Circadian rhythm and its association with birth and infant outcomes: research protocol of a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Circadian rhythm plays an important role as our internal body's clock that synchronizes behavior and physiology according to the external 24-h light-dark cycle. Past studies have associated disrupted circadian rhythm with higher risk of miscarriages, preterm birth and low birth weights. This paper described the protocol of a prospective cohort study which aims to determine the circadian rhythm in pregnant women, identify its association with maternal factors during pregnancy, gestational weight gain, birth and infant outcomes. METHODS: Ten government maternal and child health clinics in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia will be randomly selected. Sample size of 438 first-trimester pregnant women will be followed-up until the birth of their infant. Salivary melatonin and cortisol concentration among subsample will be determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data on sleep quality, psychological distress and morningness/eveningness chronotype of pregnant women will be collected using validated questionnaires. Pedometer will be used to measure 5-day physical activity data. Total gestational weight gain will be determined at the end of pregnancy. Utilization of 3-day food record is to capture meal timing and nutrient intake. All measurements will be done in 2nd and 3rd trimester. Birth outcomes will be collected through clinic records and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Neonatal questionnaire. Infants will be followed-up at 6 and 12 months old to obtain anthropometric measurements. DISCUSSION: There is a growing recognition of the role of maternal circadian rhythm, which entrains fetal circadian rhythms that may subsequently have long-term health consequences. The present study will identify the effect of circadian rhythm on pregnancy outcomes and infant growth in the first year of life.

Effects of increased daily physical activity on mental health and depression biomarkers in postmenopausal women.

[Purpose] Little is known about the effectiveness of daily physical activity on depression biomarkers in older adults. This study aimed to investigate the effects of increased daily physical activity for 8 weeks on depression biomarkers in postmenopausal women. [Participants and Methods] Thirty-eight postmenopausal females were randomly assigned into a control or an active group and were asked to wear a uniaxial accelerometer for 8 weeks. Blood samples were obtained at baseline and at the end of the intervention. During the intervention, the active group was asked to increase their physical activity level above their usual lifestyle whereas those in the control group maintained their daily lifestyle. [Results] After the 8-week intervention, the step counts of the participants in the active group increased. The serum concentration of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor and serotonin increased significantly in the active group, but not in the control group, as compared with baseline values. The serum concentration of derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites and biological antioxidant potential did not change after the intervention in either group. [Conclusion] These findings may suggest that promotion of daily physical activity in postmenopausal women has a positive impact on depression without any change in oxidative stress.

Psychological state during pregnancy is associated with sleep quality: preliminary findings from MY-CARE cohort study.

Psychological distress during pregnancy may increase the risk of adverse maternal and infant outcomes. Past studies have demonstrated the association between circadian disturbances with psychological health. However, the roles of chronotype and social jetlag on psychological state during pregnancy are yet to be identified. We aimed to examine the psychological state in pregnant women and its relations to chronotype, social jetlag (SJL), sleep quality and cortisol rhythm. The current study included a subsample of participants from an ongoing cohort study. A total of 179 primigravidas (mean age 28.4 ± 4.0 years) were recruited. Chronotype and sleep quality during the second trimester were assessed using the Morning-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively. SJL was calculated based on the difference between mid-sleep on workdays and free days. Psychological state of participants was evaluated using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Subsamples (n = 70) provided salivary samples at 5 time points over a 24 h period during the second trimester for cortisol assay. A higher proportion of pregnant women experienced moderate to severe anxiety symptoms (n = 77, 43.0%), followed by depressive (n = 17, 9.5%) and stress (n = 14, 7.8%) symptoms. No association was observed between chronotype and psychological distress during pregnancy. There was no significant difference in cortisol rhythms in relation to psychological distress. SJL and sleep quality were significantly associated with stress symptoms among pregnant women in the second trimester. Poor sleep quality, particularly daytime dysfunction (ß = 0.37, p = .006) and sleep disturbances (ß = 0.23, p = .047), were significantly associated with psychological distress (depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms) during the second trimester. The findings suggest that sleep is a potential modifiable lifestyle factor that can be targeted to improve psychological health among pregnant women.

