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PubMed1992

Hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus lesions do not abolish glucoprivic or lipoprivic feeding.

This experiment assessed the importance of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) for feeding stimulated by blockade of glucose utilization (glucoprivic feeding) and fatty acid oxidation (lipoprivic feeding). The PVN was investigated because it is innervated by neurons residing in the area postrema and nucleus of the solitary tract (AP/NTS) region where lesions have been shown to abolish both glucoprivic and lipoprivic feeding, and because the PVN appears to be a site of action for certain feeding-stimulatory peptides and amines. Bilateral electrolytic lesions were placed in the PVN and adjacent areas. Lesioned rats were subsequently tested for feeding in response to 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG)-and mercaptoacetate (MA)-induced blockade of glucose and fatty acid oxidation, respectively. Results revealed that total destruction of the PVN does not impair either 2DG- or MA-induced food intake and suggest that this structure is not essential for these particular controls of feeding.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Determination of aliphatic aldehydes as their thiazolidine derivatives in foods by gas chromatography with flame photometric detection.

A selective and sensitive gas chromatographic method for the determination of saturated and unsaturated aliphatic aldehydes in foods has been developed. After extraction of the sample with acetonitrile, aldehydes were converted into their thiazolidine derivatives by the reaction with cysteamine, and then measured by gas chromatography with flame photometric detection. The calibration curves for aliphatic aldehydes in the range 20-2500 ng were linear and the detection limits at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 were ca. 4-100 pg injected. Aliphatic aldehydes in foods could be selectively determined by this method without any interference from coexisting substances. Overall recoveries of aldehydes added to food samples were 82-111%. Analytical results for the determination of aliphatic aldehydes in various food samples are presented.

Aldehydes↗
PubMed1987

Natural and synthetic peptides (other than neuropeptides) endowed with immunomodulating activities.

A large number of peptides, in most cases of low or relatively low molecular weight, exert immunomodulating activities, i.e., they interact in vitro with various cell populations of the immune system and, in vivo, enhance or depress, according to the case, cell-mediated and humoral immune functions. Immunomodulating peptides include glycopeptides from the bacterial cell wall, natural acyloligopeptide ciclosporin, peptidic hormones from the thytide cyclosporine, peptidic hormones from the thymus, peptidic fragments of immunoglobulins and other plasma proteins, as well as peptides isolated from food proteins. An amazing diversity of structure exists among the various immunomodulating peptides. The molecular mechanisms of interaction between these peptides and the cells of the immune system remain, in most cases, to be elucidated. Possibilities of therapeutic applications exist for many of these immunomodulating peptides: one of them (ciclosporin) is widely used as an immunosuppressive drug, several others (glycopeptides, lipopeptides, tuftsin, thymic peptides) are under clinical investigation as immunostimulating and/or immunorestoring agents.

Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine↗
PubMed1991

Effect of subordinance, lack of social hierarchy, and restricted feeding on murine survival and virus leukemia.

When caged in groups of three and fed ad libitum, dominant male mice survived longer than subordinate group members which again lived longer than males caged in groups of nine, among whom no rank order was established. In groups of nine the social structure was not affected when the food supply was reduced to the lowest level not affecting survival, but in groups of three, food reduction made the survival of both dominant and subordinate animals drop to a level matching that of groups of nine. After challenge with a small dose of Moloney virus, leukemia developed among ad libitum fed subordinate mice in groups of three and members of groups of nine, but not among the dominant animals. Food restriction enhanced the leukemia incidence, but dominant animals continued to go free. We conclude that subordinance and also lack of social hierarchy result in a higher incidence of virus induced leukemia, that severe food restriction does the same, and that the effect of social order on leukemia development prevails even under feeding conditions that nearly abolish group-related differences in survival.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Tigecycline: a glycylcycline antimicrobial agent.

