Growth-related changes in the influence of obesity on signs suggesting sleep-disordered breathing and sleepiness in young individuals with Down syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is highly prevalent in individuals with Down syndrome (DS), who cease growing earlier than individuals without DS. These characteristics may be associated with increased obesity and subsequent SDB signs, such as snoring and apnoea or excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Thus, we assessed the influence of growth on the association between obesity and SDB signs or EDS; we used questionnaires sent to young individuals with DS and their caregivers, in a cross-sectional study. METHODS: We sent out 2000 questionnaires to individuals with DS and their caregivers. The surveys included questions about SDB signs (witnessed snoring or apnoea), subjective sleeping time including witnessed midnight arousal, the Epworth sleepiness scale and witnessed napping as well as sex, age, body weight and body height. RESULTS: Of the 1222 questionnaires we received, 660 were from young individuals and were included in the analysis. SDB signs were highly prevalent (77.1%), and frequency of SDB signs increased with growth (P-trend: P = 0.02) in individuals with DS. Multivariate analyses showed that EDS (Epworth sleepiness scale > 10 points) was associated with body mass index Z-score (Z-BMI) in the 6-9 years age group (odds ratio [OR] 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.69 [1.09-2.62], P = 0.02). Conversely, SDB signs were associated with Z-BMI in the 13-15 (OR [95% CI]: 1.99 [1.06-3.72], P = 0.03) and 16-18 years age groups (OR [95% CI]: 3.04 [1.22-7.59], P = 0.02). For the 19-21 years age group, SDB signs were associated with only male sex (OR [95% CI]: 7.28 [1.22-43.38], P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the association between Z-BMI and SDB or EDS was age dependent. In early school-age children with DS, high Z-BMI could not accurately predict the presence of SDB, but it was associated with EDS. In the pubescent period (i.e. 13-18 years), high Z-BMI was associated with SDB signs but not with EDS. Overall, obesity affected SDB signs and EDS differently based on age in young individuals with DS.

Detection of Cross-Correlation between Gravitational Lensing and γ Rays.

In recent years, many γ-ray sources have been identified, yet the unresolved component hosts valuable information on the faintest emission. In order to extract it, a cross-correlation with gravitational tracers of matter in the Universe has been shown to be a promising tool. We report here the first identification of a cross-correlation signal between γ rays and the distribution of mass in the Universe probed by weak gravitational lensing. We use data from the Dark Energy Survey Y1 weak lensing data and the Fermi Large Area Telescope 9-yr γ-ray data, obtaining a signal-to-noise ratio of 5.3. The signal is mostly localized at small angular scales and high γ-ray energies, with a hint of correlation at extended separation. Blazar emission is likely the origin of the small-scale effect. We investigate implications of the large-scale component in terms of astrophysical sources and particle dark matter emission.

A nationwide, cross-sectional survey on unusual sleep postures and sleep-disordered breathing-related symptoms in people with Down syndrome.

BACKGROUND: People with Down syndrome (DS) often have sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Unusual sleep postures, such as leaning forward and sitting, are observed in people with DS. This study aimed to clarify the prevalence of unusual sleep postures and their relationships with SDB-related symptoms (SDB-RSs), such as snoring, witnessed apnoea, nocturnal awakening and excessive daytime sleepiness. METHODS: A questionnaire, including demographic characteristics and the presence of unusual sleep postures, as well as SDB-RSs, was completed by 1149 parents of people with DS from Japan. RESULTS: Unusual sleep postures were recorded in 483 (42.0%) people with DS. These participants were significantly younger and had a history of low muscle tone more frequently than people without unusual sleep postures. In all ages, the leaning forward posture was more frequent than sitting. People with DS with unusual sleep postures suffered from SDB-RSs. Those who slept in the sitting posture had more frequent SDB-RSs than did those who slept with the leaning forward posture. Snoring, witnessed apnoea and nocturnal awakening were observed in 73.6, 27.2 and 58.2% of participants, respectively. Snoring increased with aging. Witnessed apnoea was more common in males and in those with hypothyroidism than in females and in those without hypothyroidism. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that there is a close relationship between unusual sleep postures and SDB-RSs. We recommend that all people with DS with unusual sleep postures should be checked for the presence of SDB.

Erratum to: Estrogen receptor beta binds Sp1 and recruits a corepressor complex to the estrogen receptor alpha gene promoter.

