Tai Chi is an effective form of exercise to reduce markers of frailty in older age.

Frailty affects the quality of life of older age adults by limiting mobility, reducing physiological reserve and reducing independence. The frailty phenotype is typically characterised by exhaustion, loss or lack of physical activity, weight loss and weakness, although more recently there have been proposals to extend the frailty criteria to include physiological characteristics such as inflammation, oxidative stress and vascular function. Exercise has the potential to prevent, delay or even reverse frailty, but not all exercise is perceived as suitable for an older age population. The purpose of this study was to test Tai Chi and Zumba Gold® as exercise interventions in older age adults (65 to 75 years old) to improve characteristics related to the frailty phenotype. Muscle strength and flexibility (functional fitness as a measure of weakness), cardiorespiratory fitness, blood pressure, vascular function (FMD), markers of oxidative stress (total antioxidant capacity, malondialdehyde, 8-isoprostane, protein carbonyl), inflammation (CRP) and aspects of wellbeing related to exhaustion were assessed at baseline (pre-), 6 weeks (mid-) and 12 weeks (post-intervention). Both Tai Chi and Zumba Gold® improved systolic blood pressure, vascular function, and functional fitness following the 12 week intervention to a similar extent. Furthermore Antioxidant capacity was significantly increased (303 ± 15.56 vs. 336 ± 18.82 µm; p = 0.0028) and lipid oxidation significantly reduced (36.41 ± 6.4 vs 13.49 ± 2.5 pg/ml; p = 0.0042) after 12 weeks of Tai Chi compared to baseline. Anxiety, physical and mental fatigue decreased in both groups, with a greater decrease in mental fatigue in the Tai Chi group. Taken together, these changes suggest that Tai Chi has the potential to reduce outcomes related to the extended frailty phenotype in older age adults.

Genistein induces increase in fluid pH, Na+ and HCO3(-) concentration, SLC26A6 and SLC4A4 (NBCe1)-B expression in the uteri of ovariectomized rats.

Genistein has been reported to stimulate luminal HCO3(-) secretion. We hypothesized that genistein mediates this effect via SLC26A6 and SLC4A4 (NBCe1) transporters. Our study aimed to: investigate changes in uterine fluid pH, Na+ and HCO3(-) concentration and expression of uterine SLC26A6 and NBCe1 under genistein effect. Ovariectomized adult female rats received 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg/day genistein for a week with and without ICI 182780. A day after the last injection, in vivo uterine perfusion was performed to collect uterine fluid for Na+, HCO3(-) and pH determination. The animals were then sacrificed and uteri were removed for mRNA and protein expression analyses. SLC26A6 and NBCe1-A and NBCe1-B distribution were visualized by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Genistein at 50 and 100 mg/kg/day stimulates uterine fluid pH, Na+ and HCO3(-) concentration increase. Genistein at 100 mg/kg/day up-regulates the expression of SLC26A6 and SLC4A4 mRNA, which were reduced following concomitant ICI 182780 administration. In parallel, SLC26A6 and NBCe1-B protein expression were also increased following high dose genistein treatment and were localized mainly at the apical membrane of the luminal epithelia. SLC26A6 and NBCe1-B up-regulation by genistein could be responsible for the observed increase in the uterine fluid pH, Na+ and HCO3(-) concentration under this condition.