Cancer cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome characterized by persistent skeletal muscle loss, with or without fat loss, which cannot be completely reversed by traditional nutritional support and leads to impaired organ function. Cachexia seriously reduces the quality of life of (QOL) patients, affects the therapeutic effect against cancers, increases the incidence of complications, and is an important cause of death for patients with advanced cancers. To date, no effective medical intervention has completely reversed cachexia, and no medication has been agreed upon. Here, we describe recent advances in the diagnosis, molecular mechanism and treatment of cancer-related cachexia.

As binge eating and unbalanced diets increase the prevalence of obesity and metabolic disorders, it has been noted that the increase in psychiatric disorders is also a consequence of diet. The present study examined aggressive behavior and peripheral stress-related hormone and catecholamine levels in BALB/c mice fed a high-sucrose diet during adolescent development. BALB/c mice are rarely used in research assessing the effect of diet, but were used for ethnic and personal differences and as a new experimental model. BALB/c mice were fed a diet in which all carbohydrate components were replaced with sucrose for 4 wk and were subjected to the resident-intruder and social dominance tube test. Plasma insulin, corticosterone, and catecholamine levels were also compared to mice fed a control diet. The high-sucrose diet did not alter body weight, glucose tolerance, and plasma insulin levels in BALB/c mice, indicating that the diet was resilient to obesity. Mice fed a high-sucrose diet exhibited increased aggressive behaviors in the resident-intruder test and had a significantly higher win rate in the tube test. Increases in adrenal weight and plasma corticosterone as well as noradrenaline and adrenaline levels were exhibited in mice fed a high-sucrose diet. In particular, this is the first evidence of increased social dominance and hyperplasia of the adrenal glands by a sucrose diet. Sucrose diet intake increased aggression in mice and caused elevated peripheral hormones involving the HPA axis and the sympathetic nervous system, indicating that this may be a central nervous system-mediated effect of excess sucrose.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a prominent liver disease occurring in approximately 25% of the general population. As treatment, lifestyle modification is essential, but there are few reports on dietary patterns associated with MASLD except for the Mediterranean diet. This study examines dietary habits related to MASLD using the fatty liver index (FLI). Longitudinal analysis of a community-based cohort, the Nagahama Prospective Cohort for Comprehensive Human Bioscience, was performed. Dietary habits were assessed by a self-reported questionnaire on food intake frequency, and factor analysis was applied to identify dietary patterns. Multiple regression analysis was performed with baseline FLI or FLI after 5 y as the dependent variable and sex, age, and/or baseline FLI, and factor scores of each dietary pattern as simultaneous independent variables. The same analyses stratified by sex or body mass index (BMI) were also performed. Three thousand five hundred one participants were included. The 15 food items of the questionnaire were summarized into four dietary patterns. Dietary patterns rich in soybean products, vegetables, fish, fruits, and miso soup, which is characteristic of traditional Japanese diet, negatively correlated with FLI and FLI after 5 y (partial regression coefficient: −3.01 and −1.03, respectively; p<0.01 for both). The result was similar in sex-specific analysis and in BMI<23 kg/m² group, when the participants were stratified according to BMI. Our results suggest that dietary patterns rich in soybean products, vegetables, fish, fruits, and miso soup are protective factors against MASLD especially in individuals with BMI<23 kg/m².

Autism, with a global morbidity of approximately 0.6% annually, significantly burdens on families and society. A predominant characteristic among autistic children is intestinal dysfunction, generating nutrient absorption issues. This often causes vitamin and mineral deficiencies, which significantly impacts neurological development. To address this, we have developed a comprehensive nutritional supplement containing compound vitamins, minerals, and gut bacteria. The aim of this study is to investigate the behavioral effects of this supplement on autism rats. The supplement formulated in this study encompasses compound vitamins, minerals, and intestinal bacteria. The autism offspring model (VPA model) was established through intraperitoneal injection of sodium valproate into pregnant rats. Behavioral assessments, gastrointestinal microbiota analysis, and brain development evaluations were conducted to assess the effects of the supplement on VPA offspring rats. A nutritional supplement enriched with vitamins (VB6, VB12, VC, VD, folic acid), minerals (calcium, magnesium), and bifidobacteria was prepared. Open field experiments demonstrated a 3-mo supplementation intervention effectively alleviated anxiety symptoms and enhanced curiosity levels in VPA offspring. The bead embedding experiment revealed the supplementation significantly improved stereotypical behaviors in VPA offspring. The nesting experiment showed a 3-mo supplementation intervention effectively enhanced cognitive abilities in VPA offspring rats. The three-box social experiment demonstrated the supplementation improved social novelty and tendency in VPA offspring. Analysis of gastrointestinal microbiota revealed the supplementation modulated the gut microbiome, promoting better nutrient absorption and overall health. Our findings suggest the comprehensive nutritional supplement, containing compound vitamins, minerals, and gut bacteria, effectively alleviates core symptoms of autism in rats. This study provides valuable insights into the potency of nutritional interventions in improving the quality of life for autistic individuals. Future research is warranted to further explore the mechanisms underlying these observed benefits and to assess the long-term effects of this supplement in larger clinical trials.

