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Differential responses in three thalamic nuclei in moderately disabled, severely disabled and vegetative patients after blunt head injury.

In vivo imaging techniques have indicated for many years that there is loss of white matter after human traumatic brain injury (TBI) and that the loss is inversely related to cognitive outcome. However, correlated, quantitative evidence for loss of neurons from either the cerebral cortex or the diencephalon is largely lacking. There is some evidence in models of TBI that neuronal loss occurs within the thalamus, but no systematic studies of such loss have been undertaken in the thalamus of humans after blunt head injury. We have undertaken a stereological analysis of changes in numbers of neurons within the dorsomedial, ventral posterior and lateral posterior thalamic nuclei in patients assessed by the Glasgow Outcome Scale as moderately disabled (n = 9), severely disabled (n = 12) and vegetative (n = 10) head-injured patients who survived between 6 h and 3 years, and controls (n = 9). In histological sections at the level of the lateral geniculate body, the cross-sectional area of each nucleus and the number and the mean size of neurons within each nucleus was quantified. A statistically significant loss of cross-sectional area and number of neurons occurred in the dorsomedial nucleus in moderately disabled, and both the dorsomedial and ventral posterior thalamic nuclei in severely disabled and vegetative head-injured patients. However, there was no change in neuronal cell size. In the lateral posterior nucleus, despite a reduction in mean cell size, there was not a significant change in either nuclear area or number of neurons in cases of moderately disabled, severely disabled or vegetative patients. We posit, although detailed neuropsychological outcome for the patients included within this study was not available, that neuronal loss in the dorsomedial thalamus in moderately and severely disabled and vegetative patients may be the structural basis for the clinical assessment in the Glasgow Outcome Scale. In severely disabled and vegetative patients, loss of neurons from the ventral posterior thalamic nucleus may also reflect loss of response to afferent stimuli.

Adolescent↗

Chemoprevention of 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ)-induced colonic and hepatic preneoplastic lesions in the F344 rat by cruciferous vegetables administered simultaneously with the carcinogen.

The aim of this study was to investigate the chemopreventive effects of widely consumed cruciferous vegetables, namely Brussels sprouts and red cabbage towards 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ)-induced preneoplastic lesions [liver glutathione-S-transferase placental positive (GST-P(+)) foci and colonic aberrant crypt foci (ACF)]. Male F344 rats were treated with IQ (100 mg/kg bw/g) on 10 alternating days and received drinking water supplemented with Brussels sprouts and red cabbage juices (5% v/v) before and during the carcinogen treatment. From each vegetable two different cultivars were tested. Brussels sprouts reduced the frequency of IQ-induced aberrant foci in both organs (41-52% in the colon and 27-67% in the liver). Also, Brussels sprouts drastically diminished (85-91%) the size of liver GST-P(+) foci, but no such effect was seen in the colon. With red cabbage, the size of liver GST-P(+) foci was markedly reduced (41-83%) whereas the foci frequency was only moderately decreased (19-50%). No protection was seen in the colon after treatment with red cabbage. Cooking (10 min, 100 degrees C) of the vegetables had no influence on their protective effects. The stronger chemoprotective effects of Brussels sprouts may be due to the fact that the overall glucosinolate contents were substantially (2-3-fold) higher than those of the cabbage cultivars, but it was not possible to attribute the reduction of preneoplastic lesions to specific glucosinolates. The activities of hepatic UDP-glucuronosyltransferase form 2 (UDPGT-2) and cytochrome P4501A2 were increased by both vegetables. The induction effect of Brussels sprouts on the activity of UDPGT-2 was more marked than that of the red cabbage cultivars, suggesting that increased glucuronidation of IQ may account for the reduction of the preneoplastic lesions. Our findings support the assumption that Brassica vegetables protect against the carcinogenic effects of heterocyclic amines.

Animals↗

Gender differences in the consumption of meat, fruit and vegetables are similar in Finland and the Baltic countries.

