Safety assessment of L-Arg oral intake in healthy subjects: a systematic review of randomized control trials.

L-Arg is a nonessential amino acid but has many physiological roles. Accordingly, L-Arg has been used in various fields, but there is only limited information available about its safety upon overdose. Generally, the no-observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) is used when setting the upper amount for chemical substances.

Supplementation of Dihomo-γ-Linolenic Acid for Pollen-Induced Allergic Symptoms in Healthy Subjects: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA) is an -6 polyunsaturated fatty acid that has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects in mice and cell study. To date, however, no human intervention study has examined the effects of DGLA. Therefore, we investigated the effects of DGLA on pollen-induced allergic symptoms in healthy adults.

A change-point regression approach for estimating no observed adverse effect level from systematic review.

Systematic reviews can be used not only to evaluate the efficacy and usefulness of a drug or food ingredient, but also as a safety assessment method. One of the aims of safety assessment is to estimate the no observed adverse effect level and the lowest observed adverse effect level. However, no methodology to statistically estimate the no observed adverse effect level from systematic review results has yet been reported.

"Nutrient-Repositioning"-Unexpected Amino Acid Functions.

Repositioning is usually used to indicate drug repositioning, or the finding of new disease applications for existing, approved drugs. Nutrients can be ingested for nutritional as well as therapeutic purposes, acting much the same as drugs. Amino acids are organic compounds that possess both amino and carboxy group functionalities and are best known as building blocks of proteins in living organisms.

Integrative Approaches of Bioassay and Computational Analysis for Discovering Potential Bioactive Compounds and Predictive Toxicity.

Changes in eating habits are brought about by drastic changes in lifestyle and environment, and, it has been pointed out, are strongly involved in the increase in neurological diseases and onset of cancer in younger adult ages. There is a wide variety of chemical substances in food, and there is a need to analyze the effects of complex exposures on complex mechanisms of action and to develop methods for evaluating and predicting them. The power of molecular nutrition needs to create an integrated approach to human nutrition in line with the grand social challenges of diet-related illnesses.

Effect of Docosahexaenoic Acid and Eicosapentaenoic Acid Supplementation on Sleep Quality in Healthy Subjects: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)-omega-3 fatty acids with various functions-influence sleep in children and young adults. However, only limited studies on their effects on sleep in middle- and old-aged adults have been reported. Therefore, we investigated the effects of DHA and EPA on sleep quality in subjects aged ≥ 45 years.

Dietary Alaska Pollack Protein Induces Acute and Sustainable Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy in Rats.

Our previous studies suggested that Alaska pollack protein (APP) intake increases skeletal muscle mass and that it may cause a slow-to-fast shift in muscle fiber type in rats fed a high-fat diet after 56 days of feeding. In this study, we explored whether dietary APP induces acute and sustainable skeletal muscle hypertrophy in rats fed a normal-fat diet. Male 5-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups and fed a purified ingredient-based high-fat diet or a purified ingredient-based normal-fat diet with casein or APP, containing the same amount of crude protein.

Therapeutic effects of sertraline on improvement of Ovariectomy-induced decreased spontaneous activity in mice.

We have already reported that ovariectomized (OVX) rats reduced the spontaneous activity during the dark period due to the decease of serotonin release in the amygdala. In this study, we examined the potential of sertraline, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, on the recovery of less spontaneous activity seen in mice with OVX-induced despair-like behaviors. Female 9-week old ICR mice were underwent either OVX or sham surgery.

Estimation of inter-individual variability of protein requirement by indicator amino acid oxidation method.

The indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO) method is a recently developed method to determine the protein requirement and is particularly useful for analyzing human subjects because of its minimal invasiveness. IAAO study is performed using two-phase regression analysis, with the break-point between these phases being the estimated average requirement. However, this method requires that the break-point lie within a certain range in advance, which is in practice difficult.

Lactoferrin Suppresses Decreased Locomotor Activities by Improving Dopamine and Serotonin Release in the Amygdala of Ovariectomized Rats.

Background: Decreases in female hormones not only affect bone metabolism and decrease bone mass, but also affect the central nervous system, causing brain disorders such as depression and dementia. Administration of estradiol by hormone replacement therapy can improve dementia, while reduced estradiol in ovariectomized (OVX) model rats can reduce both bone density and locomotor activity. The antidepressant fluvoxamine, which is widely used in clinical practice, can improve this effect on locomotor reduction.

A 100-m Sprint Time Is Associated With Deep Trunk Muscle Thickness in Collegiate Male Sprinters.

One reason athletes train their trunk muscles is that the body's trunk stability has been shown to prevent injury. However, the relationship between body trunk muscle thickness, particularly that of deep muscles, and athletic performance remains to be clarified. We aimed to explore the relationship between 100-m sprint performance and the sizes of the trunk stabilizing muscles, the psoas major muscle (PM), transversus abdominis (TA), and multifidus muscle (MM), in collegiate sprinters.

