SIRT6 is a key member of the mammalian sirtuin family of conserved nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+ )-dependent deacetylases. Previous studies have shown that SIRT6 can regulate metabolism, DNA damage repair and aging. Ovarian aging process usually share similar mechanisms with general aging, which is characterized by decreases in both numbers of ovarian follicles and the quality of oocytes. It is reported that the expression level of SIRT6 was significantly decreased in the ovaries of aged mice, and the level of SIRT6 was positively correlated with ovarian reserve, indicating that SIRT6 may be potential markers of ovarian aging. However, its biological roles in follicular development are still unclear. Here, we explored the effect of SIRT6 on follicular development and found that ovarian development was interrupted in SIRT6 knockout (KO) mice, leading to disruptions of puberty and the estrus cycle, significant decreases in numbers of secondary and antral follicles, and decreased collagen in the ovarian stroma. Plod1, a lysyl hydroxylase that is vital for collagen crosslinking and deposition, was decreased at both the mRNA and protein levels in SIRT6-deficient ovaries and granulosa cells (GCs). Additionally, we found abnormal estrogen levels in both SIRT6 KO mice and SIRT6 KD GCs, accompanied by decreases in the levels of the estrogen biosynthesis genes Cyp11a1, Cyp19a1, Mgarp, and increases in the levels of TNF-α and NF-κB. These results confirmed the effect of SIRT6 on follicular development and revealed a possible molecular mechanism for SIRT6 involvement in follicular development via effects on estrogen biosynthesis and collagen formation.

Sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) is a nuclear silencing information regulator that is widely expressed in brain. Inhibition of SIRT6 in the brain induced antidepressant effects in rodents. However, SIRT6 knockout in neurons induced developmental retardation and cognitive impairments. In this study, a mouse strain of astrocyte conditional knockout SIRT6 (AKO) was constructed. Unlike whole brain SIRT6 knockout mice, AKO mice did not show growth retardation. We showed that SIRT6 knockout in astrocytes did not impair the learning and memory ability of mice. Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) was used to evaluate the anti-depression and antianxiety effects in mice. In tail suspension test and forced swimming test, AKO mice did not show depression like phenotype induced by CUMS. In addition, knockout of SIRT6 in astrocytes alleviated the high anxiety level induced by CUMS in light and dark box test, open field test and elevated cross maze test. Three box social test showed that the deletion of SIRT6 in astrocytes changed the social preference of mice. Re-expression of SIRT6 in astrocytes mediated by adeno-associated virus reversed the social preference of AKO mice, but the re-expression also eliminated the anti-depression and anti-anxiety effects in AKO mice. Deletion of SIRT6 in astrocytes change the purine metabolic homeostasis of medial prefrontal cortex in mice. The results of transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis showed that the deletion of SIRT6 would change the purine metabolic pathway of cultured astrocytes and increase the contents of inosine and the second messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate in astrocytes. In conclusion, knockout of SIRT6 in astrocytes induced anti-depression and anti-anxiety effects in mice without impairing the development and cognitive ability of mice.

In this study, we aimed to determine the associations among health-related physical fitness measurements, waist circumference (WC), and abdominal obesity risk in Taiwanese adults. We conducted a cross-sectional study based on data from the 2017 Taiwan Scientific Physical Fitness Survey (the TSPFS). We collected the responses from 17,973 participants (7907 men and 10,066 women) aged 23–64 years for this study. The participants completed the study protocol with a standardized structural questionnaire and a series of health-related physical fitness measurements. The fitness measurements included cardiorespiratory fitness (measured by a 3-min progressive knee-up and step test), muscular fitness (measured by a hand grip strength test), and flexibility (measured by a sit-and-reach test). Our anthropometric measurements included height, weight, WC, hip circumference (HC), body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). We identified the quartiles of the health-related physical fitness results as the dependent variable in the multiple linear and multiple logistic regression analysis to determine the associations of the physical fitness measurements with WC distribution and abdominal obesity risk. We also considered the dose–response relationship. We found that cardiorespiratory fitness, relative grip strength, and flexibility were each significantly negatively associated with WC, but absolute grip strength was significantly positively associated with WC. We also found that higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, relative grip strength, and flexibility were each associated with a lower risk of abdominal obesity. Moreover, our secondary finding was of a dose–response relationship between physical fitness performance, WC, and abdominal obesity risk. In short, health-related physical fitness was an effective predictor of waist circumference for both sexes of Taiwanese adults, and higher levels of health-related physical fitness were associated with lower risks of abdominal obesity in Taiwanese adults.