BACKGROUND: Women's diets are healthier than men's. Finnish women eat more fruits and vegetables but less meat than men. Gender differences may be larger in the Baltic countries, which represent Eastern European transition societies than in Finland, a society characterized by the Scandinavian welfare ideology and a high degree of gender equality. METHODS: The data are based on questionnaires to random samples of adults in Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The data provide a way of addressing gender differences at the turn of the century in the economically and culturally different countries. The purpose is to explore whether the consumption of foods classified as masculine or feminine-meat, fruits and vegetables-follow a similar gender pattern in Finland and the Baltic countries. RESULTS: Men ate meat more often while women ate fruits and vegetables. A high educational level was associated with frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables. Educational differences in the consumption of meat were few and inconsistent. The consumption of fruits and vegetables was more common in urban areas except in Finland. Gender differences were similar in all countries throughout age and educational groups and in rural and urban areas. CONCLUSION: The consistent association of gender and food and the similarity of gender patterning in population subgroups point to the stability of masculine versus feminine food habits. The similarity suggests that food habits contribute equally to the gender gap in health in the Baltic countries as they do in Finland.

Adult↗

Magnesium absorption from leafy vegetables intrinsically labeled with the stable isotope 26Mg.

Five leafy vegetables were grown in nutrient solutions in which the natural magnesium was replaced by the stable isotope, 26Mg. They were fed to rats in a test meal together with the extrinsic tracer 28Mg: a) to determine to what extent the instrinsic tracer (26Mg) was exchangeable with extrinsic 28Mg during the digestion and absorption processes, and b) measure the relative Mg availability from the different vegetables. The two tracers, 26Mg and 28Mg, were close to 100% exchangeable, as judged by the ratio of 26Mg/28Mg in the livers. Mean relative Mg absorption from the various vegetables ranged from 108 to 118% of the Mg absorbed from a standard test meal containing MgSO4. There were no statistically significant differences between the rates of Mg absorption from the five vegetables although two of the vegetables tested contained oxalate. The usefulness of stable 26Mg as a tracer in Mg bioavailability tests is discussed.

Animals↗

Effect of dietary vegetable (water convolvulus) on cholesterol metabolism in rats.

Male rats were fed diets containing 0.5% cholesterol with or without vegetable (water convolvulus) or neutral detergent fiber supplementation. After 2 weeks, rats were given [4-14C]cholesterol i.p. Feces were collected for 1 week. Three hours prior to necropsy, [3H]acetate was administered i.p. Samples of serum, liver, adipose tissue, muscle and brain were obtained for analysis. Concentrations of total lipids and cholesterol and synthesis and recovery of labeled steroids are reported. Results showed that the growth of animals and food utilization were not significantly affected by different dietary treatments. The notable effect of vegetable was that the elevated liver and serum cholesterol levels due to increased intake can be nearly offset by increasing the fecal excretion. The high rate of excretion of 14C-labeled steroids shown in vegetable-fed rats indicated that both decreased absorption and increased endogenous excretion occurred in these animals. The synthesis of total lipids as demonstrated by [3H]acetate incorporation was not affected appreciably by diet. In liver, however, cholesterol synthesis appeared to be lower in rats receiving cholesterol-supplemented diet, but higher in rats fed vegetable diets. The ratio of 3H:14C of liver cholesterol was significantly higher in rats fed the vegetable diet. In brain cholesterol we also found consistently high 3H:14C ratios, which were not affected by dietary intake. It appears that brain cholesterol level is maintained mainly by synthesis in situ and not by uptake from dietary or other sources.

Acetates↗

Fermentation of vegetable fiber in the intestinal tract of rats and effects on fecal bulking and bile acid excretion.

