Mode of action of selenium inhibition of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced mouse mammary tumorigenesis.

Possible mechanisms for the inhibitory effect of selenium on mouse mammary gland tumorigenesis were evaluated in two different mouse models, in 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene [(DMBA) CAS:57-97-6]treated and hormonally stimulated mammary glands with two dietary levels of Se (0.2 and 2.0 ppm). In (C57BL X DBA/2f)F1 (BD2F1) and BALB/c strains of female mice, Se at 2.0 ppm decreased mammary tumor incidences by 36 and 68%, respectively. Selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the mammary glands of BD2F1 female mice decreased at 6 months of age and then increased to the highest levels at 9 months of age. Mammary glands from DMBA-treated mice had lower GSH-Px activity than those from control mice. The increase of dietary Se to 2.0 ppm did not overcome this DMBA effect. These results indicate that GSH-Px activity does not correlate with the tumorigenic inhibitory effects of Se. In the hormonally stimulated mammary gland, increasing dietary Se to 2.0 ppm increased GSH-Px activity threefold and decreased mammary-gland-membrane-localized lipid peroxidation by 16%. In vitro peroxidation of hormonally stimulated mammary glands was inversely proportional to the level of GSH present in the incubation mixture. The marginal decrease in lipid peroxidation found in the mammary glands exposed to 2.0 ppm Se could not explain the inhibitory effect of Se on tumorigenesis.

Selenium concentration and glutathione peroxidase activity in normal and neoplastic development of the mouse mammary gland.

This study was divided into three experiments. (a) The levels of selenium and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activity were determined for various developmental states of the mammary gland: normal (virgin, pregnant, and lactating); preneoplastic hyperplastic outgrowth lines; and neoplastic mammary tissues. Tissues from the pregnant and lactating mice had higher selenium concentrations and GSH-PX activities than did tissues from virgin mice, but the levels were similar to levels found in preneoplastic and neoplastic mammary tissues of lines C4 and D2. This suggests that the appropriate comparisons for studies determining the effect of selenium on preneoplastic mammary tissues are glands from pregnant and lactating mice. In addition, these results suggest that the refractory state of mammary tumors to selenium-mediated growth inhibition is not due to the absence of GSH-PX or the inability to incorporate selenium. (b) For the second experiment, the effect of feeding various levels of selenium on selenium and GSH-PX levels was determined in mammary and hepatic tissues of virgin mice. GSH-PX activity increased when dietary selenium increased from less than 0.02 to 0.1 ppm selenium but was not further increased when dietary selenium was above 0.1 ppm. (c) Finally, the mammary GSH-PX activity was evaluated at different concentrations of the substrates in order to document the biochemical characteristics of the mammary gland GSH-PX.

Selenium and mouse mammary tumorigenesis: an investigation of possible mechanisms.

The effects of selenium on 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene-induced mammary tumorigenesis were examined in C57BL X DBA/2f F1 mice fed a semipurified diet. Mice fed 0.2 ppm selenium developed 56% mammary tumors; in contrast, mice fed 2.0 ppm selenium developed only 16% mammary tumors at 11 months of age. Mice fed the 2.0-ppm selenium diet grew as well as did their counterparts fed the 0.2-ppm selenium diet. In a separate experiment, the level of selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase was measured in the mammary glands of control and 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene-treated BALB/c mice fed basal and selenium-supplemented diets. 7,12-Dimethylbenzanthracene treatment resulted in decreased glutathione peroxidase activity n mice fed both low (0.03 ppm)- and high (1.50 ppm)-selenium diets. Thus, the chemopreventive effects of selenium could not be attributed to maintaining high levels of glutathione peroxidase. In a second series of experiments, the effects of selenium were further examined on the growth of mammary cell line YN-4 in monolayer cell culture. The mitochondrial inclusions seen in cells exposed to 5 X 10(-6) M selenium could not be correlated with changes in the activity of the mitochondrial enzymes, cytochrome c oxidase and succinate dehydrogenase, thus implying that there was no demonstratable impairment of mitochondria. The examination of selenium-treated cells with flow cytofluorometry indicated that cells were blocked in S-G2 phases of the cell cycle. This latter result illustrates one feasible approach towards identifying specific mechanisms for the chemopreventive effects of selenium.