Abstract Background: Previous studies examining the association of sleep duration with general obesity among adults are from western countries, where the patterns of adulthood sleep (shorter or longer sleep durations) and abdominal obesity may be different from Taiwan. Furthermore, the negative associations between sleep duration and abdominal obesity among adults in the existing literature remain controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between sleep duration and risk of abdominal obesity in Taiwanese adults.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 58,238 adults who participated in Taiwan’s National Physical Fitness Survey 2014-2015. Data from a standardized structured questionnaire and anthropometric measures were analyzed. Individuals’ sleep durations were categorized as very short (≤5.0 h), short (5.1–6.0 h), optimal (6.1–7.0 h), long (7.1–8.0 h), or very long (>8.0 h). Abdominal obesity was classified according to waist circumference (WC) ≥ 90 cm for men and WC ≥ 80 cm for women. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the risk factors for abdominal obesity.Results: The multiple logistic regression, using the optimal sleep duration as a baseline, indicated significant associations between very short (OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.02-1.27), short (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.04-1.19) and very long (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.02-1.18) sleep durations and abdominal obesity after adjusting for potential confounding factors.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that subjects with shorter or longer sleep durations have a much higher risk of abdominal obesity than those with optimal sleep durations. Shorter sleep durations may result in higher risk for abdominal obesity than longer sleep durations.

Abstract A previous study provided reference data on the age and gender distribution of anthropometric parameters in Taiwanese adults. However, there are few large-scale analyses of anthropometric data of older adults in Taiwan. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to describe gender- and age-specific distributions of anthropometric measurements and body composition of Taiwanese older adults. This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 22,389 older adults who participated in Taiwan’s National Physical Fitness Survey 2014–2015.The anthropometric measurements and body composition included in the present study were assessment of height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). The results showed statistically significant differences in weight, height, WC, HC, and WHR among Taiwanese individuals aged 65 years and older. However, there was no significant difference in BMI between men and women in our sample. Anthropometric status provides an initial assessment of the overall health of the population. This study uses a representative population of Taiwanese older adults over the age of 65 for analysis and provides detailed information on anthropometric data distribution.

Background and Objectives: Health-related physical fitness reduces the risk of chronic disease, promotes quality of life, and has enormous economic benefits considering the global health care costs resulting from obesity. However, relatively limited information is available regarding the dose–response relationship between scientific physical fitness and obesity risk. This study aimed to determine the associations of scientific physical fitness with body mass index (BMI) distribution and overweight/obesity risk among adults aged 23–64 years in Taiwan. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study and reviewed data derived from the Scientific Physical Fitness Testing Program, Sports Administration, Ministry of Education, Taiwan. Responses from 16,939 participants from the database (7761 men and 9178 women, aged 23–64 years) were collected in this study. Each participant completed a series of scientific physical fitness measurements, including cardiorespiratory fitness (3 min progressive knee-up and step [3MPKS] test), muscular fitness (hand grip strength), and flexibility (sit-and-reach test). Anthropometric measurements included body height, weight, and BMI. The quartiles of scientific physical fitness results were identified as the dependent variable in the multiple linear and multiple logistic regression analysis to determine the associations of the scientific physical fitness measurements with BMI distribution and overweight/obesity risk, as well as the dose–response relationship. Results: The 3MPKS test was significantly associated with BMI (quartile 1 (Q1): β = 1.900; quartile 2 (Q2): β = 1.594; quartile 3 (Q3): β = 1.079 for men, and Q1: β = 1.454; Q2: β = 0.882; Q3: β = 0.555 for women), overweight (Q1: odds ratio (OR) = 2.117; Q2: OR = 2.056; Q3: OR = 2.063 for men, and Q1: OR = 3.036; Q2: OR = 2.542; Q3: OR = 1.959 for women), and obesity (Q1: OR = 6.530; Q2: OR = 5.747; Q3: OR = 3.557 for men, and Q1: OR = 3.238; Q2: OR = 1.431 for women) risk compared with quartile 4 (Q4) as the reference group with a dose–response relationship. In addition, relative hand grip strength was significantly associated with BMI (Q2: β = −0.922; Q3: β = −1.865; Q4: β = −3.108 for men, and Q2: β = −1.309; Q3: β = −2.161; Q4: β = −2.759 for women), overweight (Q2: OR = 0.806; Q3: OR = 0.697; Q4: OR = 0.278 for men, and Q2: OR = 0.667; Q3: OR = 0.398; Q4: OR = 0.228 for women), and obesity (Q1: OR = 0.528; Q2: OR = 0.206; Q3: OR = 0.049 for men, and Q1: OR = 0.351; Q2: OR = 0.129; Q3: OR = 0.051 for women) risk compared with Q1 as the reference group with a dose–response relationship. Conclusions: Higher levels of performance of the 3MPKS and relative grip strength tests were associated with lower BMI and overweight/obesity risk in both sexes. However, the sit-and-reach test was only partially related to BMI and overweight/obesity risk in both sexes. Cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular fitness were effective predictors of BMI distribution and overweight/obesity risk in Taiwanese adults.