The fermentative breakdown and fecal bulking capacity of dietary fiber from various vegetables (carrots, rutabagas, peas, green beans and Brussels sprouts) were evaluated in balance experiments in rats. The excretion of bile acids, protein and fat was also studied. The addition of blanched vegetables providing 10 g of fiber/100 g of diet caused a two-(rutabagas) to threefold (carrots) increase in fecal dry weight compared to that with a basal fiber-free diet. With green beans and Brussels sprouts, only about 25% of the fecal dry weight could be accounted for as fiber, whereas with the other investigated vegetables, 40-47% was fiber. Of the remaining part, 11% on average was fat, and 18% was crude protein. Fiber in carrots and peas was the least degraded, with approximately 47% of the polysaccharide intake being excreted in feces. By contrast, the breakdown of the fiber in green beans and Brussels sprouts was more extensive, with a mean of 23% of the polysaccharides being recovered. Among individual fiber constituents, glucose, mannose and uronic acids were least fermented, with considerable differences between vegetables. Total excretion of bile acids was reduced only when Brussels sprouts were added, whereas the concentration of fecal bile acids was lowered with all vegetables except rutabagas. However, no uniform change in fecal bile acid pattern could be detected.

Animals↗

Plasma carotenoids are biomarkers of long-term high vegetable intake in women with breast cancer.

We investigated predictors of change in plasma carotenoids from baseline to 3 y and examined plasma carotenoid concentrations at 1 and 3 y in response to a high vegetable diet. Participants were 56 women diagnosed with breast cancer and enrolled in a randomized feasibility study for a trial examining the effect of a diet high in vegetables and fruits on the risk of breast cancer recurrence. Independent t test analysis revealed that the intervention group had significantly higher vegetable and fruit servings and fiber at 12 mo and significantly higher vegetable servings at 36 mo compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Energy intake from fat was significantly lower in the intervention group at 12 and 36 mo. The intervention group had significantly higher consumption of beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lutein and beta-cryptoxanthin at 12 mo (P < 0.05). beta-Carotene, alpha-carotene and lutein intakes also were significantly higher at 36 mo (P < 0.05). At 36 mo, the intervention group had significantly higher plasma concentrations of alpha-carotene and beta-carotene compared with the control group. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed that the intervention group had significantly increased (P < 0.05 with Bonferroni correction) plasma beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lutein and lycopene concentrations at 12 and 36 mo compared with baseline. Baseline carotenoid concentrations were significantly inversely predictive (P < 0.05) of plasma carotenoid change. In addition, change in body mass index (BMI) and plasma cholesterol concentrations were predictive of plasma carotenoid change from baseline to 3 y. Results of this study demonstrate that change in plasma carotenoid concentrations is associated with change in BMI, change in plasma cholesterol and baseline carotenoid concentrations. Plasma carotenoid response can be an indicator of long-term high vegetable intake for women at risk of breast cancer recurrence.

Adolescent↗

Low intake of fruits, berries and vegetables is associated with excess mortality in men: the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor (KIHD) Study.

Diets rich in fruits and vegetables have been of interest because of their potential health benefits against chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. The aim of this work was to assess the association of the dietary intake of a food group that includes fruits, berries and vegetables with all-cause, CVD-related and non-CVD-related mortality. The subjects were Finnish men aged 42-60 y examined in 1984-1989 in the prospective Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor (KIHD) Study. Dietary intakes were assessed by 4-d food intake record during the baseline phase of the KIHD Study. The risk of all-cause and non-CVD-related deaths was studied in 2641 men and the risk of CVD-related death in 1950 men who had no history of CVD at baseline. During a mean follow-up time of 12.8 y, cardiovascular as well as noncardiovascular and all-cause mortality were lower among men with the highest consumption of fruits, berries and vegetables. After adjustment for the major CVD risk factors, the relative risk for men in the highest fifth of fruit, berry and vegetable intake for all-cause death, CVD-related and non-CVD-related death was 0.66 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.50-0.88], 0.59 (0.33-1.06), and 0.68 (0.46-1.00), respectively, compared with men in the lowest fifth. These data show that a high fruit, berry and vegetable intake is associated with reduced risk of mortality in middle-aged Finnish men. Consequently, the findings of this work indicate that diets that are rich in plant-derived foods can promote longevity.

Adult↗

Interventions designed to increase adult fruit and vegetable intake can be effective: a systematic review of the literature.