Glucose and insulin positively regulate glycolysis and lipogenesis through the activation of carbohydrate response element-binding protein (ChREBP) and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP1c), but their respective roles in the regulation of gluconeogenic and ureagenic genes remain unclear. We compared the effects of the insulin antagonist S961 and Chrebp deletion on hepatic glycolytic, lipogenic, gluconeogenic, and ureagenic gene expression in mice. S961 markedly increased the plasma glucose, insulin, and 3-OH-butyrate concentrations and reduced the hepatic triglyceride content, but Chrebp deletion had no additive effect. We subsequently estimated the expression of genes involved in the pathways of glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and lipogenesis. S961 potently decreased both Chrebp and Srebf1c, but Chrebp deletion weakly decreased Srebf1c mRNA expression. Both the S961 and Chrebp deletion caused decreases in glycolytic (Gck and Pklr) and lipogenic (Fasn, Scd1, Me1, Spot14, Elovl6) gene expression. S961 increased the expression of many gluconeogenic genes (G6pc, Fbp1, Aldob, Slc37a4, Pck), whereas Chrebp deletion reduced the expression of gluconeogenic genes other than Pck1. Finally, we checked the metabolites and gene expression in the ureagenesis pathway. S961 increased ureagenic gene (Arg1, Asl, Ass1, Cps1, Otc) expression, which was consistent with the metabolite data: there were reductions in the concentrations of glutamate and aspartate and increases in those of citrulline, ornithine, urea, and proline. However, Chrebp deletion had no additive effect on ureagenesis. In conclusion, insulin rather than glucose regulate ureagenic gene expression, whereas glucose and insulin regulate gluconegenic gene expression in opposite directions.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) have unique properties that benefit female athletes. No study has examined the association between the dietary inflammatory index (DII) and omega-3 index. Therefore, we investigated the association between the DII and omega-3 index. This cross-sectional study included female university athletes and age- and sex-matched controls. Data were collected from anthropometric assessments, a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and blood tests for lipidomics. The energy-adjusted DII was calculated using the FFQ. Seventy-four athletes (mean age=19.7±1.2 y, mean BMI=21.1±2.4) and 38 controls (mean age=20.0±0.9 y, mean BMI=20.3±2.4) were enrolled in the study. The athlete group tended to have a higher percentage of high risk/intermediate in the omega-3 index (75.7% vs. 57.9%; p=0.082) or high-risk category in the trans-fat index (9.5% vs. 0.0%; p=0.093) compared to the control group. The energy-adjusted DII negatively correlated with the omega-3 index, although n-3 PUFA intake did not correlate with the omega-3 index in either group. The present findings indicated that DII might affect omega-3 index independent of n-3 PUFAs intake in female athlete. Health care professionals and coach should consider nutritional interventions based on the omega-3 index rather than relying solely on n-3 PUFAs intake for female athletes.

