Unusually heavy infections of Echinococcus granulosus in wild dogs in south-eastern Australia.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to D J Jenkins.
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It has been suggested that, although increasing meal frequency has metabolic advantages in terms of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, the efficiency of small intestinal absorption may be enhanced, thus reducing the extent of colonic fermentation. Since this may be undesirable, we have tested whether increasing meal frequency reduces the amount of carbohydrate fermented into the colon. Accordingly, seven healthy male volunteers took, in random order, two identical 2-week metabolic diets divided into either seventeen or three meals daily. On day 13 of each period measurements were made throughout the day of breath H2 and serum acetate, as markers of colonic fermentation. Mean levels of both breath H2 and acetate were similar on both diets, being lower on nibbling by 3.2 +/- 0.8 ppm and 25 +/- 9 mumols/l respectively (not significant). This study failed to demonstrate an effect of more efficient carbohydrate absorption with increased meal frequency.
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Epidemiological and animal studies suggest that colonic fermentation and fecal pH may be risk factors for colorectal cancer. To modify these factors, we sought to develop a simple instrument for use in intervention studies. Three 14-day studies with 32, 40, and 30 healthy volunteers maintained on their regular diet were carried out to evaluate the effect of various food supplements on fecal pH. The interventions tested included supplementary lactulose, Metamucil, oat bran, wheat bran, or no supplement. The results showed that it is possible to provide a simple intervention to reduce fecal pH by 0.4 unit with oat bran administered at 75-100 g/day over a 14-day period, using a wheat combination, equivalent in macronutrients and fiber, as a control.
Modifying the rate of absorption has been proposed as a therapeutic principle of specific relevance to diabetes. To demonstrate clearly the metabolic benefits that might result from reducing the rate of nutrient delivery, nine healthy volunteers took 50 g glucose in 700 ml water on two occasions: over 5-10 min (bolus) and at a constant rate over 3.5 h (sipping). Despite similar 4-h blood glucose areas, large reductions were seen in serum insulin (54 +/- 10%, P less than 0.001) and C-peptide (47 +/- 12%, P less than 0.01) areas after sipping, together with lower gastric inhibitory polypeptide and enteroglucagon levels and urinary catecholamine output. There was also prolonged suppression of plasma glucagon, growth hormone, and free-fatty acid (FFA) levels after sipping, whereas these levels rose 3-4 h after the glucose bolus. An intravenous glucose tolerance test at 4 h demonstrated a 48 +/- 10% (P less than 0.01) more rapid decline in blood glucose (Kg) after sipping than after the bolus. Furthermore, FFA and total branched-chain amino acid levels as additional markers of insulin action were lower over this period despite similar absolute levels of insulin and C-peptide. These findings indicate that prolonging the rate of glucose absorption enhances insulin economy and glucose disposal.
We studied 12 subjects with diabetes to determine how well the glycemic index (GI) predicted the ranking of glycemic responses of different foods in individuals. All subjects ate three mixed meals (bread, rice, or spaghetti with GIs of 100, 79, and 61, respectively) four times in a randomized complete block design. The mean glycemic response areas of the different meals ranked according to the predicted GI in every individual. The observed mean +/- SD GI values of the meals were significantly different from each other (bread 100 +/- 7, rice 75 +/- 9, spaghetti 54 +/- 9), with no significant difference in response between subjects. It is concluded that individuals share common mean GI values for different foods. Within confidence limits determined by the variability of glycemic responses, the number of repeated tests conducted, and the expected GI difference, the GI can be used to predict the ranking of the mean glycemic responses of mixed meals taken by individuals.
We studied the effect of increasing the frequency of meals on serum lipid concentrations and carbohydrate tolerance in normal subjects. Seven men were assigned in random order to two metabolically identical diets. One diet consisted of 17 snacks per day (the nibbling diet), and the other of three meals per day (the three-meal diet); each diet was followed for two weeks. As compared with the three-meal diet, the nibbling diet reduced fasting serum concentrations of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B by a mean (+/- SE) of 8.5 +/- 2.5 percent (P less than 0.02), 13.5 +/- 3.4 percent (P less than 0.01), and 15.1 +/- 5.7 percent (P less than 0.05), respectively. Although the mean blood glucose level and serum concentrations of free fatty acids, 3-hydroxybutyrate, and triglyceride were similar during both diets, during the nibbling diet the mean serum insulin level decreased by 27.9 +/- 6.3 percent (P less than 0.01) and the mean 24-hour urinary C-peptide output decreased by 20.2 +/- 5.6 percent (P less than 0.02). In addition, the mean 24-hour urinary cortisol excretion was lower by 17.3 +/- 5.9 percent (P less than 0.05) at the end of the nibbling diet than at the end of the three-meal diet. The blood glucose, serum insulin, and C-peptide responses to a standardized breakfast and the results of an intravenous glucose-tolerance test conducted at the end of each diet were similar. We conclude that in addition to the amount and type of food eaten, the frequency of meals may be an important determinant of fasting serum lipid levels, possibly in relation to changes in insulin secretion.
