A targeted educational programme improves fundamental knowledge of menstrual pain and endometriosis in young women: The Endometriosis Awareness Promotion Project.

RESEARCH QUESTION: Would a properly designed educational programme offered to young women improve their awareness and fundamental knowledge of menstrual pain and endometriosis? DESIGN: A multinational cross-sectional study using a pen-and-paper questionnaire among women aged 19-24 years was conducted between 2017 and 2019 to assess fundamental knowledge of menstrual pain and endometriosis. Improvement in knowledge was also analysed using a separate questionnaire completed before, and 1-3 months after, a group discussion, lecture on menstrual pain and endometriosis, or both. RESULTS: Among three groups of students (college [n = 271], medical [n = 877] and nursing [n = 763]), knowledge of menstrual pain and endometriosis was lowest among college students, modest among nursing students and fair among medical students (P < 0.001 for each). The experience of cyclical pain, even when painkillers were taken, was reported by 15.5%, 4.6% and 3.8% of students, respectively. Most students managed their cyclical pain by enduring it or by taking over-the-counter medication. An informative education programme with group discussions, lectures, or both, was successful in improving knowledge and consequences of menstrual pain and endometriosis. Proper education and dissemination of knowledge to college students failed to motivate them to visit gynaecologists; however, medical and nursing students became highly interested in visiting gynaecologists. CONCLUSIONS: An educational programme can improve awareness and knowledge of endometriosis and dysmenorrhoea among young women. The programme motivated nursing and medical students, but not college students, to seek medical attention for early detection and management of endometriosis.

Evaluation of myostatin as a possible regulator and marker of skeletal muscle-cortical bone interaction in adults.

INTRODUCTION: Bone mass was recently reported to be related to skeletal muscle mass in humans, and a decrease in cortical bone is a risk factor for osteoporosis. Because circulating myostatin is a factor that primarily controls muscle metabolism, this study examined the role of myostatin in bone mass-skeletal muscle mass interactions. METHODS: The subjects were 375 middle-aged community residents with no history of osteoporosis or sarcopenia who participated in a health check-up. Cortical bone thickness and cancellous bone density were measured by ultrasonic bone densitometry in a health check-up survey. The subjects were divided into those with low cortical bone thickness (LCT) or low cancellous bone density (LBD) and those with normal values (NCT/NBD). Bone metabolism markers (TRACP-5b, etc.), skeletal muscle mass, serum myostatin levels, and lifestyle were then compared between the groups. RESULTS: The percentage of diabetic participants, TRACP-5b, and myostatin levels were significantly higher, and the frequency of physical activity, skeletal muscle mass, grip strength, and leg strength were significantly lower in the LCT group than in the NCT group. The odds ratio (OR) of high myostatin levels in the LCT group compared with the NCT group was significant (OR 2.17) even after adjusting for related factors. Between the low cancellous bone density (LBD) and normal cancellous bone density (NBD) groups, significant differences were observed in the same items as between the LCT and NCT groups, but no significant differences were observed in skeletal muscle mass and blood myostatin levels. The myostatin level was significantly negatively correlated with cortical bone thickness and skeletal muscle mass. CONCLUSIONS: A decrease in cortical bone thickness was associated with a decrease in skeletal muscle mass accompanied by an increase in the blood myostatin level. Blood myostatin may regulate the bone-skeletal muscle relationship and serve as a surrogate marker of bone metabolism, potentially linking muscle mass to bone structure.

Validity of stress assessment using heart-rate variability in newborns.

