The optimal cut-off score of the Eating Attitude Test-26 for screening eating disorders in Japan.

PURPOSE: The Eating Attitude Test-26 (EAT-26) is a screening tool for eating disorders (EDs) in clinical and non-clinical samples. The cut-off score was suggested to be varied according to target population. However, no studies have examined the appropriateness of the originally proposed score of 20 for screening DSM-5 eating disorders in Japan. This study aimed to identify an appropriate cut-off score to better differentiate clinical and non-clinical samples in Japan for EDs. METHODS: The participants consisted of 54 patients with anorexia nervosa restricting type, 58 patients with anorexia nervosa binge-eating/purging type, 37 patients with bulimia nervosa diagnosed according to DSM-5 criteria, and 190 healthy controls (HCs). Welch's t test was used to assess differences in age, body mass index (BMI), and total EAT-26 scores between HCs and patients with EDs. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted to identify the optimal cut-off score. RESULTS: The HCs had significantly higher BMI and lower total EAT-26 mean scores than patients with EDs. The area under the ROC curve was 0.925, indicating that EAT-26 had excellent performance in discriminating patients with EDs from HCs. An optimal cut-off score of 17 was identified, with sensitivity and specificity values of 0.866 and 0.868, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The result supports the suggestions that optimal cut-off score should be different according to target populations. The newly identified cut-off score of 17 would enable the identification of patients with EDs who have been previously classified as non-clinical samples in the EAT-26 test. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III: evidence obtained from case-control analytic study.

Inadequate care and excessive overprotection during childhood are associated with the presence of diabetes mellitus in adulthood in a general Japanese population: a cross-sectional analysis from the Hisayama Study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate associations between parenting styles during childhood and diabetes in adulthood in a Japanese community. METHODS: In 2011, 710 community-dwelling Japanese residents aged ≥ 40 years were assessed for the presence of diabetes and for their perceptions of the parenting style of their parents, as measured using the "care" and "overprotection" scales of the Parental Bonding Instrument. Care and overprotection scores for each parent were dichotomized by age-specific median values. Diabetes mellitus was defined as a fasting plasma glucose level of ≥ 7.0 mmol/L, a 2-h post-loaded glucose level of ≥ 11.1 mmol/L, HbA1c ≥ 6.5%, and/or the current use of insulin or oral glucose-lowering agents. The odds ratios (ORs) for prevalent diabetes were calculated using a logistic regression model. RESULTS: The prevalence of diabetes was 14.9%. Subjects with a high paternal overprotection score had a significantly greater likelihood of prevalent diabetes than those with a low paternal overprotection score after adjusting for confounders (OR 1.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-2.77), while there was no significant association between paternal care and diabetes. Additionally, the multivariable-adjusted ORs for the presence of diabetes were significantly higher in subjects with a low maternal care score (OR 1.61, 95%CI 1.00-2.60) or in subjects with a high maternal overprotection score (OR 1.73, 95%CI 1.08-2.80). Moreover, the subjects with a low care score and high overprotection score for both their father and mother had a significantly higher multivariable-adjusted OR of diabetes than those with a high care score and low overprotection score for both parents (OR 2,12, 95%CI 1.14-3.95). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that inadequate care and excessive overprotection during childhood may contribute to the development of diabetes in adulthood.

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing for patients with anorexia nervosa: a case-control study.

PURPOSE: Patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) require appropriate nutrient therapy and physical activity management. Eating disorder treatment guidelines do not include safe, evidence-based intensity criteria for exercise. This study used cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) to evaluate the exercise tolerance of patients with AN. METHODS: CPX was performed with 14 female patients with AN admitted to a specialized eating disorder unit between 2015 and 2019. Their anaerobic threshold (AT) was determined by assessing their exercise tolerance using CPX and compared with 14 healthy controls (HC). The metabolic equivalents (AT-METS) were compared when AT was reached. We examined factors related to AT (AN-AT) in the AN group, including age, body mass index (BMI), previous lowest weight, minimum BMI, past duration of BMI < 15, exercise history, and ΔHR (heart rate at the AT-resting heart rate). RESULTS: The AT of the AN group (BMI: 15.7 [Mean] ± 1.8 standard deviation [SD]) was significantly lower than that of the HC group (BMI: 19.7 ± 1.8) (AN: 10.0 ± 1.8 vs. HC: 15.2 ± 3.0 ml/kg/min, P < 0.001). AT-METS was also significantly lower in the AN group than in the HC group (AN: 2.9 ± 0.52 vs. HC: 4.4 ± 0.91, P < 0.001). AN-AT was highly influenced by ΔHR. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that AT and AT-METS were lower in patients with AN than in HC. Patients with AN should be prescribed light-intensity aerobic exercise, and the current findings may help develop future physical management guidelines for patients with AN. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III: Evidence obtained from case-control analytic studies.