Eleven obese volunteers took part in a 12-week study during 8 weeks of which 2 meals of their control 1000 kcal diets were replaced by a soya based liquid formula (1 month) or a milk based liquid formula (1 month). The mean weight loss per month was 2.5 kg (P less than 0.05). On the soya formula total and LDL cholesterol levels were reduced significantly over the month by 10.0 +/- 2.7% (P less than 0.01) and 17.5 +/- 5.6% (P less than 0.02), respectively. Neither the milk based formula or the control low calorie diet lowered serum cholesterol significantly over the diet period. No change was seen in serum triglycerides on any of the 3 diets. No difference was seen between treatments in 24-h urinary C-peptide excretion. The results indicated that use of a vegetable protein supplement in a weight loss program which induced moderate weight loss was associated with a reduction in blood lipids, whereas moderate weight loss on a control low calorie diet or milk based formula was not.
It is not known whether the variability of the glycemic index (GI) in different subjects is due to within- or between-individual variation. In addition, it is not known how large a difference in GI between different meals is clinically important for individuals with diabetes. Therefore, insulin-dependent (IDDM) and non-insulin-dependent (NIDDM) diabetic subjects tested four foods, with each food taken by each subject on two separate occasions. For each food, most of the variation of absolute glycemic responses was due to differences between the subjects. However, when the results were expressed as the GI, there were no significant differences between the subjects, and most of the variation was due to within-individual variation. Using the within-individual variance, we estimated the so-called "predictive difference" of GI values. Its reliability was assessed by consideration of published data from eight studies where different mixed meals were taken by the same group of subjects. There were 37 cases where the difference between the GI of any two meals was greater than the predictive difference. Of these 37 pairs of meals, the GI correctly ranked the glycemic responses in 36 (97%). We conclude that GI values for the same food do not vary significantly between different individuals. For a subject with NIDDM a difference in GI of 34 will predict the ranking of glycemic responses of two meals with 95% probability. The corresponding value for a subject with IDDM is 50.
Carbohydrate intolerance is common in patients with cirrhosis. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the beneficial metabolic effects of low glycemic index diets observed in noncirrhotic diabetics also occurred in patients with cirrhosis. Therefore, for one day, five patients with cirrhosis were fed diets in which low glycemic index foods were substituted, replacing those which produced higher blood glucose rises. Reduction in the estimated glycemic impact of the diet by approximately 30% reduced the mean incremental blood glucose level over the day by 40 +/- 5% (p less than 0.001). Measurement at breakfast of amino acid, insulin, and gastric inhibitory polypeptide profiles confirmed a reduction of similar magnitude. No change was seen in pancreatic glucagon, whereas enteroglucagon levels tended to be higher. In view of these findings and the possible long-term benefits of chronic reduction of hyperinsulinism and alteration in amino acid metabolism, this approach to dietary management of cirrhosis warrants further consideration.
Solutions containing 90 mmol sodium acetate plus 30 mmol sodium propionate (90 mM; isotonic), 180 mmol acetate plus 60 mmol propionate (180 mM; hypertonic) or an equivalent volume of isotonic saline were given over a 30-min period in random order by rectal infusion to six healthy subjects. Peripheral venous blood samples were obtained at 30-min intervals over the next 2 h. After the 90 mM infusion, the serum acetate response reached a peak at 60 min and had fallen to baseline by 120 min. The incremental area under the serum acetate response curve after 180 mM was twice that after 90 mM. Propionate was undetectable in serum at any time. Blood glucose fell after all of the infusions, but there was no significant difference between the saline- and short chain fatty acid (SCFA)-containing infusions. SCFA had no significant effect on serum insulin or c-peptide concentrations. However, compared with the saline control, the 180 mM solution resulted in a significant fall in serum free-fatty acids (FFA) and a significant rise in serum total cholesterol and triglyceride, with no change in beta-hydroxybutyrate levels. The data provide strong evidence that colonic SCFA are absorbed and metabolized in the human subject. The fall in FFA suggests that colonic SCFA have an effect on carbohydrate metabolism. In addition, the data provide indirect evidence for utilization of SCFA for lipid synthesis.
