Evaluating the effects of 5-aminosalicylic acid on tofacitinib treatment in ulcerative colitis.

Background And Aim: Tofacitinib and aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) are commonly used to treat ulcerative colitis (UC). However, evidence on the effect of concomitant 5-ASA use in patients receiving tofacitinib is limited. This study investigated the effects of 5-ASA combined with tofacitinib in UC patients.

Hydroxyprolyl-Glycine in 24 H Urine Shows Higher Correlation with Meat Consumption than Prolyl-Hydroxyproline, a Major Collagen Peptide in Urine and Blood.

Urinary collagen peptides, the breakdown products of endogenous collagen, have been used as biomarkers for various diseases. These non-invasive biomarkers are easily measured via mass spectrometry, aiding in diagnostics and therapy effectiveness. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of consuming collagen-containing meat on collagen peptide composition in human blood and urine.

Antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory effects of fractionated crude lectins from boiled kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris).

In this study, we investigated the biological profile of lectins isolated from raw and boiled Japanese red Kintoki beans (red kidney beans [RKB]; Phaseolus vulgaris). Lectins in beans showing agglutination activity were retained after heating. Raw and boiled RKB lectins were fractionated using carboxymethyl- and diethylaminoethyl-Sepharose, respectively.

The impact of COVID-19 on Japanese patients with eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders during the vaccination era.

Background: Eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGIDs) are chronic allergic diseases categorized as eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and non-EoE EGIDs. Few studies regarding the association between EGIDs and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been reported. Although most Japanese individuals received the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine, the incidence of COVID-19 remained high in 2022.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Lifestyle and Psychosocial Behavior of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Narrative Review.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had a considerable impact on the global healthcare system and potentially the clinical course of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although IBD is a chronic disease, its therapy (except steroid therapy) does not increase the risk of contracting or aggravating COVID-19. However, the clinical course of patients is significantly influenced by environmental factors.

Inflammation-induced nitric oxide suppresses PPARα expression and function via downregulation of Sp1 transcriptional activity in adipocytes.

The activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), a ligand-dependent transcription factor that regulates lipid oxidation-related genes, has been employed to treat hyperlipidemia. Emerging evidence indicates that Ppara gene expression decreases in adipose tissue under obese conditions; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that nitric oxide (NO) suppresses Ppara expression by regulating its promoter activity via suppression of specificity protein 1 (Sp1) transcriptional activity in adipocytes.

Analysis of autonomic function during natural defecation in patients with irritable bowel syndrome using real-time recording with a wearable device.

Background: Autonomic dysfunction is a factor in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, there are no reports of autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity during natural defecation in patients with IBS. We aimed to clarify the relationship between ANS activity and life events, such as defecation and abdominal symptoms, using real-time recording.

[Current real-world treatments for Japanese patients with eosinophilic esophagitis].

A total of 306 patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) were analyzed at our department. Proton pump inhibitors or potassium-competitive acid blockers were used as the first-line treatment in 286 (93.5%) patients.

Effect of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Lockdown on Lifestyle Factors in Japanese Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Objective To examine the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown on lifestyle factors and psychological stress in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods A retrospective study was conducted on patients with IBD in Japan 2 months after the initiation of the first state of emergency (June 16 to August 21, 2020). A self-reported questionnaire was used to collect data, and lifestyle factors and psychological stress levels before and after the state of emergency were compared.

Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccines among Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Japan.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination is recommended for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines has not been sufficiently evaluated in patients with IBD. We aimed to assess the acceptance and hesitancy of COVID-19 vaccination and related factors among these patients.

Impact of the Lockdown Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

The government of Japan declared a state of emergency on April 16, 2020, owing to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The subsequent lockdown altered lifestyles and worsened mental illnesses. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an intestinal disorder that is affected by environmental factors.

Pyogenic Spondylitis Caused by Staphylococcus schleiferi in a Patient with Crohn's Disease.