Background: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the associations between health-related physical fitness performance and overweight/obesity risk among Taiwanese healthy older adults.Methods: A secondary dataset from the nationwide survey was applied in this study. Data from a total of 21,630 respondents aged 65-96 years were collected in this study. Demographic characteristics, life habits, perceived health status, anthropometric assessments, and health-related physical fitness measurements from this dataset were analyzed using the chi-square test, one-way analysis of variance, and logistic regression analysis.Results: The results indicated that overweight and obesity significantly associated with health-related physical fitness performance in the Taiwanese older adult population. In particular, the upper extremity muscular endurance scores of older adults with poor activity and physical fitness scores revealed obesity as a critical indicator of health-related physical fitness performance.Conclusions: Future studies can use muscle quality or body fat classification to predict obesity in older adults, which could more precisely portray the relationship between obesity and health-related physical fitness performance.

Population aging is creating critical issues in Taiwan, and adults are being forced to maintain productivity at work; in other words, they need to work longer. Therefore, their fitness and health warrant immediate attention. Although the association between health and anthropometric characteristics has been reported, few profiles on Taiwanese adults can be found. The purpose of this study was to provide a suitable reference on the anthropometric data of Taiwanese adults. We recruited 60,056 anthropometric measurements from a representative database. Significant differences were found in every measurement for each gender and age group. Statistically, our results indicated anthropometric differences in different ages. However, CVs showed that the dispersions are minor. This study presents a sufficient profile on Taiwanese adults from a representative database to practitioners and other potential users.

Although primary vesical calculi is an ancient disease,the mechanism of calculi formation remains unclear.In this study,we established a novel primary vesical calculi model with D,L-choline tartrate in mice.Compared with commonly used melamine and ethylene glycol models,our model was the only approach that induced vesical calculi without causing kidney injury.Previous studies sug-gest that proteins in the daily diet are the main contributors to the prevention of vesical calculi,yet the effect of fat is overlooked.To assay the relationship of dietary fat with the formation of primary vesical calculi,D,L-choline tartrate-treated mice were fed a high-fat,low-fat,or normal-fat diet.Genetic changes in the mouse bladder were detected with transcriptome analysis.A high-fat diet remarkably reduced the morbidity of primary vesical calculi.Higher fatty acid levels in serum and urine were observed in the high-fat diet group,and more intact epithelia in bladder were observed in the same group compared with the normal-and low-fat diet groups,suggesting the protective effect of fatty acids on bladder epithelia to maintain its normal histological structure.Transcriptome analysis revealed that the macrophage differentiation-related gene C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 14(Cxcl14)was upregulated in the bladders of high-fat diet-fed mice compared with those of normal-or low-fat diet-fed mice,which was consistent with histological observations.The expression of CXCL14 significantly increased in the bladder in the high-fat diet group.CXCL14 enhanced the recruitment of macrophages to the crystal nucleus and induced the transformation of M2 macrophages,which led to phagocytosis of budding crystals and prevented accumulation of calculi.In human bladder epithelia(HCV-29)cells,high fatty acid supplemen-tation significantly increased the expression of CXCL14.Dietary fat is essential for the maintenance of physiological functions of the bladder and for the prevention of primary vesical calculi,which provides new ideas for the reduction of morbidity of primary vesical calculi.