BACKGROUND: The process of birth causes stress for neonates, but additional stressors for sick neonates are a matter of concern. As analysis of heart-rate variability (HRV), which reflects autonomic activity, has demonstrated that low-frequency (LF) activity reflects overall autonomic activity, high-frequency (HF) activity reflects parasympathetic activity, and the LF/HF ratio reflects sympathetic activity, HRV has been clinically applied as a non-invasive index of physical stress. In this study, we evaluated whether HRV is useful as a stress index for neonates by analyzing it in comparison with their salivary cortisol level. METHODS: We measured the salivary cortisol level and HRV in 12 healthy neonates and 37 neonates born during between 2014 and 2016 and admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. These examinations were performed at birth and after approximately 1 week. The changes in parameters with time were examined. RESULTS: The LF and HF values in both groups exhibited significant negative correlations with the salivary cortisol level. In those admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit, the LF and HF values were correlated with gestational age and height. In the healthy neonates, a reduced salivary cortisol level and increase in the LF and HF values were observed approximately 1 week after birth compared with the values at birth, whereas the LF/HF ratio was not correlated with the salivary cortisol level and did not change over time. CONCLUSIONS: The LF and HF values were significantly correlated with the cortisol level, suggesting their usefulness as physiological indices of stress in clinical neonatal care.

Premature delivery due to intrauterine Candida infection that caused neonatal congenital cutaneous candidiasis: a case report.

Congenital cutaneous candidiasis is a very rare disease with less than 100 cases published in the medical literature. Neonates having this disease present with systemic skin lesions caused by intrauterine Candida infections. We present a case of threatened premature delivery due to Candida chorioamnionitis, which caused both maternal postpartum endometritis and neonatal congenital cutaneous candidiasis. A 34-year-old woman who was admitted for fetal membrane bulging at 20 weeks of gestation underwent McDonald cervical cerclage. We diagnosed threatened premature delivery due to intrauterine infection; therefore, we terminated the gestation by cesarean section at 24 weeks of gestation. Fungi-like yeast was detected in infantile gastric juice. Histopathological findings of the placenta revealed that Candida albicans mycelium invaded the placenta, chorioamniotic membrane and umbilical cord.

17ß-Estradiol attenuates saturated fatty acid diet-induced liver injury in ovariectomized mice by up-regulating hepatic senescence marker protein-30.

Senescence marker protein-30 (SMP30) plays an important role in intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of estrogens on liver apoptotic damage and changes in SMP30 expression induced by a high saturated fatty acid diet (HSFD). Ovariectomized mice (OVX) and sham-operated mice (SHAM) were randomly divided into five groups: SHAM fed a normal diet (SHAM/ND), SHAM fed HSFD (SHAM/HSFD), OVX fed ND (OVX/ND), OVX fed HSFD (OVX/HSFD) and OVX fed HSFD with 17ß-estradiol (E2) supplementation using an implanted slow-release pellet (OVX/HSFD+E2). After 8 weeks, markers of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and apoptosis, and levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα and SMP30 expression were investigated. Compared with SHAM/ND, OVX/HSFD mice showed significantly increased spliced X-box protein-1 (s-XBP1), phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor-2α (p-eIF2α), glucose-regulated protein 78 (GPR78), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), cytosolic cytochrome c, caspase-3 activity, and TNFα, and significantly decreased SMP30. These differences in OVX/HSFD mice were restored to the levels of SHAM/ND mice by E2 supplementation. These results suggest that E2 supplementation attenuates HSFD-induced liver apoptotic death in ovariectomized mice by up-regulating SMP30.

Growth of cortical bone thickness and trabecular bone density in Japanese children.

BACKGROUND: The acquisition of a high bone density at a young age is a strategy to prevent fractures/falls later in life. We therefore decided to investigate the increases in cortical thickness (CoTh) and trabecular bone density (TBD) of children. METHODS: Subjects comprised 1314 students (678 boys and 636 girls) aged between 12 and 18 years. Lifestyle factors were examined with a self-administered questionnaire (sleep times, exercise habits, and calcium intake). Bone growth was assessed based on CoTh and TBD using an ultrasonic bone densitometer. Height, weight, and body fat percentage were also measured. RESULTS: Increases in CoTh and TBD occurred earlier in girls than in boys. Calcium intake was not sufficient at any of the ages examined, and sleep times were shorter than those recommended by the National Sleep Foundation. Increases in CoTh and TBD occurred subsequent to increases in height. Although increases in CoTh were observed with age in both sexes, TBD increased in boys until the age of 17 years and in girls until the age of 15 years. At 18 years of age, the young adult mean value was greater than 100% for CoTh but lower than 100% for TBD. A multivariate analysis identified age, body mass index (BMI), and exercise as independent positive factors for CoTh, while body fat percentage was an independent negative factor. Age and BMI were independent positive factors for TBD in both sexes, whereas body fat percentage was a positive factor in boys only. CONCLUSIONS: The study found that CoTH and TBD varied with age and differed in increase in boys and girls; related factors of bone increase could also be found. The results of this study may contribute to the acquisition of high bone density in children and adolescents.