BACKGROUND: Tigecycline, the first glycylcycline to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, is a structural analogue of minocycline that was designed to avoid tetracycline resistance mediated by ribosomal protection and drug efflux. It is indicated for the treatment of complicated skin and skin-structure infections and complicated intra-abdominal infections and is available for intravenous administration only. OBJECTIVE: This article summarizes the in vitro and in vivo activities and pharmacologic and pharmacokinetic properties of tigecycline, and reviews its clinical efficacy and tolerability profile. METHODS: Relevant information was identified through a search of MEDLINE (1966-April 2006), Iowa Drug Information Service (1966-April 2006), and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970-April 2006) using the terms tigecycline, GAR-936, and glycylcycline. Also consulted were abstracts and posters from meetings of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (1999-2006) and documents provided for formulary consideration by the US manufacturer of tigecycline. RESULTS: Like the tetracyclines, tigecycline binds to the 30S subunit of bacterial ribosomes and inhibits protein synthesis by preventing the incorporation of amino acid residues into elongating peptide chains. In vitro, tigecycline exhibits activity against a wide range of clinically significant gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, including multidrug-resistant strains (eg, oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae), and anaerobes (eg, Bacteroides spp). In pharmacokinetic studies in human adults, tigecycline had a large Vd (7-9 L/kg), was moderately bound to plasma protein (71%-89%), had an elimination t(1/2) of 42.4 hours, and was eliminated primarily by biliary/fecal (59%) and renal (33%) excretion. Dose adjustment did not appear to be necessary based on age, sex, renal function, or mild to moderate hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh class A-B). In patients with severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh class C), the maintenance dose should be reduced by 50%. In 4 Phase III clinical trials in patients with complicated skin and skin-structure infections and complicated intra-abdominal infections, tigecycline was reported to be noninferior to its comparators (vancomycin + aztreonam in 2 studies and imipenem/cilastatin in 2 studies), with clinical cure rates among clinically evaluable patients of >80% (P < 0.001 for noninferiority). The most frequently reported (> or =5 %) adverse events with tigecycline were nausea (28.5%), vomiting (19.4%), diarrhea (11.6%), local IV-site reaction (8.2%), infection (6.7%), fever (6.3%), abdominal pain (6.0%), and headache (5.6%). The recommended dosage of tigecycline is 100 mg IV given as a loading dose, followed by 50 mg IV g12h for 5 to 14 days. CONCLUSIONS: In clinical trials, tigecycline was effective for the treatment of complicated skin and skin-structure infections and complicated intra-abdominal infections. With the exception of gastrointestinal adverse events, tigecycline was generally well tolerated. With a broad spectrum of activity that includes multidrug-resistant gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens, tigecycline may be useful in the treatment of conditions caused by these pathogens.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Trophic structure and functioning in a eutrophic and poorly flushed lagoon in southwestern Taiwan.

Tapong Bay, a eutrophic and poorly flushed tropical lagoon, supports intensive oyster culture. Using the Ecopath approach and network analysis, a mass-balanced trophic model was constructed to analyze the structure and matter flows within the food web. The lagoon model is comprised of 18 compartments with the highest trophic level of 3.2 for piscivorous fish. The high pedigree index (0.82) reveals the model to be of high quality. The most-prominent living compartment in terms of matter flow and biomass in the lagoon is cultured oysters and bivalves, respectively. The mixed trophic impacts indicate that phytoplankton and periphyton are the most-influential living compartments in the lagoon. Comparative analyses with the eutrophic and well-flushed Chiku Lagoon and non-eutrophic tropical lagoons show that high nutrient loadings might stimulate the growth and accumulation of phytoplankton and periphyton and therefore support high fishery yields. However, net primary production, total biomass, fishery yields per unit area, and mean transfer efficiency of Tapong Bay were remarkably lower than those of Chiku Lagoon. The lower transfer efficiency likely results from the low mortality of cultured oysters and invasive bivalves from predation or the lower density of benthic feeders constrained by the hypoxic bottom water as a result of poor flushing. This might therefore result in a great proportion of flows to detritus. However, the hypoxic bottom water might further reduce the recycling of the entering detritus back into the food web. In contrast to many estuaries and tropical lagoons, poor flushing of this eutrophic tropical lagoon might induce a shift from detritivory to herbivory in the food web.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Identification and quantification of carotenoids, tocopherols and chlorophylls in commonly consumed fruits and vegetables.