Collagen cross-link excretion during space flight and bed rest.

Extended exposure to weightlessness results in bone loss. However, little information exists as to the precise nature or time course of this bone loss. Bone resorption results in the release of collagen breakdown products, including N-telopeptide and the pyridinium (PYD) cross-links, pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline. Urinary pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline are known to increase during bed rest. We assessed excretion of PYD cross-links and N-telopeptide before, during, and after long (28-day, 59-day, and 84-day) Skylab missions, as well as during short (14-day) and long (119-day) bed-rest studies. During space flight, the urinary cross-link excretion level was twice those observed before flight. Urinary excretion levels of the collagen breakdown products were also 40-50% higher, during short and long bed rest, than before. These results clearly show that the changes in bone metabolism associated with space flight involve increased resorption. The rate of response (i.e. within days to weeks) suggests that alterations in bone metabolism are an early effect of weightlessness. These studies are important for a better understanding of bone metabolism in space crews and in those who are bedridden.

Nutrition and human physiological adaptations to space flight.

Space flight provides a model for the study of healthy individuals undergoing unique stresses. This review focuses on how physiological adaptations to weightlessness may affect nutrient and food requirements in space. These adaptations include reductions in body water and plasma volume, which affect the renal and cardiovascular systems and thereby fluid and electrolyte requirements. Changes in muscle mass and function may affect requirements for energy, protein and amino acids. Changes in bone mass lead to increased urinary calcium concentrations, which may increase the risk of forming renal stones. Space motion sickness may influence putative changes in gastro-intestinal-hepatic function; neurosensory alterations may affect smell and taste. Some or all of these effects may be ameliorated through the use of specially designed dietary countermeasures.

Nutrition in space: lessons from the past applied to the future.

From the basic impact of nutrient intake on health maintenance to the psychosocial benefits of mealtime, the role of nutrition in space is evident. In this discussion, dietary intake data from three space programs, Apollo, Space Shuttle, and Skylab, are presented. Data examination reveals that energy and fluid intakes are almost always lower than predicted. Nutrition in space has many areas of impact, including provision of required nutrients and maintenance of endocrine, immune, and musculoskeletal systems. Long-duration missions will require quantitation of nutrient requirements for maintenance of health and protection against the effects of microgravity. Psychosocial aspects of nutrition will also be important for more productive missions and crew morale. Realization of the full role of nutrition during spaceflight is critical for the success of extended-duration missions. Research conducted to determine the impact of spaceflight on human physiology and subsequent nutritional requirements will also have direct and indirect applications in Earth-based nutrition research.

Effect of physical activity on human potassium metabolism in a hot and humid environment.

Previous investigations have suggested that there are high potassium losses during heavy physical activities in hot climates. In order to determine if high levels of potassium losses could be offset by potassium loading, this study was conducted with five long-distance track runners who had trained in hot and humid environments. The liquid supplements containing 4.3, 98.0, and 0.0 mEq/liter of potassium were given 1 to 2 hr before physical activity. The daily diet contained 2.6 g of potassium. A sodium and potassium balance study was conducted in which stool, urine, and dermal losses were measured. In order to determine if there was a change in the distribution of body potassium during physical exercise, seven subjects total body potassium was estimated before and after exercise. This measurement was performed by counting 40K in a whole body counter. Although the subjects with potassium supplementation and higher urinary sodium and potassium losses, the 98 mEq/liter of potassium supplement resulted in a positive potassium balance. The subjects' potassium requirements exceeded the National Research Council suggested dietary intake. The total body potassium measurements indicated that the counting efficiency of 40K increases significantly immediately after the period of vigorous exercise.

Zinc and copper balances in healthy adult males during and after 17 wk of bed rest.

