in this present study the effects of dietary MGs on uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression in interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) and on fat accumulation in mice fed with a high-fat, high-sucrose diet. The MG30 diet that substituted 30% of all lipids for MGs (a mixture of 1-oleoylglycerol, 1-linoleoylglycerol and 1-linolenoylglycerol) significantly increased the UCP1 content of IBAT and decreased the weight of epididymal white adipose tissue, and the serum glucose, total cholesterol and free fatty acid levels. The diet containing only 1-oleoylglycerol as MG also increased UCP1 expression in IBAT. MGs that activated TRPV1 also therefore induced the expression of UCP 1 and prevented visceral fat accumulation as well as capsaicin.

Dose-dependent effects, safety and tolerability of fenugreek in diet-induced metabolic disorders in rats.

BACKGROUND: We previously reported that fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) improved diet-induced metabolic disorders in rats. The purpose of the present study was to examine the dose-dependent effects, safety and tolerability of fenugreek. METHODS: The diets used in this study were the high-fat high-sucrose diet (HFS; lard 50%kcal, sucrose 25%kcal) as a control (Ctrl group) or the HFS containing 0.25% (VL group), 1.25% (L group), 2.50% (M group), 5.00% (H group) or 12.30% (VH group) fenugreek based on the modified version of the AIN-93G purified diet. RESULTS: Fenugreek dose-dependently reduced the hepatic triglyceride and total cholesterol levels. Fenugreek also dose-dependently increased the excretion of cholesterol and total bile acids into the feces. However, the glucose tolerance showed no significant change by fenugreek administration. The VL and L groups did not significantly change triglyceride or total cholesterol levels in the liver. The VL group showed no increase in excretion of triglyceride, total cholesterol or bile acids in the feces. The VH group showed appetite reduction and diarrhea, while no adverse effect or symptoms were observed in the M group. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that fenugreek inhibited lipid accumulation in the liver by increasing the lipid excretion in the feces. The effective, safe and tolerable dose of fenugreek was found to be around 2.50% (w/w).

Verification of the antidiabetic effects of cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) using insulin-uncontrolled type 1 diabetic rats and cultured adipocytes.

It has long been believed that an intake of cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) alleviates diabetic pathological conditions. However, it is still controversial whether the beneficial effect is insulin-dependent or insulin-mimetic. This study was aimed at determining the insulin-independent effect of cinnamon. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were divided into four groups and orally administered with an aqueous cinnamon extract (CE) for 22 d. The diabetic rats that had taken CE at a dose of more than 30 mg/kg/d were rescued from their hyperglycemia and nephropathy, and these rats were found to have upregulation of uncoupling protein-1 (UCP-1) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) in their brown adipose tissues as well as in their muscles. This was verified by using 3T3-L1 adipocytes in which CE upregulates GLUT4 translocation and increases the glucose uptake. CE exhibited its anti-diabetic effect independently from insulin by at least two mechanisms: i) upregulation of mitochondrial UCP-1, and ii) enhanced translocation of GLUT4 in the muscle and adipose tissues.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs)-independent functions of fish oil on glucose and lipid metabolism in diet-induced obese mice.

BACKGROUND: Fish oil is known to improve lifestyle-related diseases. These effects occur partly via activation of PPARs by the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids included abundantly in fish oil. We investigated fish oil functions on glucose and lipid metabolism that are both dependent on and independent of PPARs pathway. METHODS: Mice were fed a diet containing 30 en% beef tallow (B diet) for twelve weeks to induce obesity. The mice were then divided into two groups which were fed either a B diet or a diet containing 30 en% fish oil (F diet). Each group was further divided into two groups which were administered PPARα and γ antagonists or vehicle once a day for three weeks. RESULTS: The F diet groups showed lower triglyceride levels in plasma and liver than the B diet groups, but PPARs antagonists did not affect the triglyceride levels in either diet groups. The F diet groups also showed improvement of glucose tolerance compared with the B diet groups. However, PPARs antagonists made glucose tolerance worse in the F diet group but improved it in the B diet group. Therefore, by the administration of antagonists, glucose tolerance was inversely regulated between the B and F diets, and hypolipidemic action in the plasma and liver of the F diet group was not affected. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that fish oil decreases lipid levels in plasma and liver via PPARs pathway-independent mechanism, and that glucose tolerance is inversely regulated by PPARs antagonists under diets containing different oils.

Effects of a comprehensive intervention program, including hot bathing, on overweight adults: a randomized controlled trial.

AIM: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a comprehensive overweight intervention program, which utilizes hot bathing, on overweight, community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults in a randomized controlled trial. METHODS: The program was carried out in a hot bath facility and included 66 community-dwelling middle-aged and older Japanese adults (mean age 61.6 years, SD 7.5, 77.3% were women). The participants were randomly assigned to an exercise, diet and hot bathing intervention group (group A), exercise and diet intervention group (group B), a hot-bathing intervention group (group C) and a control group (group D). The participants in groups A and B participated in a comprehensive intervention program (including exercise and diet classes) twice a week for 3 months, and groups A and C had hot bathing. RESULTS: After 3 months, the participants in group A showed a reduction in weight, abdominal circumference, body mass index and body fat percentage compared with the other intervention groups. And the lower extremity function (i.e. walking speed) had greater improvement in the participants in groups A and B compared with groups C and D. In group C, in which only hot bathing was the intervention, there were no significant improvements in measurement items. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides preliminary evidence that a comprehensive intervention program, including hot bathing, is useful for community residents with a tendency toward overweight.

Dietary nitrite inhibits early glomerular injury in streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy in rats.

Increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a key event leading to microvascular complications, including nephropathy, in diabetes mellitus (DM). Excessive ROS and oxidative stress in DM have been reported to be associated with subsequent impaired nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. The aim of this study is to examine the beneficial function of dietary nitrite supplementation as an interventional NO donor to attenuate early progression of diabetic nephropathy. To test this hypothesis, male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: non-diabetic rats given water with or without nitrite (nitrite-treated or untreated, respectively), and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats given water with or without nitrite (nitrite-treated or untreated, respectively). After a 4 week experimental period, untreated diabetic rats exhibited significantly higher malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the kidney compared with untreated non-diabetic rats, accompanied by a reduction in levels of endogenous NO synthase-derived nitrite. However, dietary nitrite supplementation to diabetic rats not only decreased MDA levels but also increased nitrite levels in the kidney to the same levels as in the non-diabetic kidney. These improvements accompanied an improvement in the parameters of glomerular injury, including urinary protein and albumin excretion, histopathological glomerular hypertrophy, and mesangial matrix accumulation. These results indicate that dietary nitrite is effective in the prevention of early diabetic glomerular injury in which NO bioavailability is impaired.