Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine最新文献

{"title":"A comprehensive evaluation of the health benefits of forest therapy for cancer survivors.","authors":"Renn-Shiuan Wei, Yi-Shun Chu, Ming-Yu Hong, Ming-Yi Li, Su-Wei Fan, Gene-Sheng Tung, Chung-Hua Hsu","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00333","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00333","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>While advancements in cancer treatment have improved survival rates, some survivors continue to experience emotional difficulties that adversely affect overall well-being. Forest therapy, a nature-based intervention, has demonstrated potential in alleviating psychological and physiological stress.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This single-arm pre-post study evaluated a two-hour guided forest therapy session in a submontane forest in Taiwan. Participants were recruited via posters and online registration forms disseminated by the Linsen Chinese Medicine and Kunming Branch (LCMKB) of Taipei City Hospital and were screened for eligibility according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Outcomes included psychological measures-the Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition-Adult Short (POMS 2-A), Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition (BDI-II), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)-along with physiological indicators (heart rate, blood pressure, heart rate variability, salivary cortisol).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 40 participants, 38 completed the program. Significant improvements were observed in mood disturbance (The Total Mood Disturbance of POMS 2-A: 4.0 → -8.0), anxiety (BAI: 5.0 → 3.5), depression (BDI-II: 5.5 → 4.0), and salivary cortisol levels (1.07 → 0.42 µg/dL), all with large effect sizes. Regression analyses suggested that baseline emotional status and certain demographic factors may have influenced outcomes. Participants with higher initial anxiety and depression, younger age, and shorter cancer duration appeared to show relatively greater improvements.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This first study of forest therapy among cancer survivors in Taiwan provides preliminary evidence that guided forest therapy may be a useful complementary approach for enhancing emotional well-being and reducing physiological stress. Significant improvements were observed across multiple psychological measures (POMS 2-A, BAI, BDI-II) and in salivary cortisol. Benefits were more pronounced among participants with higher baseline distress, younger age, or shorter cancer duration, underscoring the importance of considering baseline health profiles and demographic characteristics when designing interventions.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>Approved by the Taipei City Hospital Research Ethics Committee (TCHIRB-11104010).</p><p><strong>Clinicaltrials: </strong>gov Identifier: NCT06001723.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"31 ","pages":"7"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12876116/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146084908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Relationship between microplastics in stool, diet, and inflammatory markers in healthy Japanese individuals.","authors":"Mayumi Tsuji, Kazue Ishitsuka, Yasuhiro Ishihara, Chihaya Koriyama, Mieko Takahashi, Daisuke Nakajima, Yuko Mine, Tin-Tin Win-Shwe, Keisuke Shimizu, Keiko Shimizu, Sachika Akaike, Mami Kuwamura, Toshihiro Kawamoto, Kenichi Azuma","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00403","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00403","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Exposure to microplastics (MPs) can have adverse gastrointestinal effects by inducing inflammation and oxidative stress. The types of MPs in stool vary with the dietary intake. However, how MPs in the intestinal tract influence the inflammatory cytokine levels in the gastrointestinal tract in healthy individuals remains unclear, particularly in Japan, characterized by a high intake of vegetables and seafood. In this study, we investigated the relationship between food intake, stool MPs, and inflammatory markers in healthy Japanese individuals, and estimated the sources of the stool MPs.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Twenty-two participants completed a questionnaire on daily food intake for 7 days. Thereafter, stool samples were collected to examine MP density via Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometry. On day 8, blood samples were collected and analyzed for serum oxidative stress markers and cytokine levels. Next, the effect of total stool MP particle density (Low vs. High) on oxidative stress markers and cytokines levels was analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The median total MP particle density of the participants (median age: 44 years) was 7.20 MP particles per g of stool. Seafood intake was higher in the High MP group than in the Low MP group, with a Mann-Whitney U test yielding p = 0.035 for seafood intake. However, after the false discovery rate (FDR) correction, this effect was not significant. Nevertheless, the effect size for seafood intake was large, suggesting an association with MP level. Relative to the Low MP group, the High MP group showed significantly higher thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) levels (odds ratio: 13.5; 95% confidence interval: 0.99-183, p = 0.050). The analysis further revealed that the seafood consumed by the High MP group contained significant amounts of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), MPs commonly used in plastic packaging (PE, p = 0.028; PP, p = 0.053).