The effects of long-term bed rest on zinc and copper balances were measured in seven healthy men. Volunteers aged 22-54 y (mean +/- SD, 34 +/- 12 y), 168-185 cm in height (173 +/- 5 cm), and 64-86 kg in weight (74 +/- 9 kg) remained on a metabolic ward for 29 wk. Subjects were ambulatory during weeks 1-5, remained in continuous bed rest for weeks 6-22, and were reambulated during weeks 23-29. Copper and zinc were measured in weekly urine and fecal composites. Dietary intakes provided (mean +/- SD) 19.2 +/- 1.2 mumol Cu (1.22 +/- 0.08 mg), 211 +/- 11 mumol Zn (13.81 +/- 0.72 mg), 25.2 +/- 1.2 mmol Ca (1011 +/- 46 mg), 1086 +/- 46 mmol N (15.21 +/- 0.65 g), and 48.1 +/- 1.4 mmol K (1489 +/- 44 mg)/d. Bed rest increased fecal zinc excretion and decreased zinc balance, whereas copper balance was unchanged. Reambulation decreased fecal zinc excretion and increased both zinc and copper balances. These results suggest that during long-term bed rest or space flight, individuals will lose total body zinc and will retain more zinc and copper when they reambulate.

Comparison of ground-based and space flight energy expenditure and water turnover in middle-aged healthy male US astronauts.

Energy requirements during space flight are poorly defined because they depend on metabolic-balance studies, food disappearance, and dietary records. Water turnover has been estimated by balance methods only. The purpose of this study was to determine energy requirements and water turnover for short-term space flights (8-14 d). Subjects were 13 male astronauts aged 36-51 y with normal body mass indexes (BMIs). Total energy expenditure (TEE) was determined during both a ground-based period and space flight and compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) calculations of energy requirements and dietary intake. TEE was not different for the ground-based and the space-flight periods (12.40 +/- 2.83 and 11.70 +/- 1.89 MJ/d, respectively), and the WHO calculation using the moderate activity correction was a good predictor of TEE during space flight. During the ground-based period, energy intake and TEE did not differ, but during space flight energy intake was significantly lower than TEE; body weight was also less at landing than before flight. Water turnover was lower during space flight than during the ground-based period (2.7 +/- 0.6 compared with 3.8 +/- 0.5 L/d), probably because of lower fluid intakes and perspiration loss during flight. This study confirmed that the WHO calculation can be used for male crew members' energy requirements during short space flights.

Pyridoxic acid excretion during low vitamin B-6 intake, total fasting, and bed rest.

Vitamin B-6 metabolism in 10 volunteers during 21 d of total fasting was compared with results from 10 men consuming a diet low only in vitamin B-6 (1.76 mumol/d) and with men consuming a normal diet during bed rest. At the end of the fast mean plasma concentrations of vitamin B-6 metabolites and urinary excretion of 4-pyridoxic acid tended to be higher in the fasting subjects than in the low-vitamin B-6 group. The fasting subjects lost approximately 10% of their total vitamin B-6 pool and approximately 13% of their body weight. The low-vitamin B-6 group lost only approximately 4% of their vitamin B-6 pool. Compared with baseline, urinary excretion of pyridoxic acid was significantly increased during 17 wk of bed rest. There was no increase in pyridoxic acid excretion during a second 15-d bed rest study. These data suggest the possibility of complex interactions between diet and muscle metabolism that may influence indexes that are frequently used to assess vitamin B-6 status.

The effect of four chemical forms of selenium on mammary tumor incidence in BALB/c female mice treated with 7-12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene.

The study was conducted to determine the effect of four forms of selenium on inhibition of DMBA-induced mammary tumors. BALB/c virgin female mice were fed the AIN-76 diet containing 0.2 or 2.0 ppm Se as selenite, selenate, selenomethionine, or selenocystine prior to and for 6 months post DMBA-treatment. At necropsy, mammary glands were histologically treated for confirmation of adenocarcinomas and the livers were removed for analysis of glutathione-peroxidase (GSHPx) activity and selenium concentrations. Dietary levels or forms of selenium had no effect on body weights. Inorganic selenium fed at 2.0 ppm Se (selenite and selenate) decreased mammary tumor incidence, but organic selenium (selenomethionine and selenocystine) had no effect on mammary tumor incidence. Hepatic GSHPx activity was highest with the 2.0 ppm selenium as selenocystine diet, but hepatic selenium levels were highest with the 2.0 ppm selenium as selenite. This study showed that the dietary form of selenium affects inhibition of mammary tumorigenesis. Furthermore, the study suggested that the pathways for selenium incorporation into GSHPx and for tumor inhibition are different.

Nutrition in space: evidence from the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.

