Orally administered δ opioid agonist peptide rubiscolin-6 stimulates food intake in aged mice with ghrelin resistance.

SCOPE: It is known that a decline in food intake occurs with aging. In this study, we investigated changes in parameters associated with food intake in response to aging, and whether orexigenic peptides stimulated food intake after peripheral administration even in aged mice. METHODS AND RESULTS: Food intake and body weight of 27-month-old male C57BL/6N mice were lower than those of 15-month-old mice. Epididymal and mesenteric fat mass, blood glucose, triglyceride, and leptin levels were also decreased. Meanwhile, the hypothalamic mRNA expression of endogenous orexigenic peptides such as neuropeptide Y (NPY) and agouti-related protein, also called agouti-related peptide, was increased. Next, we tested responsiveness to exogenously administered orexigenic peptides coupled to NPY in aged as well as young mice. Orally administered rubiscolin-6, a δ opioid agonist hexapeptide derived from a major green leaf protein Rubisco, stimulated food intake in 27-month-old mice. In contrast, ghrelin was ineffective after intraperitoneal administration to aged mice, suggesting that the NPY system downstream of ghrelin but not δ opioid receptors might be impaired in aged mice. CONCLUSION: Orally administered rubiscolin-6 stimulates food intake in aged mice with ghrelin resistance.

[Survey of current conditions regarding awareness of the nutritional role of supplements for pharmacy students].

Various nutritional supplements have become available in recent years. However, health problems resulting from the misuse of these supplements are on the rise, and have been attributed to a lack of knowledge among consumers. In addition, a survey of university students revealed that approximately 20% of students erroneously considered nutritionally balanced supplements as substitutes for meals. Given this background, we conducted a questionnaire survey of first- and fourth-year students at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Kobe Gakuin University with the objective of elucidating factors such as the awareness of supplements among pharmacy students and whether these students had a superior understanding of supplements compared to the general student population. Awareness of supplements among students was determined in terms of the degrees of emphasis on meals and supplements in nutritional intake. The proportion of students who essentially believed that "nutritionally balanced supplements can be used as substitutes for meals" did not significantly differ between pharmacy students and the general student population. In addition, only 30% of students had an accurate understanding of supplements. Following graduation, pharmacy students may become pharmacists and thus be responsible for providing directions regarding usage of supplements. These findings suggest that in order to nurture professional pharmacists, it is necessary to first implement practical nutrition education and consumer education to promote healthier dietary habits among the students themselves.