Changes of microbial communities and metabolites in the fermentation of persimmon vinegar by bioaugmentation fermentation.

To evaluate the effects of bioaugmentation fermentation inoculated with one ester-producing strain (Wickerhamomyces anomalus ZX-1) and two strains of lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus plantarum CGMCC 24035 and Lactobacillus acidophilus R2) for improving the flavor of persimmon vinegar, microbial community, flavor compounds and metabolites were analyzed. The results of microbial diversity analysis showed that bioaugmentation fermentation significantly increased the abundance of Lactobacillus, Saccharomyces, Pichia and Wickerhamomyces, while the abundance of Acetobacter, Apiotrichum, Delftia, Komagataeibacter, Kregervanrija and Aspergillus significantly decreased. After bioaugmentation fermentation, the taste was softer, and the sensory irritancy of acetic acid was significantly reduced. The analysis of HS-SPME-GC-MS and untargeted metabolomics based on LC-MS/MS showed that the contents of citric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, ethyl lactate, methyl acetate, isocitrate, acetoin and 2,3-butanediol were significantly increased. By multivariate analysis, 33 differential metabolites were screened out to construct the correlation between the differential metabolites and microorganisms. Pearson correlation analysis showed that methyl acetate, ethyl lactate, betaine, aconitic acid, acetoin, 2,3-butanediol and isocitrate positively associated with Wickerhamomyces and Lactobacillus. The results confirmed that the quality of persimmon vinegar was improved by bioaugmentation fermentation.

Biotechnological production and application of epsilon-poly-L-lysine (ε-PL): biosynthesis and its metabolic regulation.

Epsilon-poly-L-lysine (ε-PL) is an unusual biopolymer composed of L-lysine produced by several microorganisms, especially by the genus Streptomyces. Due to its excellent antimicrobial activity, good water solubility, high safety, and biodegradable nature, ε-PL with a GRAS status has been widely used in food and pharmaceutical industries. In the past years, studies have focused on the biotechnological production of ɛ-PL, the biosynthetic mechanism of microbial ɛ-PL, and its application. To provide new perspectives from recent advances, the review introduced the methods for the isolation of ɛ-PL producing strains and the biosynthetic mechanism of microbial ɛ-PL. We summarized the strategies for the improvement of ɛ-PL producing strains, including physical and chemical mutagenesis, ribosome engineering and gene engineering, and compared the different metabolic regulation strategies for improving ɛ-PL production, including medium optimization, nutrient supply, pH control, and dissolved oxygen control. Then, the downstream purification methods of ɛ-PL and its recent applications in food and medicine industries were introduced. Finally, we also proposed the potential challenges and the perspectives for the production of ε-PL.

Fungal elicitor-induced transcriptional changes of genes related to branched-chain amino acid metabolism in Streptomyces natalensis HW-2.

Natamycin is a polyene macrolide antibiotic and widely used as a natural food preservative. Fungal elicitor had positive effects on the natamycin biosynthesis in Streptomyces natalensis HW-2. However, the global gene expression in response to fungal elicitor is not still reported. In the study, RNA-Seq was used to check the change of transcriptome by fungal elicitor in S. natalensis HW-2. The results showed that there were 1265 differential expression genes (DEGs) at 40 h and 2196 DEGs at 80 h. Most of the genes involved in natamycin biosynthesis were upregulated. KEGG pathway analysis showed that fungal elicitor had strong effects on the transcriptional levels of genes related to branch-chained amino acid (BCAA) metabolism. There were 23 upregulated or downregulated DEGs involved in BCAA biosynthesis and degradation at 40 h and 80 h. To confirm whether the improvement of BCAA biosynthesis could produce more natamycin, metabolic engineering was used to homologously overexpress the gene ilvH which encoded the regulatory subunit of acetolactate synthase (ALS) in S. natalensis. The results showed that overexpression of ilvH in S. natalensis HW-2 increased natamycin production to 1.25 g/L in the flask, which was a 32% increase compared with that of the parent strain. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis showed that the transcriptional level of ilvH in mutant strain S. natalensis ZS101 was significantly increased. Acetyl-CoA content was also raised. The results suggested that the fungal elicitor enhanced natamycin biosynthesis by improving precursor supply via BCAA metabolism. This study will open a new avenue for enhancing natamycin production by metabolic engineering and adding fungal elicitor. KEY POINTS: • The fungal elicitor had strong effects on the transcriptional levels of genes related to branch-chained amino acid metabolism by RNA-Seq. • The homologous overexpression of gene ilvH increased natamycin production by 32% and acetyl-CoA content was raised in mutant strain S. natalensis ZS101.

