Association between being Overweight in Young Childhood and during School Age and Puberty.

To examine whether body type at birth, body weight, and obesity in early childhood are associated with overweight/obesity during school age and puberty. Data from maternal and child health handbooks, baby health checkup information, and school physical examination information of participants at birth and three-generation cohort studies were linked. Association between body type and body weight at different time intervals (at birth and at 1.

Exposure profile of mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, antimony, copper, selenium and zinc in maternal blood, cord blood and placenta: the Tohoku Study of Child Development in Japan.

Background: The effects of prenatal exposure to toxic elements on birth outcomes and child development have been an area of concern. This study aimed to assess the profile of prenatal exposure to toxic elements, arsenic (As), bismuth (Bi), cadmium (Cd), mercury (total mercury (THg), methylmercury (MHg), inorganic mercury (IHg)), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb) and tin (Sn), and essential trace elements, copper (Cu), selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn), using the maternal blood, cord blood and placenta in the Tohoku Study of Child Development of Japan (N = 594-650).

Methods: Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to determine the concentrations of these elements (except mercury).

Effects of intrauterine exposures to polychlorinated biphenyls, methylmercury, and lead on birth weight in Japanese male and female newborns.

Background: The effects of prenatal exposures to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), methylmercury, and lead on birth weight remain disputable. The aim of this study was to investigate whether these chemicals affect birth weight of Japanese newborns, with special emphasis on determining whether these effects differ between males and females.

Methods: The subjects from Tohoku Study of Child Development, which was designed to examine the developmental effects of prenatal exposures to such hazardous chemicals, were 489 mother-newborn pairs with complete data including smoking habit during pregnancy.

Impacts of prenatal exposures to polychlorinated biphenyls, methylmercury, and lead on intellectual ability of 42-month-old children in Japan.

Background: The age-specific impacts of perinatal exposures to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), methylmercury (MeHg), and lead on child neurodevelopment remain controversial. Since we have already reported the prenatal effects of these chemicals on neurodevelopment in 3-day-old and 30-month-old children of a birth cohort, the following effects were analyzed in the 42-month-old children in the same cohort.

Methods: The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC), comprised of four scales, was used to assess their intelligence and achievement.

[Normative study of the Boston naming test in 7-year-old Japanese children].

Objectives: The Boston Naming Test (BNT) has been used to assess the language development of children in many epidemiology studies, and its usefulness is confirmed. The BNT consists of 60 black and white line drawings of objects and animals. There are no normative data available for this test for Japanese children.

Increase in accumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls in offspring mouse brain via maternal coexposure to methylmercury and polychlorinated biphenyls.

Methylmercury (MeHg) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are environmentally persistent neurodevelopmental toxicants. In Japan, the most common source of human exposure is the consumption of contaminated fish and seafood. We investigated the accumulation of MeHg and PCBs in the brains of dams and offspring mice maternally exposed to MeHg and/or PCBs.

Mother-offspring aggregation in home versus conventional blood pressure in the Tohoku Study of Child Development (TSCD).

Objective: Few studies described the home blood pressure (HBP) in young children. Using intrafamilial correlations of blood pressure as research focus, we assessed the feasibility of HBP monitoring in this age group.

Methods: We enrolled 382 mothers (mean age 38.

Breastfeeding leads to lower blood pressure in 7-year-old Japanese children: Tohoku Study of Child Development.

This study investigated the association between breastfeeding and both self-measured home blood pressure (HBP) and conventional blood pressure (CBP) in 7-year-old Japanese children. We obtained data pertaining to breastfeeding and blood pressure for 377 mother-offspring pairs from the Tohoku Study of Child Development, which is a prospective birth cohort study. Information on breastfeeding and other factors were obtained from parental questionnaires during the follow-up period.

Prenatal exposures to environmental chemicals and birth order as risk factors for child behavior problems.

