Water supplementation affects the fluid intake and serum levels of BDNF among the elderly nursing home residents.

OBJECTIVES: The link between dehydration and fluid intake with brain function in elderly individuals has produced conflicting findings. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of water supplementation on fluid intake, cognitive and motor performance, and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in euhydrated and dehydrated elderly. METHODS: Twenty participants 60 to 89 y of age were randomly divided into four groups, namely; euhydration + control (EC), euhydration + treatment (ET), dehydration + control (DC), and dehydration + treatment (DT) groups. The treatment groups were personally supplemented with plain water for 7 d. The volume of water intake was assessed with food recalls. The digit span test and finger tapping test were used to examine cognitive and motor performances. Peripheral BDNF levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of serum samples. RESULTS: Water supplementation increased 2.5 times the volume of water and total fluid intake in the ET and DT groups. The mean of the volume water intake on day 7 in ET and DT was significantly different from EC (P < 0.01) and DC (P < 0.001) groups. Serum BDNF levels were higher on preintervention in dehydration compared to euhydration groups (P < 0.05) and significantly negative correlated with the volume of water (r = -0.59, P = 0.006) and fluid intake (r = -0.60, P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated that 7 d of water supplementation increased the water and the total fluid intake in elderly individuals regardless of dehydration status. Serum BDNF levels increased during dehydration and reverted to physiologic levels after appropriate rehydration.

Effect of Black Tea Consumption on Urinary Risk Factors for Kidney Stone Formation.

Copious fluid intake is the most essential nutritional measure in the treatment of urolithiasis, and is suggested to be a protective factor in the primary prevention of urinary stone formation. Although the intake of black tea contributes to daily fluid intake, the high oxalate content could outweigh the beneficial effect of urine dilution. The present study investigated the effect of black tea consumption on urinary risk factors for kidney stone formation. Ten healthy men received a standardized diet for a period of ten days. Subjects consumed 1.5 L/day of fruit tea (0 mg/day oxalate) during the 5-day control phase, which was replaced by 1.5 L/day of black tea (86 mg/day oxalate) during the 5-day test phase. Fractional and 24-h urines were obtained. The intake of black tea did not significantly alter 24-h urinary oxalate excretion. Urinary citrate, an important inhibitor of calcium stone formation, increased significantly, while the relative supersaturation of calcium oxalate, uric acid, and struvite remained unchanged. No significantly increased risk for kidney stone formation could be derived from the ingestion of black tea in normal subjects. Further research is needed to evaluate the impact of black tea consumption in kidney stone patients with intestinal hyperabsorption of oxalate.

Coffee, Tea, and Mammographic Breast Density in Premenopausal Women.

Studies have investigated the associations of coffee and tea with mammographic breast density (MBD) in premenopausal women with inconsistent results. We analyzed data from 375 premenopausal women who attended a screening mammogram at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO in 2016, and stratified the analyses by race (non-Hispanic White (NHW) vs. Black/African American). Participants self-reported the number of servings of coffee, caffeinated tea, and decaffeinated tea they consumed. Volpara software was used to determine volumetric percent density (VPD), dense volume (DV), and non-dense volume (NDV). We used generalized linear regression models to quantify the associations of coffee and tea intake with MBD measures. Coffee: ≥1 time/day (ß = 1.06; 95% CI = 0.93-1.21; p-trend = 0.61) and caffeinated tea: ≥1 time/day (ß = 1.01; 95% CI = 0.88-1.17; p-trend = 0.61) were not associated with VPD. Decaffeinated tea (≥1 time/week) was positively associated with VPD in NHW women (ß = 1.22; 95% CI = 1.06-1.39) but not in African American women (ß = 0.93; 95% CI = 0.73-1.17; p-interaction = 0.02). Coffee (≥1 time/day) was positively associated with DV in African American women (ß = 1.52; 95% CI = 1.11-2.07) but not in NHW women (ß = 1.10; 95% CI = 0.95-1.29; p-interaction = 0.02). Our findings do not support associations of coffee and caffeinated tea intake with VPD in premenopausal women. Positive associations of decaffeinated tea with VPD, with suggestions of effect modification by race, require confirmation in larger studies with diverse study populations.

