Bone biochemical markers for assessment of bone responses to differentiated phosphorus supply in growing-finishing pigs.

Phosphorus (P) is essential for building and maintaining a healthy and strong skeleton. Moreover, dietary P supply may play a role for bone turnover, and the excretion of bone turnover metabolites may be useful as markers for sufficient dietary P supply. The objective was to study the long-term effects of low, medium, and high dietary P supply on bone metabolism in terms of serum concentration and urinary excretion of bone turnover components and metabolites in healthy growing-finishing pigs compared with bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) of humerus and femur. Pigs were fed diets containing low [LP; 4.1 g/kg dry matter (DM)], medium (MP; 6.2 g/kg DM), or high dietary P (HP; 8.9 g/kg DM) from 39.7 kg body weight (BW) until slaughter at 110 kg BW. Urine and blood were collected at 40, 70, and 110 kg BW while bones were collected at slaughter. Serum was analyzed for osteocalcin (OC), bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP), and C-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (CTX-I), whereas urine was analyzed for pyridinoline (PYD), deoxypyridinoline (DPD), CTX-I, hydroxylysine (HYL), galactosyl-hydroxylysine (GAL-HYL), glycosyl-galactosyl-hydroxylysine (GLC-GAL-HYL), and hydroxyproline (HYP). Humerus and femur were analyzed for BMC and BMD. The LP diet caused reduced OC and increased BAP and CTX-I concentrations in serum. Furthermore, BAP was increased in response to the HP diet. Urine metabolites of bone resorption were all increased in pigs fed the LP diet, but only a few responses were obtained in response to the HP diet. Furthermore, age-related decreases were identified for BAP, HYL, GAL-HYL, and GLC-GAL-HYL. Bone mineral content and BMD were markedly lowered in pigs fed the LP diet but were not affected in pigs fed the HP diet. In conclusion, OC, BAP, and CTX-I in serum have proved useful for P adequacy in growing-finishing pigs. In addition, urine bone resorption metabolites have also proved useful for P adequacy and analysis of PYD, DPD, and CTX-I was considered to be the most relevant markers due to their specificity for bone and their negative correlation with BMD, BMC, ash, calcium (Ca), and P contents. Finally, DPD may be the preferred marker in long-term P feeding assessments.

Iodine and Selenium Intakes of Postmenopausal Women in New Zealand.

Iodine and selenium are required for thyroid function. This study investigated iodine and selenium intakes in healthy, women aged 50-70 years (n = 97) from three cities in the North Island of New Zealand, after mandatory fortification of bread with iodised salt. Iodine and selenium concentrations were determined in 24-h urine samples; daily intakes were extrapolated from amounts in urine (90% and 55% of daily intake, respectively). Three day diet diaries (3DDD) also estimated selenium and iodine (excluding iodised salt) intake. Median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was 57 (41, 78) µg/L, indicating mild iodine deficiency. Estimated median iodine intake based on urine was 138 (100, 172) µg/day, below Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) (150 µg/day) with 25% below Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) (100 µg/day). Estimated median selenium intake was 50 (36, 71) µg/day based on urine and 45 (36, 68) µg/day using 3DDD, below RDI (60 µg/day) with 49%-55% below EAR (50 µg/day). Median bread intakes were low at 1.8 (1.1, 2.7) serves/day; 25% consumed ≤1 serve/day. Although population iodine intakes improved following mandatory fortification, some had low intakes. Selenium intakes remain low. Further research should investigate thyroid function of low consumers of iodine fortified bread and/or selenium in New Zealand.

Assessment of the Effect of Intestinal Permeability Probes (Lactulose And Mannitol) and Other Liquids on Digesta Residence Times in Various Segments of the Gut Determined by Wireless Motility Capsule: A Randomised Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Whilst the use of the mannitol/lactulose test for intestinal permeability has been long established it is not known whether the doses of these sugars modify transit time Similarly it is not known whether substances such as aspirin that are known to increase intestinal permeability to lactulose and mannitol and those such as ascorbic acid which are stated to be beneficial to gastrointestinal health also influence intestinal transit time. METHODS: Gastric and intestinal transit times were determined with a SmartPill following consumption of either a lactulose mannitol solution, a solution containing 600 mg aspirin, a solution containing 500 mg of ascorbic acid or an extract of blackcurrant, and compared by doubly repeated measures ANOVA with those following consumption of the same volume of a control in a cross-over study in six healthy female volunteers. The dominant frequencies of cyclic variations in gastric pressure recorded by the Smartpill were determined by fast Fourier transforms. RESULTS: The gastric transit times of lactulose mannitol solutions, of aspirin solutions and of blackcurrant juice did not differ from those of the control. The gastric transit times of the ascorbic acid solutions were significantly shorter than those of the other solutions. There were no significant differences between the various solutions either in the total small intestinal or colonic transit times. The intraluminal pHs during the initial quartiles of the small intestinal transit times were lower than those in the succeeding quartiles. This pattern did not vary with the solution that was consumed. The power of the frequencies of cyclic variation in intragastric pressure recorded by the Smartpill declined exponentially with increase in frequency and did not peak at the reported physiological frequencies of gastric contractile activity. CONCLUSIONS: Whilst the segmental residence times were broadly similar to those using other methods, the high degree of variation between subjects generally precluded the identification of all but gross variation between treatments. The lack of any differences between treatments in either total small or large intestinal transit times indicates that the solutions administered in the lactulose mannitol test of permeability had no consistent influence on the temporal pattern of absorption. The negatively exponential profile and lack of any peaks in the frequency spectra of cyclic variation in gastric intraluminal pressure that were consistent with reported physiological frequencies of contractile activity profile suggests that the principal source of this variation is stochastic likely resulting from the effects of external events occasioned by normal daily activities on intra-abdominal pressure. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12615000596505.