The carotenoid, tocopherol and chlorophyll metabolic profiles and content of a selection of fruits and vegetables found commonly in the diet, have been determined using a rapid RP-HPLC technique with on-line PDA detection. Information gathered from the screening of secondary plant metabolites is vital for the accurate determination of the dietary intake of these micro-nutrients, and in the development of comprehensive food tables. Determination of basal levels is also necessary for the rational engineering of health-promoting phytochemicals in food crops. In addition this approach can also be applied to the routine screening of products to determine metabolic differences between varieties and cultivars, as well as between genetically modified and the corresponding non-genetically modified tissue.

Carotenoids↗
PubMed2003

Beef alliances: motivations, extent, and future prospects.

With their growth, it is important to consider how alliances will impact the beef industry in the future. Alliances have the potential to make sweeping changes to cattle production, live and feeder cattle marketing, food safety protocols, use of government grades and standards, ownership structure, supply chain management, wholesale and retail product marketing, risk management, and many other industry activities. In an effort to address these issues, this article addresses the following questions: What is an alliance? What has motivated their proliferation? What have we learned from alliances? What aspects of alliances affect their likelihood of success or failure? What is the future of alliances? Are they a fad or a long-term evolving industry structural change?

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Nutrition therapy for the cancer patient.

Malnutrition commonly occurs in cancer and adversely affects the quality of life and survival of patients. It is caused by a variety of factors, including decreased food intake, adverse effects from anticancer treatment, and wasteful metabolic processes. Over the past 2 decades, there have been major advances in methods and techniques of feeding patients with cancer and other disease. Special diets can be helpful in the treatment of a variety of conditions, some of which are outlined in Table 1. Enteral feeding is developing rapidly because endoscopic techniques have made it simpler to place feeding tubes, and a variety of enteral feeding solutions are commercially available. Enteral feeding is an effective way to deliver nutrients when patients are unable to ingest food because of neurologic disorders or structural abnormalities in the upper gastrointestinal tract, including the oropharynx, esophagus, and stomach. The role of enteral feeding as an adjuvant to anticancer therapy has not been fully evaluated. Parenteral nutrition is an effective method of delivering nutrients into the blood stream. It has proved to be life-saving for patients with chronic severe gastrointestinal insufficiency (such as short bowel or radiation enteritis), whose cancer is cured or nonprogressive. Numerous studies have assessed the role of TPN as an adjuvant therapy. To date, a clear benefit from its routine use has been demonstrated only in very limited, specific situations. As an adjuvant to chemotherapy, TPN does not seem to be useful, unless there are prolonged periods of gastrointestinal toxicity (as in the case with bone marrow transplantation) that severely limit oral intake and absorption. Malnourished surgical patients undergoing specific major operations for cancer may benefit from perioperative TPN. TPN as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of the cancer patient has to be individually evaluated and appropriately applied in situations in which it has proven beneficial in randomized studies.

Enteral Nutrition↗
PubMed2001

Extraction and solubility characteristics of zein proteins from dry-milled corn.

Zein isolation by aqueous ethanol extraction from dry-milled corn produces a mixture of zeins, covalently linked polymers (dimers, tetramers, etc.) and higher-molecular-weight aggregates, some of which were not soluble in aqueous alcohol. The insoluble particles were identified as protein aggregates which form when the extraction solution is heated, particularly under alkaline conditions. The insoluble protein aggregates were not present in zein isolated by the same method from corn gluten meal. Zeins extracted from corn gluten meal and dry-milled corn were fractionated (by differential solubility) to identify differences in their polypeptide compositions. Using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, beta- and gamma-zeins were detected in dry-milled corn, but only trace amounts of beta-zein were found in corn gluten meal. Treatment of dry-milled corn with 0.55% lactic acid and 0.2% sulfur dioxide at 50 degrees C for 6 h before ethanol extraction resulted in a 50% increase in zein isolate yield with high solubility (98%). This pre-extraction treatment cleaved disulfide linkages of the beta- and gamma-zeins and significantly reduced insoluble aggregates in zein isolates.

Disulfides↗
PubMed2006

Synthesis of the PhIP adduct of 2'-deoxyguanosine and its incorporation into oligomeric DNA.

