Effect of Lifelong Exposure to Dietary Plant and Marine Sources of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Morphologic and Gene Expression Biomarkers of Intestinal Health in Early Life.

Altered intestinal health is also associated with the incidence and severity of many chronic inflammatory conditions, which could be attenuated via dietary n-3 PUFA interventions. However, little is known about the effect of lifelong exposure to n-3 PUFA from plant and marine sources (beginning in utero via the maternal diet) on early life biomarkers of intestinal health. Harems of C57Bl/6 mice were randomly assigned to one of three isocaloric AIN-93G modified diets differing in their fat sources consisting of the following: (i) 10% safflower oil (SO, enriched in n-6 PUFA), (ii) 3% flaxseed oil + 7% safflower oil (FX, plant-based n-3 PUFA-enriched diet), or (iii) 3% menhaden fish oil + 7% safflower oil (MO, marine-based n-3 PUFA-enriched diet). Mothers remained on these diets throughout pregnancy and offspring (n = 14/diet) continued on the same parental diet until termination at 3 weeks of age. In ileum, villi:crypt length ratios were increased in both the FX and MO dietary groups compared to SO (p < 0.05). Ileum mRNA expression of critical intestinal health biomarkers was increased by both n-3 PUFA-enriched diets including Relmß and REG3γ compared to SO (p < 0.05), whereas only the FX diet increased mRNA expression of TFF3 and Muc2 (p < 0.05) and only the MO diet increased mRNA expression of ZO-1 (p < 0.05). In the proximal colon, both the FX and MO diets increased crypt lengths compared to SO (p < 0.05), whereas only the MO diet increased goblet cell numbers compared to SO (p < 0.05). Further, the MO diet increased proximal colon mRNA expression of Relmß and REG3γ (p < 0.05) and both MO and FX increased mRNA expression of Muc2 compared to SO (p < 0.05). Collectively, these results demonstrate that lifelong exposure to dietary n-3 PUFA, beginning in utero, from both plant and marine sources, can support intestinal health development in early life. The differential effects between plant and marine sources warrants further investigation for optimizing health.

Effect of Short-Chain Fatty Acids on Inflammatory and Metabolic Function in an Obese Skeletal Muscle Cell Culture Model.

The fermentation of non-digestible carbohydrates produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which have been shown to impact both skeletal muscle metabolic and inflammatory function; however, their effects within the obese skeletal muscle microenvironment are unknown. In this study, we developed a skeletal muscle in vitro model to mimic the critical features of the obese skeletal muscle microenvironment using L6 myotubes co-treated with 10 ng/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and 500 µM palmitic acid (PA) for 24 h ± individual SCFAs, namely acetate, propionate and butyrate at 0.5 mM and 2.5 mM. At the lower SCFA concentration (0.5 mM), all three SCFA reduced the secreted protein level of RANTES, and only butyrate reduced IL-6 protein secretion and the intracellular protein levels of activated (i.e., ratio of phosphorylated-total) NFκB p65 and STAT3 (p < 0.05). Conversely, at the higher SCFA concentration (2.5 mM), individual SCFAs exerted different effects on inflammatory mediator secretion. Specifically, butyrate reduced IL-6, MCP-1 and RANTES secretion, propionate reduced IL-6 and RANTES, and acetate only reduced RANTES secretion (p < 0.05). All three SCFAs reduced intracellular protein levels of activated NFκB p65 and STAT3 (p < 0.05). Importantly, only the 2.5 mM SCFA concentration resulted in all three SCFAs increasing insulin-stimulated glucose uptake compared to control L6 myotube cultures (p < 0.05). Therefore, SCFAs exert differential effects on inflammatory mediator secretion in a cell culture model, recapitulating the obese skeletal muscle microenvironment; however, all three SCFAs exerted a beneficial metabolic effect only at a higher concentration via increasing insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, collectively exerting differing degrees of a beneficial effect on obesity-associated skeletal muscle dysfunction.

Impact of the COVID-19-induced shift to online dietetics training on PDEP competency acquisition and mental health.

Purpose: A pilot study to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and shift to online learning and practicum training on dietetics students' perceptions of Partnership for Dietetic Education and Practice (PDEP) competency acquisition and mental health.Methods: Dietetics students (n = 19) at the University of Guelph (2020-2021) were invited to complete an anonymous online survey to assess self-reported online dietetics practicum training experiences including (i) benefits and challenges, (ii) PDEP competency acquisition, and (iii) impact on mental health.Results: The benefits of online dietetics training included schedule flexibility (42.1%), reduced commute time (31.6%), and acquiring virtual counselling experience (21.1%). Reported challenges were insufficient communication with preceptors (36.8%), increased project workload (57.9%), and technology (15.8%). In online practicum placements, 52.6% of dietetics students reported adequately acquiring all PDEP competencies, with Nutrition Care identified as the most challenging to obtain (63.2%). A negative impact on mental health and increased levels of stress/anxiety were reported in 94.7% of trainees. Notably, 63.2% of students favoured continuation of online dietetics training through a hybrid or entirely online format.Conclusion: Online dietetics training has the potential to complement the traditional in-person model; however, further adaptation is required to optimize PDEP competency acquisition and students' mental health.

Correlation of intraoperative donor duodenal-segment swab cultures with the subsequent occurrence of surgical site infections in kidney and pancreas transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: Pancreas transplantation is employed for the treatment of type I diabetes mellitus. It is postulated that surgical site infection (SSI), particularly organ-space infections, after pancreas transplantation may arise from microbial contamination arising from the donor duodenal segment. Therefore, some centers have adopted the practice of culturing the donor duodenal segment and subsequently administering antimicrobial therapy to the recipient directed at the microorganisms isolated to prevent SSI. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we evaluated the correlation between positive donor duodenal-segment cultures and SSIs in the recipients. Data were recorded and analyzed to assess the correlation of the organisms isolated in the donor duodenal cultures with those producing SSI in the recipients. RESULTS: We evaluated 379 consecutive pancreas transplant recipients from January 2000 to December 2015. Donor duodenal swab cultures were performed at the time of pancreas transplantation, and 206 (54.3%) were positive. SSIs occurred in 51 of the 206 recipients (24.8%) with positive duodenal-segment cultures and in 41 of 173 individuals (23.7%) with negative cultures (P = .81; r = 0.00). Notably, deep and organ-space SSIs were observed in 27 of 206 of the positive duodenal culture groups (13.1%) versus 29 of 173 of the negative duodenal culture groups (16.8%; P = 0.31; r = -0.059). No differences were detected in the pathogens producing SSIs between the group with a positive duodenal swab versus the group with a negative swab. Microorganisms producing SSIs matched those found in the positive donor duodenal cultures in only 15 patients (7.8%). CONCLUSION: Although positive cultures from the donor duodenal segment prompted the administration of antimicrobial therapy in the recipient directed against the pathogen isolated, this practice did not reduce SSIs compared with those transplant recipients with culture-negative duodenal swabs. In addition, the organisms isolated from the donor duodenal segment were not predictive of subsequent SSI.