International recommendations advise increasing intakes of fruit and vegetables to help reduce the burden of chronic diseases worldwide. This project systematically reviewed evidence on the effectiveness of interventions and programs promoting fruit and/or vegetable intake in adults. In April 2004, we contacted experts in the field and searched 14 publication databases. We considered all papers published in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish, and reporting on interventions and promotion programs encouraging higher intakes of fruit and/or vegetables in free-living not acutely ill adults, with follow-up periods > or = 3 mo, that measured change in intake and had a control group. Forty-four studies (mainly from developed countries) were included in the review and stratified by study setting. Larger effects were generally observed in individuals with preexisting health disorders. In primary prevention interventions in healthy adults, fruit and vegetable intake was increased by approximately 0.1-1.4 serving/d. Consistent positive effects were seen in studies involving face-to-face education or counseling, but interventions using telephone contacts or computer-tailored information appeared to be a reasonable alternative. Community-based multicomponent interventions also had positive findings. This literature review suggests that small increases in fruit and vegetable intake are possible in population subgroups, and that these can be achieved by a variety of approaches. More research is required to examine the effectiveness of specific components of interventions in different populations, particularly less developed countries. There is also a need for a better assessment of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of large community-based interventions.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗

Parameters for modelling the interception and retention of deposits from atmosphere by grain and leafy vegetables.

The Normalised Specific Activity (NSA), a quantity which relates the concentration of a contaminant per unit mass of vegetation to its daily rate of ground deposition, has been used as the basis for determining interception factors and retention half-lives for radioactive contaminants deposited on grain and leafy vegetables. The values are for use in assessing contamination levels on crops at harvest during conditions of continuous deposition. The approach implicitly takes account of other processes which influence foliar contamination, namely, translocation and dilution due to plant growth. The respective NSA values for grain and prepared leafy vegetables determined from several separate experimental studies are fairly constant and are of about the same level for fall-out strontium and caesium. There is evidence from previous studies on herbage to suggest that similar NSA values might be expected for other contaminants on grain and leafy vegetables. Plutonium is an exception in that NSA values for grain and prepared leafy vegetables are lower than those for the fission products by factors of between 5 and 10 depending upon the source of the contaminant. Consideration has been given to determining the most appropriate value of the fraction of activity transferred from grain to flour during refining. This is an element dependent parameter and the values estimated for strontium, caesium and plutonium are respectively 0.15, 0.5 and 0.1. The study has indicated the need for data in several areas in order to improve the capability to model interception and retention on field crops in continuous and acute release conditions.

Air Pollutants↗

Intake of fruits, vegetables, and dairy products in early childhood and subsequent blood pressure change.

BACKGROUND: Diets characterized by high intakes of fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy products (for example, the DASH diet) have been shown to reduce blood pressure in adults. The effects of similar diets on children's blood pressure are unknown. METHODS: We used 8 years of follow-up data from 95 children, initially 3 to 6 years of age at enrollment in the prospective Framingham Children's Study in 1986. The yearly clinic visits included 5 measures of blood pressure obtained with an automated device. Diet was assessed by means of replicate sets of 3-day food diaries during each year. RESULTS: Children who consumed more fruits and vegetables (4 or more servings per day) or more dairy products (2 or more servings per day) during the preschool years had smaller yearly gains in systolic blood pressure throughout childhood. By the time of early adolescence, children with higher intakes of fruits and vegetables and dairy products had an adjusted mean (+/- standard deviation) systolic blood pressure of 106 +/- 2.9 mm Hg, whereas those with lower intakes in both food groups had a mean systolic blood pressure of 113 +/-1.5 mm Hg. Those with higher intakes of fruits and vegetables alone or dairy alone had intermediate levels of systolic blood pressure in adolescence. The effects on diastolic blood pressure were weaker. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and dairy products may have beneficial effects on blood pressure during childhood.

Blood Pressure↗

Relationship between pollinosis and fruit or vegetable sensitization.

The prevalence of vegetable sensitization in children with pollinosis (Group A; n = 48) and the prevalence of pollen sensitization in children with fruit or vegetable allergy (Group B; n = 42) were studied by means of prick-test and determination of serum specific IgE to several pollens, fruits and vegetables. Fifteen patients from Group A (31%) showed sensitivity to fruits and/or vegetables, but only three of them had any symptoms after ingestions. Twenty nine patients from Group B (69%) showed pollen sensitization, mainly to grass and Compositae pollen. An association was found between sensitivity to Compositae pollen and sensitivity to several fruits and vegetables (Compositae, Fagaceae, Brassica, Betulaceae and Leguminoseae).

