Lifestyle improvement reduces the consumption of ultra-processed foods in adults with metabolic syndrome.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The high consumption of ultra-processed products is a concern because it is positively associated with the incidence of chronic non-communicable diseases, as metabolic syndrome (MetS). The aim is to evaluate the effects of three different interventions to modify lifestyle on the consumption of ultra-processed foods in adults with MetS. METHODS AND RESULTS: This was a randomized clinical trial, in which the participants were divided into three groups: Standard Intervention (SI), Group Intervention (GI) and Individual Intervention (II). The interventions were carried out over a three-month period and the data was collected in a 24-h food record, taken at the beginning and end of the intervention. The food they ate was classified into four groups according to the degree of processing (unprocessed or minimally processed foods, processed culinary ingredients, processed foods, and ultra-processed foods) in accordance with the NOVA food classification. Seventy adults took part in the study with a mean age of 51.2 ± 6.6 years old; most of whom were female (55.7%). The amount of ultra-processed food consumed by the three groups (SI, GI and II) was significantly reduced (46%, 34%, and 33%, respectively). The amount of processed food consumed only reduced in the II group. The Total Energy Value (TEV) consumed by the SI and II groups decreased. CONCLUSIONS: The interventions that were intended to alter lifestyles were able to reduce the amount of ultra-processed food consumed, which can have an impact on the prevention and treatment of MetS. REGISTRATION: registered in the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials, ReBEC, under number: RBR-9wz5fc.

The effect of hemodilution on plasma levels of cortisol and free cortisol.

The effect of hemodilution on plasma levels of total cortisol and free cortisol was studied in 12 patients undergoing open-heart surgery. In each case, at the onset of extracorporeal circulation (ECC) the hematocrit value was rapidly reduced to 25 to 30 per cent and was maintained around this level during perfusion. Total plasma cortisol levels fell significantly with the hemodilution (p less than 0.0001), but the plasma concentration of free, biologically active cortisol was maintained at its pre-dilution level because of an increase in the percentage of plasma cortisol existing in the free form. There was a highly significant correlation between the degree of hemodilution and the percentage rise in the free cortisol fraction (r = 0.79; p less than 0.001). These results indicate the presence of a compensatory mechanism associated with cortisol binding which maintains the plasma level of free, biologically active cortisol when hemodilution has reduced the plasma level of total cortisol.

Comparative studies of pulsatile and nonpulsatile flow during cardiopulmonary bypass. II. The effects on adrenal secretion of cortisol.

Previous studies have indicated that a significant reduction in plasma cortisol levels occurs during nonpulsatile cardiopulmonary bypass as a result of adrenocorticol hypofunction. The Stöckert pulsatile pump system described in Part I has been employed in a comparative study of plasma cortisol levels in 20 patients subjected to pulsatile or nonpulsatile perfusion during open-heart surgery. The plasma cortisol response pattern in the nonpulsatile group was identical to the pattern previously described, with no significant rise in cortisol levels during the period of perfusion. In the pulsatile group, however, plasma cortisol levels rose significantly during perfusion, reaching a mean level at the end of perfusion which was highly significantly greater than that in the nonpulsatile group (p less than 0.001). Correction of the plasma cortisol values for the effect of hemodilution was performed and, again, corrected cortisol values indicated a highly significant increase in end-bypass levels in the pulsatile groups (p less than 0.001). These results clearly indicate that the reduction in cortisol secretion during nonpulsatile bypass may be prevented by the use of pulsatile perfusion.

In vivo binding of N-2-acetylaminofluorene and its N-hydroxy derivative to the DNA of fractionated rat liver chromatin.

The in vivo binding of radioactive N-2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) and N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-OH-AAF) to the DNA of rat liver chromatin was examined. The chromatin was fractionated into putative transcriptionally active and inactive fractions by hydrodynamic shearing and subsequent glycerol gradient centrifugation, DNAase II digestion followed by MgCl2 aggregation of transcriptionally inactive chromatin, or mild digestion with micrococcal nuclease. Carcinogens were administered for various times prior to sacrifice. Irrespective of the duration of exposure, no preferential binding of either carcinogen to DNA was detected in any of the fractions prepared by hydrodynamic shearing of DNAase II digestion. When micrococcal nuclease was utilized, a 2-fold increase in carcinogen bound to the DNA of that chromatin fraction containing the smallest molecular weight fragments was detected. These small molecular weight fragments produced by micrococcal nuclease have been postulated to be derived from in vivo transcriptional units. Additionally, when DNAase II was used to probe chromatin from rat livers which had been exposed to a carcinogenic regimen of AAF, no preferential binding of radioactive N-OH-AAF to the DNA of any chromatin fraction was detected.

Screening for Cushing's syndrome using early morning urine samples.

Urinary free 11-hydroxycorticosteroid/creatinine ratios (UFC/Cr)were determined in early morning urine samples from 138 obese subjects attending endocrine clinics in the Glasgow area. The majority of patients (128) had UFC/Cr ratios within the normal range for non-obese subjects (5-55 mumol/mol). Of those with elevated UFC/Cr ratios, further investigations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis confirmed a diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome due to bilateral adrenal hyperplasia in six of the cases and adrenal tumours in a further two patients. In the remaining two patients there was evidence of intermittent adrenal hyperactivity with inconsistent responses to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia tests.

Urinary free 11-hydroxycorticosteroid/creatinine ratios in early morning urine samples as an index of adrenal function.

