Effects of preferred music therapy on peer attachment, depression, and salivary cortisol among early adolescents in Taiwan.

AIMS: To explore the effects of preferred music therapy on peer attachment, depression, and salivary cortisol among early adolescents. BACKGROUND: As adolescents enter puberty, they start to seek partnering relationships among peers. Peer attachment is central for adolescents and greatly influences their physical and psychological development. DESIGN: A pre-test-posttest control group design. METHODS: The data were collected from July - October 2016. A total of 65 individuals were included. The treatment group received 40 min of music therapy twice per week over the course of 10 weeks. The control group maintained its typical routine. The research data were collected using structured questionnaires, including basic information, the Inventory of Peer Attachment, the Beck Depression Inventory-II questionnaires, and salivary cortisol concentrations. Statistical analysis methods included percentages, chi-square tests, t tests, analyses of covariance, and the Johnson-Neyman technique. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences in peer attachment, depression, and salivary cortisol levels in the music group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Additionally, the findings showed that early adolescents with more severe depression experienced greater improvement through preferred music therapy. CONCLUSION: The results allude to the beneficial effects of receiving preferred music therapy in terms of the peer attachment, depression, and salivary cortisol levels of early adolescents. Adjustments should be made based on the characteristics of student groups to develop suitable and safe music therapy and to reduce the risks of poor mental health.

Effect of Cordyceps militaris supplementation on sperm production, sperm motility and hormones in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Cordyceps species have been traditionally used as for the enhancement of sexual function, but its direct evidence is lacking. We investigated the spermatogenic effect of Cordyceps militaris (CM) as supplementation with CM mycelium to 7-week-old male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Ninety rats (30 for each group) were selected to regular diet or diet supplemented with CM mycelium (1% and 5%) for 6 weeks. Epididymal sperm were collected from 6 animals per group at each interval of observation. They were allowed to recover for one week. The quality and quantity of sperm were compared in these rats. The CM supplementation resulted in an increase of serum cordycepin concentration (n = 6, each group) that correlated with treatment time and the cordycepin level was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in 5% group as compared to 1% group at the 5th and 6th week. Epididymal sperm count was enhanced significantly from the control, at the 5th week and peaked at the 6th week in both groups supplemented with CM (each time point, n = 6; p < 0.05) and maintained for 2 weeks after stopping the treatment. Increased serum testosterone and estradiol-17 (E2) concentrations were found in rats with the CM supplementation (p < 0.05), but not other hormones such as follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) or prolactin. Importantly, percentages of motile sperm cells were also enhanced significantly (p < 0.05) paralleled the serum testosterone pattern from the supplement groups as compared to the control group. Taken together, these results indicate that supplementation with CM improves sperm quality and quantity in rats.

Effect of Betel (Areca) Nut Chewing on Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide: A Pilot Study.

Betel (areca) nuts are extensively chewed in many countries. This has been associated with respiratory symptoms. We aimed to determine whether betel nut chewing is associated with acute changes in fractional exhaled nitric oxide, a non-invasive marker of airway inflammation. Betel nut chewing resulted in an immediate significant decline in fractional exhaled nitric oxide levels that persisted for up to 180 minutes. This effect has to be taken into account in epidemiological studies, reference ranges, and patient preparation.

Plasma leptin response to oral glucose tolerance and fasting/re-feeding tests in rats with fructose-induced metabolic derangements.

The aim of this study was to compare the postprandial leptin response in rats with and without metabolic syndrome induced by a fructose-enriched diet. The effect of aging and the association between variations in metabolic substrates was also evaluated. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and fasting/re-feeding test were used to evaluate the responses of leptin and to explore the dynamic relationship between endogenous leptin and metabolic substrates, including glucose, insulin and triglycerides (TG). At the 7th week, plasma leptin was unchanged in control rats after oral glucose loading. However, plasma leptin levels increased in fructose-fed rats with insulin resistant OGTT curves. At the 11th month, plasma leptin level was reduced during starvation and returned to the level prior to starvation during re-feeding in control rats. In contrast, the starvation-induced reduction in leptin showed a potentially larger rebound effect during re-feeding in fructose-fed rats. Analysis of covariance demonstrated that there alone was no interactive effect of dietary manipulation between leptin and TG, suggesting that fructose diet-induced insulin resistance-related metabolic syndrome may concomitantly elevate leptin and TG. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis suggests TG was the primary correlative determinant of endogenous leptin concentration. Our data showed that there are different patterns of leptin response to OGTT and fasting/re-feeding tests in rats with and without metabolic syndrome. The results suggest that these effects may be related to a TG-mediated impairment of leptin function and a protective mechanism to reduce lipid-induced tissue damage in patients with metabolic syndrome.

Longan seed extract reduces hyperuricemia via modulating urate transporters and suppressing xanthine oxidase activity.

Hyperuricemia causes gouty arthritis, kidney disease, heart disease, and other diseases. Xanthine oxidase (XOD) and urate transporters play important roles in urate homeostasis. Numerous plants have been identified as XOD inhibitors. Longan seeds are known to contain high levels of polyphenols such as corilagin, gallic acid and ellagic acid. We examined the effect of longan seed extract on XOD inhibition and urate transporters GLUT1 and GLUT9 using both in vitro and in vivo assays. The results showed that dried longan seed extract (LSE) and its active components inhibited XOD dose-dependently in vitro. LSE inhibited uric acid production and XOD activity in normal liver cells (clone-9 cells) and was not cytotoxic under the concentration of 200 µg/ml. For the in vivo study, Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were given intraperitoneally for thirty minutes with or without allopurinol (a XOD inhibitor, 3.5 mg/kg) or LSE (80 mg/kg) and then injected intraperitioneally with 250 mg/kg of oxonic acid and 300 mg/kg of hypoxanthine intragastrically. LSE was able to reduce serum uric acid level and XOD activity in hyperuricemic rats. However, LSE or allopurinol did not inhibit the liver XOD activities. On the other hand, GLUT1 protein was suppressed in kidney and GLUT9 was induced in liver from experimental rats and LSE or allopurinol decreased GLUT9 but increased GLUT1 protein level in the liver and kidney, respectively. These results confirmed the claimed effect of longan seeds on gout and other complications and suggested that its urate reducing effect might be due to modulation of urate transporters and inhibition of circulating xanthine oxidase.