Screening of cardioprotective diseases bioactive components from Danshen extracts and LC-MS analysis.

A rapid and efficient analysis and screening method is adopted for cell affinity capture coupled with HPLC-MS (CAC-HPLC-MS) analysis of bioactive components that have possible efficiency against cardiovascular diseases. This method involves affinity capture, concentration, and separation of bioactive components from Danshen library using oxidatively damaged endothelial cells induced by H2 O2 , as well as analysis and identification of targeted compounds with HPLC and MS. It combines the specific interaction between cell membrane receptors and bioactive components with the powerful analysis and identification function of HPLC-MS. The CAC-HPLC-MS method was also used for analysis and screening of bioactive components from crude extracts of Danshen. A total of 19 components were found to be bound to oxidatively damaged endothelial cells with seven of these identified. Existing literature confirms that these seven components have many activities related to cardioprotective diseases. Therefore, the combination of biological affinity capture with HPLC-MS should be regarded as an attractive method with great potential for rapid and efficient screening of bioactive components related to anti-cardiovascular diseases from natural product libraries.

Physicochemical and microbial responses of Streptomyces natalensis HW-2 to fungal elicitor.

The effects of fungal elicitor on the physicochemical and microbial responses of Streptomyces natalensis HW-2 were investigated. The results showed that the elicitor could decrease dry cell weight (DCW) by 17.7% and increase the utilization of glucose, while the curve of pH was not obviously altered. The elicitor enhanced the yield of natamycin from 1.33 to 2.49 g/L. The morphology of the colony and the mycelium treated with elicitor showed significant differences from that of control. The level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) increased to 333.8 ng/L, which was a twofold increase comparing with the control. The concentration of Ca2+ reached 421.1 nmol/L, which increased by 32.8% after the addition of the elicitor. The activities of pyruvic carboxylase and phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase were enhanced by 27.8 and 11.9%, respectively, while citrate synthase activity decreased by 23.1% in comparison with the control.

Association of dietary fat and carbohydrate consumption and predicted ten-year risk for developing coronary heart disease in a general Japanese population.

We examined the relationships between dietary carbohydrate, protein, fat, and the ratio of n6/n3 fatty acid intakes with the predicted 10-year coronary heart disease (CHD) risk in a general Japanese population. We used the Framingham risk score to determine the 10-year CHD risk of the subjects, who were employees of 6 companies in a single prefecture in Japan. After excluding the subjects who reported any history of angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, diabetes, or cancer, and those with missing data resulting in the inability of estimation of 10-year CHD risk and food intakes, the final data analysis was carried out for 809 subjects. The logistic regression models revealed a significantly increased odds ratio of 10-year CHD risk in the subjects with the highest tertile of carbohydrate intake (% energy) (odds ratio 3.64, 95% CI, 2.07-6.40); after adjustment for other variables, the odds ratio for the 10-year CHD risk was also higher in the subjects with the highest tertile of carbohydrate intake (odds ratio 1.72, 95% CI, 0.70-4.25). We also found that fat intake and the ratio of n6/n3 fatty acids were inversely associated with the predicted 10-year CHD risk (p for trend<0.01). The present findings added evidence of a positive association of dietary carbohydrate and inverse associations of total fat and n6/n3 fatty acid ratio with the predicted 10-year CHD risk in a general Japanese population.

Changes and biotransformation mechanism of main functional compounds during kombucha fermentation by the pure cultured tea fungus.

Kombucha was fermented by the pure cultured tea fungus, and the changes of functional compounds and their transformation were explored. After fermentation, the contents of total polyphenols, total flavonoids, quercetin, kaempferol and catechins respectively enhanced by 77.14%, 69.23%, 89.11%, 70.32% and 45.77% compared with the control, while flavonol glycosides reduced by 38.98%. The bioavailability of polyphenols and flavonoids respectively increased by 29.52% and 740.6%, and DPPH and ABTS respectively increased by 43.81% and 35.08% compared with the control. Correlation analysis showed that microorganisms and the antioxidant activity were highly positive correlation with total polyphenols, total flavonoids, EGC, EC, EGCG, ECG, quercetin and kaempferol, and negative correlation with kaempferol-3-glucoside. The constructed models confirmed that organic acids were more likely to damage the structure of tea leaves, and enzymes (polygalacturonidase and tannase) and solvents (acids, alcohols and esters) had a synergistic effect on the biotransformation of functional compounds.