Erratum to: Breast Cancer Res Treat (2012), 134:569­581, DOI 10.1007/s10549-012-2090-9. Uunfortunately, authors could not find the original film from which the figure was drawn. Therefore, as suggested by the Editor, they have repeated the relative experiment, and ask to publish this new figure as a correction. The authors apologize for any inconvenience that it may cause.

Predictors and clinical consequences of starting androgen therapy in men with low testosterone: results from the SIAMO-NOI registry.

PURPOSE: Management of late onset hypogonadism (LOH) is not homogenous. The aim of the study is to observe the management of patients with low testosterone (T) in highly specialized Italian centres. METHODS: The SIAMO-NOI is an observational longitudinal disease registry for the evaluation of the clinical management of patients with low T levels (total T < 12 nmol/L, calculated free T < 225 pmol/l or already in treatment) in 15 Italian centers members of the Italian Society for Andrology and Sexual Medicine (SIAMS). Clinical and biochemical data were collected for four visits during 12 months of observation. RESULTS: 432 patients (mean age 50.9 ± 14.9 years) were enrolled. Of them, 247 men were receiving androgen therapy, whereas 145 were naive. After the first visit (V0), 80 men started androgen therapy, whereas 55 remained untreated during the entire observation. Younger age [odds ratio (OR) 0.57 (0.35-0.92)], total T < 8 nmol/l [OR 4.69 (1.59-13.81)], complaining at least one sexual symptom [OR 11.55 (2.01-66.35)] and reporting more severe lower urinary tract symptoms [OR 1.27 (1.01-1.60)] predicted starting an androgen therapy. Sixty-four men started therapy immediately after V0 and maintained it until the observation end. When compared to V0, they reported an increase in all the domains of the International Index of Erectile Function-15 (IIEF-15), in the sexual and physical subdomains of the Aging Male Scale as well as in the International Prostate Symptom Score. Conversely, the untreated group reported a significant improvement, although lower than the treated group, only in the erectile function domain of the IIEF-15. CONCLUSIONS: Management of LOH in SIAMS centres is in line with the international guidelines and the newest knowledge about the role of T on prostate health. Androgen therapy is associated with an improvement in all the aspects of sexual life and in the perception of physical strength.

Laser frequency locking with 46 GHz offset using an electro-optic modulator for magneto-optical trapping of francium atoms.

We demonstrate frequency offset locking between two laser sources using a waveguide-type electro-optic modulator (EOM) with 10th-order sidebands for magneto-optical trapping of Fr atoms. The frequency locking error signal was successfully obtained by performing delayed self-homodyne detection of the beat signal between the repumping frequency and the 10th-order sideband component of the trapping light. Sweeping the trapping-light and repumping-light frequencies with keeping its frequency difference of 46 GHz was confirmed over 1 GHz by monitoring the Doppler absorption profile of I2. This technique enables us to search for a resonance frequency of magneto-optical trapping of Fr.

Suppressive effects of neutrophil by Salp16-like salivary gland proteins from Ixodes persulcatus†Schulze tick.

Salp16, a 16-kDa tick salivary gland protein, is known to be the molecule involved in the transmission of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, an obligate intracellular pathogen causing zoonotic anaplasmosis, from its mammalian hosts to Ixodes scapularis. Recently, the presence of A. phagocytophilum was documented in Japan and Ixodes persulcatus was identified as one of its vectors. The purpose of this study was to identify Salp16 genes in I. persulcatus and characterize their function. Two cDNA clones encoding the Salp16-like sequences were obtained from the salivary glands of fed female I. persulcatus ticks and designated Salp16 Iper1 and Iper2. Gene expression analyses showed that the Salp16 Iper genes were expressed specifically in the salivary glands and were up-regulated by blood feeding. These proteins attenuated the oxidative burst of activated bovine neutrophils and inhibited their migration induced by the chemoattractant interleukin-8 (IL-8). These results demonstrate that Salp16 Iper proteins contribute to the establishment of blood feeding as an immunosuppressant of neutrophil, an essential factor in innate host immunity. Further examination of the role of Salp16 Iper in the transmission of pathogens, including A. phagocytophilum, will increase our understanding of the tick-host-pathogen interface.

Further improvement of the upper limit on the direct 3α decay from the Hoyle state in 12C.