Role of Gut Microbiota in the Pathophysiology of Stress-Related Disorders: Evidence from Neuroimaging Studies.

BACKGROUND: The brain and gut communicate bidirectionally via immune, neurological, and endocrine pathways, which is termed the "brain-gut interaction." Recent studies of gut microbiota as a mediator of this interaction have provided a growing body of scientific evidence that suggests that the gut microbiota influences stress and emotional responses and stress-related disorders. SUMMARY: Major advances in analytical methods have led to an increased number of studies that combine gut microbiota and neuroimaging, mainly magnetic resonance imaging, to elucidate the mechanisms. Observational studies have been done to examine brain characteristics related to gut microbiota profiles, and intervention studies have examined brain changes related to probiotic intake. Studies of healthy subjects using negative emotional stimuli have shown that the pattern of emotional response differs depending on the gut microbiota profile and that probiotic intervention can modulate emotional response and be a buffer against the negative effects of stress. In studies on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a typical psychosomatic disorder, IBS-specific gut microbiota were reported to contribute to visceral irritability and pain by affecting the subcortical regions. Studies on psychiatric disorders revealed that a relative abundance of Bacteroides that produce γ-aminobutyric acid in feces was associated with a change in brain function specific to depression and that gut microbiota have an influence on abnormalities in the reward system of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Psychometric properties of the fear of food measure in Japanese women.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the fear of food measure (FOFM) in Japanese women. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional, observational, and multicenter study conducted at the University of Tokyo and Kyushu University. Participants were comprised of 169 healthy women and 149 patients with eating disorders. First, the present study explored the factor structure of FOFM in Japanese women using exploratory factor analyses. Then, the Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega were calculated to assess reliability. Concurrent validity was examined by calculating correlation coefficients with the Eating Attitudes Test, negative affect of Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Additionally, the Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare scores between the healthy control and patient group. RESULTS: The final model had four subscales. The subscales, thus, had high reliability and showed significant positive correlations with the questionnaires. The scores of subscales in the patient group were significantly higher than those in the healthy control group. CONCLUSIONS: The FOFM had a four-factor structure in Japanese women. Its reliability and validity were verified and it could be used as a tool to assess fear of food. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III, case-control analytic study.

QseC inhibition as an antivirulence approach for colitis-associated bacteria.

Hosts and their microbes have established a sophisticated communication system over many millennia. Within mammalian hosts, this dynamic cross-talk is essential for maintaining intestinal homeostasis. In a genetically susceptible host, dysbiosis of the gut microbiome and dysregulated immune responses are central to the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Previous surveys of stool from the T-bet-/-Rag2-/- IBD mouse model revealed microbial features that discriminate between health and disease states. Enterobacteriaceae expansion and increased gene abundances for benzoate degradation, two-component systems, and bacterial motility proteins pointed to the potential involvement of a catecholamine-mediated bacterial signaling axis in colitis pathogenesis. Enterobacteriaceae sense and respond to microbiota-generated signals and host-derived catecholamines through the two-component quorum-sensing Escherichia coli regulators B and C (QseBC) system. On signal detection, QseC activates a cascade to induce virulence gene expression. Although a single pathogen has not been identified as a causative agent in IBD, adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) have been implicated. Flagellar expression is necessary for the IBD-associated AIEC strain LF82 to establish colonization. Thus, we hypothesized that qseC inactivation could reduce LF82's virulence, and found that an absence of qseC leads to down-regulated flagellar expression and motility in vitro and reduced colonization in vivo. We extend these findings on the potential of QseC-based IBD therapeutics to three preclinical IBD models, wherein we observe that QseC blockade can effectively modulate colitogenic microbiotas to reduce intestinal inflammation. Collectively, our data support a role for QseC-mediated bacterial signaling in IBD pathogenesis and indicate that QseC inhibition may be a useful microbiota-targeted approach for disease management.

