Exposure assessment of ochratoxin a using paired serum and 24-hour pooled urine samples from Japanese adults.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced by and species, contaminating various food products. This study aimed to characterise OTA exposure in Japanese adults by analysing serum and urinary concentrations, evaluating demographic differences, and comparing these findings with international biomonitoring data. Serum and 24-h pooled urine samples were collected from 69 individuals, including 34 males and 35 females.

Gut Microbiome Composition Changes During Insomnia Treatment with Lemborexant.

Purpose: Insomnia is a common disorder worldwide. Growing evidence has revealed that the microbiota-gut-brain axis contributes to the regulation of sleep continuity and duration, both directly and indirectly. Although lemborexant is effective in treating insomnia, its effect on the gut microbiota remains unclear.

Butyrate-producing bacteria in pregnancy maintenance: mitigating dysbiosis-induced preterm birth.

Background: Preterm birth (PTB) is a major contributor to neonatal morbidity, mortality, and long-term health complications. Despite advances in perinatal care, PTB rates remain high, and its multifactorial etiology is not fully understood. Increasing evidence suggests that maternal gut microbiota plays a critical role in pregnancy maintenance, potentially through modulation of immune responses.

Cross-sectional biomonitoring of urinary deoxynivalenol, T-2 and HT-2 toxins, and zearalenone in Japanese adults.

Background: Among the more than 300 mycotoxins that are known to have toxic effects on animals and humans, Fusarium toxins deoxynivalenol (DON), T-2 and HT-2 toxins (T2/HT2), and zearalenone (ZEN) are frequently detected in domestic agricultural products. This study aimed to assess DON, T2/HT2, and ZEN exposure in Japanese adults by measuring urinary mycotoxins, observing their distributions, and making comparisons with data from other countries.

Methods: A total of 201 individuals participated in the study.

Determination of skin-insect repellent icaridin and DEET in human urine using solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry and its application to a sample of Japanese adults.

Background: Icaridin and DEET are common insect repellents widely used on human skin and clothing (skin-insect repellents [skin-IR]) to repel common pests, such as mosquitoes and biting flies. Novel analytical methods for urinary skin-IR exposure biomarkers that can be effectively applied in epidemiological studies and provide strong evidence related to risk assessment associated with daily exposure are required. In this study, we aimed to develop a method for analyzing the concentrations of icaridin, DEET, and two DEET metabolites N,N-diethyl-3-(hydroxymethyl) benzamide and 3-(diethylcarbamoyl) benzoic acid in human urine.

sp. nov., sp. nov., sp. nov. and gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from human faeces.

Small, obligately anaerobic strains 13CB8C, 13CB11C, 13CB18C and 13GAM1G were isolated from a faecal sample in a patient with Parkinson's disease with a history of duodenal resection. After conducting a comprehensive polyphasic taxonomic analysis including genomic analysis, we propose the establishment of one new genus and four new species. The novel bacteria are sp.

Soy protein β-conglycinin ameliorates pressure overload-induced heart failure by increasing short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing gut microbiota and intestinal SCFAs.

Background And Aims: Soybeans and their ingredients have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on cardiovascular diseases. β-Conglycinin (β-CG), a major constituent of soy proteins, is protective against obesity, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease, but its effects on heart failure remain to be elucidated. We tested the effects of β-CG on left ventricular (LV) remodeling in pressure overload-induced heart failure.

Acrylamide exposure, sex hormones, and pubertal status in Japanese adolescents.

Acrylamide may affect sex hormone levels and the timing of sexual maturation. The present study cross-sectionally examined interrelationship between the urinary metabolite of acrylamide exposure, serum sex hormone levels, and pubertal status in 408 Japanese adolescents aged 13-14 years. Their caregivers completed a questionnaire concerning the health status of their children, including pubertal maturation, and the lifestyles of children and parents.

Redox state of human serum albumin as a post-discharge prognostic marker in patients hospitalized for heart failure.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a global health concern, and oxidative stress has been implicated in its progression. The redox state of human serum albumin, a systemic oxidative biomarker, holds promise as a prognostic marker in HF. This study aimed to investigate the association between the fraction of human mercaptalbumin (fHMA), an indicator of human serum albumin's redox state, and adverse events in HF within a prospective single-hospital-based cohort.

Degranulation and expression of cytokines were modulated by diazinon in activated mast cells.

Diazinon is an organophosphorus (OP) insecticides used in agriculture, home gardening and indoor pest control in Japan. It can activate macrophages and induce pro-inflammatory responses and has been reported to cause airway hyper-reactivity, suggesting the possibility of asthma exacerbation from exposure to OP insecticides. Despite the correlation between insecticide use and the pathogenesis of allergic diseases, there have been no reports on the effects of diazinon on mast cell function.

Evaluating the risk of phthalate and non-phthalate plasticizers in dust samples from 100 Japanese houses.

Phthalates are widely used as plasticizer and associated with various health issues. Recently, non-phthalate plasticizers are replacing phthalates; however, the exposure to these substances and the risk in Japan is unclear. In this study, we assessed the concentrations of phthalates, non-phthalate plasticizers, and phthalate degradation products in house dust and determined their respective exposure risks via oral and dermal routes.