Eurotium Cristatum Fermented Okara as a Potential Food Ingredient to Combat Diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disease, and dietary modification is a crucial part of disease management. Okara is a sustainable source of fibre-rich food. Most of the valorization research on okara focused more on the physical attributes instead of the possible health attributes. The fermentation of okara using microbes originated from food source, such as tea, sake, sufu and yoghurt, were explored here. The aim of this study is to investigate fermented okara as a functional food ingredient to reduce blood glucose levels. Fermented and non-fermented okara extracts were analyzed using the metabolomic approach with UHPLC-QTof-MSE. Statistical analysis demonstrated that the anthraquinones, emodin and physcion, served as potential markers and differentiated Eurotium cristatum fermented okara (ECO) over other choices of microbes. The in-vitro α-glucosidase activity assays and in-vivo mice studies showed that ECO can reduce postprandial blood glucose levels. A 20% ECO loading crispy snack prototype revealed a good nutrition composition and could serve as a fundamental formulation for future antidiabetes recipe development, strengthening the hypothesis that ECO can be used as a novel food ingredient for diabetic management.

Effects of Meal Timing on Postprandial Glucose Metabolism and Blood Metabolites in Healthy Adults.

We examined the effects of meal timing on postprandial glucose metabolism, including the incretin response and metabolites in healthy adults. Nineteen healthy young men completed two trials involving blood collection in a fasting state and at 30, 60 and 120 min after meal provision in a random order: (1) morning (~0900 h) and (2) evening (~1700 h). The blood metabolome of eight participants was analyzed using capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry. Postprandial glucose concentrations at 120 min (p = 0.030) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide concentrations (p = 0.005) at 60 min in the evening trials were higher than those in the morning trials. The incremental area under the curve values of five glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle and nucleotide-related metabolites and 18 amino acid-related metabolites were higher in the morning trials than those in the evening trials (p < 0.05). Partial least-squares analysis revealed that the total metabolic change was higher in the morning. Our study demonstrates that a meal in the evening exacerbates the state of postprandial hyperglycemia in healthy adults. In addition, this study provides insight into the difference of incretion and blood metabolites between breakfast and dinner, indicating that the total metabolic responses tends to be higher in the morning.

Subversion of immunoproteasome subunit expression in dengue virus serotype 2-infected HepG2 cells.

INTRODUCTION:: Infection with all serotypes of dengue virus (DV) results in augmented antigen presentation by MHC class I molecules. However, the upregulation of immunoproteasome subunits only results from infection with two serotypes. This study aims to elucidate changes in the expression of immunoproteasome subunits resulting from infection with DV, particularly DV serotype 2 (DV2). METHODS:: HepG2 cells were grown in various culture milieu. Total cellular RNA and proteins were extracted and quantified. RESULTS:: Results demonstrated sequestration of immunoproteasome subunits LMP2 and LMP7 in DV2-infected cells. CONCLUSIONS:: This study provides insights into the mechanisms underlying immune evasion by DV.

Subversion of immunoproteasome subunit expression in dengue virus serotype 2-infected HepG2 cells

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Infection with all serotypes of dengue virus (DV) results in augmented antigen presentation by MHC class I molecules. However, the upregulation of immunoproteasome subunits only results from infection with two serotypes. This study aims to elucidate changes in the expression of immunoproteasome subunits resulting from infection with DV, particularly DV serotype 2 (DV2). METHODS: HepG2 cells were grown in various culture milieu. Total cellular RNA and proteins were extracted and quantified. RESULTS: Results demonstrated sequestration of immunoproteasome subunits LMP2 and LMP7 in DV2-infected cells. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides insights into the mechanisms underlying immune evasion by DV.