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study showed that stool MP particle density is likely associated with seafood intake and the TSLP level, implying that excessive MP intake may adversely affect human health. Therefore, measures to reduce MP exposure are urgently required.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"31 ","pages":"17"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12981973/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147376303","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The association of parental use of new tobacco products and combustible cigarettes with nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Miki Akiyama, Takehiro Michikawa, Yuki Takeda, Sumito Nagasaki, Junya Sakuma, Keiko Asakura, Masahiko Nakata, Yuji Nishiwaki","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00416","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00416","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>New tobacco products, including heated tobacco products and electronic cigarettes, are rapidly increasing in popularity among younger populations worldwide, particularly in Japan. Thus, clarifying the effects of both active and passive smoking of new tobacco products during pregnancy is an urgent public health concern. We focused on nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP) which is traditionally and epidemiologically considered an indicator of healthy pregnancy progression. In this study, we classified maternal and paternal smoking status focussing on new tobacco product use and investigated its association with the absence of NVP.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study used control data from a case-control study designed to explore modifiable factors for anorectal malformations. The questionnaire survey was conducted within seven Japanese regions between December 2019 and March 2023, enrolling a total of 1,522 postpartum women. The study included 1,450 postpartum women who delivered singleton babies and provided complete information. The main outcome was the absence of NVP. The exposure was the smoking status of mothers and their partners, classified into four categories: dual users (combustible cigarettes and new tobacco products), new tobacco product-only users, combustible cigarette-only users, and non-smokers (reference). Logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the absence of NVP.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Based on maternal smoking status, the absence of NVP was reported in 27.1% of dual users, 25.0% of new tobacco product-only users, 18.0% of combustible cigarette-only users, and 15.2% of non-smokers. Maternal dual use was associated with an increased OR of the absence of NVP (adjusted OR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.02-4.22). After restricting to non-smoking mothers, the adjusted OR for paternal combustible cigarette smoking was 2.62 (95% CI: 1.25-5.50).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our main finding was the positive association between maternal dual use of new tobacco products and combustible cigarettes during pregnancy and the absence of NVP. This suggests that smoking cessation guidance during pregnancy, including new tobacco products, is particularly warranted.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>Not applicable.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"31 ","pages":"24"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13057909/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147572193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sperm DNA methylation alterations induced by gestational arsenic exposure are established stepwise during spermatogenesis.","authors":"Takehiro Suzuki, Kazuyuki Okamura, Keiko Nohara","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.26-00047","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.26-00047","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Gestational exposure to environmental toxicants has been reported to be associated with epigenetic alterations in the male germ line. We have previously demonstrated that gestational arsenic exposure induces characteristic DNA methylation alterations in F1 sperm, namely the global DNA hypomethylation and the retrotransposon-associated alterations, including an increased frequency of differentially methylated cytosines (DMCs) and a predominance of hypomethylated DMCs (hypoDMCs) within long terminal repeats (LTRs) and long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs). Hypomethylation of retrotransposon promoters is associated with increased detrimental retrotransposition and may contribute to disease development. Determining when and how these methylation alterations occur during spermatogenesis is important for elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To determine the developmental stage at which these alterations are established, prospermatogonia and type A spermatogonia were isolated from late-gestation and early postnatal testes of F1 male mice exposed to arsenic during gestation. Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles were analyzed in each cell population using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS). Global methylation levels and the genomic distribution of DMCs, with particular focus on retrotransposon-associated regions, were examined. In addition, the expression of genes encoding DNA methylation-related enzymes was measured.