Objectives: To assess whether polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), methylmercury, lead, or parental child-rearing attitudes was most crucial for maladaptive behavior problems, we examined Japanese 30-month-old children followed up from pregnancy.

Methods: The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was used to assess the behavior problems in 306 children. The associations of cord-blood total PCBs (ΣPCB), total mercury (THg), and lead with each CBCL subscale were examined by multivariate analyses.

Hair-to-blood ratio and biological half-life of mercury: experimental study of methylmercury exposure through fish consumption in humans.

The hair-to-blood ratio and biological half-life of methylmercury in a one-compartment model seem to differ between past and recent studies. To reevaluate them, 27 healthy volunteers were exposed to methylmercury at the provisional tolerable weekly intake (3.4 µg/kg body weight/week) for adults through fish consumption for 14 weeks, followed by a 15-week washout period after the cessation of exposure.

[Comparison of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in plasma and erythrocyte phospholipids for biological monitoring].

Objectives: Previous data have indicated that the erythrocyte membrane may be the preferred sample type for assessing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) contents in cardiac and cerebral membranes. In this epidemiological study, we examined whether plasma phospholipids can be used for accurate biological monitoring of the LCPUFA state or whether analysis of erythrocyte membrane phospholipids is indispensable.

Methods: (1) The analysis of LCPUFA contents in erythrocyte membrane phospholipids was conducted at baseline and after 1 and 3 days at 4°C, and 21 days at -40°C, after blood drawing, and the changes in LCPUFA content were examined.

[Association of BMI with the beta3 adrenergic receptor gene mutation: a meta-analysis].

The beta3 adrenergic receptor (ADRB3) is a part of the adrenergic system, which is known to play a key role in energy metabolism. The relationship between the Trp64Arg variant of ADRB3 and body mass index (BMI) has been widely examined; however, the results of these studies have been inconsistent. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis of the relationship between an ADRB3 variant and BMI in 2008.

Recent trends of body mass index distribution among school children in Sendai, Japan: Decrease of the prevalence of overweight and obesity, 2003-2009.

It was reported that the number of obese children increased during the final decades of the 20th century. However, it is unclear whether the prevalence of obesity has changed in recent years. The aim of this study was to examine trends in the body mass index (BMI) and prevalence of obesity in 6th grade primary school children (6thPS) and 3rd year junior high school students (3rdJHS) in Sendai, Japan between 2003 and 2009.

[Construction of Maladaptive Behavior Scale in Japanese].

Objectives: To evaluate child development, social competence, like intellectual ability, is an important aspect. The social competence of a child is prescribed by behaviors suitable for the society (adaptive behaviors) and behaviors not suitable for the society (maladaptive behaviors). The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) have been widely administered to children in a semi-structural interview to evaluate social competence.

Neurobehavioral effects of prenatal exposure to methylmercury and PCBs, and seafood intake: neonatal behavioral assessment scale results of Tohoku study of child development.

As factors affecting neonatal neurodevelopment, methylmercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and maternal seafood intake reflecting n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are believed to have adverse or beneficial effects, but there are a few reports addressing such factors simultaneously. We carried out a birth cohort study to clarify the effects of these three factors on the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS), administered 3 days after birth. In a total of 498 mother-neonate pairs, the total mercury level (median, 1.

Gene expression profiles in the brain of the neonate mouse perinatally exposed to methylmercury and/or polychlorinated biphenyls.

Methylmercury (MeHg) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are environmentally persistent neurodevelopmental toxicants. The primary source of human exposure is the consumption of contaminated fish, seafood and marine mammals. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of MeHg and PCB toxicities and interactions between these contaminants.

Intervention study on cardiac autonomic nervous effects of methylmercury from seafood.

To scrutinize whether the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI, 3.4 microg/kg body weight/week) of methylmercury in Japan is safe for adults, we conducted an intervention study using heart rate variability (HRV) that has been considered to reflect cardiac events. Fifty-four healthy volunteers were recruited and divided into experimental and control groups.