Effects of estrogens on cholinergic neurons in the rat basal nucleus.

Estrogen replacement in postmenopausal women may help prevent or delay development of Alzheimer's disease. Because loss of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons with reductions in choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) concentration are associated with Alzheimer's disease, we investigated the effect of estradiol (E(2)) and J 861, a non-feminizing estrogen, on cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain. Ovariectomized rats received E(2), J 861 or vehicle, and basal forebrain sections through the substantia innominata, medial septum, and nucleus of the diagonal band were immunostained for ChAT. ChAT-immunoreactive cells in the basal forebrain were significantly reduced in the ovariectomized rats compared to intact rats, but those ovariectomized rats receiving estrogen replacement with E(2) and J 861 had near normal levels of ChAT-positive neurons. While retrograde tracing experiments with fluorogold injected into the prefrontal cortex showed no significant differences in the number of fluorogold-labeled cells among the groups, ChAT-immunoreactive cells and double-labeled cells were significantly lower in OVX rats than in intact and E(2) rats. Some substantia innominata cells in the J 861 rats were ChAT/estrogen receptor alpha-positive. These results suggest that E(2) and J 861 have positive effects on cholinergic neurons that project from the basal nucleus to the forebrain cortex.

Association between loss of bone mass due to short sleep and leptin-sympathetic nervous system activity.

BACKGROUND: Sleep has been reported to be an important factor in bone metabolism, and sympathetic nervous system activity has been reported to regulate bone metabolism. In this study, we evaluated the association between sleep, sympathetic nervous system activity, and bone mass. METHODS: The study subjects were 221 individuals (108 males; 113 females; mean age: 55.1±7.0years) divided into two groups: those who slept for less than 6h a day (short sleep [SS] group), and those who slept 6h or longer (normal sleep [NS] group). The groups were compared with regard to lifestyle, cortical bone thickness, cancellous bone density, bone metabolism markers, blood leptin levels, and sympathetic nervous system activity as evaluated by heart rate variability analysis. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed between the two groups in cortical bone thickness, blood TRACP-5b, and leptin levels. The L/H ratio (an index of sympathetic nervous system activity) was higher in the SS group than in the NS group. Significant negative correlations were observed between cortical bone thickness and both the L/H ratio and leptin levels, and a significant positive correlation was observed between the L/H ratio and leptin levels. CONCLUSIONS: Short sleep was associated with a decline in cortical bone thickness due to the promotion of bone resorption and sympathetic nervous system hyperactivity in the middle-aged group. Leptin levels and cortical bone thickness were found to be closely related, suggesting that cortical bone mass may be regulated via interaction with the leptin-sympathetic nervous system.

Effects of drospirenone on adhesion molecule expression and monocyte adherence in human endothelial cells.

OBJECTIVE: A major concern in hormone replacement therapy is the associated increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. A progestogen without the unfavorable effects on cardiovascular disease should be explored. Monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells is an important initial event in atherosclerosis. In this study, the effects of the alternative progestogen drospirenone (DRSP) on monocyte adhesion in human umbilical venous endothelial cells (HUVECs) were examined. STUDY DESIGN: In HUVECs treated with estrogens and progestogens, including DRSP and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), the expression of the adhesion molecules E-selectin, P-selectin, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1 were examined by real-time PCR and using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A flow chamber system was used to investigate the effects of DRSP on U937 monocytoid cell adherence to HUVEC monolayers. All experimental data were compared using one-way Analysis of Variance. RESULTS: Upregulation of adhesion molecule mRNA or protein was not seen in HUVECs treated with DRSP alone or with 17ß-estradiol+DRSP. DRSP alone, 17ß-estradiol+DRSP or ethinylestradiol+DRSP did not increase the number of adherent monocytoid cells to HUVECs in the flow chamber system. However, MPA significantly enhanced the monocytoid cell adherence (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: DRSP did not increase the expression of adhesion molecules or monocytoid cell adherence to endothelial cells, indicating that DRSP could reduce the risk of atherogenesis caused by MPA. These results suggest that DRSP may be an alternative to MPA in hormone replacement therapy.