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Global DNA hypomethylation was observed in prospermatogonia derived from arsenic-exposed mice and was also detected in type A spermatogonia. In contrast, an increased frequency of DMCs and a predominance of hypoDMCs within retrotransposon-associated regions were not observed in prospermatogonia or type A spermatogonia, suggesting that these locus-specific alterations may be established during later stages of spermatogenic differentiation subsequent to the type A spermatogonial stage. Furthermore, decreased expression of Dnmt and Tet family genes was observed in prospermatogonia from the arsenic-exposed group.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings demonstrate that sperm DNA methylation alterations induced by gestational arsenic exposure are established in a stepwise manner during spermatogenesis. Global DNA hypomethylation associated with alterations in epigenetic remodeling processes is established at the prospermatogonial stage. Subsequently, more locus-specific alterations, characterized by an increased frequency of DMCs and a predominance of hypoDMCs primarily within LTR and LINE retrotransposon regions, emerge during later stages of spermatogenic differentiation subsequent to the type A spermatogonial stage.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"31 ","pages":"43"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13366170/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148390176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"COVID-19-related health literacy, general health literacy, and mental health problems: evidence from a population-based study in Japan.","authors":"Keiko Murakami, Hideki Hashimoto","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.26-00003","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.26-00003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic highlighted poor health literacy (HL) as an underestimated public health problem. This study aimed to examine whether COVID-19-related HL and general HL were differentially associated with mental health problems.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A questionnaire survey was conducted among residents of Japanese metropolitan areas during the resurgence phase of the pandemic. Data from 1,482 participants were analyzed. COVID-19-related HL was assessed by participants' perceived difficulty in understanding COVID-19-related information and recommendations. General HL was measured using the Communicative and Critical Health Literacy scale. Mental health outcomes included psychological distress, mood and anxiety disorders, and COVID-19-related anxiety. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) per one-standard deviation increase in each HL measure, adjusting for age, sex, education, income, work status, self-rated health, and the other HL measure.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The correlation coefficient between the two HL measures was 0.195. Higher COVID-19-related HL was associated with decreased risks of mental health problems; the ORs were 0.70 (95% CI, 0.62-0.78) for psychological distress, 0.76 (95% CI, 0.66-0.88) for mood and anxiety disorders, and 0.66 (95% CI, 0.53-0.81) for COVID-19-related anxiety. General HL was not associated with mental health problems; the corresponding ORs were 0.95 (95% CI, 0.85-1.06), 0.90 (95% CI, 0.79-1.03), and 1.11 (95% CI, 0.90-1.36), respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Higher COVID-19-related HL, but not general HL, was associated with decreased risks of mental health problems.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"31 ","pages":"40"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13366167/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148367387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association between tendency to overeat and the incidence of prediabetes: Aichi Workers' Cohort Study.","authors":"Shalini Enon Perera Paththamesthrige, Masaaki Matsunaga, Zean Song, Midori Takada, Baruck Tegegn Endale, Nanami Nishio, Yuna Hattori, Tahmina Akter, Mohammad Hassan Hamrah, Hanson Gabriel Nuamah, Chisato Fukuda, Shuang Wang, Atsuhiko Ota, Rei Otsuka, Koji Tamakoshi, Hiroshi Yatsuya","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.26-00084","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.26-00084","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>Evidence regarding the association between the tendency to overeat and prediabetes or diabetes is still limited. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between the tendency to overeat and the incidence of prediabetes among young and middle-aged Japanese working population.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The baseline survey was conducted among 2886 local government workers, aged 20-65 in central Japan in 2013. Participants were asked, \"Do you tend to overeat?\" and self-reported as either \"Yes\" or \"No\" in the survey. Prediabetes was defined as fasting blood glucose ≥100 mg/dL, or participants starting diabetes medication or having reported a new history of diabetes until 2018. Cox model was used to obtain hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) adjusted for socio-demographic, lifestyle and baseline metabolic factors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During a mean follow-up period of 4.2 years, 541 prediabetes incidences were reported. The tendency to overeat, compared to not overeating, was associated with a significantly higher incidence of prediabetes (HR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.09-1.62). This association was similar in both sexes but was attenuated in females (male: HR; 1.32; 95% CI, 1.06-1.64; females: HR 1.38; 95% CI, 0.86-2.23) in model 2.