In our previous study, we reported the therapeutic potential of Bifidobacterium breve A1 in preventing cognitive impairment in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease and participants with mild cognitive impairment; we suggested that probiotic supplementation is an effective therapeutic strategy for managing cognitive function. Accordingly, we conducted a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess whether 12-week B. breve A1 supplementation could affect the cognitive function of elderly subjects with memory complaints. We assessed cognitive function using the Japanese version of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) at baseline and after 12 weeks of probiotic supplementation. A total of 121 participants were randomised and received B. breve A1 capsules or placebo daily for 12 weeks; of these, 117 participants completed the study. At 12 weeks, neuropsychological test scores significantly increased in both groups; no significant intergroup difference was observed in terms of changes in scores from the baseline scores. However, a stratified analysis revealed a significant difference between B. breve A1 and placebo groups in terms of the subscale ‘immediate memory’ of RBANS and MMSE total score in the subjects with low RBANS total score at baseline. No significant differences in terms of blood parameters between the groups or adverse effects caused by B. breve A1 intervention were observed. The results of the present study suggest the safety of B. breve A1 supplementation and its potential in maintaining cognitive function in elderly subjects with memory complaints. However, future large-scale studies on individuals with impaired cognitive function are required to validate the present findings.
Background:We evaluated the association of prostate volume (PV) with the efficacy and safety of transurethral enucleation with bipolar energy (TUEB) for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
Methods:We retrospectively evaluated data from 180 patients with symptomatic BPH who underwent TUEB between 2008 and 2015. Efficacy was assessed by perioperative changes in international prostate symptom score (IPSS), Quality of Life Score (QOLS), maximum flow rate on uroflowmetry (Qmax), and serum prostate-specific antigen level (PSA), which were recorded at 3 months postoperatively. Safety was assessed by perioperative incidence of adverse events (AEs). AEs were recorded up to 2 years after surgery. Patients were divided into two groups based on PV as the standard group (SG; PV < 80 mL) and large group (LG; PV ≥ 80 mL).Results: A total of 132 (73%) patients were grouped as the SG, and 48 (27%) were grouped as the LG.No significant differences between the groups were observed in the preoperative variables age, IPSS, and QOLS. However, the LG had a significantly larger PV and higher serum PSA levels. Analysis of surgical outcomes revealed that postoperative changes in IPSS, QOLS, Qmax, serum PSA, serum sodium, and hemoglobin levels did not differ significantly between groups. However, LG had a significantly longer operative time and heavier specimen weight. The rates of early complications, including hyponatremia and blood transfusion, and late complications after surgery did not differ between the groups.
Conclusion:The present findings suggest that TUEB is safe and effective for treatment of BPH, regard-
Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei 327 (L. casei 327) was isolated from brown rice. A preliminary study showed that intake
of 50 mg of heat-killed L. casei 327 is effective in improving defecation. In this study, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled,
parallel-group trial to investigate the effect of intake of heat-killed L. casei 327 (25 mg: approximately 5 × 1010 bacteria) on defecation in
healthy volunteers with relatively low defecation frequencies. We selected 104 healthy Japanese adults with relatively low defecation frequencies (approximately 3–5 times a week) by
screening and pretrial tests. Subjects (n=52 in each group) were randomly given a tablet containing L. casei 327 (group A) or a placebo tablet (group P)
daily for 2 weeks. After eliminating data for 9 subjects who met the exclusion criteria for efficacy analysis, data for 95 subjects were analyzed. The defecation frequency and number of
defecation days during the intake period and their changes from the pretrial period were significantly higher in group A than in group P. The fecal volume during the intake period was higher
in group A than group P, but the difference was not statistically significant. However, the change from the pretrial period was significantly higher in group A than in group P. There were no
significant differences between groups in the values of fecal shape, color, odor, and feeling after defecation. These results suggested that intake of L.
casei 327 improves defecation in healthy adults who have relatively low defecation frequencies.
The present study investigated whether combined ingestion of green tea catechins (GTC) and monoglucosyl hesperidin (GHES) influences the pharmacokinetic parameters of polyphenols and serum triglycerides (TG). We conducted 2 randomized,...
We compared several clinical parameters between two different prostatectomy procedures, transurethral prostatectomy (TUR-P, 26 cases) among aged cases of benign prostatic hypertrophy. All patients were over 80 years old and were treated at Nippon Medical School Hospital from January 1983 to December 1988. TUR-P was superior to open prostatectomy in the following aspects, (1) operation time, (2) total amount of transfused blood and (3) hospital stay.
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