Acute Beetroot Juice Ingestion Does Not Alter Renal Hemodynamics during Normoxia and Mild Hypercapnia in Healthy Young Adults.

Arterial hypercapnia reduces renal perfusion. Beetroot juice (BRJ) increases nitric oxide bioavailability and may improve renal blood flow. We tested the hypothesis that acute consumption of BRJ attenuates both decreases in blood velocity and increases in vascular resistance in the renal and segmental arteries during acute hypercapnia. In fourteen healthy young adults, blood velocity and vascular resistance were measured with Doppler ultrasound in the renal and segmental arteries during five minutes of breathing a carbon dioxide gas mixture (CO2) before and three hours after consuming 500 mL of BRJ. There was no difference between pre- and post-BRJ consumption in the increase in the partial pressure of end-tidal CO2 during CO2 breathing (pre: +4 ± 1 mmHg; post: +4 ± 2 mmHg, p = 0.4281). Segmental artery blood velocity decreased during CO2 breathing in both pre- (by -1.8 ± 1.9 cm/s, p = 0.0193) and post-BRJ (by -2.1 ± 1.9 cm/s, p = 0.0079), but there were no differences between pre- and post-consumption (p = 0.7633). Segmental artery vascular resistance increased from room air baseline during CO2 at pre-BRJ consumption (by 0.4 ± 0.4 mmHg/cm/s, p = 0.0153) but not post-BRJ (p = 0.1336), with no differences between pre- and post-consumption (p = 0.7407). These findings indicate that BRJ consumption does not attenuate reductions in renal perfusion during acute mild hypercapnia in healthy young adults.

Significant Impact of Coffee Consumption on MR-Based Measures of Cardiac Function in a Population-Based Cohort Study without Manifest Cardiovascular Disease.

Subclinical effects of coffee consumption (CC) with regard to metabolic, cardiac, and neurological complications were evaluated using a whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol. A blended approach was used to estimate habitual CC in a population-based study cohort without a history of cardiovascular disease. Associations of CC with MRI markers of gray matter volume, white matter hyperintensities, cerebral microhemorrhages, total and visceral adipose tissue (VAT), hepatic proton density fat fraction, early/late diastolic filling rate, end-diastolic/-systolic and stroke volume, ejection fraction, peak ejection rate, and myocardial mass were evaluated by linear regression. In our analysis with 132 women and 168 men, CC was positively associated with MR-based cardiac function parameters including late diastolic filling rate, stroke volume (p < 0.01 each), and ejection fraction (p < 0.05) when adjusting for age, sex, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides, cholesterol, and alcohol consumption. CC was inversely associated with VAT independent of demographic variables and cardiovascular risk factors (p < 0.05), but this association did not remain significant after additional adjustment for alcohol consumption. CC was not significantly associated with potential neurodegeneration. We found a significant positive and independent association between CC and MRI-based systolic and diastolic cardiac function. CC was also inversely associated with VAT but not independent of alcohol consumption.

Correlations between Coffee Consumption and Metabolic Phenotypes, Plasma Folate, and Vitamin B12: NHANES 2003 to 2006.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is prevalent not only among the overweight and obese but also normal weight individuals, and the phenotype is referred to as a metabolically unhealthy phenotype (MUHP). Besides normal weight individuals, overweight/obese individuals are also protected from MetS, and the phenotype is known as a metabolically healthy phenotype (MHP). Epidemiological studies indicate that coffee and micronutrients such as plasma folate or vitamin B12 (vit. B12) are inversely associated with MetS. However, correlations among coffee consumption metabolic phenotypes, plasma folate, and vit. B12 remain unknown. Our objective was to investigate the correlation between coffee consumption, metabolic phenotypes, plasma folate, and vit. B12 as well as to understand associations between plasma folate, vit. B12, and metabolic phenotypes. Associations among coffee consumption metabolic phenotypes, plasma folate, and vit. B12 were assessed in a cross-sectional study of 2201 participants, 18 years or older, from 2003-2004 and 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). MUHP was classified as having > three metabolic abnormalities. Coffee consumption was not associated with metabolic phenotypes, but negatively correlated with several metabolic variables, including BMI (p < 0.001). Plasma folate was positively associated with MUHP (p < 0.004), while vit. B12 was inversely associated with MUHP (p < 0.035). Our results suggest the potential protective impact of coffee on individual components of MetS and indicate a positive correlation between coffee consumption and MUHP among overweight individuals. Identifying possible dietary factors may provide practical and low-cost dietary intervention targets, specifically for early intervention. Larger and randomized intervention studies and prospective longitudinal studies are required to further evaluate these associations.