The 2'-deoxyguanosine adduct of the dietary mutagen 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) has been synthesized and incorporated into DNA using solid state synthesis technology. The key step to obtaining the C8-dG adduct is a palladium (Xantphos-chelated)-catalyzed N-arylation (Buchwald-Hartwig reaction) of PhIP by a suitably protected 8-bromo-2'-deoxyguanosine derivative. The reaction proceeded in good yield without complicating side products, and the adduct was converted to the required 5'-O-DMT-3'-O-phosphoramidite by standard methods. This modified deoxynucleoside was used to synthesize three oligodeoxynucleotides in which the C8-PhIP-dG adduct was incorporated at a single site. The oligomers were purified by reverse phase HPLC and characterized by mass spectrometry.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
PubMed2001

Screening of antifeedant activity in brain extracts led to the identification of sulfakinin as a satiety promoter in the German cockroach. Are arthropod sulfakinins homologous to vertebrate gastrins-cholecystokinins?

The feeding cycle of the adult female cockroach Blattella germanica parallels vitellogenesis. The study of the mechanisms that regulate this cycle led us to look for food-intake inhibitors in brain extracts. The antifeedant activity of brain extracts was tested in vivo by injecting the extract and measuring the carotenoids contained in the gut from carrot ingested after the treatment. By HPLC fractionation and tracking the biological activity with the carrot test, we isolated the sulfakinin EQFDDY(SO3H) GHMRFamide (Pea-SK). A synthetic version of the peptide inhibited food intake when injected at doses of 1 microg (50% inhibition) and 10 microg (60% inhibition). The sulfate group was required for food-intake inhibition. These biological and structural features are similar to those of the gastrin-cholecystokinin (gastrin-CCK) family of vertebrate peptides. However, heterologous feeding assays (human CCK-8 tested on B. germanica, and Pea-SK tested on the goldfish Carassius auratus) were negative. In spite of this, alignment and cluster analysis of these and other structurally similar peptide families suggest that sulfakinins and gastrin-CCKs are homologous, and that mechanisms of feeding regulation involving these regulatory peptides may have been conserved during evolution between insects and vertebrates.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2006

[Patients' assessments of acute psychiatric day hospital and inpatient care. Analyses of open questions within the context of a randomised controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: Within the context of the EDEN-study, a multi-centre randomised controlled trial comparing acute psychiatric day hospital with inpatient care, patients' assessments of treatment as well as their setting-preferences for future treatment have been studied. METHOD: Patients' assessments were collected using the Clients' Scale for Assessment of Treatment (CAT). The quantitative content analysis refers to the answers to the open questions of the CAT by all day hospital patients and inpatients in the Dresden project centre who completed the questionnaire one week after admission and again at discharge. RESULTS: Day hospital patients as well as inpatients assessed their treatment altogether as pleasant and effective. Interpersonal contact to the staff and other patients was evaluated as sound and helpful. Differences between the settings appeared primarily with regard to criticisms: Day hospital patients were mainly dissatisfied with their daily routine, inpatients criticized particularly structural conditions such as premises and food. In case of a hospital readmission, the majority of the patients would prefer that setting they had been randomised to within the EDEN-study. However, a tendency to prefer treatment in the day hospital was found. CONCLUSIONS: Acute mentally ill patients provide a substantially favourable assessment of both day hospital and inpatient care. Particularly the criticism of the day hospital patients contains important information for improving the quality of psychiatric care.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2006

Prevalence of and risk factors for Barrett's esophagus with intestinal predominant mucin phenotype.

