SummaryWe investigated the suppressive effect of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from traditional South Asian fermented milk 'dahi' on the development of atopic dermatitis (AD) using NC/Nga AD model mice. In the initial evaluation, we confirmed the effect of LAB on serum total IgE using ovalbumin (OVA)-induced type 1 allergy model mice. Forty-one bacterial strains isolated from dahi were evaluated for their ability to induce interleukin (IL)-12 production and suppress IL-4 production in splenocytes obtained from OVA-sensitized mice. Of the 41 strains tested, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis R-037 exhibited the greatest IL-12 induction, suggesting that it is a potent Th1 inducer. Oral administration of heattreated R-037 significantly suppressed the elevation of serum total IgE in OVA-induced type 1 allergy model mice. In NC/Nga AD model mice, oral administration of heat-treated R-037 reduced inflammatory auricular thickness and alleviated the AD clinical score although the effect on serum total IgE level was unclear. Histopathological findings showed a tendency toward improvement of inflammation. Hyperkeratosis in particular showed improvement in dermatitis skin lesions. These results suggest that oral administration of R-037 may alleviate AD.

M2-type pyruvate kinase (M2-PK) mRNA is produced from the PKM gene by an alternative RNA splicing in adipocytes. We found that insulin increased the level of M2-PK mRNA in 3T3-L1 adipocytes in both time- and dose-dependent manners. This induction did not require the presence of glucose or glucosamine in the medium. The insulin effect was blocked by pharmacological inhibitors of insulin signaling pathways such as wortmannin, an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and PD98059, an inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase. A stable reporter expression assay showed that the promoter activity of an about 2.2-kb 5'-flanking region of the rat PKM gene was stimulated by insulin, but the extents of these stimulations were lower than those of the mRNA stimulation. Thus, we suggest that insulin increases the level of M2-PK mRNA in adipocytes by acting at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels through signaling pathways involving both PI3K and MAPK kinase.

These results suggest that we can expect similar interventional effects for prefrail older adults and robust older adults. It is important that a frail status be prevented in prefrail older adults by using an exercise intervention. Further studies are required to determine the different effects of exercise intervention on prefrail status compared with frailty status in community-dwelling older adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1265-1269.