Coffee consumption and risk of hypertension: A prospective analysis in the cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages around the world. Dietary habits, specifically, coffee consumption has long been a suspected cause of hypertension. However, previous findings on coffee consumption and its association with the incidence of hypertension are not homogeneous and still inconsistent. PURPOSE: To examine the association of habitual coffee consumption with the risk of developing hypertension in a middle-aged Brazilian cohort. METHODS: Data were from the multicenter prospective cohort "Brazilian Longitudinal Study for Adult Health - ELSA-Brasil". The cohort comprises 15,105 civil servants, aged 35-74 years at baseline, who were sampled from universities located in six Brazilian cities. For the present study, we analyzed data from 8780 participants initially free of hypertension during a mean follow-up of 3.9 years. The consumption of coffee was obtained at baseline using a previously validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Subsequently coffee intake was categorized into four categories (cups/day): never/almost never, ≤1, 1-3, and >3. Hypertension status was defined as a systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg, use of antihypertensive drug treatment, or both. Poisson regression model with a robust variance was performed to estimate relative risk (RR) and confidence interval (95% CI) for hypertension according to baseline coffee consumption. The effect of interaction between coffee consumption and smoking status was assessed. RESULTS: Most participants (90%) drank coffee, and the median total coffee intake was 150 mL/day. A total of 1285 participants developed hypertension. Compared to participants who never or almost never drink coffee, the risk of hypertension was lower for individuals consuming 1-3 cups/day (RR 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68-0.97) (P for interaction=0.018). After stratification by smoking status the analysis revealed a decreased risk of hypertension in never smokers drinking 1-3 cups of coffee per day (RR 0.79, 95% CI: 0.64-0.98), whereas the hypertension risk among former and current smokers was not associated with coffee consumption significantly. Moreover, upper category of coffee drinking (>3 cups/day) the association was not significant for risk of hypertension. CONCLUSION: The association between coffee consumption and incidence of hypertension was related to smoking status. The beneficial effect of moderate coffee intake (1-3 cups/day) on risk of hypertension was observed only in never smokers.

[Molecular Basis of Preventive Effects of Habitual Coffee Intake against Chronic Diseases].

Epidemiological studies have shown that coffee consumption may be associated with a lower risk of developing several chronic disorders. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of the effects of coffee, we analyzed molecular response upon exposure to coffee extract using cellular and animal models of these diseases. As obesity is recognized as a major risk factor for these chronic diseases, we investigated the effect of coffee on adipogenesis using mouse preadipocyte 3T3-L1 cells. We found that coffee induced proteasomal degradation of IRS-1, leading to reduction of PPARγ expression, a master transcription factor for adipogenesis. Reduction in weight as well as in IRS-1 expression was detected in the fat tissues of the high fat-diet-fed mice when reared with 60% coffee for 7 weeks. As for Alzheimer's disease, we analyzed the effect of coffee on amyloid ß (Aß) production in human neuronal SH-SY5Y cells. We found a 20% reduction in Aß production when treated with 2.5% coffee for 2 d. This reduction was due to proteasomal degradation of BACE1 (ß-secretase), which was activated by protein kinase A. In addition, coffee ameliorates LPS-induced inflammatory responses in RAW264.7 macrophages by reducing NFκB activity and Nrf2 activation. Roasted coffee prevents selenite-induced cataractogenesis by ameliorating antioxidant loss. Pyrocatechol, a component of roasted coffee, also reduced Aß production and exhibits anti-inflammatory effects by a similar mechanism as coffee. Our results suggest that roasting coffee beans to generate pyrocatechol is necessary for the preventive effects of coffee intake on the chronic diseases.