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STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect on the glycaemic response to bread of the ratio of whole cereal grains to milled flour. DESIGN: Randomised assignment of groups of diabetic volunteers to test and control meals, taken after an overnight fast. Test foods were also analysed for in vitro digestion with human saliva. SETTING: Tertiary care centre. PATIENTS: Groups of six drawn from pool of 16 volunteers with diabetes mellitus (11 men, five women; mean age 64 (SE 3); 10 taking insulin, five taking oral agents, one controlled by diet; other characteristics comparable). INTERVENTIONS: All patients took standard white bread control meals on three occasions spanning the study and on different mornings took test meals containing varying ratios of whole cereal grains (barley or cracked wheat) to milled flour (75:25, 50:50, 0:100). All meals contained 50 g available carbohydrate and were eaten in 15 minutes. Capillary blood samples were taken for determination of glucose concentrations every 30 minutes for three hours. END POINT: Glycaemic index of foods (= increase in area under blood glucose concentration curve for test food divided by increase in area under curve for white bread control X 100). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Significant trend to lower glycaemic index with increasing proportion of whole cereal grains in test bread (p less than 0.05) and lower in vitro digestibility (p less than 0.001). Breads containing up to 75% whole grain were considered palatable. CONCLUSIONS: Breads containing a high proportion of whole cereal grains may be useful in reducing the postprandial blood glucose profile in diabetics because they are more slowly digested. These breads should be called "wholegrain" in distinction to "wholemeal" breads made from milled flour.
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Eight patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes underwent two 2-wk study periods in random order during which they were provided with carbohydrate foods with either a high or low glycemic index (GI). Over both high-GI and low-GI periods there were significant reductions in body weight, serum fructosamine, and cholesterol. Reductions in fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, and urinary c-peptide-to-creatinine ratio were significant only over the low-GI period despite a smaller mean weight loss. Reductions in triglyceride were significant only over the high-GI diet. Inclusion of low-GI foods into diets of patients with diabetes may be an additional measure that favorably influences carbohydrate metabolism without increasing insulin demand.
The effects of the glycemic index (GI) of carbohydrate eaten the previous night on the glycemic response to a standard test meal eaten subsequently in the morning (breakfast) was studied. On separate evenings normal subjects ate low- or high-GI test meals of the same nutrient composition. The dinners consisted of single foods in two experiments and mixed meals containing several foods in the third. The differences between the observed glycemic responses to low- and high-GI dinners were predicted by their GIs. The glycemic responses to breakfast were significantly lower on mornings after low-GI dinners than after high-GI dinners. Eating, at dinner, foods with different fiber contents but the same GI had no effect on postbreakfast glycemia. We conclude that the GI predicts the difference between glycemic responses of mixed dinner meals; breakfast carbohydrate tolerance is improved when low-GI foods are eaten the previous evening.
Serum antibody responses in feral or domesticated dogs naturally infected with Echinococcus granulosus or/and other common helminths were examined in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using antigens prepared from E. granulosus protoscoleces or oncospheres. The ELISA using the protoscolex antigen was optimised with serums from experimental dogs monospecifically infected with E. granulosus or other helminth parasites, and helminth-free dogs. Anti-protoscolex antibody was detected in 16 of 22 (72.7%) serums from feral dogs with E. granulosus burdens ranging from 300 to 302,600 worms per dog. Seven serums from feral dogs which did not harbour E. granulosus at autopsy but which originated from an endemic hydatid region were tested using protoscolex antigen, and 1 serum gave a positive reaction. One hundred and two serums from dogs known never to have been infected with E. granulosus all gave negative reactions to protoscolex antigen. The sensitivity of the ELISA test proved to be superior to that which has been achieved by arecoline purging as a method of diagnosis for E. granulosus infection in dogs. For use of the assay in hydatid control or eradication campaigns, its sensitivity can be increased by choosing a lower absorbance discrimination value above which serums are regarded as having positive reactions. However, this does introduce positive reactions of some serums from dogs infected with helminths other than E. granulosus. In further development of the assay, use of defined recombinant antigens may improve both sensitivity and specificity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)