Dietary intake and major food sources of polyphenols in people with type 2 diabetes: The TOSCA.IT Study.

PURPOSE: Proper evaluation of polyphenols intake at the population level is a necessary step in order to establish possible associations with health outcomes. Available data are limited, and so far no study has been performed in people with diabetes. The aim of this work was to document the intake of polyphenols and their major food sources in a cohort of people with type 2 diabetes and in socio-demographic subgroups. METHODS: We studied 2573 men and women aged 50-75 years. Among others, anthropometry was measured by standard protocol and dietary habits were investigated by food frequency questionnaire (EPIC). The intake of polyphenols was evaluated using US Department of Agriculture and Phenol-Explorer databases. RESULTS: The mean total polyphenol intake was 683.3 ± 5.8 mg/day. Non-alcoholic beverages represented the main food source of dietary polyphenols and provided 35.5% of total polyphenol intake, followed by fruits (23.0%), alcoholic beverages (14.0%), vegetables (12.4%), cereal products and tubers (4.6%), legumes (3.7%) and oils (2.1%); chocolate, cakes and nuts are negligible sources of polyphenols in this cohort. The two most important polyphenol classes contributing to the total intake were flavonoids (47.5%) and phenolic acids (47.4%). Polyphenol intake increased with age and education level and decreased with BMI; furthermore, in the northern regions of Italy, the polyphenol intake was slightly, but significantly higher than in the central or southern regions. CONCLUSIONS: The study documents for the first time the intake of polyphenols and their main food sources in people with diabetes using validated and complete databases of the polyphenol content of food. Compared with published data, collected in people without diabetes, these results suggest a lower intake and a different pattern of intake in people with diabetes.

[Lack of effect of therapy with LHRH analogs, alone or associated with flutamide, on prolactin levels in advanced prostatic carcinoma]. / Mancanza di effetti della terapia con analogo di LHRH, solo o associato a flutamide, sui livelli di PRL nel carcinoma prostatico in stadio avanzato.

Fourteen patients with advanced prostatic carcinoma have been considered. Some were treated with goserelin depot and some with goserelin depot plus flutamide; basal and stimulated PRL were studied in the two groups before and after two months treatment in order to verify a possible interference with prolactin secretion which seems to have a trophic and stimulating effect on neoplastic tissue growth. Basal PRL levels and levels after TRH infusion haven't shown significant variations between the two groups of patients. Even if relative to a short time, our results exclude PRL increase, which might be suspected with these drugs, and at last confirm the effectiveness of this treatment (LHRH analogs plus flutamide) in prostatic carcinoma.

Acute infusion of hCG and thyroid hormone pattern before and after bilateral orchiectomy.

An acute infusion of 5000 IU of hCG was given to a group of 10 elderly men affected by prostatic carcinoma prior to and 1 month after castration to evaluate the possibility of any aspecific effect on thyroid hormones. No significant change was documented for TT4 and TT3, and a significant increase in fT4 occurred only in the presurgical experiment. From these results the authors conclude that the thyroid movement documented may be correlated to the decreased binding capacity of thyroxine-binding globulins promoted by the increase in Te levels.

Pituitary-thyroid axis after bilateral orchiectomy in men.

The functional interaction between the testis and thyroid was evaluated in 13 patients affected by prostatic carcinoma before and after bilateral orchiectomy. Two different patterns of thyroid hormones were noted. Immediately after surgery, free thyroxine (T4) increased and total triiodothyronine (T3) decreased probably as a result of surgical stress at anesthesia. Later, free T4 levels decreased while total T4 and thyroxine binding globulin (TBG) were unchanged. Such changes may be due to qualitative changes in binding proteins.