Impact of food and drinks on urine production: A systematic review.

CONTEXT: The impact of food and drinks on body fluid metabolism is of direct clinical relevance but current evidence remains fragmented. AIM: Synthesise current evidence on the role of food and drinks in urine production. METHODS: Systematic review as per PRISMA guidelines using MEDLINE and EMBASE databases (completed October 2019). Studies reporting on the effect of food, food constituents, and drinks on urine production were included. Two authors performed an independent extraction of relevant articles using predetermined data sets and completed quality-of-study indicators. RESULTS: A total of 49 studies were included, of which 21 enroled human subjects, and 28 were clinically relevant animal studies (all of which utilised rodent models). The included studies were determined to be of variable quality. High dietary sodium, as well as wine, spirits, high-caffeine coffee, and caffeinated energy drinks, increased urine production in human studies. Decreased urine production was associated with low dietary sodium and consumption of milk, orange juice, and high-salt/high-sugar drinks. In animal models, a variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, and honey were associated with increased urine production. CONCLUSION: Current evidence suggests that although several types of food and drinks may impact body fluid metabolism, the quality of the data is variable. Urine production appears to be influenced by multiple factors including composition (ie, moisture, macronutrients, and electrolytes), metabolite load, and the presence of specific diuresis-promoting substances (eg, caffeine, alcohol) and other bioactive phytochemicals. Future research is needed to support current evidence and the physiologic mechanisms underlying these findings.

Consuming decaffeinated coffee with milk and sugar added before a high-glycaemic index meal improves postprandial glycaemic and insulinaemic responses in healthy adults.

The present study aimed to compare the effects of drinking different types of coffee before a high-glycaemic index (GI) meal on postprandial glucose metabolism and to assess the effects of adding milk and sugar into coffee. In this randomised, crossover, acute feeding study, apparently healthy adults (n 21) consumed the test drink followed by a high-GI meal in each session. Different types of coffee (espresso, instant, boiled and decaffeinated, all with milk and sugar) and plain water were tested in separate sessions, while a subset of the participants (n 10) completed extra sessions using black coffees. Postprandial levels of glucose, insulin, active glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and nitrotyrosine between different test drinks were compared using linear mixed models. Results showed that only preloading decaffeinated coffee with milk and sugar led to significantly lower glucose incremental AUC (iAUC; 14 % lower, P = 0·001) than water. Preloading black coffees led to greater postprandial glucose iAUC than preloading coffees with milk and sugar added (12-35 % smaller, P < 0·05 for all coffee types). Active GLP-1 and nitrotyrosine levels were not significantly different between test drinks. To conclude, preloading decaffeinated coffee with milk and sugar led to a blunted postprandial glycaemic response after a subsequent high-GI meal, while adding milk and sugar into coffee could mitigate the impairment effect of black coffee towards postprandial glucose responses. These findings may partly explain the positive effects of coffee consumption on glucose metabolism.

Distinguishing Low and High Water Consumers-A Paradigm of Disease Risk.

A long-standing body of clinical observations associates low 24-h total water intake (TWI = water + beverages + food moisture) with acute renal disorders such as kidney stones and urinary tract infections. These findings prompted observational studies and experimental interventions comparing habitual low volume (LOW) and high volume (HIGH) drinkers. Investigators have learned that the TWI of LOW and HIGH differ by 1-2 L·d-1, their hematological values (e.g., plasma osmolality, plasma sodium) are similar and lie within the laboratory reference ranges of healthy adults and both groups appear to successfully maintain water-electrolyte homeostasis. However, LOW differs from HIGH in urinary biomarkers (e.g., reduced urine volume and increased osmolality or specific gravity), as well as higher plasma concentrations of arginine vasopressin (AVP) and cortisol. Further, evidence suggests that both a low daily TWI and/or elevated plasma AVP influence the development and progression of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, obesity, chronic kidney disease, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Based on these studies, we propose a theory of increased disease risk in LOW that involves chronic release of fluid-electrolyte (i.e., AVP) and stress (i.e., cortisol) hormones. This narrative review describes small but important differences between LOW and HIGH, advises future investigations and provides practical dietary recommendations for LOW that are intended to decrease their risk of chronic diseases.

