Nutritional Supplementation during Resistance Training Improved Skeletal Muscle Mass in Community-Dwelling Frail Older Adults.

OBJECTIVE: Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass, is highly prevalent in older adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the combination of resistance training and multinutrients supplementation (including vitamin D and protein) on muscle mass and physical performance in frail older adults. METHODS: This trial was conducted in Japanese frail older adults (n=77), which underwent a standardized protocol of a 3-month physical exercise intervention. The sample population was divided into two groups, according to the adoption (S/Ex: n = 38) or not (Ex: n = 39) of the additional multinutrient supplementation. The outcome measures of interest for the present analyses were the skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) and several physical performance tests. RESULTS: Participants in S/Ex group had significant improvements for the outcome measures, including SMI and maximum walking time (P<0.05), compared to those in Ex group. The prevalence of sarcopenia decreased from 65.7% to 42.9% in S/Ex group, while that in Ex group remained unchanged (68.6% to 68.6%) (relative risk = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.03-2.49). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that the combination of resistance training and multinutritional supplementation may be more effective at improving muscle mass and walking speed than an intervention only based on resistance training.

Defects of immune cells in the senescence-accelerated mouse: a model for learning and memory deficits in the aged.

We investigated immune characteristics of SAMP8 mice that have early learning and memory deficiencies and a short life span accompanied by normal growth and compared them to those of SAMR1 mice that have a normal aging process. The indexes of immune responsiveness used were natural killer (NK) cell activity, in vitro anti-SRBC (sheep red blood cells) antibody responses, cell proliferation, and interleukin 2 (IL-2)-producing activity in response to concanavalin A of spleen cells. As early as 2 months after birth, SAMP8 mice showed markedly low activity for all the indexes that was not due to a delay of their development. Endogenous NK cell activity in SAMP8 mice remained low or at the background level for a few months, but the trace level of this activity increased after treatment with an immune potentiator of polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid. Because the number of cells bearing an NK cell marker in SAMP8 mice was comparable to that for SAMR1 mice, the low NK cell activity found for SAMP8 mice may not be caused by a low number of precursor cells but by defects in the lytic mechanism or low competence. Flow cytometry analyses showed that the size of the lymphocyte fraction in the spleen is the same for both strains and that T cell fractions, especially of CD4+ T cells in SAMP8 mice are smaller than in SAMR1 mice. In contrast, a B cell fraction was somewhat larger in SAMP8 mice. Together with the fact that the spleen cells of both strains equally stimulated allogeneic T cells in the mixed lymphocyte reaction, the low helper T cell activity in antibody responses, even under the condition of cell-number equivalence, indicates a qualitative defect of CD4+ T cells in SAMP8 mice. This defect probably is closely related to the low endogenous activity of NK cells.

[Reproductive and developmental toxicity study of suplatast tosilate (IPD-1151T) (1)--Fertility study in rats by oral administration].

The effect of suplatast tosilate (IPD-1151T) on reproductive ability and fetal development of the rat was studied. IPD-1151T was administered orally at dose levels of 0 (control), 200, 600, and 1800 mg/kg/day for the premating, mating and early pregnant period. For parent animals, IPD-1151T caused no abnormalities in clinical signs, reproductive ability, or autopsy findings; the females at 1800 mg/kg/day showed a reduction in body weight gain from one week after the start of administration and a decrease in food consumption from the day of the start of administration to day 6 of pregnancy. For fetuses, IPD-1151T produced no abnormalities in external, visceral or skeletal examinations; embryofetal mortality was increased at 1800 mg/kg/day. The results suggest that the non-effective dose level of IPD-1151T is 1800 mg/kg/day for males and 600 mg/kg/day for females in general toxicity, 1800 mg/kg/day for both sexes in reproductive ability, and 600 mg/kg/day for fetuses under the conditions of this study.

[Reproductive and developmental toxicity study of suplatast tosilate (IPD-1151T) (4)--Perinatal and postnatal study in rats by oral administration].

In order to assess the effect of suplatast tosilate (IPD-1151T) on pregnancy of the rat, and the post natal development to maturity of the F1 generation, daily doses of 0 (control), 200, 600 and 1800 mg/kg/day were administered orally to female Wistar rats from day 17 of pregnancy to day 21 after delivery. All females were allowed to give birth and rear their young to weaning. F0 dams showed no treatment-related changes in general conditions including the state of delivery or nursing, gestation period, birth rate, or autopsy findings. The dams at 1800 mg/kg/day showed a tendency to reduction in body weight gain and a decrease in food consumption. F1 offspring showed no treatment-related changes in clinical signs on the birth day or during the nursing period, external examination on the birth day, general condition, physical or reflex development, open-field test, water multiple T-maze test, autopsy findings, organ weights, skeletal examination, reproductive ability, or histopathological examination on the reproductive organs of the animals of both sexes that failed to produce pregnancy. The offspring at 1800 mg/kg/day showed a reduction or its tendency in body weight gain. There were no treatment-related changes in any of reproductive parameters of F1 dams including external examination of F2 fetuses. The results suggest that the non-effective dose level of IPD-1151T is 600 and 1800 mg/kg/day for F0 dams in general toxicity and reproductive ability, respectively, and 600 mg/kg/day for F1 offspring in post natal development under the conditions of this study.