Association Between Antibiotic Exposure During Pregnancy and Postpartum Depressive Symptoms: The Japan Environment and Children's Study.

Postpartum depressive symptoms (PDS) are a common mental health condition among women after delivery. Although various causative factors have been reported, PDS remains a challenging condition to predict and prevent. The disruption of the gut microbiota due to antibiotic exposure has been reported to affect psychiatric conditions.

Risk of autism spectrum disorder at 18 months of age is associated with prenatal level of polychlorinated biphenyls exposure in a Japanese birth cohort.

Prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has a detrimental effect on early cognitive development. Based on these observations, some researchers suggested that prenatal exposure to PCB may be an environmental cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To investigate the potential link between prenatal exposure to PCB, we analyzed the link between the level of prenatal PCB exposure and ASD risk evaluated at 18 months of age and behavioral problems at 5 years old based on longitudinal birth cohort data collected in urban areas in Japan based on the data from 115 mother-infant pairs.

Three-year seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein antibody among children, parental awareness, and contributors of infection: a single-school cohort study in Chiba, Japan.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children is often asymptomatic, posing challenges in detecting infections. Additionally, factors contributing to infection remain poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate trends in anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleocapsid antibody seroprevalence, the relationship between seroprevalence and parental perception of child infection, and factors related to COVID-19 in children.

Effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine on the gut microbiota and metabolites in the small intestine, cecum, and colon of male rats.

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; Ecstasy) is a widely abused recreational drug that has also gained interest for potential clinical applications in mental health. With the growing recognition of gut microbiota's role in mental health, this study examined whether repeated oral MDMA administration could affect gut microbiota in the small intestine, cecum, and colon of male rats. Repeated oral MDMA administration (10 mg/kg/day for 14 days) caused significant changes in the gut microbiota across these regions, with distinct effects observed in each.

Second phase Chiba study of mother and child health (C-MACH): Japanese birth cohort study with multiomics analyses.

Purpose: Epidemiological studies have reported that environmental factors from fetal period to early childhood can influence the risk of non-communicable diseases in adulthood. This concept has been termed the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD). The Chiba study of Mother and Child Health (C-MACH) is a DOHaD concept-based birth cohort study which started in 2014.

Elucidation of endogenous and exogenous chemicals in maternal serum using high-resolution mass spectrometry.

The increasing exposure to environmental chemicals calls for comprehensive non-targeted analysis to detect unrecognized substances in human samples. We examined human serum samples to classify compounds as endogenous or exogenous using public databases and to explore the relationships between exposure markers and metabolic patterns. Serum samples from 84 pregnant women at 32 weeks gestation were analyzed using LC-QToFMS.

Associations of parental education with children's infectious diseases and their mediating factors: the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS).

BackgroundParents' educational background is presumed to influence the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases in children through their decisions about vaccinations and other family lifestyle choices. Regarding voluntary vaccination, a household's economic situation may also be associated with non-vaccination. Therefore, this study investigated the association between parental education and vaccine-preventable diseases (varicella, mumps, influenza [flu], pertussis, measles, and rubella) in children, which currently remains elusive.

Splenic nerve denervation attenuates depression-like behaviors in Chrna7 knock-out mice via the spleen-gut-brain axis.

Background: Growing evidence highlights the role of the spleen-brain axis in inflammation-associated depression. The α7-subtype of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR, encoded by the Chrna7 gene) is implicated in systemic inflammation, with Chrna7 knock-out (KO) mice displaying depression-like behaviors. Yet, the influence of spleen nerve on depression-like behaviors in these KO mice remains to be elucidated.

Longitudinal Analysis of One-Carbon Metabolism-Related Metabolites in Maternal and Cord Blood of Japanese Pregnant Women.

One-carbon metabolism (OCM) is a complex and interconnected network that undergoes drastic changes during pregnancy. In this study, we investigated the longitudinal distribution of OCM-related metabolites in maternal and cord blood and explored their relationships. Additionally, we conducted cross-sectional analyses to examine the interrelationships among these metabolites.

Dietary sulforaphane glucosinolate mitigates depression-like behaviors in mice with hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury: A role of the gut-liver-brain axis.