The direct 3α decay branch from the 02+ state at Ex=7.65 MeV in 12C, which is known as the Hoyle state, is considered to affect the triple-α reaction rate strongly and to give crucial information on its structure. We have performed a high-precision measurement of the 3α decay from this state using the 12C(12C,3α)12C reaction at E12C=110 MeV. The branching ratio of the direct 3α decay was under the detection limit in the present experiment. By comparing with Monte Carlo simulations for three decay mechanisms as the sequential decay through the ground state of ^{8}Be, the direct decay with equal energies of three α particles, and the direct decay to the phase space uniformly, we have obtained the upper limit of 0.2% on the direct 3α decay.

Estrogen receptor beta binds Sp1 and recruits a corepressor complex to the estrogen receptor alpha gene promoter.

Human estrogen receptors alpha and beta are crucially involved in the regulation of mammary growth and development. Normal breast tissues display a relative higher expression of ER beta than ER alpha, which drastically changes during breast tumorogenesis. Thus, it is reasonable to suggest that a dysregulation of the two estrogen receptor subtypes may induce breast cancer development. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the potential opposing roles played by the two estrogen receptors on tumor cell growth remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we have demonstrated that ER beta overexpression in breast cancer cells decreases cell proliferation and down-regulates ER alpha mRNA and protein content, along with a concomitant repression of estrogen-regulated genes. Transient transfection experiments, using a vector containing the human ER alpha promoter region, showed that elevated levels of ER beta down-regulated basal ER alpha promoter activity. Furthermore, site-directed mutagenesis and deletion analysis revealed that the proximal GC-rich motifs at -223 and -214 are critical for the ER beta-induced ER alpha down-regulation in breast cancer cells. This occurred through ER beta-Sp1 protein-protein interactions within the ER alpha promoter region and the recruitment of a corepressor complex containing the nuclear receptor corepressor NCoR, accompanied by hypoacetylation of histone H4 and displacement of RNA-polymerase II. Silencing of NCoR gene expression by RNA interference reversed the down-regulatory effects of ER beta on ER alpha gene expression and cell proliferation. Our results provide evidence for a novel mechanism by which overexpression of ER beta through NCoR is able to down regulate ER alpha gene expression, thus blocking ER alpha's driving role on breast cancer cell growth.

Bergapten induces ER depletion in breast cancer cells through SMAD4-mediated ubiquitination.

ERα function is crucial for the development of normal mammary gland as well as in the process of progression of breast cancer cells. Signals that target receptor levels contribute to regulate estrogens effects in the cells. An intricate cross-regulation has been documented between ERα and TGF-ß down-stream molecules: SMAD2, SMAD3, and SMAD4, that can bind ERα and regulate their signaling. Thus, identification of natural anticancer drugs able to influence the latter molecule might provide alternative choices for breast cancer treatment. Taking into account our previous published data we wanted to study the effect of 5-Methoxypsoralen (bergapten) on ERα and on TGF-ß pathway. We reported that bergapten, a coumarin containing compound, effectively depletes ERα in MCF-7 breast cancer sensitive cells and in tamoxifen-resistant clone. The decrease of ERα protein after bergapten treatment results from the ubiquitine-proteasome pathway as demonstrated by the use of MG-132. IP experiments with ER antibody, demonstrated that the protein has physical interaction with SMAD4 and poly-ubiquitine and the amount of ubiquitinated receptor, linked to SMAD4, is greater under bergapten. The crucial role played by SMAD4, in this process, emerges from the observation that in breast cancer cells, silencing of SMAD4, resulted in increased expression of endogenous ERα in both control and bergapten-treated cells, compared to wild- type cells. The same results were confirmed in siRNA TGF-ß RII cells. The results suggest a novel negative regulation of ERα by TGF-ß/SMAD4 in breast cancer cells and indicate that the SMAD4 protein is involved in the degradation of ERα induced by bergapten. We propose that bergapten may efficiently act as a natural antitumoral agent, able to deplete ERα from breast cancer tamoxifen-sensitive and resistant cells, thereby retraining the effect of membrane signals targeting ERα and in such way its mitogenic potentiality.

Intracellular bacteria recognition contributes to maximal interleukin (IL)-12 production by IL-10-deficient macrophages.