Assessment of exposure to methylmercury in pregnant Japanese women by FFQ.

Objective: To examine whether an FFQ can be used for assessing exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) by estimating MeHg intake from seafood consumption using the FFQ and confirming the accuracy of the estimated value.

Design: Seafood consumption of pregnant women was assessed using the FFQ. Total mercury (T-Hg) concentrations of maternal red blood cells (RBC) and hair were measured as exposure indices of MeHg.

Trends of body mass index distribution in schoolchildren in Sendai, Japan, 1989-2003.

Accumulating evidence indicates a strong association between obesity and health problems. Childhood obesity increases the risk of adulthood obesity. Although it is reported that the number of obese children in Japan has increased, it is unclear whether the obesity index distribution pattern has changed.

Trends in growth status among schoolchildren in Sendai, Japan, 1994-2003: leveling-off of mean body height and weight.

Secular changes in growth have been well documented in various world populations, with secular increase especially noticeable in the developed countries. Accordingly, we have been monitoring the secular changes in growth status among the 6th year children in primary schools (6thPS, 11-12 years old) and 3rd year children in junior high schools (3rdJHS, 14-15 years old) in the city of Sendai since 1934. After World War II, both primary school children and junior high school students showed marked increases in height and weight up to the early 1970s.

No effect of the Trp64Arg variant of the beta3-adrenergic receptor gene on weight loss by diet and exercise intervention among Japanese adults.

Controversy remains as to whether the presence of the tryptophan-to-arginine (Trp64Arg) variant of the beta(3)-adrenergic receptor gene impedes the magnitude of body weight loss by diet and exercise intervention. The objectives of the present study were to compare the changes in body weight between carriers and noncarriers of the Trp64Arg variant before and after 6 months of diet and exercise interventions for weight loss. A total of 37 middle-aged Japanese individuals (12 carriers and 25 noncarriers of the Trp64Arg variant) participated in the study.

Permanent waving does not change mercury concentration in the proximal segment of hair close to scalp.

Mercury in hair is a generally accepted biomarker of methylmercury exposure, and permanent waving has been reported to affect the mercury concentration in hair. We conducted an experimental-field study to examine the changes in the mercury concentration in hair induced by treatments such as permanent waving, straightening and coloring. Hair samples were collected from 19 female subjects enrolled before and after hair treatment by a beautician during each visit to a beauty saloon.

Effects of perinatal coexposure to methylmercury and polychlorinated biphenyls on neurobehavioral development in mice.

Methylmercury (MeHg) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are environmental pollutants that cause neurobehavioral deficits in humans. Because exposures to MeHg and PCBs occur through fish consumption, it is necessary to clarify the effects of the interaction of the two pollutants. Therefore, we investigated the effects of perinatal exposure to MeHg and PCBs on the neurobehavioral development in mice.

Effect of intramuscular fat difference on glucose and insulin reaction in oral glucose tolerance test.

We investigated the relationship between insulin reaction and glycemic control in a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test of lipid in the paraspinal muscles using computed tomography (CT). The subjects were 79 males aged from 30 to 60 years old whose body mass index (BMI) was 25 or more. Those who had already been diagnosed as having type-2 diabetes mellitus in a regular health check and whose fasting plasma glucose was 126 mg/dl or more were excluded.

Metal components analysis of metallothionein-III in the brain sections of metallothionein-I and metallothionein-II null mice exposed to mercury vapor with HPLC/ICP-MS.

Mercury vapor is effectively absorbed via inhalation and easily passes through the blood-brain barrier; therefore, mercury poisoning with primarily central nervous system symptoms occurs. Metallothionein (MT) is a cysteine-rich metal-binding protein and plays a protective role in heavy-metal poisoning and it is associated with the metabolism of trace elements. Two MT isoforms, MT-I and MT-II, are expressed coordinately in all mammalian tissues, whereas MT-III is a brain-specific member of the MT family.