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Tendency to overeat was significantly associated with the increased incidence of prediabetes in young and middle-aged Japanese workers. Therefore, targeted screening for this might contribute to effective prevention strategies for reducing incidence of prediabetes among this population.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"31 ","pages":"59"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13585473/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148918760","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 polymorphism on lipid profile alterations in alcohol-abstinent adolescents stratified by steatotic liver disease status.","authors":"Akira Kado, Yukiko Inoue, Kyoji Moriya, Takeya Tsutsumi, Kazuhiko Koike, Mitsuhiro Fujishiro, Shintaro Yanagimoto","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.26-00078","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.26-00078","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Single-nucleotide polymorphism in aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) is associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). However, this association in alcohol-abstinent individuals remains unknown. We assessed SLD and genotype-inferred ALDH2 activity (ALDH2 activity) in alcohol-abstinent adolescents to explore the association between ALDH2 activity and metabolism-related factors stratified by SLD status.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this cross-sectional study, 253 university students (<20 years; 162 males, 91 females) underwent first-year health screening including abdominal ultrasonography and genotyping for ALDH2 rs671, categorized as a high-activity genotype (GG) or reduced-activity genotype (non-GG). The associations of metabolism-related parameters were analyzed across SLD and ALDH2 genotype groups, and predictive performance was assessed using ROC analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We focused on significant changes in metabolism-related parameters, particularly in adolescent males, due to their higher prevalence of SLD. Increased preperitoneal fat and aspartate aminotransferase levels and decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were observed in the non-SLD group, with high ALDH2 activity; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in the SLD group increased in high ALDH2 activity. In stratified analyses, univariate and multivariate logistic regression revealed that, among adolescents without SLD, those with the GG genotype had significantly lower HDL-C levels (odds ratio [OR], 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.91-0.99, p = 0.016). Conversely, among adolescents with SLD, the high-activity GG genotype was associated with significantly higher LDL-C levels (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.05, p = 0.001). Exploratory cutoffs for HDL-C (<64 mg/dL) and LDL-C (≥114 mg/dL) showed moderate discriminatory ability (AUC 0.727 and 0.701, respectively) and showed modest genotype-classification performance in an independent cohort.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The association between ALDH2 rs671 genotype and lipid profiles differed according to SLD status under non-alcoholic conditions. Combined assessment of SLD and lipid changes may provide an exploratory approach for estimating ALDH2 genotype-inferred alcohol-metabolizing capacity in adolescents.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"31 ","pages":"60"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13585472/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148963254","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Causes of severe injuries in wheelchair user motor vehicle passengers: pilot study for future safety restraint system.","authors":"Masahito Hitosugi, Ayumu Kuwahara, Yoshitake Kitaguchi, Katsushi Yoshii, Masaki Inoue, Marin Takaso, Mami Nakamura, Barua Nick","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.26-00037","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.26-00037","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>As population aging progresses in Japan, an increasing number of older wheelchair users regularly travel in the rear space of motor vehicles. Poor seatbelt fit is the main cause of severe or fatal injuries in collisions. The current study sought to examine the potential risks regarding seatbelts for wheelchair users in Japan using national statistics, and to elucidate the mechanisms of injuries among wheelchair users involved in frontal collisions using sled tests. We propose a restraint system for wheelchair users traveling in vehicles.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To identify cases of collisions involving vehicles with wheelchair user passengers, national police database was examined. A sled test representing a 48 km/h frontal collision with a Hybrid III AF05 dummy was used to examine kinematics at collision and biomechanical parameters of wheelchair users. We examined three test conditions (1. generally used seatbelt path for standard wheelchairs; 2. close seatbelt path for standard wheelchair; 3. close seatbelt path for sturdy wheelchair).