Nakako Fujiwara

Relative validity of a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire versus 28-day weighed diet records in Japanese female dietitians

Objective: To assess the relative validity of a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (SQFFQ) against 28 day weighed diet records (WDRs).Subjects and methods: The SQFFQ was administered to 106 (21 male and 85 female) Japanese dietitians in Aichi Prefecture in autumn, 1996 and four-season consecutive 7 day WDRs were carried out during 1996–1997. We evaluated validity of intakes of 15 foods and 31 macro- and micro-nutrients based on the SQFFQ against those according to 28 day WDRs among 79 Japanese female dietitians.Results: Mean daily intakes of selected foods and nutrients determined by the SQFFQ were generally equivalent to those measured by 28 day WDRs. Pearsons de-attenuated correlation coefficients (CCs) with log-transformation and energy-adjustment between intakes of selected foods and nutrients quantified by the SQFFQ and 28 day WDRs (minimum–median–maximum) ranged from 0.17 (beverages)–0.52 to 0.74 (rice), and Spearmans rank CCs with energy-adjustment ranged from 0.28 (confectionery)–0.42 to 0.68 (rice). Respective Pearsons CCs for intakes of nutrients were 0.28 (PUFAs)–0.51 to 0.73 (magnesium), and Spearmans rank CCs ranged from 0.23 (n-3 PUFAs)–0.45 to 0.71 (magnesium). Favorably higher agreement for intakes of foods/nutrients was achieved along with lower disagreement.Conclusions: Satisfactorily higher relative validity was attained in Japanese female dietitians with the SQFFQ. This calibrated questionnaire seems therefore appropriate for administration to Japanese dietitians to clarify associations between diet and health/disease.Sponsorship: A grant-in-aid from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture (06454242).European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2001) 55, 735–742

Discrepancies in dietary intakes and plasma concentrations of fatty acids according to age among Japanese female dietitians.

Objective: To clarify the influences of age on dietary intakes and plasma concentrations of fatty acids (FAs) in Japanese female dietitians.Subjects and methods: In autumn 1996, we estimated dietary FA intakes based on 7 day weighed diet records and analyzed plasma FA concentrations in 79 healthy Japanese female dietitians, and investigated their relationships with age, dividing into three age groups (young (32–42 y), middle-aged (43–50 y) and elderly (51–66 y)).Results: Dietary intakes of total FA, saturated FAs, monounsaturated FAs, n-3 polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs) and α-linolenic acid (18:3n-3) were significantly highest in the middle-aged group, and lowest in the elderly. Similar trends were observed for dietary intakes of n-6 PUFAs and linoleic acid (18:2n-6), but there were no differences with regard to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n-3), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3) and n-3 highly unsaturated FAs (HUFAs=EPA+22:5n-3+DHA). On the other hand, plasma concentrations of all FAs except for arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) demonstrated positive correlations with age. Moreover, plasma concentrations of EPA in all age groups, DHA in the elderly and n-3 HUFAs in the middle-aged and the elderly were all positively correlated with dietary intakes.Conclusions: We should take into account the influence of age on dietary habit and lipid metabolism when interpreting associations between dietary FA intakes and plasma FA concentrations.Sponsorship: This study was supported in part by a grant-in-aid from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, Culture and Technology, Japan (06454242).

Pharmacological characteristics of bombesin receptor mediating hypothermia in the central nervous system of rats.