Effect of Chitosan and Hyperbranched Poly-L-Lysine Treatment on Quality of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) during Storage.

To enhance the storage time of cucumbers, this research investigated the impact of chitosan (CS) and hyperbranched poly-L-lysine (HBPL) on the quality and nutritional attributes of cucumbers when stored at a temperature of 25 °C. The results demonstrated that sensory evaluation scores for cucumbers treated with a CS-HBPL combination were significantly higher than the control (CK), CS, and HBPL groups. On the 18th day of storage, cucumbers in the CK group exhibited significant decay and softening; however, there was a decrease in hardness observed in the CS-HBPL group and no decay or noticeable sour taste was detected. Furthermore, compared to the CK group, treatment with CS-HBPL effectively delayed cucumber decay and weight loss rate while significantly inhibiting decreases in cucumber hardness and growth of surface microorganisms. Additionally, it substantially reduced losses of soluble protein content as well as vitamin C (Vc), reducing sugars, and total phenolic compounds within cucumbers, which were 4.7 mg/g, 4.7 mg/g, 0.94 mg/g, and 0.52 mg/kg, respectively. Moreover, compared to the CK group, combined treatment with CS-HBPL significantly inhibited malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation and reducing relative electrolyte permeability within cucumbers, which were 1.45 µmol·g-1FW and 29.82%. Furthermore, it notably enhanced activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), while exerting a significant inhibitory effect on polyphenol oxidase (PPO). In summary, the combined CS-HBPL treatment successfully prolonged cucumber shelf life at room temperature, enabling new possibilities for extending cucumber shelf life.

Influence of fungal elicitors on biosynthesis of natamycin by Streptomyces natalensis HW-2.

To investigate the effect of fungal elicitors on biosynthesis of natamycin in the cultures of Streptomyces natalensis HW-2, the biomass and filtrate of the broth from Aspergillus niger AS 3.6472, Penicillium chrysogenum AS 3.5163, A. oryzae AS 3.2068, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae AS 2.2081 were used to induce natamycin production in S. natalensis HW-2. The results showed that the biomass of P. chrysogenum AS 3.5163 could enhance the yield of natamycin from 0.639 to 0.875 g l(-1). The elicitor from the fermentation broth of P. chrysogenum AS 3.5163 showed the highest inducing efficiency with the yield of natamycin enhanced from 0.632 to 1.84 g l(-1). The elicitor that was cultured for 2 days showed the strongest inducing activity during the fermentation of S. natalensis HW-2 for 24 h, and the yield of natamycin was enhanced from 0.637 to 2.12 g l(-1). The biochemical parameters were examined at the end of fermentation and the results demonstrated that both the growth of cells and the concentration of residual sugar could be influenced. The residual sugar decreased from 5.03 to 4.27 g l(-1), and the biomass decreased from 10.26 to 6.87 g l(-1). Finally, the elicitor was identified as a low molecular weight substance with a similar polarity to that of butyl alcohol by primary qualitative analysis.

Relationship between ceruloplasmin and oxidative biomarkers including ferritin among healthy Japanese.

Serum ceruloplasmin (CP), a marker relevant to copper metabolism, is one of famous inflammation markers with a reduction in Wilson's disease, whereas serum ferritin is a marker relevant to iron metabolism. Recently, ferritin is pointed out to be related with oxidative stress. However, there is still no population research which showed the relation of CP and ferritin. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between CP and ferritin including oxidative stress biomarkers among healthy Japanese (n = 389). We measured serum CP, ferritin, Fe, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and urinary oxidative stress biomarkers [H2O2, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), 8-isoprostane] and so on. Subjects showed that age; 41.7 ± 10.0 (year), CP; 31.9 ± 6.8 (mg/dl), ferritin; 123.5 ± 121.0 (ng/ml), hs-CRP; 0.89 ± 2.53 (mg/l), 8-OHdG; 10.2 ± 4.4 [ng/mg creatinine (Cre)] and H2O2; 6.5 ± 10.9 (µM/g Cre), (All data mentioned above were expressed as mean ± SD). CP was significantly and positively correlated with hs-CRP and inversely correlated with ferritin, Fe and 8-OHdG. By a multiple logistic regression analysis, odds ratio of CP according to quartiles of hs-CRP was 4.86, and according to quartiles of 8-OHdG was 0.39 after adjusting for age and other confounding factors. In conclusion, our findings suggest that CP was an antioxidative biomarker which controls oxidative stress, whereas ferritin was a marker which may participate in the generation of oxidative stress.