Interleukin (IL)-12 is a key factor that induces T helper cell type 1-mediated immunity and inflammatory diseases. In some colitis models, such as IL-10 knock-out (KO) mice, IL-12 triggers intestinal inflammation. An abundant amount of IL-12 is produced by intestinal macrophages in response to stimulation by commensal bacteria in IL-10 KO mice. Intact bacteria are more potent inducers of macrophage IL-12 production than cell surface components in this model. This suggested that cell surface receptor signalling and intracellular pathogen recognition mechanisms are important for the induction of IL-12. We addressed the importance of intracellular recognition mechanisms and demonstrated that signal transducers and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) signalling activated bacterial phagocytosis and was involved in the induction of abnormal IL-12 production. In IL-10 KO mouse bone marrow-derived (BM) macrophages, Escherichia coli stimulation induced increased IL-12p70 production compared to lipopolysaccharide combined with interferon (IFN)-γ treatment. Significant repression of IL-12 production was achieved by inhibition of phagocytosis with cytochalasin D, and inhibition of de novo protein synthesis with cycloheximide. Induction of IFN regulatory factors-1 and -8, downstream molecules of STAT1 and the key transcription factors for IK-12 transcription, following E. coli stimulation, were mediated by phagocytosis. Interestingly, STAT1 was activated after stimulation with E. coli in IL-10 KO BM macrophages, although IFN-γ could not be detected. These data suggest that molecules other than IFN-γ are involved in hyper-production mechanisms of IL-12 induced by E. coli stimulation. In conclusion, enteric bacteria stimulate excessive IL-12p70 production in IL-10 KO BM macrophages via phagocytosis-dependent signalling.

Conventional progesterone receptors (PR) B and PRA are expressed in human spermatozoa and may be involved in the pathophysiology of varicocoele: a role for progesterone in metabolism.

The physiological roles of intracellular progesterone (PRG) receptors (PRs) have been studied intensively in female mammals, while their functions in male are scarce. Conventional PRs were evidenced in our study by Western blotting, concomitantly in healthy spermatozoa and in oligoasthenoteratozoospermic samples without and with varicocoele. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the presence of the PRs on the membrane as well as in the nucleus, mitochondria and flagellum. A reduced expression of the PRs was observed only in varicocoele spermatozoa. Responses to PRG treatment on cholesterol efflux, tyrosine phosphorylation, src and Akt activities, acrosin activity and acrosome reaction in varicocoele spermatozoa were reduced or absent. To further investigate PRG significance in human male gamete, we focused its action on lipid and glucose metabolism. The evaluation of the triglycerides content, lipase and acyl-CoA dehydrogenase activities suggests that PRG through the PRs exerts a lipolytic effect on human spermatozoa. An increase in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was also obtained, evidencing a role for PRG on glucose metabolism. In 'varicocoele' spermatozoa, the PRG did not induce energy consumption. The action of PRs on sperm metabolism is a novel finding that renews the importance of PRG in male fertility. Our results showed that varicocoele may lead to male factor infertility by a mechanism involving a decreased PR expression in human spermatozoa that evidences a detrimental effect on spermatozoa at the molecular level, going beyond the abnormal sperm morphology described to date.

Gper and ESRs are expressed in rat round spermatids and mediate oestrogen-dependent rapid pathways modulating expression of cyclin B1 and Bax.

Spermatogenesis is a precisely controlled and timed process, comprising mitotic divisions of spermatogonia, meiotic divisions of spermatocytes, maturation and differentiation of haploid spermatids giving rise to spermatozoa. It is well known that the maintenance of spermatogenesis is controlled by gonadotrophins and testosterone, the effects of which are modulated by a complex network of locally produced factors, including oestrogens. However, it remains uncertain whether oestrogens are able to activate rapid signalling pathways directly in male germ cells. Classically, oestrogens act by binding to oestrogen receptors (ESRs) 1 and 2. Recently, it has been demonstrated that rapid oestrogen action can also be mediated by the G-protein-coupled oestrogen receptor 1 (Gper). The aim of the present study was to investigate ESRs and Gper expression in primary cultures of adult rat round spermatids (RS) and define if oestradiol (E2) is able to activate, through these receptors, pathways involved in the regulation of genes controlling rat RS apoptosis and/or maturation. In this study, we demonstrated that rat RS express ESR1, ESR2 and Gper. Short-time treatment of RS with E2, the selective Gper agonist G1 and the selective ESR1 and ERß agonists, 4,4',4"-(4-propyl-[1H]pyrazole-1,3,5-triyl) trisphenol (PPT) and 2,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propionitrile (DPN), respectively, determined activation of Extra-cellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) through the involvement of epidermal growth factor receptor transactivation. In addition, we investigated the effects of ESRs and Gper pathway activation on factors involved in RS maturation. Expression of cyclin B1 mRNA was downregulated by E2, G1 and PPT, but not by DPN. A concomitant and inverse regulation of the pro-apoptotic factor Bax mRNA expression was observed in the same conditions, with DPN being the only one determining an increase in this factor expression. Collectively, these data demonstrate that E2 activates, through ESRs and Gper, pathways involved in the regulation of genes controlling rat RS apoptosis and differentiation such as cyclin B1 and Bax.

