Dietary supplementation with 1-kestose induces altered locomotor activity and increased striatal dopamine levels with a change in gut microbiota in male mice.

1-Kestose (KES), a dietary fiber and prebiotic carbohydrate, benefits various physiological functions. This study aimed to examine whether diets supplemented with KES over three consecutive generations could significantly affect some host physiological aspects, including behavioral phenotypes and gut microbial ecology. Mice that received KES-supplemented diets for three generations demonstrated increased activity compared with those fed diets lacking KES. Furthermore, the KES group showed increased striatal dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) levels. The observed increase in DA levels within the striatum was positively correlated with locomotor activity in the KES group but not in the control (CON) group. The α-diversities were significantly lower in the KES group compared to the CON group. The three-dimensional principal coordinate analysis revealed a substantial distinction between the KES and CON groups across each generation. At the genus level, most gut microbiota genera exhibited lower abundances in the KES group than in the CON group, except for Bifidobacteria and Akkermansia. Spearman's rank-order analysis indicated significant negative correlations between the striatal DA levels and α-diversity values. These findings suggest that prolonged supplementation with KES may stimulate increased locomotor activity along with elevated striatal DA levels, which are potentially associated with KES-induced alterations in the gut microbiota.

Persistence of gut dysbiosis in individuals with anorexia nervosa.

Recent evidence suggests a crucial role of the gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of anorexia nervosa (AN). In this study, we carried out a series of multiple analyses of the gut microbiota of hospitalized individuals with AN over three months using 16S or 23S rRNA-targeted reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology (YIF-SCAN®), which is highly sensitive and enables the precise quantification of viable microorganisms. Despite the weight gain and improvements in psychological features observed during treatment, individuals with AN exhibited persistent gut microbial dysbiosis over the three-month duration. Principal component analysis further underscored the distinct microbial profile of individuals with AN, compared with that of age-matched healthy women at all time points. Regarding the kinetics of bacterial detection, the detection rate of Lactiplantibacillus spp. significantly increased after inpatient treatment. Additionally, the elevation in the Bifidobacterium counts during inpatient treatment was significantly correlated with the subsequent body weight gain after one year. Collectively, these findings suggest that gut dysbiosis in individuals with AN may not be easily restored solely through weight gain, highlighting the potential of therapeutic interventions targeting microbiota via dietary modifications or live biotherapeutics.

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing for patients with anorexia nervosa: a case-control study.

PURPOSE: Patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) require appropriate nutrient therapy and physical activity management. Eating disorder treatment guidelines do not include safe, evidence-based intensity criteria for exercise. This study used cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) to evaluate the exercise tolerance of patients with AN. METHODS: CPX was performed with 14 female patients with AN admitted to a specialized eating disorder unit between 2015 and 2019. Their anaerobic threshold (AT) was determined by assessing their exercise tolerance using CPX and compared with 14 healthy controls (HC). The metabolic equivalents (AT-METS) were compared when AT was reached. We examined factors related to AT (AN-AT) in the AN group, including age, body mass index (BMI), previous lowest weight, minimum BMI, past duration of BMI < 15, exercise history, and ΔHR (heart rate at the AT-resting heart rate). RESULTS: The AT of the AN group (BMI: 15.7 [Mean] ± 1.8 standard deviation [SD]) was significantly lower than that of the HC group (BMI: 19.7 ± 1.8) (AN: 10.0 ± 1.8 vs. HC: 15.2 ± 3.0 ml/kg/min, P < 0.001). AT-METS was also significantly lower in the AN group than in the HC group (AN: 2.9 ± 0.52 vs. HC: 4.4 ± 0.91, P < 0.001). AN-AT was highly influenced by ΔHR. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that AT and AT-METS were lower in patients with AN than in HC. Patients with AN should be prescribed light-intensity aerobic exercise, and the current findings may help develop future physical management guidelines for patients with AN. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III: Evidence obtained from case-control analytic studies.

Potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on japanese patients with eating disorders -a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdown had a considerable impact on eating disorders (EDs). We evaluated the clinical features of Japanese ED patients before and after the first COVID-19 outbreak-related state of emergency (April 7, 2020). METHODS: We studied 148 patients who were divided into two groups based on when they arrived at our clinic: before (Before group: n = 86) or after (After group: n = 62) the start of the first state of emergency. All patients completed the Japanese versions of the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) and Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). RESULTS: The After group was substantially younger than the Before group (p = .0187). Regardless of the ED type, patients who developed an ED during the first state of emergency tended to be significantly younger than those who developed one before. Differences in EDI characteristics were observed between the two groups. The PBI care subscale was notably higher (p = .0177) in the After group. The PBI maternal care subscale was the only statistically significant factor associated with age (ß = -0.35, p < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Home confinement associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing increase in parent-child closeness may have influenced the decreased age of ED patients at their initial consultation. Treatment interventions should consider the differences in the clinical features of EDs.