Oolong tea drinking boosts calcaneus bone mineral density in postmenopausal women: a population-based study in southern China.

INTRODUCTION: Observational studies have shown that tea consumption has a potentially beneficial effect on bone health. However, few studies have assessed the effects of types of tea consumed on bone health. We aimed to investigate whether drinking oolong tea is associated with increased calcaneus bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women. METHODS: From an epidemiological survey in Shantou, 476 postmenopausal women aged 40 to 88 years were enrolled in the study. All women were questioned about their demographic features, lifestyle, health status, types of tea consumed, habit of tea consumption, and habitual dietary intake by use of a structured questionnaire. Estimated areal BMD was measured by calcaneal quantitative ultrasound (QUS). RESULTS: As compared with non-tea drinkers, oolong tea drinkers had higher calcaneus BMD (ß 34.70 [95% CI 10.38, 59.03]). In addition, calcaneus BMD was significantly increased for those drinking 1-5 cups/day (ß 27.43 [95% CI 3.70, 51.16]) but not > 5 cups/day. We observed no linear increase in calcaneus BMD with increasing years of tea consumption and local polynomial regression fitting showed a parabola-shaped association between years of tea consumption and calcaneus BMD. However, symptoms of osteoporosis did not differ by types of tea consumed. CONCLUSION: Long-term moderate oolong tea consumption may have beneficial effects on bone health in postmenopausal women in Shantou of southern China.

Effects of Timing of Acute and Consecutive Catechin Ingestion on Postprandial Glucose Metabolism in Mice and Humans.

We examined the effects of the timing of acute and consecutive epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and catechin-rich green tea ingestion on postprandial glucose in mice and human adults. In mouse experiments, we compared the effects of EGCG administration early (morning) and late (evening) in the active period on postprandial glucose. In human experiments, participants were randomly assigned to the morning-placebo (MP, n = 10), morning-green tea (MGT, n = 10), evening-placebo (EP, n = 9), and evening-green tea (EGT, n = 9) groups, and consumed either catechin-rich green tea or a placebo beverage for 1 week. At baseline and after 1 week, participants consumed their designated beverages with breakfast (MP and MGT) or supper (EP and EGT). Venous blood samples were collected in the fasted state and 30, 60, 120, and 180 min after each meal. Consecutive administration of EGCG in the evening, but not in the morning, reduced postprandial glucose at 30 (p = 0.006) and 60 (p = 0.037) min in the evening trials in mice. In humans, ingestion of catechin-rich green tea in the evening decreased postprandial glucose (three-factor analysis of variance, p < 0.05). Thus, catechin intake in the evening more effectively suppressed elevation of postprandial glucose.

A qualitative study of factors that influence midwives' practice in relation to low-risk women's oral intake in labour in Australia.

BACKGROUND: Restriction of food and fluids during labour increases women's discomfort, anxiety and stress which are associated with obstruction of the normal process of labour. Whilst research evidence and clinical guidelines recommend that normal uncomplicated labouring women should not be limited in their oral intake during labour, some midwives continue to restrict or discourage women's oral intake. To promote best practice, it is important to understand the influencing factors which affect midwives' decision-making processes. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the influences that affect midwifery practice regarding oral food and fluid intake for low-risk labouring women. DESIGN: An interpretive descriptive approach employed 12 semi-structured interviews with registered midwives with current labour and birthing experience in Australia. Data was analysed using thematic analysis. FINDINGS: Three themes were identified: midwives' knowledge and beliefs; work environment and women's expectations of care. Midwives' practice was affected by their knowledge and values developed from professional and personal experiences of labour, their context of practice and work environment, the clinical guidelines, policies and obstetric control, and women's choice and comfort. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that midwives' decision-making in relation to women's oral nutrition during labour is multifaceted and influenced by complicated environments, models of care, and power relations between doctors and midwives, more so than clinical guidelines. It is important for midwives to be aware of factors negatively influencing their decision-making processes to enable autonomy and empowerment in the provision of evidence-based care of labouring women.

