Differences of body composition and physical strength among Japanese and Thai older adults living in Chiang Mai, Thailand: an inter-ethnic cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND@#The number of adults aged over 65 years is rapidly increasing in several Southeast Asian countries. Muscle mass decreases with age, leading to sarcopenia. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether differences exist in the body composition and physical strength, according to ethnicity, among community-dwelling Japanese and Thai older adults living in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand.@*METHODS@#A survey was conducted in February and March 2019. Japanese and Thai adults aged ≥ 60 years living in Chiang Mai Province were recruited through community clubs. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire that enabled collection of data on age, sex, educational background, marital status, annual income, current medical conditions, smoking and alcohol consumption, and exercise habits. Measurements were collected on height, weight, body composition, blood pressure, hand grip, and walking speed for 6 m. Body composition was measured using a standing-posture 8-electrode multifrequency bioimpedance analysis analyzer. Hand grip of each hand was measured with the patient in the standing position using a digital grip dynamometer. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with skeletal muscle mass index (SMI).@*RESULTS@#Of the total 119 participants, 47 were Japanese (26 men, 21 women) and 72 were Thai (16 men, 56 women). The prevalence of a low SMI was 3/26 (12%), 1/21 (5%), 6/16 (38%), and 5/56 (9%) among Japanese men, Japanese women, Thai men, and Thai women, respectively. The prevalence of low muscle strength was 2/26 (8%), 2/21 (10%), 3/16 (19%), and 13/56 (23%) among Japanese men, Japanese women, Thai men, and Thai women, respectively. There were significant differences between ethnic groups in body mass index for both sexes, percentage body fat in women, SMI in men, and average grip strength in men. Ethnic group, sex, age, and body mass index were independent predictors of SMI.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Ethnicity had a clinically important effect on body composition and physical strength among older Japanese and Thai adults living in a similar environment.

Multiple variant mRNAs with different length tandem repeats of (CAYYCC)n produced from bovine selenoprotein P-like protein gene

In contrast to selenoprotein Ps (SeIPs) from other animal species, bovine selenoprotein P-like-protein (SeIPLP) was found to contain a tandem repeat of (CAYYCC)(11). During an investigation into whether SeIPLP was a bovine substitute for SeIP or uniquely bovine, its mRNA was found to consist of multiple variants with different length tandem repeat, namely p(0) with (CAYYCC)(11), p(-4) lacking (CAYYCC)(4), p(-8) lacking (CAYYCC)(8), and p(-9) lacking (CAYYCC)(9). Although they were encoded on a single gene locus, neither classicalGT-AG: nor minor classAT-AC: donator-acceptor sequences for alternative splicing were identified. A subsequent S1 protection assay using oligonucleotides, whose sequence may occur as variants, performed against bovine poly(A)(+)RNA identified a total of nine variants. Judging from the sequence of these variants and the branch point mapping, the consensus sequence for recognition of the donator was CACCCCCAC: and of the acceptor and the branch point A nucleotide,ACCCC: CAT orACCCC: CATCCCCAT. Furthermore, when the p(0) insert mRNA was expressed in COS-7 cells derived from an African green monkey kidney, cDNAs corresponding to p(-8) and p(-9) could be isolated. Therefore, the bovine SeIPLP mRNAs consisted of multiple variants probably due to a novel splicing mechanism which was not bovine-specific but common to other mammals.

Multiple Variant mRNAs with Different Length Tandem Repeats of (CAYYCC)n Produced from Bovine Selenoprotein P-like Protein Gene

In contrast to selenoprotein Ps (SelPs) from other animal species, bovine selenoprotein P-like-protein (SelPLP) was found to contain a tandem repeat of (CAYYCC)11. During an investigation into whether SelPLP was a bovine substitute for SelP or uniquely bovine, its mRNA was found to consist of multiple variants with different length tandem repeat, namely p(0) with (CAYYCC)11, p(-4) lacking (CAYYCC)4, p(-8) lacking (CAYYCC)8, and p(-9) lacking (CAYYCC)9. Although they were encoded on a single gene locus, neither classical GT-AG nor minor class AT-AC donator-acceptor sequences for alternative splicing were identified. A subsequent S1 protection assay using oligonucleotides, whose sequence may occur as variants, performed against bovine poly(A)+RNA identified a total of nine variants. Judging from the sequence of these variants and the branch point mapping, the consensus sequence for recognition of the donator was CACCCCCAC and of the acceptor and the branch point A nucleotide, ACCCCCAT or ACCCCCATCCCCAT. Furthermore, when the p(0) insert mRNA was expressed in COS-7 cells derived from an African green monkey kidney, cDNAs corresponding to p(-8) and p(-9) could be isolated. Therefore, the bovine SelPLP mRNAs consisted of multiple variants probably due to a novel splicing mechanism which was not bovine-specific but common to other mammals.