Dietary Alaska pollack protein improves skeletal muscle weight recovery after immobilization-induced atrophy in rats.

The promotion of muscle recovery after immobilization is important to preserve an optimum health status. Here, we examined the effect of dietary Alaska pollack protein (APP) on skeletal muscle weight after atrophy induced by hind limb immobilization using plaster immobilization technique. Rat left limb was casted with a wetted plaster cast under anesthesia.

Safety assessment of L-lysine oral intake: a systematic review.

Currently, the use of amino acids in supplements and functional foods is increasing globally. However, there are no guidelines for the upper limit of ingestion for the safe use of these amino acids. Safety evaluation of chemical substances is generally performed through non-clinical and clinical studies.

The Effect of a High-Fat Diet on the Development of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in a Vascular Hypoperfusion-Induced Animal Model.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a vascular disease characterized by chronic inflammation in the infrarenal aorta. Most cases of AAA remain asymptomatic until rupture, and the mortality rate of patients with AAA rupture is very high. Currently, the relation between dietary habits and AAA development remains unknown.

Fish protein hydrolysate exhibits anti-obesity activity and reduces hypothalamic neuropeptide Y and agouti-related protein mRNA expressions in rats.

Fish protein is a source of animal protein that is consumed worldwide. Although it has been reported that the intake of Alaska pollack protein (APP) reduces body fat accumulation and increases muscle weight in rats, the mechanisms underlying these effects are poorly understood. As a possibility, peptides released from APP in the gastrointestinal tract are important to the functions of APP.

Adipocyte in vascular wall can induce the rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a vascular disease involving the gradual dilation of the abdominal aorta. It has been reported that development of AAA is associated with inflammation of the vascular wall; however, the mechanism of AAA rupture is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the mechanism underlying AAA rupture using a hypoperfusion-induced animal model.

Eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids-rich fish oil supplementation attenuates strength loss and limited joint range of motion after eccentric contractions: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial.

Purpose: This study investigated the effect of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids-rich fish oil (EPA + DHA) supplementation on eccentric contraction-induced muscle damage.

Methods: Twenty-four healthy men were randomly assigned to consume the EPA + DHA supplement (EPA, n = 12) or placebo (PL, n = 12) by the double-blind method. Participants consumed EPA + DHA or placebo supplement for 8 weeks prior to exercise and continued it until 5 days after exercise.

A novel Alaska pollack-derived peptide, which increases glucose uptake in skeletal muscle cells, lowers the blood glucose level in diabetic mice.

We found that the tryptic digest of Alaska pollack protein exhibits a glucose-lowering effect in KK-Ay mice, a type II diabetic model. We then searched for glucose-lowering peptides in the digest. Ala-Asn-Gly-Glu-Val-Ala-Gln-Trp-Arg (ANGEVAQWR) was identified from a peak of the HPLC fraction selected based on the glucose-lowering activity in an insulin resistance test using ddY mice.

A Simple Evaluation Method for the Quality of Dietary Protein in Rats Using an Indicator Amino Acid Oxidation Technique.

We demonstrated that the indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO) method could be employed for the evaluation of quality of dietary protein by comparing the protein intakes required to meet metabolic demand in rats fed different proteins. The objective of this study was to validate a simple evaluation method for determining the quality of dietary protein using the IAAO technique. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (5-6 wk old) were fed meals composed of graded protein, using either casein, wheat gluten (WG), soy protein isolate (SPI), or egg white protein (EW), every 3 h from 09:00 to 18:00.

Fish protein intake induces fast-muscle hypertrophy and reduces liver lipids and serum glucose levels in rats.

In our previous study, fish protein was proven to reduce serum lipids and body fat accumulation by skeletal muscle hypertrophy and enhancing basal energy expenditure in rats. In the present study, we examined the precise effects of fish protein intake on different skeletal muscle fiber types and metabolic gene expression of the muscle. Fish protein increased fast-twitch muscle weight, reduced liver triglycerides and serum glucose levels, compared with the casein diet after 6 or 8 weeks of feeding.

Effects of krill oil containing n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in phospholipid form on human brain function: a randomized controlled trial in healthy elderly volunteers.

Background: Krill oil, rich in n-3 (omega-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) incorporated in phosphatidylcholine, has been reported to have many effects on physiological function. However, there are few studies using psychophysiological methods published that describe the effects of krill oil on brain function. We investigated the influence of ingestion of krill oil on cognitive function in elderly subjects by using near-infrared spectroscopy and electroencephalography.

Determining amino acid requirements from repeated observations on indicator amino acid oxidation method by mixed-effect change-point regression models.

In nutrition studies, it is often of primary interest to determine the critical threshold value of some biological quantities. To determine the amino acid requirement, the tracer approach including the indicator amino acid oxidation method is useful for the investigation of human subjects. In this approach, measurements of amino acids other than the test amino acid are often repeatedly carried out with various intakes of the test amino acid.