Serum Metabolome of Coffee Consumption and its Association With Bone Mineral Density: The Hong Kong Osteoporosis Study.

BACKGROUND: Inconsistent associations between coffee consumption and bone mineral density (BMD) have been observed in epidemiological studies. Moreover, the relationship of bioactive components in coffee with BMD has not been studied. The aim of the current study is to identify coffee-associated metabolites and evaluate their association with BMD. METHODS: Two independent cohorts totaling 564 healthy community-dwelling adults from the Hong Kong Osteoporosis Study (HKOS) who visited in 2001-2010 (N = 329) and 2015-2016 (N = 235) were included. Coffee consumption was self-reported in an food frequency questionnaire. Untargeted metabolomic profiling on fasting serum samples was performed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry platforms. BMD at lumbar spine and femoral neck was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Multivariable linear regression and robust regression were used for the association analyses. RESULTS: 12 serum metabolites were positively correlated with coffee consumption after Bonferroni correction for multiple testing (P < 4.87 × 10-5), with quinate, 3-hydroxypyridine sulfate, and trigonelline (N'-methylnicotinate) showing the strongest association. Among these metabolites, 11 known metabolites were previously identified to be associated with coffee intake and 6 of them were related to caffeine metabolism. Habitual coffee intake was positively and significantly associated with BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral neck. The metabolite 5-acetylamino-6-formylamino-3-methyluracil (AFMU) (ß = 0.012, SE = 0.005; P = 0.013) was significantly associated with BMD at the lumbar spine, whereas 3-hydroxyhippurate (ß = 0.007, SE = 0.003, P = 0.027) and trigonelline (ß = 0.007, SE = 0.004; P = 0.043) were significantly associated with BMD at the femoral neck. CONCLUSIONS: 12 metabolites were significantly associated with coffee intake, including 6 caffeine metabolites. Three of them (AFMU, 3-hydroxyhippurate, and trigonelline) were further associated with BMD. These metabolites could be potential biomarkers of coffee consumption and affect bone health.

The efficacy of nonpharmacologic intervention for orthostatic hypotension associated with aging.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy and safety of nonpharmacologic interventions for orthostatic hypotension (OH) secondary to aging. METHODS: A total of 150 orthostatic challenges were performed in 25 older people (age 60-92 years) to determine cardiovascular responses to bolus water drinking, compression stockings, abdominal compression, and physical countermaneuvers. Primary outcome was response rate as assessed by proportion of participants whose systolic blood pressure (SBP) drop improved by ≥10 mm Hg. RESULTS: The response rate to bolus water drinking was 56% (95% confidence interval [CI] 36.7-74.2), with standing SBP increasing by 12 mm Hg (95% CI 4-20). Physical countermaneuvers were efficacious in 44% (95% CI 25.8-63.3) but had little effect on standing SBP (+7.5 mm Hg [95% CI -1 to 16]). Abdominal compression was efficacious in 52% (95% CI 32.9-70.7) and improved standing SBP (+10 mm Hg [95% CI 2-18]). Compression stockings were the least efficacious therapy (32% [95% CI 16.1-51.4]) and had little effect on standing SBP (+6 mm Hg [95% CI -1, 13]). No intervention improved symptoms during standing. There were no adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Bolus water drinking should become the standard first-line nonpharmacologic intervention, whereas compression stockings should be disregarded in this population. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class III evidence that for older people with OH, bolus water drinking is superior to other nonpharmacologic interventions in decreasing SBP drop.

Vasopressin and the Regulation of Thirst.