Adolescent↗

The protective role of fruits and vegetables against radiation-induced cancer.

The role of fruits and vegetables in protecting against radiation-induced cancer and the positive evidence from epidemiology and ancillary investigations are discussed in this review. The recently reported Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb survivor studies provide strong evidence for the protective role of fruits and vegetables against radiation-induced cancer. The anticarcinogenic substances contained in, and the anticarcinogenic mechanisms proposed for, fruits and vegetables are reviewed. The anticarcinogenic effectiveness of fruits and vegetables are compared with that of dietary supplements. The reasons for the observed superiority of fruits and vegetables are advanced.

Anticarcinogenic Agents↗

Estimation of microbial contamination of food from prevalence and concentration data: application to Listeria monocytogenes in fresh vegetables.

A normal distribution and a mixture model of two normal distributions in a Bayesian approach using prevalence and concentration data were used to establish the distribution of contamination of the food-borne pathogenic bacteria Listeria monocytogenes in unprocessed and minimally processed fresh vegetables. A total of 165 prevalence studies, including 15 studies with concentration data, were taken from the scientific literature and from technical reports and used for statistical analysis. The predicted mean of the normal distribution of the logarithms of viable L. monocytogenes per gram of fresh vegetables was -2.63 log viable L. monocytogenes organisms/g, and its standard deviation was 1.48 log viable L. monocytogenes organisms/g. These values were determined by considering one contaminated sample in prevalence studies in which samples are in fact negative. This deliberate overestimation is necessary to complete calculations. With the mixture model, the predicted mean of the distribution of the logarithm of viable L. monocytogenes per gram of fresh vegetables was -3.38 log viable L. monocytogenes organisms/g and its standard deviation was 1.46 log viable L. monocytogenes organisms/g. The probabilities of fresh unprocessed and minimally processed vegetables being contaminated with concentrations higher than 1, 2, and 3 log viable L. monocytogenes organisms/g were 1.44, 0.63, and 0.17%, respectively. Introducing a sensitivity rate of 80 or 95% in the mixture model had a small effect on the estimation of the contamination. In contrast, introducing a low sensitivity rate (40%) resulted in marked differences, especially for high percentiles. There was a significantly lower estimation of contamination in the papers and reports of 2000 to 2005 than in those of 1988 to 1999 and a lower estimation of contamination of leafy salads than that of sprouts and other vegetables. The interest of the mixture model for the estimation of microbial contamination is discussed.

Bayes Theorem↗

Growth of Aeromonas hydrophila on fresh vegetables stored under a controlled atmosphere.

The effects of controlled-atmosphere storage (CAS) on the survival and growth of Aeromonas hydrophila on fresh asparagus, broccoli, and cauliflower were examined. Two lots of each vegetable were inoculated with A. hydrophila 1653 or K144. A third lot served as an uninoculated control. Following inoculation, vegetables were stored at 4 or 15 degrees C under a CAS system previously shown to extend the shelf life of each commodity or under ambient air. Populations of A. hydrophila were enumerated on the initial day of inoculation and at various intervals for 10 days (15 degrees C) or 21 days (4 degrees C) of storage. Direct plating of samples with selective media was used to enumerate A. hydrophila. The organism was detected on most lots of vegetables as they were received from a commercial produce supplier. Without exception, the CAS system lengthened the time vegetables were subjectively considered acceptable for consumption. However, CAS did not significantly affect populations of A. hydrophila which survived or grew on inoculated vegetables.

Aeromonas↗

Escherichia coli contamination of vegetables grown in soils fertilized with noncomposted bovine manure: garden-scale studies.

