Background: At a time of increasing disconnectedness from nature, scientific interest in the potential health benefits of nature contact has grown. Research in recent decades has yielded substantia...

https://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/journals/pnw_2017_frumkin001.pdf

Nature Contact and Human Health: A Research Agenda

We previously reported that a forest bathing trip enhanced human NK activity, number of NK cells, and intracellular anti-cancer proteins in lymphocytes. In the present study, we investigated how long the increased NK activity lasts and compared the effect of a forest bathing trip on NK activity with a trip to places in a city without forests. Twelve healthy male subjects, age 35–56 years, were selected with informed consent. The subjects experienced a three-day/two-night trip to forest fields and to a city, in which activity levels during both trips were matched. On day 1, subjects walked for two hours in the afternoon in a forest field; and on day 2, they walked for two hours in the morning and afternoon, respectively, in two different forest fields; and on day 3, the subjects finished the trip and returned to Tokyo after drawing blood samples and completing the questionnaire. Blood and urine were sampled on the second and third days during the trips, and on days 7 and 30 after the trip, and NK activity, numbers of NK and T cells, and granulysin, perforin, and granzymes A/B-expressing lymphocytes in the blood samples, and the concentration of adrenaline in urine were measured. Similar measurements were made before the trips on a normal working day as the control. Phytoncide concentrations in forest and city air were measured. The forest bathing trip significantly increased NK activity and the numbers of NK, perforin, granulysin, and granzyme A/B-expressing cells and significantly decreased the concentration of adrenaline in urine. The increased NK activity lasted for more than 7 days after the trip. In contrast, a city tourist visit did not increase NK activity, numbers of NK cells, nor the expression of selected intracellular anti-cancer proteins, and did not decrease the concentration of adrenaline in urine. Phytoncides, such as alpha-pinene and beta-pinene were detected in forest air, but almost not in city air. These findings indicate that a forest bathing trip increased NK activity, number of NK cells, and levels of intracellular anti-cancer proteins, and that this effect lasted at least 7 days after the trip. Phytoncides released from trees and decreased stress hormone may partially contribute to the increased NK activity.

Visiting a forest, but not a city, increases human natural killer activity and expression of anti-cancer proteins (平成21年度助成研究論文)

Many countries are facing the aging of their population, and many more will face a similar obstacle in the near future, which could be a burden to many healthcare systems. Increased susceptibility to infections, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disease, cancer as well as reduced efficacy of vaccination are important matters for researchers in the field of aging. As older adults show higher prevalence for a variety of diseases, this also implies higher risk of complications, including nosocomial infections, slower recovery and sequels that may reduce the autonomy and overall quality of life of older adults. The age-related effects on the immune system termed as “immunosenescence” can be exemplified by the reported hypo-responsiveness to influenza vaccination of the elderly. T cells, which belong to the adaptive arm of the immune system, have been extensively studied and the knowledge gathered enables a better understanding of how the immune system may be affected after acute/chronic infections and how this matters in the long run. In this review, we will focus on T cells and discuss the surface and molecular markers that are associated with T cell senescence. We will also look at the implications that senescent T cells could have on human health and diseases. Finally, we will discuss the benefits of having these markers for investigators and the future work that is needed to advance the field of T cell senescence markers.

Markers of T Cell Senescence in Humans.

1 Van Lueder TG, Kjekshus H, Edvardsen T et al. Mechanisms of elevated plasma endothelin-1 in CHF: Congestion increases pulmonary synthesis and secretion of endothelin1. Cardiovasc Res 2004; 63: 41–50. 2 Sakai S, Miyauchi T, Kobayashi M et al. Inhibition of myocardial endothelin pathway improves long-term survival in heart failure. Nature 1996; 384: 353–355. 3 Mao GX, Lan XG, Cao YB et al. Effects of short-term forest bathing on human health in a broad-leaved evergreen forest in Zhejiang Province, China. Biomed Environ Sci 2012b; 25: 317–324. 4 Mao GX, Cao YB, Lan XG et al. Therapeutic effect of forest bathing on human hypertension in the elderly. J Cardiol 2012a; 60: 495–502. 5 Jia BB, Yang ZX, Mao GX et al. Health effect of Forest bathing trip on elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Biomed Environ Sci 2016; 29: 212–218. 6 Mao GX, Cao YB, Wang BZ et al. The salutary influence of Forest bathing on elderly patients with chronic heart failure. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2017; 14 (4): E368. 7 Dohi Y, Hahn AW, Boulanger CM et al. Endothelin stimulated by angiotensinII augments contractility of spontaneously hypertensive rat resistance arteries. Hypertension 1992; 19: 131–137.