Acute arterial stiffening occurs during postprandial hyperglycemia. Such vascular responses are suggested to be averted by suppressing the postprandial glycemic response. We previously developed an α-glucosidase-inhibiting tea powder from the leaves of Morus australis (M. australis), a mulberry species distributed in the Ryukyu Islands, and demonstrated that this powder has an inhibitory effect on blood glucose elevation after sucrose ingestion. This study aimed to investigate the effect of powdered M. australis leaf intake on the arterial stiffness response after sucrose ingestion. In a randomized crossover design, 12 healthy young men completed two trials: with (mulberry [M] trial) and without (control [C] trial) intake of powdered M. australis leaves before ingestion of 75 g of sucrose. Blood glucose levels and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), an index of systemic arterial stiffness, were measured at baseline and 30, 60, and 120 min after ingestion. Both trials caused a significant increase in blood glucose levels at 30 and 60 min after ingestion, with significantly lower values at 30 min after ingestion in the M trial than in the C trial. baPWV significantly increased at 60 min after ingestion in the C trial, but not in the M trial. These findings demonstrate that prior ingestion of powdered M. australis leaves can prevent the transient arterial stiffening after sucrose ingestion in healthy young men.

Pterostilbene, a polyphenolic compound and an analog of resveratrol, exerts various biological activities and has higher bioavailability and metabolic stability than resveratrol. However, the effectiveness of pterostilbene intake in humans, particularly its effect on blood microRNA (miRNA) expression levels, has not been evaluated. Accordingly, this pilot study aimed to investigate the effects of pterostilbene on blood biochemistry and blood miRNA expression levels and the safety of continuous intake at doses of 10 or 100 mg/d over 12 wk. A double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-arm comparison trial was conducted with 30 healthy men. In the analysis of blood miRNA expression levels, miR-34a and miR-193b showed very high increases at week 4 and after week 4 of intake, respectively, suggesting that the responders might be present among participants in the pterostilbene intake group. No adverse events were reported during the trial in any participant, and no abnormalities were observed upon examination by the responsible physician. Thus, pterostilbene intake would regulate blood miRNA expression levels, and the results can be utilized in human studies investigating miRNA expression levels with functional food ingredients.

Female adult chickens, known as laying hens, possess a distinctive bone structure in the intracortical region, which is responsible for storing calcium. Given the cyclical nature of calcium storage and demand during the egg-laying cycle, the medullary bone of laying hens plays a crucial role in maintaining calcium homeostasis. In this study, we examined the potential of orally administered components derived from adult chicken bones to improve calcium homeostasis and bone mass in mice. Samples from adult chickens and young chickens without egg-laying experience were prepared by pressing meat parts, including bones, and administered to wild type (WT) and vitamin D receptor knockout (VDRKO) mice respectively. The phenotypes observed in VDRKO mice, such as severe reductions in serum calcium concentration and bone mass, were normalized in mice fed the adult chicken bone-containing diet to the same extent as in WT mice. These effects were not observed in mice fed a young chicken bone-containing diet. The adult chicken bone-containing diet increased apparent calcium absorption in VDRKO mice compared to other dietary groups. To determine the effects on bone metabolism, osteoclasts activity was evaluated by histological measurements and the quantification of serum osteoclast marker, and it was restored by the adult chicken bone-containing diet. In addition, the treatment of adult chicken bone-derived components increased osteoclasts differentiation in vitro from cultured bone marrow macrophage. These results show that adult chicken bone-derived components improve calcium and bone homeostasis in mice lacking vitamin D action through combined effects that target calcium metabolism and bone turnover.

Several Japanese cohort studies have reported that the intakes of plant foods, such as vegetables, fruits, seaweed, and soy products, are inversely associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the results of these studies have been inconsistent. We investigated the association between CAD and the intakes of plant foods in 802 Japanese patients undergoing coronary angiography. The intakes of vegetables, fruits, seaweed, and soy products were determined by 3 categories (<3, 3–4, and >4 times/wk). CAD was found in 511 patients, of whom 173 had myocardial infarction (MI). Patients with higher vegetable and fruit intakes had a significantly lower prevalence of CAD and tended to have a lower prevalence of MI. However, no significant difference was found in the prevalence of CAD or MI among the 3 groups of seaweed and soy product intakes. In the multivariate analyses, the prevalence of CAD decreased depending on the intakes of vegetables and fruits. The odds ratios (OR) for >4 times/wk intakes of vegetables and fruits relative to <3 times/wk were 0.46 (95%CI: 0.29–0.74) and 0.62 (0.40–0.95), respectively. Thus, in Japanese patients undergoing coronary angiography, the intakes of vegetables and fruits were found to be inversely associated with CAD but not with MI. However, no significant association was found between the intakes of seaweed or soy products and CAD or MI.