Bombesin (BN) and structurally related peptides, gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) and neuromedin B (NMB), injected into the lateral ventricle produce multiple effects such as hypothermia, anorexia and hormone release. In this study, the pharmacological characteristics of BN receptors mediating hypothermia in the central nervous system (CNS) were investigated using free-moving male Wistar rats. Intracerebroventricular injections of BN, GRP and NMB produced hypothermia in a dose-dependent manner. The BN (0.3 microg)-induced effect showed a short latency and a 4-h duration with a potency increased by more than 100 times compared to the NMB-induced effect. Pretreatment with [D-Tyr(6)]BN(6-13)methylester, a GRP receptor antagonist, inhibited the BN (0.3 microg)- and NMB (7 microg)-induced hypothermia. On the other hand, BIM23127, an NMB receptor antagonist, did not influence the hypothermia. Of the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors, chelerythrine, Go6983, staurosporine and GF109203X, the first two partially blocked the BN-induced hypothermia. A PKC activator, phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate, decreased the rectal temperature. Genistein (a tyrosine kinase inhibitor), Y-27632 (a Rho kinase inhibitor) and PD98059 (a MAPK inhibitor) tended to suppress the BN-induced hypothermia, however, these were not significant. The inhibitory effect of a mixture of the three inhibitors, chelerythrine, genistein and Y-27632, on the BN-induced hypothermia was of a similar degree to that of chelerythrine alone. The BN receptor mediating the hypothermia seem to be the GRP subtype, and the effect involves activation of PKC.

Seasonal variation in consumption and plasma concentrations of fatty acids in Japanese female dietitians.

Objective: To study seasonal variation in intake and plasma concentrations of fatty acids (FAs) in Japanese female dietitians. Subjects and methods: We assessed consumption of FAs based on four season 7 consecutive day weighed diet records from 71 Japanese female dietitians in 1996–1997. Using overnight fasting venous blood, plasma concentrations of FAs were analyzed by gas chromatography. Seasonal variation in consumption and plasma concentrations was examined by ANOVA for repeated values, followed by Tukeys multiple t-test. We calculated Spearmans partial rank correlation coefficients (CCs) between intake and plasma concentrations of FAs. Furthermore, we computed inter-seasonal Spearmans partial rank CCs for consumption and plasma concentrations of FAs. Results: Statistically significant seasonal differences were observed in consumption for most FAs, except for myristic acid, monounsaturated FAs, oleic acid, n-6 polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs), linoleic acid, γ-linolenic acid, α-linolenic acid, PUFAs/saturated FAs, and n-6 PUFAs/n-3 PUFAs, and for most plasma concentrations, except for stearic acid, γ-linolenic acid, n-3 PUFAs, α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and n-3 highly unsaturated FAs (HUFAs). However, statistically significant Spearmans partial rank CCs between intake and plasma concentrations were observed for EPA, DHA, n-3 HUFAs, n-6 PUFAs/n-3 PUFAs and n-6 PUFAs/n-3 HUFAs for almost all seasons. Conclusions: Seasonal variation exists in consumption and plasma concentrations of FAs, so that this should be taken into account in epidemiological analyses, including case–control and cohort studies.

Cognitive Patterns of Good and Poor Namers in Old Age

Background: Word finding difficulties are common complaints among healthy elderly persons. Recently, both cross‐sectional and longitudinal studies have demonstrated a decline in naming ability, particularly in subjects 70 years old or over. It is unclear which cognitive mechanisms cause this reduction of lexical retrieval ability with advancing age.

Associations between Physical Strength, Cerebral Function and Mental Health in Independent-Living Elderly Japanese Women

ObjectivesTo evaluate the physical strength, cerebral function, and mental health conditions in elderly persons, and to examine the correlation between these functions.MethodsThe subjects were 151 independent-living elderly Japanese women, mean age 70 +/-5 years (+/-SD; range, 60 to 80 years), with normal abilities in daily life. The health check-up was conducted from April to May 1997. Physical strength was estimated by measuring seven activities. Cerebral functions were assessed by six sub-tests of the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). Their mental health status was measured by four sub-scales of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-28.ResultsThe physical strenght and almost all of the cerebral functions decreased with age. Social dysfunction and severe depression on the GHQ sub-scales also worsened with age. Physical strength was strongly correlated with cerebral functions after adjusting for the confounding effect of aging. There were also interrelations between physical strength and mental health.ConclusionsThis study provided important information on the correlation between physical and mental status in elderly women. Future longitudinal studies with the intervention of physical training are required to determine whether a causal relationship exists between these factors.