Protective Role of the Hepatic Vagus Nerve against Liver Metastasis in Mice.

OBJECTIVE(S): Although accumulating evidence has shown that the autonomic nervous system is involved in liver pathology, its role in regulating cancer development remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to elucidate its detailed mechanisms. METHODS: A mouse model of liver metastasis of colorectal cancer was used. To elucidate the potential mechanisms involved, we examined the effect of selective hepatic vagotomy on the survival rate and liver-to-body weight. We further evaluated the possible involvement of the hepatic sympathetic nerve fibers in this model. RESULTS: The mortality rate and the liver-to-body weight ratio after cancer inoculation were significantly higher in the vagotomized mice than in the sham-operated mice. The vagotomized mice exhibited a transient decrease in hepatic norepinephrine levels following cancer inoculation. Interestingly, the vagotomy-induced exacerbation of liver metastasis was attenuated by supplementary norepinephrine or phenylephrine, a selective α1-adrenoceptor agonist, but not by clonidine, a selective α2-adrenoceptor agonist. CONCLUSION: Collectively, these results suggest that the hepatic vagus nerve may play a protective role against liver metastasis. Hepatic sympathetic nerves may also be involved as a protective efferent loop, possibly acting through the α1-adrenoceptor.

Neural correlates of fear-induced sympathetic response associated with the peripheral temperature change rate.

Activation of the sympathetic nervous system is essential for coping with environmental stressors such as fearful stimuli. Recent human imaging studies demonstrated that activity in some cortical regions, such as the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and anterior insula cortex (aIC), is related to sympathetic activity. However, little is known about the functional brain connectivity related to sympathetic response to fearful stimuli. The participants were 32 healthy, right-handed volunteers. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to examine brain activity when watching horror and control movies. Fingertip temperature was taken during the scanning as a measure of sympathetic response. The movies were watched a second time, and the degree of fear (9-point Likert-type scale) was evaluated every three seconds. The brain activity of the ACC, bilateral aIC, and bilateral anterior prefrontal cortex (aPFC) was correlated with the change rate of fingertip temperature, with or without fearful stimuli. Functional connectivity analysis revealed significantly greater positive functional connectivity between the amygdala and the ACC and between the amygdala and the aIC when watching the horror movie than when watching the control movie. Whole-brain psycho-physiological interaction (PPI) analysis revealed that the functional connectivity between the left amygdala and the ACC was modulated according to the fear rating. Our results indicate that the increased functional connectivity between the left amygdala and the ACC represents a sympathetic response to fearful stimuli.

Age-associated effect of kestose on Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and symptoms in the atopic dermatitis infants.

BACKGROUND: Although Faecalibacterium prausnitzii is a major bacterium in the intestine of adults, which is known to have anti-inflammatory effects, the development in infants or the response to prebiotics remains unclear. METHODS: The counts of F. prausnitzii in the feces were examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Fecal samples were obtained from 65 atopic dermatitis (AD) infants who participated in a randomized controlled clinical trial to investigate the therapeutic effect of kestose, the smallest fructooligosaccharide. RESULTS: Although the F. prausnitzii count was undetectable level in most 0- to 1-y-old infants, the count reached a level comparable to that in adults in 2- to 5-y-old infants. The bacterial number increased about 10-fold by oral administration of kestose every day for 12 wk in the younger infants, but not so much in the older infants. This bacterial increase was significantly correlated with an improvement in the AD symptoms in the older infants. CONCLUSION: The F. prausnitzii population in the intestine reaches a level comparable to that in adult at approximately 2 y of age. Kestose efficiently stimulates the growth of this bacterium in the intestine, which might lead to an improvement in AD symptoms in infants.