Urinary free 11-hydroxycorticosteroid/creatinine ratios were determined in early morning urine samples from 113 females (age range 20-45 years) and 65 males (age range 22-45 years). Basal values in normal subjects fluctuated between 5 and 55 mumol/mol creatinine. In four patients in whom Cushing's syndrome was diagnosed, urinary free 11-hydroxycorticosteroid/creatinine ratios were greater than 85 mumol/mol creatinine. Administration of dexamethasone (0.5 mg/q.i.d.) to nine normal laboratory staff for two days resulted in a suppression of the urinary free 11-hydroxycorticosteroid/creatinine ratio to less than 50% of the mean basal value in all cases. This degree of suppression did not occur in two cases of Cushing's syndrome due to adrenal tumours.

Excretory patterns of urinary free 11-hydroxycorticosteroids and total oestrogens throughout the normal menstrual cycle.

The excretion of urinary free 11-hydroxycorticosteroids and total oestrogens was studied daily in morning urine specimens throughout the menstrual cycle of six normal women (age range 18-24 years). The follicular phase of the cycle was characterised by apparently random fluctuations in the excretion of urinary free corticosteroids. However, after the mid-cycle oestrogen peak there occurred a significant drop in corticosteroid excretion, which then rose to a peak eight to 10 days after ovulation and was synchronous with the second oestrogen peak during the luteal phase.

Severe mycoplasma pneumonia in young children with Down syndrome.

Three young children with Down syndrome developed fever, cough, wheezing, irritability, and tachypnea. They had bilateral infiltrates on their chest radiographs and developed respiratory distress, which required their hospitalization. Laboratory studies suggested that the children had mycoplasma pneumonia. These children may have experienced severe mycoplasma infections early in life because of their Down syndrome-associated immune abnormalities. When young children with Down syndrome develop pneumonia, physicians should consider Mycoplasma pneumoniae as the possible etiologic agent.

Enzyme hydrolysis and ethanol fermentation of dilute ammonia pretreated energy cane.

This study is the first one ever to report on the use of high fiber sugarcane (a.k.a. energy cane) bagasse as feedstock for the production of cellulosic ethanol. Energy cane bagasse was pretreated with ammonium hydroxide (28% v/v solution), and water at a ratio of 1:0.5:8 at 160°C for 1h under 0.9-1.1 MPa. Approximately, 55% lignin, 30% hemicellulose, 9% cellulose, and 6% other (e.g., ash, proteins) were removed during the process. The maximum glucan conversion of dilute ammonia treated energy cane bagasse by cellulases was 87% with an ethanol yield (glucose only) of 23 g ethanol/100g dry biomass. The enzymatic digestibility was related to the removal of lignin and hemicellulose, perhaps due to increased surface area and porosity resulting in the deformation and swelling of exposed fibers as shown in the SEM pictures.

Deletion analysis of domain independence in the TRP1 gene product of Neurospora crassa.

The trifunctional TRP1 gene from Neurospora crassa (N-TRP1) was subcloned into the yeast-Escherichia coli shuttle vector YEp13 and expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The three activities of the N-TRP1 gene product were detected in yeast mutants that lacked either N-(5'-phosphoribosyl) anthranilate (PRA) isomerase or both the glutamine amidotransferase function of anthranilate synthase and indole-3-glycerol phosphate (InGP) synthase. The protein was detected on immunoblots only as the full length 83 kda product indicating that the trifunctional gene product was expressed in yeast primarily in a fully active, undegraded form. By placing the subcloned N-TRP1 gene under the control of the inducible PHO5 promoter from yeast, the expression of all three activities was increased to more than ten fold that of wild-type yeast and the overproduced protein could be visualized by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of crude extract and Coomassie Blue staining. Using the expression system described the effect of selective deletion of regions of the coding sequence of the N-TRP1 gene on expression of the three activities was tested. Expression of either the F- or C-domains, catalyzing respectively the PRA isomerase or InGP synthase activities, did not depend on the presence of the other domain in the active polypeptide. Furthermore, normal dimer formation occurred with a protein active for InGP synthase in a deletion derivative lacking most of the PRA isomerase domain, ruling out the hypothesis that interaction between the active site regions for PRA isomerase and InGP synthase accounted for dimer formation in the trifunctional product.

Role of alternative promoter elements in transcription from the nar promoter of Escherichia coli.

The effects of mutations in the -10, -35, and Fnr box regions of the narGHJI promoter of Escherichia coli were determined by assaying the expression of beta-galactosidase from narG::lacZ fusion plasmids under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. A 1-base change in the -10 hexamer completely abolished expression, whereas a 3-base change to create the consensus TATAAT resulted in significant aerobic as well as anaerobic expression. A mutation in the putative -35 hexamer did not affect anaerobic expression but reduced aerobic expression from the construction with the -10 consensus sequence. A mutation in the Fnr box severely reduced anaerobic expression but did not affect aerobic expression. When the complete 5' region of the nar operon including the NarL box was present, nitrate stimulated both aerobic and anaerobic expression. Stimulation of expression by nitrate occurred in an fnr mutant but not in a narL mutant. We conclude that the rate of transcription of the nar operon is dependent on two distinct modes of transcription. One mode, which occurs at low levels, depends on the -10 and -35 hexamer sequences and is dramatically enhanced by changing the -10 sequence to the consensus TATAAT. The second depends on the -10 and Fnr box sequences but is independent of the -35 sequence. This second mode occurs at a very high level under anaerobic conditions when Fnr is activated and is also enhanced by changing the -10 sequence to the consensus TATAAT. NarL, activated by nitrate, stimulated both modes of transcription, indicating that it does not act through Fnr but that it directly affects the interaction of RNA polymerase with the promoter.