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>According to a national database in Japan, a seatbelt was worn in most cases of fatalities and casualties among wheelchair user passengers. In sled test condition 1, the dummy moved forward and the lap belt compressed the abdomen. High values were observed for head injury criterion and neck injury criterion. In condition 2, the dummy moved forward and fell because the wheelchair seat collapsed. In all conditions, high values for chest deflections (51.3 to 53.8 mm) were caused by high shoulder-belt load (8,217 to 8,660 N).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Indications for future design of safety restraint system were provided as follows: both the shoulder and lap belts would be correctly positioned across the bony parts of the shoulder and pelvis, respectively; a force limiter would be installed in the restraint system to reduce shoulder belt loads; a sturdy wheelchair and adequate tie-down system that can resist applied forces would be used.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"31 ","pages":"36"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13254262/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148040919","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A singularity in gender difference in medicine: nervous system and behavior.","authors":"Gaku Ichihara, Akiko Matsumoto, Sahoko Ichihara, Atsuko Ikeda, Yuko Yamano, Yuki Kitamura, Chiharu Nishiyama","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.26-00157","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.26-00157","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A symposium entitled \"A singularity in gender difference in medicine: nervous system and behavior\" was held on 21^st March 2025 at the 85^th Annual Meeting of the Japan Society for Hygiene in Saitama, Japan. Three speakers presented reviews on gender difference in neurodegenerative disease including Alzheimer disease and actions of sex steroid and regulation of their receptors, and one speaker presented an original study on gender difference in behavior of twins. The symposium concludes that further research is needed to clarify the roles of estrogen and genetic factors to better understand the mechanisms underlying gender differences in neurodegenerative diseases and behavioral problems.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"31 ","pages":"72"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149237279","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"LncRNA OIP5-AS1 knockdown is associated with attenuated nonylphenol-induced cardiac fibrosis.","authors":"Jie He, Jie Xu, Huawen Yu, Ya Luo, Kai Pan, Feng Li, Jie Yu","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00436","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.25-00436","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs), endocrine-interfering pollutants, attract attention for potentially affecting heart diseases via epigenetics. Nonylphenol (NP), a classical representative of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, has previously been demonstrated by our research group to induce myocardial fibrosis in rats. LncRNA, a gene regulator, mediates EED-induced heart cell damage and fibrosis.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to investigate the role of long noncoding RNA OIP5 antisense RNA 1 (lncRNA OIP5-AS1) knockdown in NP-induced myocardial fibrosis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection was used to interfere with the expression of lncRNA OIP5-AS1 in H9C2 cells. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), transwell, quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and Western blot assays were employed to detect cell membrane integrity, proliferation, migration ability, and the expression of fibrosis-related genes/proteins in H9C2 cells. This process was also validated in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The expression of fibrosis-related factor mRNA and proteins in H9C2 cells increased, and the expression of lncRNA OIP5-AS1 was significantly upregulated after 24 h of exposure to 70 µmol/L NP. The knockdown of lncRNA OIP5-AS1 did not show differential changes in LDH activity across treatment groups. However, the knockdown of lncRNA OIP5-AS1 significantly attenuated NP-induced proliferation and migration abilities of H9C2 cells and inhibited the increase in the expression of fibrosis-related factor mRNA/proteins caused by NP. This suggested that the interference with lncRNA OIP5-AS1 expression inhibited the NP-induced myocardial fibrosis in H9C2 cells. In vivo results suggested that NP exposure and isoproterenol hydrochloride groups in rats showed accumulation of myocardial collagen fibers in the interstitial space, increased distribution and content of collagen fibers, and elevated expression of fibrosis-related proteins. The distribution range, content of collagen fibers, and expression of fibrosis-related proteins significantly reduced in rats with lncRNA OIP5-AS1 knockdown exposed to NP compared with those in the NP group.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The expression of lncRNA OIP5-AS1 was upregulated in NP-treated H9C2 cells, rat hearts, and myocardial fibrosis model rats. Knockdown of lncRNA OIP5-AS1 was associated with attenuated NP-induced myocardial fibrosis and reduced collagen deposition.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"31 ","pages":"39"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13366185/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148316355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}