Perceived inadequate care and excessive overprotection during childhood are associated with greater risk of sleep disturbance in adulthood: the Hisayama Study.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disturbance and poor sleep quality are major health problems worldwide. One potential risk factor for the development and maintenance of sleep disturbance is the parenting style experienced during childhood. However, its role in sleep disturbance in adulthood has not yet been estimated. This Japanese population study was done to clarify the relation between the parenting styles "care" and "overprotection" during childhood and sleep disturbance in adulthood. METHODS: A total of 702 community-dwelling Japanese residents aged ≥ 40 years were assessed in 2011 for their perceptions of the parenting style of their parents by use of the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) and for sleep disturbance by use of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The odds ratio (OR) for sleep disturbance (a global PSQI score > 5) was calculated using a logistic regression model. RESULTS: The prevalence of sleep disturbance was 29 %. After adjusting for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and physical factors in a comparison with the optimal parenting styles (high care and low overprotection), the ORs for sleep disturbance by men were significantly higher for low paternal care, by 2.49 times (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.21-5.09), and for high overprotection, by 2.40 times (95 % CI: 1.19-4.85), while the ORs were not significant for low maternal care and high overprotection. For women the only significant factor was high maternal overprotection, by 1.62 times (95 % CI: 1.05-2.52), while the ORs were not significant for low maternal care, low paternal care and high paternal overprotection. The association remained significant for high paternal overprotection for men after additionally controlling for depression. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that parenting style, especially inadequate care and excessive overprotection during childhood, is related to sleep disturbance in adulthood and that the association is much more significant for parents of the same sex as the child.

Paternal and maternal bonding styles in childhood are associated with the prevalence of chronic pain in a general adult population: the Hisayama Study.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has suggested that extraordinary adverse experiences during childhood, such as abuse, are possible risk factors for the development of chronic pain. However, the relationship between the perceived parental bonding style during childhood and chronic pain has been much less studied. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 760 community-dwelling Japanese adults were asked if they had pain that had been present for six months or more. They completed the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), a self-administrated questionnaire designed to assess perceived parental bonding, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 to assess current depressive symptoms. The PBI consists of care and overprotection subscales that are analyzed by assigning the parental bonding style to one of four quadrants: Optimal bonding (high care/low overprotection), neglectful parenting (low care/low overprotection), affectionate constraint (high care/high overprotection), and affectionless control (low care/high overprotection). Logistic regression analysis was done to estimate the contribution of the parental bonding style to the risk of chronic pain, controlling for demographic variables. RESULTS: Compared to the optimal bonding group, the odds ratios (ORs) for having chronic pain were significantly higher in the affectionless control group for paternal bonding (OR: 2.21, 95% CI: 1.50-3.27) and for maternal bonding (OR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.09-2.36). After adjusting for depression, significance remained only for paternal bonding. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that the parental bonding style during childhood is associated with the prevalence of chronic pain in adults in the general population and that the association is more robust for paternal bonding than for maternal bonding.

Microbiome, HPA axis and production of endocrine hormones in the gut.

Recent accumulating evidence indicates that the gut microbiome can affect the development and regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and behavior, with central integrative systems being crucial in the successful physiological adaptation of the organism to external stressor. In contrast, host-derived hormones increase the bacterial proliferative capacity and pathogenicity. In the gut lumen, this type of cross-talk between microorganisms and the host is presumed to be performed continually through various kinds of luminal molecules, as numerous types of bacteria and host cells are in close proximity in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals.We herein focus on bidirectional signaling between the gut microbiome and the host in terms of commensal microbiota affecting the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal HPA axis response and behaviors and further discuss the role of gut luminal catecholamines and γ-aminobutyric acid, both of which are presumed to be involved in this signaling.

Association Between Serum NT-proBNP and Gray Matter Atrophy Patterns in an Older Japanese Population: The Hisayama Study.