Density predictive model for an outbreak in adult female Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Japan.

We developed a predictive model for activities and outbreaks of female Aedes albopictus Skuse, using meteorological data. The number of Ae. albopictus collected from human bait-sweep net collection (h-BNC) surveillance, conducted by the local government between 2010 and 2019 in Japan, was adopted as a mosquito-activity indicator.

Urinary concentrations and elimination half-lives of parabens, benzophenones, bisphenol and triclosan in Japanese young adults.

Environmental phenols are widely distributed in the environment and human samples, suggesting potential exposure to these chemicals. We designed an intervention trial with 30 participants over 6 days to assess the urinary concentrations and half-lives of environmental phenols in Japanese young people. The target environmental phenols include three parabens (methyl paraben, ethyl paraben, and propyl paraben), two benzophenones (benzophenone 1 and 3), two bisphenols (bisphenol F and bisphenol S), and triclosan.

Effects of Pesticide Intake on Gut Microbiota and Metabolites in Healthy Adults.

Animal experiments have indicated that pesticides may affect gut microbiota, which is responsible for the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and polyamines. Here, we present a preliminary observation of the relationship between pesticide exposure and fecal SCFAs and polyamines in Japanese adults. In total, 38 healthy adults aged 69 ± 10 years (mean ± SD) were recruited and subjected to stool and spot urine tests.

Association Between the Redox State of Human Serum Albumin and Exercise Capacity in Patients With Cardiac Disease.

The redox state of human serum albumin (HSA) is reported to be an oxidative stress biomarker; however, its clinical use in cardiac disease has not yet been examined. This study aimed to investigate the relation between the redox state of HSA and exercise capacity, which is a robust prognostic factor, in patients with cardiovascular disease. This cross-sectional study included outpatients with cardiac disease.

Gut microbiota in dementia with Lewy bodies.

Gut microbiota and fecal bile acids were analyzed in 278 patients with α-synucleinopathies, which were comprised of 28 patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), 224 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), and 26 patients with idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD). Similarly to PD, short-chain fatty acids-producing genera were decreased in DLB. Additionally, Ruminococcus torques and Collinsella were increased in DLB, which were not changed in PD.

Association of Redox State of Human Serum Albumin with Severity in Patients with Heart Failure.

Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the progression of heart failure (HF). We surveyed the fraction of human mercaptalbumin [f (HMA) ], an indicator of the redox state of human serum albumin (HSA), in patients with HF and examined whether f (HMA) is associated with the severity of HF.We enrolled consecutive elderly patients hospitalized for acute HF or exacerbation of HF.

Interpreting biomonitoring data: Introducing the international human biomonitoring (i-HBM) working group's health-based guidance value (HB2GV) dashboard.

Human biomonitoring (HBM) data measured in specific contexts or populations provide information for comparing population exposures. There are numerous health-based biomonitoring guidance values, but to locate these values, interested parties need to seek them out individually from publications, governmental reports, websites and other sources. Until now, there has been no central, international repository for this information.

[Survey of Arsenic/Heavy Metals and Pesticide Residues in Edible Insects for Human Consumption or Supplied in Japan].

Arsenic (As) and heavy metals (Cd, Hg, Pb, and Cu) and pesticide residues in 14 edible insects were investigated. The maximum levels of elements were 6.15 for As, 0.

Simultaneous quantification of pyrethroid metabolites in urine of non-toilet-trained children in Japan.

Background: Pyrethroid (PYR) insecticides are widely used for controlling various pests. There are two types that differ in terms of usage: agricultural-purpose PYR (agriculture-PYR) and hygiene purpose PYR (hygiene-PYRs). Few studies exist on the exposure to these chemicals in small children.

Temporal trend and cross-sectional characterization of urinary concentrations of glyphosate in Japanese children from 2006 to 2015.

Background: Over the past two decades, domestic shipments of glyphosate (Gly), in the form of an ionic salt, have been increasing steadily in Japan. This increase has raising concerns about the effects of chemical exposure on children. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified Gly as a "probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A)" in 2015.

Periosteum-derived podoplanin-expressing stromal cells regulate nascent vascularization during epiphyseal marrow development.

Bone marrow development and endochondral bone formation occur simultaneously. During endochondral ossification, periosteal vasculatures and stromal progenitors invade the primary avascular cartilaginous anlage, which induces primitive marrow development. We previously determined that bone marrow podoplanin (PDPN)-expressing stromal cells exist in the perivascular microenvironment and promote megakaryopoiesis and erythropoiesis.

Intestinal Collinsella may mitigate infection and exacerbation of COVID-19 by producing ursodeoxycholate.

The mortality rates of COVID-19 vary widely across countries, but the underlying mechanisms remain unelucidated. We aimed at the elucidation of relationship between gut microbiota and the mortality rates of COVID-19 across countries. Raw sequencing data of 16S rRNA V3-V5 regions of gut microbiota in 953 healthy subjects in ten countries were obtained from the public database.