Body cell mass is a useful parameter for assessing malnutrition and severity of disease in non-ascitic cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma or esophageal varices.

Body cell mass (BCM) is a nutritional parameter, however, changes in BCM in patients with non-ascitic liver cirrhosis (LC) in comparison to patients with other malnutritional diseases remains unclear. We investigated the difference in BCM between patients with LC and malnourished gastrointestinal disease controls (M.CON), and examined the relationship between BCM and the severity of LC. Results demonstrated that serum nutritional parameters were not significantly different between the LC (n=56) and M.CON groups (n=25), whereas BCM%BW was significantly lower in the LC group than in the M.CON group (50.9+/-4.6 vs. 54.4+/-7.1%, P=0.018). Furthermore, BCM%BW negatively correlated with the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score (P=0.04). In concluson, BCM showed a significant decrease and a negative correlation with the MELD score in the LC group. BCM may be a useful parameter for assessing malnutrition and severity of LC.

The Effect of the Dried-Bonito Broth on Blood Pressure, 8-Hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), an Oxidative Stress Marker, and Emotional States in Elderly Subjects.

Dried-bonito broth (DBB, katsuo-bushi dashi) is commonly used in Japanese cuisine, and is also used as a traditional remedy for recovery from fatigue and improvement of blood circulation. To clarify the effect of DBB on blood pressure, oxidative stress and emotional states, a randomized crossover human trial was performed. Twenty-seven elderly Japanese subjects ingested DBB or water for one month. Measurement of blood pressure and urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and evaluation of emotional states were performed before and after the ingestion periods. The changes in systolic blood pressure (SBP) during DBB ingestion was significantly lower than that during water ingestion (p = 0.037). Urinary 8-OHdG significantly decreased during DBB ingestion (p = 0.0002). Evaluation of emotional states indicated that composure significantly improved during DBB ingestion (p = 0.034). These results suggest that the daily ingestion of DBB lower SBP, reduce urinary 8-OHdG and might improve emotional states in elderly subjects.