Staphylococcus schleiferi has rarely been reported to cause pyogenic spondylitis. A 42-year-old man had been treated for Crohn's disease with immunosuppressive agents and home parenteral nutrition via a central vein (CV) port. The patient was admitted to our hospital, presenting with neck pain and a fever.

Time-Restricted Feeding Regulates Circadian Rhythm of Murine Uterine Clock.

Background: Skipping breakfast is associated with dysmenorrhea in young women. This suggests that the delay of food intake in the active phase impairs uterine functions by interfering with circadian rhythms.

Objectives: To examine the relation between the delay of feeding and uterine circadian rhythms, we investigated the effects of the first meal occasion in the active phase on the uterine clock.

Novel prognostic biomarkers of pouchitis after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio.

Objectives: Pouchitis is a major complication after restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Although there have been many investigations of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in various diseases, its role in predicting the development of pouchitis remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the clinical utility of the NLR for predicting the development of pouchitis after IPAA in UC patients.

Supragastric belching in Japan: lower prevalence and relevance for management of gastroesophageal reflux disease compared to United Kingdom.

Background: Supragastric belching (SGB) may play a role in the pathophysiology of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)-refractoriness in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). SGB may be present in up to 40% of reflux symptoms in PPI-refractory GERD. Most reports on SGB have come from Western countries, and little is known about the prevalence and relevance of SGB in Asian refractory GERD patients.

Adolescent Dietary Habit-induced Obstetric and Gynecologic Disease (ADHOGD) as a New Hypothesis-Possible Involvement of Clock System.

There are growing concerns that poor dietary behaviors at young ages will increase the future risk of chronic diseases in adulthood. We found that female college students who skipped breakfast had higher incidences of dysmenorrhea and irregular menstruation, suggesting that meal skipping affects ovarian and uterine functions. Since dysmenorrhea is more prevalent in those with a past history of dieting, we proposed a novel concept that inadequate dietary habits in adolescence become a trigger for the subsequent development of organic gynecologic diseases.

Slco2a1 deficiency exacerbates experimental colitis via inflammasome activation in macrophages: a possible mechanism of chronic enteropathy associated with SLCO2A1 gene.

Loss-of-function mutations in the solute carrier organic anion transporter family, member 2a1 gene (SLCO2A1), which encodes a prostaglandin (PG) transporter, have been identified as causes of chronic nonspecific multiple ulcers in the small intestine; however, the underlying mechanisms have not been revealed. We, therefore, evaluated the effects of systemic knockout of Slco2a1 (Slco2a1) and conditional knockout in intestinal epithelial cells (Slco2a1) and macrophages (Slco2a1) in mice with dextran sodium sulphate (DSS)-induced acute colitis. Slco2a mice were more susceptible to DSS-induced colitis than wild-type (WT) mice, but did not spontaneously develop enteritis or colitis.

Time Restriction of Food Intake During the Circadian Cycle Is a Possible Regulator of Reproductive Function in Postadolescent Female Rats.

Background: We previously reported that skipping breakfast is associated with menstrual disorders of female college students during postadolescent maturation.

Objective: In this study, we investigated the effects of meal timing during circadian cycle on the ovarian function using young female rats.

Methods: Considering that rats are nocturnally active, 8-wk-old female Wistar rats were classified into 3 groups: fed during the daytime only (nonactive phase), night-time only (active phase), or control group I (without time or calorie restriction, free access to a standard caloric diet, 20.

A Phytol-Enriched Diet Activates PPAR-α in the Liver and Brown Adipose Tissue to Ameliorate Obesity-Induced Metabolic Abnormalities.

Scope: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-α) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that regulates lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. We investigate the effects of naturally occurring PPAR-α agonists, phytol, and its metabolite phytanic acid, on obesity-induced metabolic disorders using a mouse model.

Methods And Results: A luciferase reporter assay shows that phytanic acid potently activates PPAR-α among PPAR subtypes.