Prevalence of frailty among community-dwellers and outpatients in Japan as defined by the Japanese version of the Cardiovascular Health Study criteria.

The effect of winter forest bathing on psychological relaxation of young Polish adults

The aim of the current study was to test the hypothesis that forest bathing would be beneficial for elderly patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) as an adjunctive therapy. Two groups of participants with CHF were simultaneously sent to the forest or an urban control area for a four-day trip, respectively. Subjects exposed to the forest site showed a significant reduction of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in comparison to that of the city group and their own baseline levels. The values for the cardiovascular disease related pathological factors, including endothelin-1 (ET-1), and constituents of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), including renin, angiotensinogen (AGT), angiotensin II (ANGII), and ANGII receptor type 1 or 2 (AT1 or AT2) in subjects exposed to the forest environment were lower than those in the urban control group. Obviously, a decreased level of inflammatory cytokines and improved antioxidant function was observed in the forest group rather than in the city group. The assessment of the profile of mood states (POMS) indicated that the negative emotional mood state was alleviated after forest bathing. As anticipated, a better air quality in the forest site was observed according to the detection of PM2.5 (particulate matter <2.5 μm) and negative ions. These results provided direct evidence that forest bathing has a beneficial effect on CHF patients, and thus may pave the way for potential development of forest bathing as an effective adjunctive therapy on cardiovascular disorders.

/pdf/the-salutary-influence-of-forest-bathing-on-elderly-patients-27g72pv5bv.pdf

The Salutary Influence of Forest Bathing on Elderly Patients with Chronic Heart Failure

Hypertension is a global health issue, and a reduced exercise capacity is unavoidable for older people. According to recent clinical studies, the intestinal microbiota play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of many human diseases. We investigated whether specific alterations in the gut microbiota contribute to the reduced exercise capacity of elderly patients with hypertension. This study enrolled 56 subjects, and all patients performed a cardiopulmonary exercise test and underwent fecal bacteria sequencing (16 s ribosomal RNA V4 region). According to peak oxygen uptake values, patients were divided into three groups (Weber A = 19, Weber B = 20, and Weber C = 17). The alpha diversity was not significantly different among the three groups. Regarding the beta diversity, Weber A samples were separate from the other two groups in the nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination plot (ANOSIM pairwise comparisons generated an R > 0.5; p   4.0). Escherichia coli are a primary producer of trimethylamine and inflammation in the human gut, and the abundance of this bacteria was increased in patients with a reduced exercise capacity (LDA score > 4.0). On the other hand, Lachnospiraceae-Eubacterium_hallii_group, Lachnospiraceae-Lachnoclostridium, Lachnospiraceae-Blautia-Ruminococcus_sp__5_1_39BFAA, and Ruminococcaceae-Faecalibacterium belong to the order Clostridiales that are likely to produce short-chain fatty acids (LDA score > 4.0), and some of these species were enriched in the Weber B or Weber C group in multiple comparisons. Our data pointed to an altered gut microbiota as a potential contributor to the pathogenesis and progression of the reduced exercise capacity of elderly patients with hypertension.

Gut dysbiosis is associated with the reduced exercise capacity of elderly patients with hypertension.

Summary
The aging process directly impacts bodily functions on multiple levels, including a reduced ability to resist stress, damage and disease. Besides changes in metabolic control, the aging process coincides with the altered long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) expression, which are ≥200nt long class of non-protein coding RNAs. The majority of non-coding transcripts of mammalian organs and tissues are expressed in developmentally regulated and cell-type specific manners. Specific altered lncRNA level has been involved in induction and maintenance of the whole human body aging with highly specific spatial andtemporal expression patterns. Furthermore, many lncRNAs are transcribed in sense, antisense and bidirectional manners in the mammalian genome. They play a vital role in regulating organ or tissue differentiation during aging by binding with miRNA or proteins to act as a decoy. Recently, the correlation between lncRNAs and aging has been studied intensely. Here, we have summarized some examples of known and novel lncRNAs that have been implicated in the aging process in the whole mammalian body and we discuss these patterns, conservation and characters during aging. This may further promote the development of research on lncRNAs and the aging process.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1440-1681.12795

Xiaoling Lv

Papers

The Salutary Influence of Forest Bathing on Elderly Patients with Chronic Heart Failure

Gut dysbiosis is associated with the reduced exercise capacity of elderly patients with hypertension.

Long non-coding RNAs in aging organs and tissues.

Tectoridin inhibits osteoclastogenesis and bone loss in a murine model of ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis

Bone mineral density in older patients with chronic heart failure is related to NYHA classification: a retrospective study.