Anti-Obesity Effects of SPY Fermented with Lactobacillus rhamnosus BST-L.601 via Suppression of Adipogenesis and Lipogenesis in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice.

In this research, the potential anti-obesity efficacy of Lactobacillus rhamnosus BST-L.601 and its fermented product (named SPY) with mashed sweet potato paste were investigated using 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and high-fat diet (HD)-induced obese mice. SPY (0-0.5 mg/mL) dose-dependently and significantly reduced lipid accumulation and TG content and the expression of adipogenic markers (C/EBPα, PPAR-γ, and aP2) and fatty acid synthetic pathway proteins (ACC and FAS) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, demonstrating that SPY suppresses adipocyte differentiation and lipogenesis. Oral administration of SPY (4 × 107 CFU/kg body weight) to HD-induced obese mice for 12 weeks significantly reduced the body and liver weight, the size of adipocytes, and the weight of epididymal, visceral, and subcutaneous fat tissues. SPY was more effective in decreasing body weight gain in HD mice than in treatment with BST-L.601 alone. Administration of SPY or BST-L.601 also reduced the serum level of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol and leptin secretion at a similar level. These results revealed that both SPY and BST-L.601 effectively suppress HD-induced adipogenesis and lipogenesis, suggesting that these materials would be useful in the functional foods industry to ameliorate and/or prevent obesity.

An Updated Meta-Analysis of Remote Blood Pressure Monitoring in Urban-Dwelling Patients with Hypertension.

Following the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic, this study aimed to evaluate the overall effects of remote blood pressure monitoring (RBPM) for urban-dwelling patients with hypertension and high accessibility to healthcare and provide updated quantitative summary data. Of 2721 database-searched articles from RBPM's inception to November 2020, 32 high-quality studies (48 comparisons) were selected as primary data for synthesis. A meta-analysis was undertaken using a random effects model. Primary outcomes were changes in office systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) following RBPM. The secondary outcome was the BP control rate. Compared with a usual care group, there was a decrease in SBP and DBP in the RBPM group (standardized mean difference 0.507 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.339-0.675, p < 0.001; weighted mean difference [WMD] 4.464 mmHg, p < 0.001) and 0.315 (CI 0.209-0.422, p < 0.001; WMD 2.075 mmHg, p < 0.001), respectively). The RBPM group had a higher BP control rate based on a relative ratio (RR) of 1.226 (1.107-1.358, p < 0.001). RBPM effects increased with increases in city size and frequent monitoring, with decreases in intervention duration, and in cities without medically underserved areas. RBPM is effective in reducing BP and in achieving target BP levels for urban-dwelling patients with hypertension.

Stakeholders' resistance to telemedicine with focus on physicians: Utilizing the Delphi technique.

INTRODUCTION: Sufficient infrastructure for information and communications technology (ICT) and a well-established policy are necessary factors for smooth implementation of telemedicine. However, despite these necessary conditions being met, there are situations where telemedicine still fails to be accepted as a system due to the low receptivity of stakeholders. In this study, we analyse stakeholders' resistance to an organization's implementation of telemedicine. Focusing on the physicians' interests, we propose a strategy to minimize conflicts and improve acceptance. METHODS: The Delphi study involved 190 telemedicine professionals who were recommended by 485 telemedicine-related personnel in South Korea. RESULTS: Out of 190 professionals, 60% of enrolled participants completed the final questionnaires. The stakeholders were categorized into four groups: policy-making officials, physicians, patients, and industrialists. Among these, the physicians were most opposed to the adoption of telemedicine. The main causes of such opposition were found to be the lack of a medical services delivery system and the threat of disruption for primary care clinics. Very little consensus was observed among the stakeholders, except on the following points: the need for expansion of the national health insurance budget by the government, and the need for enhancement of physicians' professional autonomy to facilitate smooth agreements. DISCUSSION: Our analysis on the causes of the resistance to telemedicine, carried out with the groups mentioned above, has important implications for policy-makers deriving strategies to achieve an appropriate consensus.

Bioconversion of compactin into pravastatin by Streptomyces sp.

Streptomyces sp. Y-110, isolated from soil, modified compactin to pravastatin, a therapeutic agent for hypercholesterolemia. In a batch culture, the highest production of pravastatin was 340 mg l(-1) from 750 mg compactin l(-1) in 24 h. By intermittent feeding of compactin into the culture medium, both the compactin concentration and its conversion increased to 2000 mg l(-1) and 1000 mg pravastatin l(-1), respectively, with the conversion rate of 10 mg l(-1) h(-1). Continuous feeding of compactin increased production of pravastatin to 15 mg l(-1) h(-1).