Several population-based studies have reported that higher serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels are associated with brain morphological changes. However, no population-based studies have examined the relationship between serum NT-proBNP and various regional brain volumes in detail. We here analyzed the brain MRI data of 1 201 community-dwelling Japanese aged ≥65 years. Regional gray matter volumes (GMV) and intracranial volume (ICV) were estimated by applying voxel-based morphometry (VBM) methods. The associations of serum NT-proBNP with regional GMV/ICV were examined by analysis of covariance. The regional gray matter atrophy patterns associated with elevated serum NT-proBNP levels were investigated using VBM without a priori regions of interest. The multivariable-adjusted means of the frontal, temporal, hippocampal, parahippocampal, and entorhinal GMV/ICV decreased significantly with elevated serum NT-proBNP levels (all p for trend and q values of false discovery rate correction < .05). In VBM, elevated serum NT-proBNP levels were correlated with atrophy of the bilateral hippocampi, bilateral amygdalas, bilateral parahippocampal gyri, bilateral entorhinal areas, bilateral fusiform gyri, left middle temporal gyrus, left inferior temporal gyrus, right central operculum, right posterior orbital gyrus, bilateral middle frontal gyri, anterior cingulate gyrus and bilateral medial frontal cortices. In a sensitivity analysis excluding 254 participants with mild cognitive impairment or dementia, serum NT-proBNP levels were correlated with atrophy of the bilateral hippocampi, bilateral amygdalas, bilateral parahippocampal gyri, bilateral fusiform gyri, and left middle frontal gyrus. Our data suggest that elevated serum NT-proBNP levels are associated with gray matter atrophy in brain regions that play an important role in cognitive function.

Autonomic nervous system function assessed by heart rate variability and the presence of symptoms affecting activities of daily living in community-dwelling residents with chronic pain: The Hisayama Study.

BACKGROUND: Autonomic nervous system dysfunction has been reported to be associated with impaired activities of daily living (ADL) among patients with chronic pain, but the association has not been fully addressed in general populations. This study cross-sectionally investigated the association between autonomic nervous system function and the presence of subjective symptoms affecting ADL in community-dwelling residents with chronic pain. METHODS: A total of 888 residents with chronic pain, aged 40-79 years, who underwent a health examination in 2017-2018 were included. Based on heart rate variability measured by fingertip pulse wave, the standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN), root mean square of successive RR interval differences (RMSSD), low frequency (LF) power, and high frequency (HF) power were calculated. Symptoms affecting ADL were defined as those scoring ≥1 on the modified Rankin Scale. Odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for symptoms affecting ADL were estimated using a logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of symptoms affecting ADL was 39.4%. The ORs for symptoms affecting ADL increased significantly per 1-standard-deviation decrement in log-transformed SDNN (OR 1.23 [95% CI 1.06-1.44]), RMSSD (1.25 [1.08-1.45]), LF power (1.29 [1.11-1.52]), and HF power (1.29 [1.11-1.51]) after adjusting for age, sex, education, hypertension, diabetes, serum total cholesterol level, body mass index, past medical history, current smoking, current drinking, exercise, depressive symptoms, and pain intensity. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased heart rate variability was associated with the presence of symptoms affecting ADL among individuals with chronic pain in a Japanese community. SIGNIFICANCE: Decrease in heart rate variability was associated with the presence of symptoms affecting ADL among individuals with chronic pain in a Japanese community. This article could help scientists understand the significance of autonomic nervous system dysfunction in the pathology of chronic pain. Approaches that target autonomic nervous system dysfunction may be an option to relieve or prevent symptoms affecting ADL for chronic pain sufferers.

Case Report: Nonverbal approaches in the treatment of a patient with fibromyalgia with anger rooted in adverse childhood experiences.

Introduction: In psychotherapy, it is important to establish and deepen a therapeutic trusting relationship, but patients who have experienced extreme adversity in childhood tend to have difficulty in building such a relationship. This paper reports a case of fibromyalgia with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in which a nonverbal approach was successful in building a trusting relationship. Case and methods: The patient is a woman in her late 40s. She had strong anger rooted in ACEs, including neglect by her father, a feeling of unfair parenting by her mother compared to her younger brother, overcontrol of her life by her mother, and sexual abuse by her uncle. She was filled with strong interpersonal distrust and anger, and the experience of an unsuccessful surgery compounded her distrust of medical care. The therapist initially had severe difficulty in verbal interaction with the patient. When conducting "drawing" therapy, she ignored the therapist's comments and completely blacked out the drawing paper. However, the patient-therapist relationship gradually changed, and verbal interaction became possible through the use of nonverbal approaches such as framing her drawing paper and "Towel Baby Holding." Results: The therapist was able to understand the patient's emotions through these nonverbal approaches and to communicate with the patient that she understood her feelings. This approach was also successful in the patient's understanding of her own pathology. The patient became able to honestly express her feelings in words, which eventually enabled her to be introduced to mindfulness therapy, leading to a favorable treatment course. Conclusion: For patients with ACEs, a nonverbal approach helps build a therapeutic relationship and plays an important role in understanding the patient.