Nutrition has been increasingly recognized for its use in mental health. Depression is commonly observed in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). Building on our recent findings of depression-like behaviors in mice with hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (HI/R) injury, mediated by the gut-liver-brain axis, this study explored the potential influence of dietary sulforaphane glucosinolate (SGS) on these behaviors.

Characteristics of cadence during continuous walking in daily life.

Despite the acknowledged relationship between the usual (preferred) walking speed (UWS) and health, there is currently no practical method available to reliably and accurately detect slight changes in UWS. This study aimed to explore whether either of the following two phenomena occurs during continuous daily walking in various periods: (a) Similarity between the most frequent cadences in the two periods. (b) The occurrence of the most frequent cadence in at least one of the two periods during the other period, with a frequency close to that of the most frequent cadence.

A role of gut-brain axis on prophylactic actions of arketamine in male mice exposed to chronic restrain stress.

The gut-brain axis, which includes gut microbiota and microbiome-derived metabolites, might be implicated in depression. We reported the sustained prophylactic effects of a new antidepressant arketamine in chronic restrain stress (CRS) model of depression. In this study, we investigated the role of gut-brain axis on the prophylactic effects of arketamine in the CRS (7 days) model.

Association between maternal blood or cord blood metal concentrations and catch-up growth in children born small for gestational age: an analysis by the Japan environment and children's study.

Background: Catch-up growth issues among children born small for gestational age (SGA) present a substantial public health challenge. Prenatal exposure to heavy metals can cause adverse effects on birth weight. However, comprehensive studies on the accurate assessment of individual blood concentrations of heavy metals and their effect on the failure to achieve catch-up growth remain unavailable.

Depression-like phenotypes in mice following common bile duct ligation: Insights into the gut-liver-brain axis via the vagus nerve.

Depression frequently occurs in patients with liver cirrhosis, yet the reasons for this correlation are not fully understood. Dysbiosis of gut microbiota has been implicated in depression through the gut-brain axis via the vagus nerve. This study explored the potential role of the gut-liver-brain axis via the vagus nerve in depression-like phenotypes in mice with liver cirrhosis.

The association between clustering based on composition of volatile organic compound in indoor air and building-related symptoms.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been suspected to cause building-related symptoms (BRSs). Although some studies investigated the association between BRSs and VOCs in indoor air, those results were inconsistent. This study investigated the contamination status of VOCs in the indoor air of 154 houses in Japan.

Within-individual relationships between mother-to-infant bonding and postpartum depressive symptoms: a longitudinal study.

Background: Although the importance of the dynamic intra-individual relationship between mother-to-infant bonding and postpartum depressive symptoms has been widely recognized, the complex interplay between them is not well understood. Furthermore, the potential role of prenatal depressive symptoms and infant temperament in this relationship remains unclear. This study aims to examine the bidirectional influence of mother-to-infant bonding on postpartum depressive symptoms within individuals and to elucidate whether prenatal depressive symptoms and infant temperament would influence deviations from stable individual states.

Teenage and young adult pregnancy and depression: findings from the Japan environment and children's study.

Teenage pregnancy increases the threat of depression because of its many factors. Pregnancy during young adulthood may also have several risk factors for depression compared to older pregnancies. However, data on depression in young adult pregnancies are lacking.

Role of the gut-brain axis via the subdiaphragmatic vagus nerve in stress resilience of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine in mice exposed to chronic restrain stress.

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is the most widely used illicit substance worldwide. Nevertheless, recent observational studies demonstrated that lifetime MDMA use among U.S.

Depression-like phenotypes in mice with hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury: A role of gut-microbiota-liver-brain axis via vagus nerve.

Depression is a frequent symptom in patients with chronic liver disease; however, the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. Dysbiosis of gut microbiota plays a critical role in depression through the gut-brain axis via the vagus nerve. In this study, we investigated whether the gut-microbiota-liver-brain axis plays a role in depression-like phenotypes in mice with hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (HI/R) injury via the vagus nerve.

Prediction of gestational diabetes mellitus using machine learning from birth cohort data of the Japan Environment and Children's Study.

Recently, prediction of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) using artificial intelligence (AI) from medical records has been reported. We aimed to evaluate GDM-predictive AI-based models using birth cohort data with a wide range of information and to explore factors contributing to GDM development. This investigation was conducted as a part of the Japan Environment and Children's Study.