Progesterone receptor B recruits a repressor complex to a half-PRE site of the estrogen receptor alpha gene promoter.

In the present study, we demonstrate that elevated levels of the progesterone receptor (PR)-B isoform in breast cancer cells induces down-regulation of estrogen receptor (ER) alpha mRNA and protein content, causing concomitant repression of the estrogen-regulated genes insulin receptor substrate 1, cyclin D1, and pS2, addressing a specific effect of PR/PR-B on ERalpha gene transcription. ERalpha gene promoter activity was drastically inhibited by PR-B overexpression. Promoter analysis revealed a transcriptionally responsive region containing a half-progesterone response element (PRE) site located at -1757 bp to -1752 bp. Mutation of the half-PRE down-regulated the effect induced by PR/PR-B overexpression. Moreover chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses revealed an increase of PR bound to the ERalpha-regulatory region encompassing the half-PRE site, and the recruitment of a corepressor complex containing nuclear receptor corepressor (NCoR) but not silencing mediator of retinoid and thyroid hormone receptor and DAX1, concomitantly with hypoacetylation of histone H4 and displacement of RNA polymerase II. Furthermore, NCoR ablation studies demonstrated the crucial involvement of NCoR in the down-regulatory effects due to PR-B overexpression on ERalpha protein and mRNA. We also demonstrated that the ERalpha regulation observed in MCF-7 cells depended on PR-B expression because PR-B knockdown partially abrogates the feedback inhibition of ERalpha levels after estrogenic stimulus. Our study provides evidence for a mechanism by which overexpressed PR-B is able to actively repress ERalpha gene expression.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma inhibits follicular and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells growth by upregulating p21Cip1/WAF1 gene in a Sp1-dependent manner.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) has been demonstrated to be anti-neoplastic against various human tumors. The aim of this study was to delineate the molecular mechanism underlying PPARgamma ligand rosiglitazone (BRL) antiproliferative effects in follicular WRO and anaplastic FRO human thyroid carcinoma cells. BRL upregulated the p21Cip1/WAF1 levels in the two thyroid cancer cells, while did not modify the p53 protein content. Different evidences indicate that the p21Cip1/WAF1 upregulation by BRL requires a functional PPARgamma, since it was reversed by silencing PPARgamma and pretreatment with GW9662, an irreversible PPARgamma antagonist. Transient transfection assays showed that BRL triggered the transcriptional activity of p21Cip1/WAF1 promoter gene in a p53-independent way, being a p21Cip1/WAF1 promoter construct deleted in the p53 sites still activated by BRL. The Sp1 inhibitor mithramycin silenced the p21Cip1/WAF1 promoter activity suggesting an important role of Sp1 in mediating BRL activation. The electrophoretic mobility shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays evidenced a functional interaction between PPARgamma and Sp1 in regulating p21Cip1/WAF1. Intriguingly, ChIP analysis revealed in the p21Cip1/WAF1 gene promoter an increased recruitment of the RNA Pol II associated with an increased histone H3 acetylation and a reduced H3 methylation. The biological event, consistent with PPARgamma-induced WRO and FRO cell growth inhibition, was reversed by p21Cip1/WAF1 antisense oligonucleotides and was confirmed by increasing the PPARgamma expression, suggesting a crucial role exerted by p21Cip1/WAF1 in PPARgamma action. Our results further candidate BRL as a potential agent able to inhibit tumor progression of follicular and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.

Messenger ribonucleic acid expression profile in peripheral blood cells from RA patients following treatment with an anti-TNF-alpha monoclonal antibody, infliximab.