[Cognitive behavioral therapy for obesity].

A change in the traditional Japanese diet to include foods from other countries and increased reliance on motorized transportation has resulted in higher-caloric intake and lower energy expenditure. In consequence, the number of obese patients has grown rapidly, as has the number of patients with type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hyperuricemia, hypertension and coronary vascular disease. These have come to be called lifestyle-related diseases because changes in lifestyle are deeply associated with their onset and development. In the U.S. and Europe, lifestyle modification and medication are considered important to the treatment of such diseases. Cognitive behavioral therapy plays a central role in lifestyle modification. We here focus on our cognitive behavioral therapy for obesity.

Differences in the presentation of COVID-19-related psychosocial stress and general psychological distress and the relation between the number of care days and these symptoms among Japanese ward staff working exclusively with COVID-19 and support staff.

BACKGROUND: Psychological distress has been frequently observed in frontline healthcare workers under stress during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic; however, it is unclear if there are differences in the stress and symptoms experienced by staff members who work exclusively in a COVID-19 ward and support staff temporarily deployed to a COVID-19 ward. The present study investigated psychosocial stress specific to the care for patients with COVID-19 and psychological distress among ward staff working exclusively with COVID-19 and temporary support staff. METHODS: The participants were full-time nurses and doctors working in COVID-19 wards or the ICU who provided face-to-face care to patients with COVID-19 during the COVID-19 outbreak in February of 2021. The data of 67 staff members (21 exclusively working with Covid-19 patients (group A) and 46 in the temporary support group (group B)) was available for study. Psychosocial stress specific to healthcare professionals during this COVID-19 outbreak (Tokyo Metropolitan Distress Scale for Pandemic [TMDP]) and general psychological distress (K6) were assessed. RESULTS: The K6 score was significantly lower in group B than in group A (p = .006), but no significant difference was found in the total score of TMDP or its subscales. Positive correlations were found between TMDP and K6 for group B (p = .011), as was the number of days of care on TMDP-social (rs = .456, p = .001). CONCLUSION: Even though support staff members experienced lower psychological distress than staff working exclusively with COVID-19, COVID-19-related psychosocial stress specific to HCWs was comparable. The support staff also presented psychological distress associated with psychosocial stress specific to healthcare professionals during this COVID-19 outbreak, and the COVID-19-related social stress was enhanced as the number of working days increased. Our results show that all staff, not only those working exclusively with COVID-19 patients but also other support staff should be provided with care focusing on COVID-19-related psychosocial occupational stress.

Dietary supplementation with 1-kestose induces altered locomotor activity and increased striatal dopamine levels with a change in gut microbiota in male mice.

1-Kestose (KES), a dietary fiber and prebiotic carbohydrate, benefits various physiological functions. This study aimed to examine whether diets supplemented with KES over three consecutive generations could significantly affect some host physiological aspects, including behavioral phenotypes and gut microbial ecology. Mice that received KES-supplemented diets for three generations demonstrated increased activity compared with those fed diets lacking KES. Furthermore, the KES group showed increased striatal dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) levels. The observed increase in DA levels within the striatum was positively correlated with locomotor activity in the KES group but not in the control (CON) group. The α-diversities were significantly lower in the KES group compared to the CON group. The three-dimensional principal coordinate analysis revealed a substantial distinction between the KES and CON groups across each generation. At the genus level, most gut microbiota genera exhibited lower abundances in the KES group than in the CON group, except for Bifidobacteria and Akkermansia. Spearman's rank-order analysis indicated significant negative correlations between the striatal DA levels and α-diversity values. These findings suggest that prolonged supplementation with KES may stimulate increased locomotor activity along with elevated striatal DA levels, which are potentially associated with KES-induced alterations in the gut microbiota.