Aims/IntroductionElevation of the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), valine, leucine and isoleucine; and the aromatic amino acids, tyrosine and phenylalanine, has been observed in obesity-related insulin resistance. However, there have been few studies on Asians, who are generally less obese and less insulin-resistant than Caucasian or African-Americans. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and plasma amino acid concentration in non-diabetic Japanese participants.Materials and MethodsA total of 94 healthy men and women were enrolled, and plasma amino acid concentration was measured by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry after overnight fasting. The associations between HOMA-IR and 20 amino acid concentrations, and anthropometric and clinical parameters of lifestyle-related diseases were evaluated.ResultsThe mean age and body mass index were 40.1 ± 9.6 years and 22.7 ± 3.9, respectively. Significantly positive correlations were observed between HOMA-IR and valine, isoleucine, leucine, tyrosine, phenylalanine and total BCAA concentration. Compared with the HOMA-IR ≤ 1.6 group, the HOMA-IR > 1.6 group showed significantly exacerbated anthropometric and clinical parameters, and significantly elevated levels of valine, isoleucine, leucine, tyrosine, phenylalanine and BCAA.ConclusionsThe present study shows that the insulin resistance-related change in amino acid profile is also observed in non-diabetic Japanese subjects. These amino acids include BCAAs (valine, isoleucine and leucine) and aromatic amino acids (tyrosine and phenylalanine), in agreement with previous studies carried out using different ethnic groups with different degrees of obesity and insulin resistance.

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This study examined the effect of cosmetic therapy on frontal lobe activation as revealed by topographic near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). We evaluated emotional responses to a photograph of a face with/without makeup by 22 healthy female volunteers (mean age, 52 ± 10.5 years). The results of the first-round analysis showed a significant increase of oxy-Hb in the frontal lobe area when the subject looked at a photograph of herself made up as compared to not made up. In a later round of analysis, we divided the subjects into 2 groups having contrasting scores on the Profile of Mood States-Short Form Japanese version. One group was classed as "high vigor" (a common standard pattern) and the other as "low vigor" (depression-tendency pattern). The made-up/not made-up difference did not have any effect on the oxy-Hb level in the frontal lobe in the high vigor group. In contrast, makeup produced a significant increase in the oxy-Hb level over a wide frontal area in the low vigor group, which indicated widespread frontal lobe activation. This result indicates a beneficial effect of cosmetic therapy on the brain function of patients with depression and/ or dementia.

It is difficult for university students to maintain their health. Department of health management was opened at April 2018 in Tokai university, Japan. About two hundred students entered it last year. Health management system was developed to maintain their health through the college life. The system is named THINKss (Tokai Health INtelligence Knowledge Support System). The number of registered students increased about four hundred this year. Every student can record their daily physical and mental conditions, meal photos with the time, body temperature, blood pressure, bone density, body compositions on their smartphone. If they use activity trackers with a wrist-based heart rate sensor (Garmin co. ltd.), their daily activities and sleeping status are corrected through API automatically. The weather information around university is also recorded everyday. Every student can browse own measurements on their smartphones. Because physical status includes cold symptoms (sneeze, throat pain, cough, fatigue, articular pain, muscle pain, chill, and body temperature), the system can recommend visiting a clinic. Because three meal photos are shown alongside, the balance of the meals is known. It may improve their meals. Because the activity tracker records advanced sleeping status (rem, light, deep, and moving), the relationships between mental conditions and sleeping status should be analyzed. Our previous study for common workers showed that mental status related with sleeping status, taking lunch of convenience-store, standard deviation of time of taking lunch, and oversensitivity to noise. Relationships between body composition changes and the lifestyles should be analyzed for university students. Some alert logics for body composition changes and exacerbating mental conditions may be provided based on the evidences from cumulative data of the health management system. These evidence-based alerts will contribute to maintain student’s health through a college life. Key messages Health management system was developed to maintain student’s health through the college life. Evidence-based alerts will contribute to maintain student’s health through a college life.

Taxifolin, a polyphenol, is a strong antioxidant and is believed to exhibit various functions. This study is the first that showed the possibility of taxifolin to affect brain activity, mental stress and transcriptome in healthy young adults.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS 1. Subjects Ninety four healthy individuals (48 men and 46 women) were ABSTRACT Objective To investigate the relationship between visceral fat area (VFA) with the anthropometric and biochemical clinical parameters of lifestyle-related diseases, adipocytokines, inflammation and atherosclerosis in Japanese men and women. Subjects and methods The correlation between VFA and the following parameters was evaluated in 94 healthy volunteers (48 men and 46 women): body weight, BMI, waist circumference, body composition, blood pressure, glucose homeostasis, insulin resistance, lipids, uric acid, liver enzymes, leptin, adiponectin, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and the degree of atherosclerosis (mean intima-media thickness by carotid ultrasonography). Results The mean age was 40.1 ± 9.6 years (42.0 ± 10.2 for men and 38.1 ± 8.6 for women) and the mean VFA was 47.4 ± 40.9 cm 2 (70.5 ± 41.4 for men and 23.3 ± 22.3 for women). VFA was positively correlated with blood pressure, fasting glucose, HbA1c, insulin resistance, LDL-C, triglycerides, ALT, γ GT and uric acid. A negative correlation was observed in HDL-C and adiponectin. Furthermore, hsCRP and carotid intima-media thickness showed a positive association with VFA. Conclusion The present study shows that those with subclinical visceral fat accumulation have potential atherosclerotic risk even though they show no apparent clinical abnormalities.