The relationships between different functional fitness performance and abdominal obesity among the elderly have not been widely discussed in the literature. The present study aimed to investigate the associations between functional fitness test performance and abdominal obesity in Taiwanese elderly people. A total of 22,399 items of data from the National Physical Fitness Survey Databases in Taiwan (NPFSD 2014-15) were reviewed and analyzed. The quartiles of functional fitness test results were identified as the dependent variable in the multiple linear regression analysis to examine the association between functional fitness and abdominal obesity status. The results showed that body balance (odds ratios (ORs) listed from 1.18 to 2.29, p < 0.05) and flexibility (ORs listed from 1.23 to 2.16, p < 0.05) were critically associated with abdominal obesity. However, measurements related to muscle strength revealed the limited effect sizes for abdominal obesity. From a disability prevention perspective, the development of muscle strength in the elderly should be emphasized and encouraged to maintain their daily capabilities instead of satisfaction with a lean body.

Although calorie restriction has been reported to extend lifespan in several organisms, animals subjected to calorie restriction consume not only fewer calories but also smaller quantities of food. Whether it is the overall restriction of calories or the coincidental reduction in the quantity of food consumed that mediates the anti-aging effects is unclear. Here, we subjected mice to five dietary interventions. We showed that both calorie and quantity restriction could improve early survival, but no maximum lifespan extension was observed in the mice fed isocaloric diet in which food quantity was reduced. Mice fed isoquant diet with fewer calories showed maximum lifespan extension and improved health among all the groups, suggesting that calorie intake rather than food quantity consumed is the key factor for the anti-aging effect of calorie restriction. Midlife liver gene expression correlations with lifespan revealed that calorie restriction raised fatty acid biosynthesis and metabolism and biosynthesis of amino acids but inhibited carbon metabolism, indicating different effects on fatty acid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism. Our data illustrate the effects of calories and food quantity on the lifespan extension by calorie restriction and their potential mechanisms, which will provide guidance on the application of calorie restriction to humans.

Spermatogenesis-associated protein 4 (SPATA4) is conserved across multiple species. However, the function of this gene remains largely unknown. In this study, we generated Spata4 transgenic mice to explore tissue-specific function of SPATA4. Spata4 overexpression mice displayed increased subcutaneous fat tissue compared with wild-type littermates at an old age, while this difference was not observed in younger mice. Aging-induced ectopic fat distribution, inflammation, and insulin resistance were also significantly attenuated by SPATA4. In vitro, SPATA4 promoted preadipocyte differentiation through activation of the ERK1/2 and C/EBPβ pathway and increased the expression of adipokines. These data suggest SPATA4 can regulate lipid accumulation in a tissue-specific manner and improve aging-induced dysmetabolic syndromes. Clarifying the mechanism of SPATA4 functioning in lipid metabolism might provide novel therapeutic targets for disease interventions.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the association between health-related physical fitness (HRPF) performance and perceived happiness status among adults in Taiwan. A cross-sectional study was conducted, and data derived from the National Physical Fitness Survey in Taiwan 2014-2015 were reviewed. The participants included 27,930 men and 30,885 women, aged 23 to 64 years. Each participant completed a standardized, structured questionnaire and underwent anthropometric variable and HRPF measurements. The happiness outcome of an individual was obtained using the questionnaire, and the results were stratified into happy (very happy, quite happy, and fair) and unhappy (unhappy and not at all happy) groups for perceived happiness status. HRPF measurements were evaluated using cardiorespiratory endurance (3 min step test), muscle strength and endurance (1 min sit-up test), flexibility (sit-and-reach test), and body composition (body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio). To determine the existence of a dose-response relationship between HRPF component levels and happiness status, four quartiles of HRPF components were analyzed using multiple logistic regression models. Multiple logistic regression results indicated that with the worst performance level of HRPF components as a baseline, significant associations were observed for the sit-and-reach test (third level: OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.02-1.49) and BMI (second level: OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.64-0.95) among men. For women, significant associations were observed for the 1 min sit-up test (second level: OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.03-1.60; third level: OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.04-1.67; fourth (the best) level: OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.12-1.95) and BMI (third level: OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.58-0.92). The current study suggested that higher values in flexibility and body composition, happiness-related factors, potentially improve the occurrence of happiness among men. Moreover, this positive effect of higher values of muscle strength, endurance, and BMI was observed for the occurrence of happiness in women. However, the relevant mechanism underlying this phenomenon must be further explored.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic mental disorder characterized by mixed symptoms and complex pathogenesis. With long history of practical application, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers many herbs for the treatment and rehabilitation of chronic disease. In this study, we developed a modified Chinese herbal formula using Panax ginseng, Angelica Sinensis, Polygala tenuifolia Willd, and Ziziphi spinosae Semen (PAPZ), based on an ancient TCM prescription. The antidepressant effects of PAPZ were investigated with a corticosterone (CORT) model of depression in mice. Our results showed that administration of PAPZ ameliorated depression-like phenotypes in the CORT model. An anatomic study showed that chronic PAPZ administration upregulated the protein expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in hippocampal tissue. The enzyme activity of superoxide dismutase was enhanced in hippocampal tissue, in line with a decreased malondialdehyde level. Taken together, these findings suggested that PAPZ has therapeutic effects in a mice depression model through increasing protein expression of BDNF and improving the anti-oxidation ability of the brain.