Progestins and estrogens and Alzheimer's disease.

Sex-specific incidence rates for Alzheimer's disease (AD) are higher in women than men. Many fundamental researches and some clinical investigations have reported therapeutic and preventive effects of estrogens on AD. But WHIMS [S.A. Shumaker, C. Legault, S.R. Rapp, L. Thal, R.B. Wallace, J.K. Ockene, S.L. Hendrix, B.N. Jones IIIrd, A.R. Assaf, R.D. Jackson, J.M. Kotchen, S. Wabertheil-Smoller, J. Wactawsk-Wende, WHIMS investigators, Estrogen plus progestin and the incidence of dementia and mild cognitive impairment in postmenopausal women. The women's health initiative memory study: a randomized controlled trial, JAMA 289 (2003) 2651-2662], which used daily continuous hormone replacement therapy (HRT), reported that the hazard ratio of the HRT for probable dementia was 2.05. Effect of progestins, and continuous (not cyclically) HRT, even only with estrogen should be reconsidered. In our clinical study, conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) alone showed good changes of psychiatric tests for AD on the 3rd week, but addition of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) or norethindrone since 4th week suppressed these tests. Using human umbilical vein epithelial cell (HUVEC), levonorgestrel (LNG), norethindrone acetate (NETA), MPA increased intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and E-secretin but dienogest (DNG) showed no effect. In vitro flow system, estradiol (E2), suppressed adhesion of white cell, but LNG, NETA, MPA increased the adhesions. DNG showed less effect. Non-feminizing estrogen J 861, which has delta8,9 double bond and straight in its structure and has less effect on sexual organs. J 861 has shown ameliorative effects on central nervous system (CNS) (increasing of cholineacetyltransferase immunoreactive cells in substantia innominata (SI), etc.) like E2. More investigations about progestins and estrogens and AD should be done.

Two chalcones, 4-hydroxyderricin and xanthoangelol, stimulate GLUT4-dependent glucose uptake through the LKB1/AMP-activated protein kinase signaling pathway in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

4-Hydroxyderricin (4HD) and xanthoangelol (XAG) are major components of n-hexane/ethyl acetate (5:1) extract of the yellow-colored stem juice of Angelica keiskei. 4-Hydroxyderricin and XAG have been reported to increase glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4)-dependent glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, but the detailed mechanism of this phenomenon remains unknown. This present study was aimed at clarifying the detailed mechanism by which 4HD and XAG increase GLUT4-dependent glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Both 4HD and XAG increased glucose uptake and GLUT4 translocation to the plasma membrane. 4-Hydroxyderricin and XAG also stimulated the phosphorylation of 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and its downstream target acetyl-CoA carboxylase. In addition, phosphorylation of liver kinase B1 (LKB1), which acts upstream of AMPK, was also increased by 4HD and XAG treatment. Small interfering RNA knockdown of LKB1 attenuated 4HD- and XAG-stimulated AMPK phosphorylation and suppressed glucose uptake. These findings demonstrate that 4HD and XAG can increase GLUT4-dependent glucose uptake through the LKB1/AMPK signaling pathway in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Medroxyprogesterone acetate enhances monocyte-endothelial interaction under flow conditions by stimulating the expression of cell adhesion molecules.

