A double-blind, rct testing beneficial modulation of BDNF in middle-aged, life style-stressed subjects: a clue to brain protection?

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this prospective study was to see whether LD-1227, a quality-controlled marine nutraceuticals shown to protect experimental stress-induced hyppocampal degeneration, could beneficially modulate BDNF, as measured in the serum, in otherwise healthy but work-stressed individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight men and women between the ages of 38 and 62 reporting high-demanding work activity but with an overall positive attitude towards their personal life were recruited. Subjects were divided in two group (24 patients each) and blindly supplemented for 2 month with: a) LD-1227 400mg or b) placebo. A third group of healthy non-stressed subjects was used as well. Blood samples were taken before and after the supplementation period. Unstimulated saliva was collected and tested for amylase while serum levels were used to measure BDNF. State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and psychological well-being assessment (PSWB) were measured too. Patients with Val66Met functional polymorphism of BDNF excluded those given their reported association with an impaired release of BDNF. RESULTS: RESULTS showed that, as compared to healthy, non-stressed individuals, stressed ones has a trend decrease of BDNF and this was significantly increased by LD 12-1227 supplementation and the same inverse phenomenon occurred to salivary amylase (p<0.05). No change was noted in the PSQI score but, either STAI or PSWB tests scored better in LD-1227 supplemented subjects. CONCLUSION: The present data suggest that LD-1227 is beneficially affecting neuromodulation and related symptoms during common stressful life conditions and may have the potential as tools in a neuroprotective clinical strategy.

Postmenopausal symptoms among Egyptian geripausal women.

Increases in life expectancies mean that women are spending longer periods of their life in a hypo-oestrogenic state. A cross-sectional study was designed to assess the prevalence of postmenopausal symptoms among elderly Egyptian women in the geripausal phase. A sample of 400 community-dwelling elderly women aged > 65 years were recruited from 6 geriatric social clubs in Cairo. A full personal and medical history was taken from all participants. The menopause rating scale was applied to all participants after translation and linguistic validation in the Arabic language. The most prevalent postmenopausal symptoms were joint pain (90.3%), followed by sleep problems (84.0%) and physical and mental exhaustion (80.0%). A statistically significant positive correlation was found between total menopause rating scale score and age, duration of menopause and number of chronic diseases but not with age of menopause.

Postmenopausal symptoms among Egyptian geripausal women

Increases in life expectancies mean that women are spending longer periods of their life in a hypo-oestrogenic state. A cross-sectional study was designed to assess the prevalence of postmenopausal symptoms among elderly Egyptian women in the geripausal phase. A sample of 400 community-dwelling elderly women aged > 65 years were recruited from 6 geriatric social clubs in Cairo. A full personal and medical history was taken from all participants. The menopause rating scale was applied to all participants after translation and linguistic validation in the Arabic language. The most prevalent postmenopausal symptoms were joint pain [90.3%], followed by sleep problems [84.0%] and physical and mental exhaustion [80.0%]. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between total menopause rating scale score and age, duration of menopause andj number of chronic diseases but not with age of menopause

Advantage of carbonate-versus citrate-based alkalinization on bone metabolism in moderately exercising aged male rats fed an acidogenic diet.

This study aims to determine the effects of different alkaline supplementations on high protein diet-induced abnormalities affecting bone metabolism in rats which were also undergoing physical exercise of moderate intensity. Sixty elderly Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups of 10 rats each and treated for 16 weeks as follows: baseline control group fed normal food (C); acidic high-protein diet supplemented group (chronic acidosis, CA group), bicarbonate-based alkaline formula (Basenpulver, Named, Italy) supplemented chronic acidosis (BB-CA) and citrate-based alkaline supplement (CB-CA). Throughout the supplementation period, rats were put on a treadmill training mimicking a moderate level of exercise. In the CA group, 24-hour urinary calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) excretion were increased over 30 percent (p<0.05 vs normal diet controls). However serum Ca was not significantly changed. Femural and tibial BMD and BMC was significantly decreased in the CA group (p<0.05) but both alkaline supplementations prevented such phenomenon (p<0.05 vs CA), without significant difference between the two formulations although the BB-CA group showed significantly more preserved trabecular bone volume (p<0.05 vs CB-CA group). An increased level of over 50 percent of urinary Dpd observed in the CA group (p<0.001) was reverted to normal by both supplementations (p<0.001 vs CA group). The same applied to urinary net acid excretion (p<001) with BB-supplementation performing better than CB-supplementation (p<0.05). Moreover, while the latter did not modify Nterminal telopeptide value, BB-supplementation significantly normalized this parameter (p<0.05 vs CA group) which exercise and acidic protein diet had modified (p<0.01 vs control diet). Overall, the present study shows that a bicarbonate-based alkaline formula, when administered to a dose amenable to clinical use, may significantly protect bone structure in exercising aged animals to a greater extent than a quali/quantitavely similar citrate-based formula.