OBJECTIVE: Barrett's esophagus with the intestinal predominant mucin phenotype is considered to have a higher malignant potential than that with the gastric predominant mucin phenotype. The purpose of this prospective study was to investigate the prevalence of and risk factors for Barrett's esophagus with the intestinal predominant mucin phenotype in patients undergoing endoscopy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 1699 consecutive patients undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy were enrolled in the study. A targeted biopsy was performed when endoscopically observed columnar-appearing esophagus was stained with crystal violet. The sample, histologically evidenced as Barrett's esophagus, was immunohistochemically evaluated and categorized as of either gastric or intestinal predominant mucin phenotype. All the patients were requested to complete the structured questionnaire indicating their symptoms and food consumption patterns. Prevalence of and risk factors for Barrett's esophagus with and without the intestinal predominant mucin phenotype were investigated. RESULTS: Out of 1668 patients, 629 (37.7%) were found to have endoscopic Barrett's esophagus. In 333 out of 1668 patients (19.9%), histological studies were diagnostic of Barrett's esophagus. One hundred and six of these 333 patients (31.8%) had the intestinal predominant mucin phenotype. Age, male gender and the presence of hiatal hernia were confirmed by multivariate analysis as the independent predictors for the presence of Barrett's esophagus with the intestinal predominant mucin phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: Barrett's esophagus with the intestinal predominant mucin phenotype was immunohistochemically found in 6.4% of all study patients. Older age, male gender and the presence of hiatal hernia were the risk factors for the presence of Barrett's esophagus with the intestinal predominant mucin phenotype.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Spicing up a vegetarian diet: chemopreventive effects of phytochemicals.

Thousands of chemical structures have been identified in plant foods. Many are found in spices. Typically, spices are the dried aromatic parts of plants-generally the seeds, berries, roots, pods, and sometimes leaves-that mainly, but not invariably, grow in hot countries. Given the wide range of botanical species and plant parts from which spices are derived, they can contribute significant variety and complexity to the human diet. In the past, the medicinal uses of spices and herbs were often indistinguishable from their culinary uses, and for good reason: people have recognized for centuries both the inherent value, as well as the potential toxicity, of phytochemicals in relation to human health. Plants have the capacity to synthesize a diverse array of chemicals, and understanding how phytochemicals function in plants may further our understanding of the mechanisms by which they benefit humans. In plants, these compounds function to attract beneficial and repel harmful organisms, serve as photoprotectants, and respond to environmental changes. In humans, they can have complementary and overlapping actions, including antioxidant effects, modulation of detoxification enzymes, stimulation of the immune system, reduction of inflammation, modulation of steroid metabolism, and antibacterial and antiviral effects. Embracing a cuisine rich in spice, as well as in fruit and vegetables, may further enhance the chemopreventive capacity of one's diet.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Colonisation on the tongue surface by respiratory pathogens in residents of a nursing home--a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: The morbidity and mortality of the dependent elderly that result from aspiration pneumonia have been recognised as a major geriatric health problem. The tongue has an extremely large surface area and due to its papillary structure can retain considerable quantities of food, and thus can support and harbour a large bacterial population. The purpose of this study was to gain more information on the microflora of the tongue surface and to assess the existence of oral infectious pathogens potentially causing respiratory disease in nursing home residents. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The tongue bacterial flora of 69 nursing home residents were examined to identify microorganisms by the culture method. RESULTS: Thirteen species of microorganisms were detected from the tongue in this study. In 41 of 69 subjects (59%), potential respiratory pathogens, had colonised the tongue surface. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study revealed that bacteria that commonly cause respiratory infection colonised the tongue of nursing home residents, suggesting that it may function as a reservoir of potential respiratory pathogens to facilitate colonisation on the oropharynx.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Role of the Nfa1 protein in pathogenic Naegleria fowleri cocultured with CHO target cells.

Naegleria fowleri, a free-living amoeba, exists as a virulent pathogen which causes fatal primary amoebic meningoencephalitis in experimental animals and humans. Using infected and immune mouse sera, we previously cloned an nfa1 gene from a cDNA library of N. fowleri by immunoscreening. The nfa1 gene (360 bp) produced a recombinant 13.1-kDa protein, and the Nfa1 protein showed pseudopodium-specific immunolocalization on a trophozoite of N. fowleri. In this study, the role of the Nfa1 protein as a cell contact mechanism of N. fowleri cocultured with target cells was observed by an immunofluorescence assay with an anti-Nfa1 polyclonal antibody. Using confocal microscopic findings, the Nfa1 protein was located on the pseudopodia of N. fowleri trophozoites. The Nfa1 protein in N. fowleri trophozoites cocultured with CHO target cells was also located on pseudopodia, as well as in a food cup formed as a phagocytic structure in close contact with target cells. The amount of nfa1 mRNA of N. fowleri was strongly increased 6 h after coculture.

Animals↗