Modern research has found that Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (GLP) and Polyporus umbellatus polysaccharides (PUP) mainly exhibit immunoregulation. However, the immune function of a polysaccharide composition consisting of GLP and PUP has not been studied. In this study, we developed a polysaccharide composition consisting of GLP and PUP in a ratio of 3:1 (named GPP). The immunoregulation of GPP was detected in RAW264.7 macrophages. Then, the acute oral toxicity of GPP and the effect of GPP on immunoregulation in mice was detected. The results showed that GPP enhanced the function of macrophage RAW264.7 cells through improving phagocytic ability, nitric oxide (NO) production and the mRNA expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. GPP belonged to the non-toxic grade in mice. Moreover, GPP significantly improved macrophage phagocytic function and the activity of natural killer (NK) cells after being administered to mice at a dose of 0, 3.6, 120, 360 mg/kg body weight (mg/kg BW) orally for 30 days. Taken together, these findings suggested that GPP moderately regulated immune function in mice, which contributes to the further development and utilization of GLP and PUP in immune function.

Introduction Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play an important role in the development and progression of atherosclerosis and vascular injuries in terms of proliferation and migration. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the anti-migratory and proliferative effects of naked gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on VSMCs. Materials and methods One set of physically synthesized AuNPs (pAuNPs) and three sets of chemically synthesized AuNPs (cAuNPs) were tested. Results and discussion Among them, the pAuNPs were found to significantly and markedly inhibit platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced VSMC migration. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the pAuNPs were ingested and aggregated in the cytoplasm at an early stage of treatment, while the viability of VSMCs was not affected within 24 hours of treatment. The pAuNP treatment enhanced cellular mitochondrial activity but inhibited basal and PDGF-induced VSMC proliferation, as determined by MTT, WST-1, and BrdU cell proliferation assays. Furthermore, the pAuNPs did not interfere with PDGF signaling or matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression/activity. Unlike the cAuNPs, the pAuNPs could markedly reduce VSMC adhesion to collagen, which was supported by the findings that the pAuNPs could inhibit collagen-induced tyrosine protein and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) phosphorylation and actin cytoskeleton reorganization during cell adhesion. The in vitro effects of the pAuNPs were confirmed in the in vivo rat balloon-injured carotid artery model by diminishing the proliferating VSMCs. Conclusion Taken together, the present study provides the first evidence that naked pAuNPs can reduce VSMC migration and compromise cell adhesion by affecting FAK and tyrosine-protein activation. The pAuNPs also have an inhibitory effect on PDGF-induced VSMC proliferation and can reduce proliferating/migrating VSMC expression in vivo.

Concerns regarding ethical issues associated with online shopping are growing. Based on a framework that captures all stages of a transactional process, this study developed a transaction process-based scale, the eTransEthics scale, for assessing the consumer-perceived ethics of e-commerce websites. The results of applying exploratory factor analysis to data from 406 online shoppers indicate that eTransEthics comprises sales behavior, privacy, security, fulfillment, and service recovery. Data obtained from another sample of 548 online shoppers are utilized to confirm the exploratory factor analysis results using structural modeling techniques. These modeling results demonstrate that the scale has good construct validity and nomological validity. The analytical findings suggest that our scale is strongly predictive of consumer satisfaction and loyalty.