This study aimed to examine the effects of an 8-week physical activity program, which mainly comprised home-based bench-stepping exercise training at the intensity of lactate threshold (LT), on mental health (MH), health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and physical fitness in Japanese returnees from China. Thirty Japanese returnees (63 ± 9 y) participated in the exercise program. Another six subjects were enrolled as the control group. The subjects performed 212 ± 57 min of training, and their daily step counts were increased. Aerobic capacity (LT: 4.5 ± 0.8 vs. 5.5 ± 1.1 METs), lower limb strength (30-s chair stand test [CS-30]: 19.1 ± 5.5 vs. 21.3 ± 5.1 times), and sit-and-reach flexibility (sitting-posture body anteflexion: 36.1 ± 9.4 vs. 39.0 ± 8.4 cm) were significantly increased after the intervention compared with before the intervention. Furthermore, MH, as assessed by the total score of the GHQ-28 (3.4 ± 4.4 vs. 0.3 ± 0.8 points), and the mental component score (MCS) of HRQOL, as evaluated by the SF-36v2 (55.1 ± 11.4 vs. 58.5 ± 10.0), were significantly changed in a positive manner. However, a two-way repeated measures ANOVA (group × period) showed significant interactions for LT and MCS (p<0.05), and a tendency for interactions of CS-30 (p=0.063) and the total score of the GHQ-28 (p=0.098). These results indicate that this bench-stepping exercise program could become a useful health support program for improving physical fitness, as well as MH and HRQOL, in Japanese returnees.

The follicle-associated epithelium (FAE) of Peyer's patches (PPs) contains M cells that are important for reducing mucosal immune responses by transporting antigens into the underlying lymphoid tissue. We generated a monoclonal antibody (C6) that reacted with the FAE of calf ileal PPs, and analyzed the characteristics of C6 using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. FAE of the ileal PP was stained with C6 during both late fetal developmental and postnatal stages. Neither the villous epithelial cell nor intestinal crypt basal cells were stained at any developmental stage. During the prenatal stages, FAE of the jejunal PP was C6-negative. However, a few C6-positive cells were distributed diffusely in some FAE of the jejunal PPs during the postnatal stages. The protein molecular weight of the antigen recognized by C6 was approximately 45 kDa. These data show that C6 is useful for identifying the FAE in ileal PPs and further suggest that differentiation of the FAE in these areas is independent of external antigens.
Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/*immunology ; *Cattle ; Fetus ; Hybridomas ; Ileum/*ultrastructure ; Intestinal Mucosa/*immunology ; Peyer's Patches/*immunology/ultrastructure

The follicle-associated epithelium (FAE) of Peyer's patches (PPs) contains M cells that are important for reducing mucosal immune responses by transporting antigens into the underlying lymphoid tissue. We generated a monoclonal antibody (C6) that reacted with the FAE of calf ileal PPs, and analyzed the characteristics of C6 using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. FAE of the ileal PP was stained with C6 during both late fetal developmental and postnatal stages. Neither the villous epithelial cell nor intestinal crypt basal cells were stained at any developmental stage. During the prenatal stages, FAE of the jejunal PP was C6-negative. However, a few C6-positive cells were distributed diffusely in some FAE of the jejunal PPs during the postnatal stages. The protein molecular weight of the antigen recognized by C6 was approximately 45 kDa. These data show that C6 is useful for identifying the FAE in ileal PPs and further suggest that differentiation of the FAE in these areas is independent of external antigens.
Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/*immunology ; *Cattle ; Fetus ; Hybridomas ; Ileum/*ultrastructure ; Intestinal Mucosa/*immunology ; Peyer's Patches/*immunology/ultrastructure