UV-ARTP-DES compound mutagenesis breeding improves natamycin production of Streptomyces natalensis HW-2 and reveals transcriptional changes by RNA-seq.

Natamycin is widely used in food, medical and health, agriculture, and animal husbandry. In this study, Streptomyces natalensis HW-2 was used as the research object, and a mutant DES-26 with stable genetic characters was selected by UV-ARTP-DES compound mutation. The natamycin yield was 1.64 g/L, 86.36% higher than original strain. Differential expression genes were analyzed by transcriptomics, and results showed that 295 and 860 genes were significantly differentially expressed at fermentation for 48 h and 72 h. GO and KEGG analysis showed that compound mutagenesis had a significant impact on glycolysis, pentose phosphate, TCA cycle, fatty acid metabolism pathways, and several key enzyme genes in the pathways were up-regulated, and genes related to natamycin biosynthesis (pimB-pimI) and transcriptional regulator (pimR) were also up-regulated. qRT-PCR results confirmed that expression levels of these genes were consistent with transcriptional changes of RNA-Seq. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-022-01191-z.

Effect of Combined Chitosan and Hyperbranched Poly-L-Lysine Based Coating on Prolonging the Shelf Life of Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus).

To extend the shelf life of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus), the effects of chitosan (CS) and hyperbranched poly-L-lysine (HBPL) combined treatment on quality characteristics, nutritional quality, storage characteristics, and enzyme activity of oyster mushroom during postharvest storage at 4 °C were investigated. The results showed that CS-HBPL combined treatment could significantly reduce rot degree and weight loss and significantly inhibit the browning of oyster mushroom. At the same time, the loss of reducing sugar, vitamin C, soluble protein, and total phenolic was significantly reduced. Compared with the control, CS-HBPL combined treatment could also significantly inhibit an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) and significantly decrease the relative electrolyte leakage of oyster mushroom. In addition, the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), phenylalnine ammonialyase (PAL), and peroxidase (POD) were significantly improved, and the activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) was significantly inhibited in oyster mushroom. In conclusion, CS-HBPL combined treatment had a good protective effect on the membrane permeability damage of oyster mushroom and could effectively delay the oxidation of phenolic substances and browning of oyster mushroom. Therefore, CS-HBPL combined treatment can be used as a potential strategy to extend the storage time of oyster mushroom.

Acatalasemic mice are mildly susceptible to adriamycin nephropathy and exhibit increased albuminuria and glomerulosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Catalase is an important antioxidant enzyme that regulates the level of intracellular hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals. The effects of catalase deficiency on albuminuria and progressive glomerulosclerosis have not yet been fully elucidated. The adriamycin (ADR) nephropathy model is considered to be an experimental model of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. A functional catalase deficiency was hypothesized to exacerbate albuminuria and the progression of glomerulosclerosis in this model. METHODS: ADR was intravenously administered to both homozygous acatalasemic mutant mice (C3H/AnLCs(b)Cs(b)) and control wild-type mice (C3H/AnLCs(a)Cs(a)). The functional and morphological alterations of the kidneys, including albuminuria, renal function, podocytic, glomerular and tubulointerstitial injuries, and the activities of catalase were then compared between the two groups up to 8 weeks after disease induction. Moreover, the presence of a mutation of the toll-like receptor 4 (tlr4) gene, which was previously reported in the C3H/HeJ strain, was investigated in both groups. RESULTS: The ADR-treated mice developed significant albuminuria and glomerulosclerosis, and the degree of these conditions in the ADR-treated acatalasemic mice was higher than that in the wild-type mice. ADR induced progressive renal fibrosis, renal atrophy and lipid peroxide accumulation only in the acatalasemic mice. In addition, the level of catalase activity was significantly lower in the kidneys of the acatalasemic mice than in the wild-type mice during the experimental period. The catalase activity increased after ADR injection in wild-type mice, but the acatalasemic mice did not have the ability to increase their catalase activity under oxidative stress. The C3H/AnL strain was found to be negative for the tlr4 gene mutation. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that catalase deficiency plays an important role in the progression of renal injury in the ADR nephropathy model.