In this study we tested the validity of the National Organic Program (NOP) requirement for a > or =120-day interval between application of noncomposted manure and harvesting of vegetables grown in manure-fertilized soil. Noncomposted bovine manure was applied to 9.3-m2 plots at three Wisconsin sites (loamy sand, silt loam, and silty clay loam) prior to spring and summer planting of carrots, radishes, and lettuce. Soil and washed (30 s under running tap water) vegetables were analyzed for indigenous Escherichia coli. Within 90 days, the level of E. coli in manure-fertilized soil generally decreased by about 3 log CFU/g from initial levels of 4.2 to 4.4 log CFU/g. Low levels of E. coli generally persisted in manure-fertilized soil for more than 100 days and were detected in enriched soil from all three sites 132 to 168 days after manure application. For carrots and lettuce, at least one enrichment-negative sample was obtained < or =100 days after manure application for 63 and 88% of the treatments, respectively. The current > or =120-day limit provided an even greater likelihood of not detecting E. coli on carrots (> or =1 enrichment-negative result for 100% of the treatments). The rapid maturation of radishes prevented conclusive evaluation of a 100- or 120-day application-to-harvest interval. The absolute absence of E. coli from vegetables harvested from manure-fertilized Wisconsin soils may not be ensured solely by adherence to the NOP > or =120-day limit. Unless pathogens are far better at colonizing vegetables than indigenous E. coli strains are, it appears that the risk of contamination for vegetables grown in Wisconsin soils would be elevated only slightly by reducing the NOP requirement to > or =100 days.

Animals↗

Fruit and vegetable consumption and colorectal adenomas in the Nurses' Health Study.

Consumption of fruits and vegetables may confer protection from colorectal adenomas, but the limited observational and interventional evidence is inconclusive. We examined the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and the prevalence and incidence of adenomas of the distal colon and rectum in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS). We used data from 34,467 women in the NHS who had undergone colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy during follow-up between 1980 and 1998. Consumption of fruits and vegetables was assessed in 1980, 1984, 1986, 1990, and 1994 using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire; 1,720 prevalent cases of adenoma of the distal colon and rectum were diagnosed between 1980 and 1998. Frequent consumption of fruit was inversely related to the risk of being diagnosed with polyps, whereas little association was found for vegetable consumption. Women who reported consuming five or more servings of fruit a day had an odds ratio (OR) of 0.60 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.44-0.81] for developing colorectal adenomas compared with women who consumed only one or fewer servings of fruit per day, after adjustment for relevant covariates (P(trend) = 0.001). The respective OR for vegetable consumption was 0.82 (95% CI, 0.65-1.05; P(trend) = 0.1). Women who consumed four or more servings of legumes per week had a lower incidence of colorectal adenomas than women who reported consuming one serving per week or less (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.51-0.90; P(trend) = 0.005). Frequent consumption of fruit may reduce the risk of colorectal adenomas.

Adenoma↗

Promoting fruit and vegetable consumption among European schoolchildren: rationale, conceptualization and design of the pro children project.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The Pro Children Project was designed to assess fruit and vegetable consumption in European schoolchildren and their parents, as well as determinants of the children's consumption patterns. A second objective was to develop and test strategies, applicable across Europe, for promoting consumption of fruits and vegetables among schoolchildren and their parents. In this paper, the rationale, theoretical background, overall design and implementation of the project is presented. METHODS: Surveys of national, representative samples of 11-year-old schoolchildren and their parents were conducted in 9 countries, i.e. in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. Comprehensive school-based educational programmes have been developed and tested in three settings, i.e. in Spain, the Netherlands and in Norway. A precoded 24-hour recall form combined with a set of food frequency questions assessing regular intake were used to assess fruit and vegetable consumption. Determinants were assessed employing a comprehensive theoretical framework including personal, social and environmental factors related to fruit and vegetable consumption. The intervention programmes have been tested employing a group-randomized trial design where schools have been randomly allocated to an intervention arm and a delayed intervention arm. Surveys among all participating children and their parents were conducted prior to the initiation of the intervention, immediately after the end of the intervention and at the end of the subsequent school year. CONCLUSION: The project is expected to provide new information of great importance for improving our understanding of consumption patterns of fruits and vegetables and for guiding future efforts to promote increased consumption patterns across Europe.

Adolescent↗