CONTEXT: Monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells is an important initial event in atherosclerosis and is partially mediated by adhesion molecule expression on the cell surface. Although estrogens inhibit atherosclerosis development, effects of coadministered progestogen remain controversial. OBJECTIVE: We examined the effects of progestogen on cytokine-stimulated human umbilical venous endothelial cell (HUVEC) expression of adhesion molecules. DESIGN: In HUVECs, adhesion molecule mRNA levels were measured by real-time PCR. Protein expression was quantified by immunocytochemistry and ELISAs. To mimic the monocyte adherence to endothelial cells, we used a flow chamber system to assess progestogen effects on U937 monocytoid cell adherence to HUVEC monolayers. We also examined the suppression effects of adhesion molecules with small interference RNAs. RESULTS: mRNA levels of adhesion molecules in HUVECs treated with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) or 17ß-estradiol + MPA were 1.7- to 2.5-fold higher than those in the control. MPA increased the protein expression of E-selectin, P-selectin, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 compared with that for the control (83.0 ± 0.7, 34.8 ± 1.2, and 5.4 ± 0.0 ng/mL, respectively), whereas other progestogens or 17ß-estradiol additive to progestogens did not significantly change expression. MPA significantly increased U937 monocytoid cell adherence compared with the control (56.0 ± 1.5 vs 46.5 ± 3.5 adherent cells per 10 fields) but did not increase adherence to HUVECs with knocked down intercellular adhesion molecule-1. CONCLUSIONS: MPA increases cell adhesion molecule expression on HUVECs, causing increased numbers of monocytoid cells to adhere to HUVECs. These MPA effects may be a risk factor for atherogenesis on endothelial cells in postmenopausal women receiving hormone replacement therapy.

New ultrasonographic criteria for the prenatal diagnosis of Chiari type 2 malformation.

BACKGROUND: During prenatal ultrasonography, characteristic malformations including the lemon sign, the banana sign, and obliteration of the cisterna magna are widely used for diagnosis of Chiari type 2 malformation (Arnold Chiari malformation). However, these signs are often obscured by 25 weeks' gestation. Here, we report an investigation of ultrasonographic markers of Chiari type 2 malformation for diagnosis after 24 weeks' gestation. METHODS: Twenty-two cases of 24-37 weeks' gestation referred as fetal ventriculomegaly were analyzed prospectively. Fetuses were examined with ultrasonography by axial section of the head to detect conventional signs, and then by coronary section of the posterior horn of the lateral ventricle to detect two prospective new signs: bilateral downward-triangle shape (triangle sign) and quadrilateral angular shape (square sign). RESULTS: From the axial sections, three cases were diagnosed with holoprosencephaly, but the remaining 19 cases did not show the lemon sign. In the coronary sections, the eight cases that showed the triangle sign were associated with open spina bifida at the lower vertebral site. The four cases that displayed the square sign showed upper spinal lesions. Chiari type 2 malformation was suspected in these 12 cases. Four of the other seven cases were suspected to be agenesis of the corpus callosum, and the remaining three were normal. All ultrasonographic findings were consistent with the subsequent MRI and postpartum definitive diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: At 24 weeks' gestation or later, Chiari type 2 malformation can be precisely and efficiently diagnosed by two new characteristics detected during ultrasonography: triangular shape and quadrilateral angular shape.

Estrogen and non-feminizing estrogen for Alzheimer's disease.

The preventive effect of estrogen on Alzheimer's disease (AD) has become clearer with many epidemiological reports. However, the therapeutic effects of estrogen have been controversial until now. In our trials, estrogen treatment showed a beneficial therapeutic effect for women with mild to moderate AD. Improvement of cognitive function was recognized during the third week from the beginning of administration and maintained as long as estrogen treatment continued. The longer the duration of HRT, the more HRT is useful for the prevention and therapy of AD. However, in most cases, administration of estrogen is discontinued because of the adverse effects on the uterus and breast. J 861 is a derivative of estradiol-17alpha, which has little effect on the sexual organs. The effects of estradiol-17beta (E2) and J 861 on neuronal function and vascular factors were investigated. J 861 was suggested to prevent both the intracellular calcium increase and peroxidation induced by amyloid beta (Abeta), more effectively than E2. The effect of J 861 may be related with both the direct non-genomic and the ER-mediated systems. J 861 showed neurotrophic effects like E2. J 861 inhibited the adhesion of monocytes to vascular endothelium, more effectively than E2. Also, J 861 suppressed the expression of adhesive factors, such as E-selectin and intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), more effectively than E2.