Oral Administration of Fermented Soymilk Products Protects the Skin of Hairless Mice against Ultraviolet Damage.

The protective effect of isoflavones on skin damage from ultraviolet (UV) radiation and their bioavailability were investigated in ovariectomized hairless mice fed diets composed of fermented soymilk containing aglycone forms of isoflavones or control soymilk containing glucose-conjugated forms of isoflavones. The erythema intensity of dorsal skin was significantly higher in ovariectomized mice than in sham-operated mice (p < 0.05). The erythema intensity and epidermal thickness of dorsal skin were significantly lower in the fermented soymilk diet group than in the control diet group (each p < 0.05). Levels of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers in dorsal skin were significantly lower in the fermented soymilk diet group than in the control group (p < 0.05). Serum and dorsal skin isoflavone concentrations were significantly higher in the fermented soymilk diet group than in the soymilk diet group (p < 0.05). These results indicate that oral administration of a fermented soymilk diet increases isoflavone concentrations in the blood and skin, effectively scavenging the reactive oxygen species generated by UV irradiation and exerting an estrogen-like activity, with a consequent protective effect on skin photodamage in hairless mice.

Leptin receptor signaling is required for high-fat diet-induced atrophic gastritis in mice.

BACKGROUND: Obesity increases the risk for malignancies in various tissues including the stomach. Atrophic gastritis with precancerous lesions is an obesity-associated disease; however, the mechanisms that underlie the development of obesity-associated atrophic gastritis are unknown. Leptin is a hormone derived from stomach as well as adipose tissue and gastric leptin is involved in the development of gastric cancer. The aim of the current study is to investigate the involvement of leptin receptor signaling in the development of atrophic gastritis during diet-induced obesity. METHODS: Male C57BL/6, ob/ob and db/db mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) or a control diet (CD) from 1 week to 5 months. Pathological changes of the gastric mucosa and the expression of molecules associated with atrophic gastritis were evaluated in these mice. RESULTS: HFD feeding induced gastric mucosal hyperplasia with increased gastric leptin expression. Mucosal hyperplasia was accompanied by a higher frequency of Ki67-positive proliferating cells and atrophy of the gastric glands in the presence of inflammation, which increased following HFD feeding. Activation of ObR signaling-associated molecules such as ObR, STAT3, Akt, and ERK was detected in the gastric mucosa of mice fed the HFD for 1 week. The morphological alterations associated with gastric mucosal atrophy and the expression of Muc2 and Cdx2 resemble those associated with human intestinal metaplasia. In contrast to wild-type mice, leptin-deficient ob/ob mice and leptin receptor-mutated db/db mice did not show increased Cdx2 expression in response to HFD feeding. CONCLUSION: Together, these results suggest that activation of the leptin signaling pathway in the stomach is required to develop obesity-associated atrophic gastritis.

Augmentation of cellular immunity and reduction of influenza virus titer in aged mice fed Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota.

We investigated whether oral administration of Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota activates the cellular immune system and ameliorates influenza virus (IFV) titer in the nasal site in upper respiratory IFV infection by using aged mice. Natural killer activity of splenocytes and lung cells of aged mice fed an L. casei strain Shirota diet (L.casei strain Shirota group) was significantly (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05) increased compared to those fed a control diet (control group). The increases were 1.5- and 2.5-fold, respectively. In aged mice fed an XL.casei strain Shirota diet, potent induction of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), which play a very important role in excluding IFV, was evident in nasal lymphocytes. IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha production increased 12- and 3.5-fold, respectively. In this model of upper respiratory IFV infection, the titer of IFV in the nasal washings of aged mice fed an L.casei strain Shirota diet was significantly (P < 0.05) lower than that in aged mice fed a control diet (10(1.6 +/- 0.6) and 10(2.2 +/- 0.5), respectively). These findings suggest that oral administration of L.casei strain Shirota activates not only systemic cellular immunity but also local cellular immunity and that it ameliorates IFV infection.