Space flight exposes humans to a hostile, stressful environment as well as to the weightlessness associated with microgravity. The stresses of space travel affect nutritional balance, as evidenced by interrelated changes in body composition, energy utilization, and endocrine function. The limited data gathered thus far suggest that space flight incurs acute decreases in fluid mass and chronic, ongoing changes in muscle and bone mass. Concurrent with these changes is an increase in energy used per unit body mass. Other preliminary data suggest that bed rest and space flight may incur increased sensitivity to insulin. Further research is needed to determine the human energy and protein requirements for space, as well as a means of quantifying changes in body composition during extended-duration space flight.

Energy expenditure during antiorthostatic bed rest (simulated microgravity).

Few studies have addressed the interaction between energy balance and lean body mass in healthy subjects during spaceflight or its simulations. We used doubly labeled water to measure total energy expenditure (TEE) in nine healthy adult men during two 7-day periods, once before and once during a 10-day head-down bed-rest period. Mean TEE was 21% less during than before bed rest; however, neither basal (BEE) nor resting (REE) energy expenditures changed, implying that the lesser TEE resulted from a reduction in physical activity. During the bed-rest period, energy intake was 563 +/- 280 kcal/day higher than TEE (P < 0.05) but body weight, fluid balance, BEE, and REE did not change relative to before bed rest. However, the small but statistically significant increase in body fat (0.44 +/- 0.67 kg, P < 0.05) during the bed-rest period suggests that body weight alone does not accurately reflect changes in energy balance during antiorthostatic bed rest.

Adaptation of the doubly labeled water method for subjects consuming isotopically enriched water.

The use of doubly labeled water (DLW) to measure energy expenditure is subject to error if the background abundance of the oxygen and hydrogen isotope tracers changes during the test period. This study evaluated the accuracy and precision of different methods by which such background isotope changes can be corrected, including a modified method that allows prediction of the baseline that would be achieved if subjects were to consume water from a given source indefinitely. Subjects in this study were eight women (4 test subjects and 4 control subjects) who consumed for 28 days water enriched to resemble drinking water aboard the United States space shuttle. Test subjects and control subjects were given a DLW dose on days 1 and 15, respectively. The change to an enriched water source produced a bias in expenditure calculations that exceeded 2.9 MJ/day (35%), relative to calculations from intake-balance. The proposed correction based on the predicted final abundance of 18O and deuterium after equilibration to the new water source eliminated this bias, as did the traditional use of a control group. This new modified correction method is advantageous under field conditions when subject numbers are limited.

Regulation of body fluid compartments during short-term spaceflight.

The fluid and electrolyte regulation experiment with seven subjects was designed to describe body fluid, renal, and fluid regulatory hormone responses during the Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (9 days) and -2 (14 days) missions. Total body water did not change significantly. Plasma volume (PV; P < 0.05) and extracellular fluid volume (ECFV; P < 0.10) decreased 21 h after launch, remaining below preflight levels until after landing. Fluid intake decreased during weightlessness, and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) increased in the first 2 days and on day 8 (P < 0.05). Urinary antidiuretic hormone (ADH) excretion increased (P < 0.05) and fluid excretion decreased early in flight (P < 0.10). Plasma renin activity (PRA; P < 0.10) and aldosterone (P < 0.05) decreased in the first few hours after launch; PRA increased 1 wk later (P < 0.05). During flight, plasma atrial natriuretic peptide concentrations were consistently lower than preflight means, and urinary cortisol excretion was usually greater than preflight levels. Acceleration at launch and landing probably caused increases in ADH and cortisol excretion, and a shift of fluid from the extracellular to the intracellular compartment would account for reductions in ECFV. Increased permeability of capillary membranes may be the most important mechanism causing spaceflight-induced PV reduction, which is probably maintained by increased GFR and other mechanisms. If the Gauer-Henry reflex operates during spaceflight, it must be completed within the first 21 h of flight and be succeeded by establishment of a reduced PV set point.

Short-term space flight on nitrogenous compounds, lipoproteins, and serum proteins.