OBJECTIVES: We monitored the mRNA expression profiles of peripheral blood cells during treatment with a TNF-alpha inhibitor, infliximab, in patients with RA. Using a DNA microarray analysis, we demonstrated a unique set of genes, with distinct baseline and post-treatment changes in expression between responders and non-responders to infliximab treatment. METHODS: Using a customized low-density cDNA microarray with 747 genes and a reliable data collection system, we monitored the mRNA expression profiles of whole blood cells from 18 RA patients before and after the infusion of infliximab for up to 22 weeks. The clinical response to treatment with infliximab was determined using the ACR response criteria, the disease activity score of 28 joints (DAS28), and individual clinical parameters. The patients were classified as responders or non-responders based on their ACR50% response at 22 weeks. RESULTS: Approximately 15% of the total genes were found to exhibit a >1.5-fold change, compared with their reference values, at one or more time points during the 22 weeks of infliximab therapy. The expression of inflammatory genes, such as IFN-related genes, was strongly correlated with the serum level of CRP and the DAS28. The increased expression of inflammatory genes in responders was normalized within 2 weeks and then remained at a normal level during the treatment period. In contrast, in the non-responders, the elevated expression at baseline, although it was significantly decreased at 2 weeks, returned to the baseline level after 14 weeks. In addition to inflammatory genes, we identified several groups of genes with distinct differences in expression between the responders and non-responders. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that a customized low-density microarray is useful for monitoring mRNA expression profiles in peripheral blood cells, enabling us to identify a unique set of genes with differentially regulated expressions in responders and non-responders to a TNF inhibitor among patients with RA.

pH changes of self-etching primers mixed with powdered dentine.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the pH changes of self-etching primers mixed with dentine powder. METHODS: Four self-etching primer adhesive systems were used: Clearfil SE Bond, Imperva Fluoro Bond, Mac Bond II, and Unifil Bond. Dentine discs obtained from extracted bovine incisors were milled and pulverized into a fine powder. The dentine powder was then mixed with solutions of self-etching primers diluted with distilled water. The pH changes of the primer-dentine powder mixtures were measured by a solid-state pH sensor connected to a pH meter at time points 10, 20, 30, 60, 120, 180, 300, and 600 s after the start of mixing. Data were analyzed by the Tukey HSD test and the Dunnett test at a significance level of 0.05. RESULTS: The baseline pH values of the self-etching primers ranged from 1.83 to 2.34, with Mac Bond II exhibiting a significantly lower value than the other three products. After mixing with the dentine powder, the pH values significantly increased, ranging from 6.95 to 7.37 at 600 s after mixing; there were no significant differences in these values among the self-etching primers used. An insoluble precipitate was formed in the case of Clearfil SE Bond, indicating a chemical reaction between the functional monomer and the dentine powder. CONCLUSIONS: The dentine has a strong buffering capacity against the acidity of self-etching primers.

A randomised controlled trial of repeated filmed social contact on reducing mental illness-related stigma in young adults.

AIMS: Public stigma alters attitudes towards people with mental illness, and is a particular concern for young people since most mental health problems occur in adolescence and young adulthood. However, little is known about the long-term effects of repeated filmed social contact (FSC) on reducing mental health-related stigma among young adults in the general population, compared with self-instructional Internet search (INS) and control interventions. METHODS: This study is a parallel-group randomised controlled trial over 12 months conducted in Tokyo, Japan. A total of 259 university students (male n = 150, mean age = 20.0 years, s.d. = 1.2) were recruited from 20 colleges and universities between November 2013 and July 2014, without being provided information about the mental health-related survey or trial. Participants were assigned to one of three groups before completion of the baseline survey (FSC/INS/control = 89/83/87). The FSC group received a computer-based 30-min social contact film with general mental health education and five follow-up web-based FSCs at 2-month intervals. The INS group undertook a 30-min search for mental health-related information with five follow-up web-based reminders for self-instructional searches at 2-month intervals. The control group played PC games and had no follow-up intervention. The main outcome measures were the future (intended behaviour) domain of the Reported and Intended Behaviour Scale at 12 months after the intervention. Analysis was conducted in September 2015. RESULTS: At the 12-month follow-up, 218 participants completed the survey (84.1%, 75:70:73). The FSC group showed the greatest change at the 12-month follow-up (FSC: mean change 2.11 [95% CI 1.49, 2.73], INS: 1.04 [0.29, 1.80], control: 0.71 [0.09, 1.33]; FSC v. INS p = 0.037, FSC v. controls p = 0.004). No adverse events were reported during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: FSC was more successful in reducing stigma at 12 months after intervention than INS or control interventions. FSC could be used to reduce stigma in educational lectures and anti-stigma campaigns targeted at young people. STUDY REGISTRATION: This study is registered at UMIN-CTR (No. UMIN000012239).