Relation of prenatal and postnatal status to calcaneus quantitative ultrasound in adolescents.

This study aimed to elucidate the relationship of prenatal and/or postnatal factors, including acquired factors, with the calcaneus stiffness index as measured by quantitative ultrasound (QUS-SI) in adolescents. We recruited 1,143 adolescents with a mean age of 14.8 ± 1.8 years (501 boys and 642 girls). The subjects' calcaneus QUS-SI was measured using an ultrasound bone densitometer. We also measured the subjects' height, weight, and grip strength. Data on prenatal and postnatal factors were obtained from maternal and child health handbooks. A self-reporting questionnaire was used to obtain information on subjects' secondary sexual characteristics and lifestyle factors. We found that maternal weight gain during pregnancy was independently associated with calcaneus QUS-SI in girls, and that grip strength was also significantly associated with calcaneus QUS-SI in both sexes. The present findings suggest that excessive restriction of maternal weight gain would have a negative effect on the calcaneus QUS-SI of girls, and that exercise and strength-building activities are likely to result in a higher calcaneus QUS-SI in both sexes of adolescents.

Association of Vegetable and Fruit Consumption with Urinary Oxidative Biomarkers in Teenaged Girls: A School-Based Pilot Study in Japan.

Hexanoyl-lysine (HEL), 8-hydroxy-2'deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and dityrosine (DT) have served as potential biomarkers for detecting oxidative modified lipids, DNA, and proteins in biological samples, respectively. Whether regular higher levels of consumption of vegetables/fruit (V/F) would decrease oxidative modification of these biomolecules in the body remain unelucidated. To examine the association of regular V/F consumption with the generation of these reactive oxygen species-induced biomarkers, this study evaluated V/F consumption in a school-based sample of teenaged girls (mean age 15.6 ± 1.7 years, n = 103), and quantified the formation of oxidative stress biomarkers in their urine. Only 19.4% and 23.3% of participants reported that they consumed the recommended daily amount of vegetables and fruits, respectively. Individuals who consumed lower levels of fruit (<100g/day) or vegetables (<250g/day) had significantly higher HEL excretion in their urine than those who consumed higher levels of fruit (≥100g/day) (p < 0.05) or vegetables (≥250g/day) (p = 0.057). The results of a multiple regression analysis showed that vegetable consumption was an important inhibiting factor of early lipid peroxidation measured as HEL in urine, independent of various confounders (ß = - 0.332, p < 0.05). The findings suggest that relatively higher consumption of vegetables would help in the prevention of early lipid peroxidation in adolescents.

Effects of ethanol stress on epsilon-poly-l-lysine (ε-PL) biosynthesis in Streptomyces albulus X-18.

The aim of the study was to reveal the effects of ethanol stress on the production of epsilon-poly-l-lysine (ε-PL) in Streptomyces albulus X-18. The results showed that biomass and the utilization of glucose were respectively increased by ethanol stress. The ε-PL yield was increased by 41.42 % in the shake flask and 37.02 % in 10 L fermenter with 1% (v/v) ethanol. The morphology of colonies and mycelia showed significant differences. The intracellular reactive oxygen species level was increased by about 100 %. The ratio of unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids in the cell membrane was increased by ethanol stress. Isobaric Tags for Relative and Absolute Quantitation (iTRAQ) proteomic profile showed that 265 identified proteins were differentially expressed. The differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were mainly involved in biological processes. The up-regulated DEPs were mainly involved in the redox reaction and stress response. The metabolic flux of l-Asp was shifted to l-Lys biosynthesis, and the DAP pathway was strengthened. Protein-protein interaction analysis showed that 30 DEPs interacted with l-Lys biosynthesis. The changes of ten proteins by Parallel Reaction Monitoring (PRM) were consistent with those by iTRAQ. The study provided valuable clues to better understand the mechanism of ε-PL biosynthesis improvement by ethanol stress.

Microwave Irradiation: Effects on the Change of Colour Characteristics and Main Phenolic Compounds of Cabernet Gernischt Dry Red Wine during Storage.