Biochemical variables in blood were measured in venous blood samples from 38 to 72 Space Shuttle astronauts before and immediately after flights of 2 to 11 days. Mean pre- and postflight values were compared using the paired t-test or the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The largest change in serum enzymes was a 21% increase (P = .0014) in gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase, which may have been related to stress. The median value of apolipoprotein (apo) A-I decreased from 152 to 127 mg/dL (P < .0001), but the change in apo B (77 to 73 mg/dL) was not statistically significant, and the mean apo A-I/apo B ratio remained well above 1.5. A decrease in dietary fat and cholesterol intake during shuttle missions may have been a cause of the change in apo A-I. Twelve of the 16 nonenzyme serum proteins measured were significantly elevated (P < .05), possibly because of hemoconcentration and increased protein catabolism. The 56% increase in haptoglobin may be related to release of suppressed erythropoiesis at landing.

Calcium kinetics with microgram stable isotope doses and saliva sampling.

Studies of calcium kinetics require administration of tracer doses of calcium and subsequent repeated sampling of biological fluids. This study was designed to develop techniques that would allow estimation of calcium kinetics by using small (micrograms) doses of isotopes instead of the more common large (mg) doses to minimize tracer perturbation of the system and reduce cost, and to explore the use of saliva sampling as an alternative to blood sampling. Subjects received an oral dose (133 micrograms) of 43Ca and an i.v. dose (7.7 micrograms) of 46Ca. Isotopic enrichment in blood, urine, saliva and feces was well above thermal ionization mass spectrometry measurement precision up to 170 h after dosing. Fractional calcium absorptions determined from isotopic ratios in blood, urine and saliva were similar. Compartmental modeling revealed that kinetic parameters determined from serum or saliva data were similar, decreasing the necessity for blood samples. It is concluded from these results that calcium kinetics can be assessed with micrograms doses of stable isotopes, thereby reducing tracer costs and with saliva samples, thereby reducing the amount of blood needed.

Breast cancer: incidence, nutritional concerns, and treatment approaches.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women in the United States. Western cultural factors, such as high socioeconomic status, early age of menarche, and late age at first pregnancy, may be risk factors in the development of breast cancer. A strong positive correlation exists worldwide between fat consumption and breast cancer. Case-controlled studies also support an association of a high-fat diet and breast cancer. Animal studies using rats or mice have verified that fat is a promoter of breast cancer after exposure to a known chemical carcinogen. A high-fat diet resulted in a higher incidence of breast tumors than a low-fat diet. Recent rodent studies further suggest that a reduction in calories alone reduces breast cancer incidence. Furthermore, studies reveal that the 5-year survival is about 80% after appropriate therapy (surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy) for breast cancer, with early detection by self-examination as the first step to improve outcomes. Excision of the breast tumor (segmental mastectomy) and some surrounding normal tissue followed by radiation therapy can be as effective therapy for most small breast cancers as total or radical mastectomy. The authors strongly recommend obtaining medical evaluation for any lump or thickening in the breast and following good dietary practices.

Evaluation of the offer vs. serve option within self-serve, choice menu lunch program at the elementary school level.

The feasibility of a centralized menu and the effectiveness of an "offer vs. serve" option within a self-serve, choice menu lunch program at the elementary school level were determined. Student trays (no. = 370/day) were visually evaluated for foods chosen and consumed. The same 1-week menu was served at two urban Southern schools. One represented a high-poverty-area, all-black-student school and the other represented a middle-income-area school with a white to black student ratio of 3:1. Students were able to choose the required USDA minimal number of three foods, and 66% of the foods selected were similar at the two schools, demonstrating that a centralized menu was feasible. Three-fourths of the students were able to choose more than 75% of one-third of the RDA for all nutrients except pyridoxine and ascorbic acid at both schools and iron at the high-poverty school. Twenty-five percent or more of the students did not consume 75% of one-third the Recommended Dietary Allowance for thiamin, vitamin B-6, ascorbic acid, iron, and magnesium at either school or of niacin and vitamin A at the middle-income school. Overall plate waste was 12.9%, with younger children wasting more food than older children and more waste in the middle-income than the high-poverty school. In general, the "offer vs. serve" was an effective option.

Dietary studies in the joint US-Russian space program.

Metabolic experiments in the joint US-Russian space program involve analysis of food records, which include weighed foods, stable-isotope turnover, and biochemical samples collected before, during, and after the flights. This article describes the methods of monitoring dietary intake for this program.