Wine colour is an essential organoleptic property considered by consumers. In this paper, the potential effects on colour characteristics and the content of main phenolic compounds in red wine under microwave irradiation were investigated during wine storage. The results showed that the changing trend of colour characteristics of microwave-treated and untreated wines was very similar. Moreover, total phenolic compounds, total monomeric anthocyanins, main anthocyanins, main flavonoids, and main phenolic acids (gallic acid; caffeic acid; syringic acid; (+)-catechin; Cy-3-glu; Mv-3-glu) also showed similar change trends during storage. In other words, microwave irradiation had a long-term effect on the colour properties and main phenolic compounds of red wine, changes that require long-time aging in traditional processing. In terms of the studied parameters, the changes in microwave-treated wine were faster than those in untreated wine. These results showed that microwave technology, as a promising artificial aging technology, could in a short time produce red wine of similar quality to traditional aging.

Sensitization to alloxan-induced diabetes and pancreatic cell apoptosis in acatalasemic mice.

Human acatalasemia may be a risk factor for the development of diabetes mellitus. However, the mechanism by which diabetes is induced is still poorly understood. The impact of catalase deficiency on the onset of diabetes has been studied in homozygous acatalasemic mutant mice or control wild-type mice by intraperitoneal injection of diabetogenic alloxan. The incidence of diabetes was higher in acatalasemic mice treated with a high dose (180 mg/kg body weight) of alloxan. A higher dose of alloxan accelerated severe atrophy of pancreatic islets and induced pancreatic beta cell apoptosis in acatalasemic mice in comparison to wild-type mice. Catalase activity remained low in the acatalasemic pancreas without the significant compensatory up-regulation of glutathione peroxidase or superoxide dismutase. Furthermore, daily intraperitoneal injection of angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonist telmisartan (0.1 mg/kg body weight) prevented the development of alloxan-induced hyperglycemia in acatalasemic mice. This study suggests that catalase plays a crucial role in the defense against oxidative-stress-mediated pancreatic beta cell death in an alloxan-induced diabetes mouse model. Treatment with telmisartan may prevent the onset of alloxan-induced diabetes even under acatalasemic conditions.

High serum arginase I levels in asthma: its correlation with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein.

BACKGROUND: Much attention has been directed to the induction of arginase I in the lung of asthmatic mice. However, there is no agreement on the changes of serum arginase activity in asthmatic patients among previous studies. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical relevance of serum arginase I in asthmatic patients. METHODS: Serum arginase I was examined cross-sectionally in non-smoking asthmatic patients (n = 23) and healthy individuals (n = 30) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and its correlations with several clinical parameters were investigated. RESULTS: Serum levels of arginase I were significantly increased in asthmatic patients (mean ± SD 67.4 ± 41.0 ng/mL) compared with healthy controls (27.2 ± 12.9 ng/mL). In healthy controls, a difference in arginase I levels was not observed between sex groups but was observed between age groups. In asthmatic patients, serum arginase I levels were not different between groups of age, sex, and inhalation steroid therapy but were different between groups of atopic status. Non-atopic asthmatic patients revealed significantly high serum arginase I levels compared with atopic asthmatic patients and healthy controls although no difference was observed between atopic asthmatic patients and healthy controls. Spearman's correlation analysis showed that serum arginase I level had a significant negative correlation with age and a positive correlation with red blood cell numbers in healthy controls, whereas in asthmatic patients, it had significant positive correlations with alanine aminotransferase (ALT), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and a negative correlation with immunoglobulin-E (IgE). CONCLUSIONS: High serum arginase I levels in asthmatic patients may be associated with airway inflammation in non-atopic asthma.

The relationship between joint pain and climate conditions in Japan.

This study aimed to determine whether there was any association between the regional climate and the proportion of people with joint pain. Regional climate data between 1971 and 2000 were obtained from the Japan Meteorological Agency. The variables used in the cluster analysis included sunlight hours, amount of precipitation, number of days with precipitation, and temperature. The regional proportion of people with joint pain was obtained from the National Survey for Health in 2001. After performing a cluster analysis, one-way ANOVA and Welch's test were used to determine whether the climate characteristics of the clusters were significantly different. Within each cluster, stepwise multiple linear regression analyses were performed. We found that sunlight hours showed a direct, negative association with the proportion of people with joint pain (adjusted R2=0.532, p=0.016) in cluster 1, which was characterized as the region with the fewest total hours of sunlight, less precipitation, a modest number of rainy days, and low temperature. In the other clusters, the regional female population rate (cluster 2) and the senior population rate (cluster 3, 4) were the primary predictors. We concluded that the degree of exposure to sunlight may play a crucial role in prevention of joint pain. This finding should encourage people to set aside some time for staying outdoors in their daily lives.