Recent experiments using optogenetic tools allow the identification and functional analysis of thirst neurons and vasopressin producing neurons. Two major advances provide a detailed anatomy of taste for water and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) release: (1) thirst and AVP release are regulated not only by the classical homeostatic, intero-sensory plasma osmolality negative feedback, but also by novel, extero-sensory, anticipatory signals. These anticipatory signals for thirst and vasopressin release converge on the same homeostatic neurons of circumventricular organs that monitor the composition of the blood; (2) acid-sensing taste receptor cells (which express polycystic kidney disease 2-like 1 protein) on the tongue that were previously suggested as the sour taste sensors also mediate taste responses to water. The tongue has a taste for water. The median preoptic nucleus (MnPO) of the hypothalamus could integrate multiple thirst-generating stimuli including cardiopulmonary signals, osmolality, angiotensin II, oropharyngeal and gastric signals, the latter possibly representing anticipatory signals. Dehydration is aversive and MnPO neuron activity is proportional to the intensity of this aversive state.

Feeding fodder beet (Beta vulgaris L.) with either barley straw or pasture silage to non-lactating dairy cows.

AIMS: To determine the suitability of diets containing either approximately 85% fodder beet (Beta vulgaris L.) with barley straw or 65% fodder beet with pasture silage when fed to non-lactating dairy cows, by measuring intakes, digestibility, rumen function including microbial growth, and N excretion. METHODS: Holstein-Friesian cows fitted with permanent rumen fistulae were fed either 65% fodder beet with pasture silage (Silage; n=8) or 85% fodder beet with barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) straw (Straw; n=8) in an indoor facility over a 9-day period, for measurement of intakes, digestibility, rumen function and urine production. The cows were adapted to the diets over 2 weeks before the indoor measurements. Feed was available for about 6 hours/day, as practiced commercially for wintering non-lactating cows. RESULTS: Five cows fed the Straw diet had to be removed from the trial because of acute acidosis; four on Day 1 of the measurement period and one on Day 7. One cow allocated to the Silage diet refused to eat fodder beet bulbs and was also removed from the trial. Two cows fed the Silage diet were also treated for acidosis. DM intakes were lower with the Straw than Silage diets (6.4 (SE 0.4) vs. 8.3 (SE 0.5) kg/day) and organic matter (OM) digestibility was lower with the Straw than Silage diets (77 (SE 1) vs. 83 (SE 1) g/100g). The N content of the two diets was 1.14 and 1.75 g/100 g DM and there was a net loss of N by cows fed the Straw diet (-22.7 (SE 7) g/day). Rumen microbial N production was much lower in cows fed the Straw than the Silage diet (6.6 (SE 1.3) vs. 15.8 (SE 0.7) g microbial N/kg digestible OM intake). Concentrations of ammonia in rumen liquid collected on Days 5-6 were below detection limits (<0.1 mmol/L) in 36/48 (75%) samples collected from cows fed the Straw diet and in 27/48 (56%) cows fed the Silage diet. Mean urinary N excretion was lower in cows fed the Straw than the Silage diet (52.0 (SE 5.8) vs. 87.7 (SE 5.9) g/day). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVENCE: An over-wintering diet for dry cows comprising about 65% fodder beet with 35% pasture silage provided adequate nutrition, although there was some risk of acidosis. In contrast, the diet containing about 85% fodder beet with barley straw resulted in lower DM intakes, poor rumen function, negative N balance so that both nutrition and welfare were compromised.

The Hormone FGF21 Stimulates Water Drinking in Response to Ketogenic Diet and Alcohol.

Alcohol and ketogenic diets increase water consumption. Here, we show that the hormone FGF21 is required for this drinking response in mice. Circulating levels of FGF21 are increased by alcohol consumption in humans and by both alcohol and ketogenic diets in mice. Pharmacologic administration of FGF21 stimulates water drinking behavior in mice within 2 hr. Concordantly, mice lacking FGF21 fail to increase water intake in response to either alcohol or a ketogenic diet. The effect of FGF21 on drinking is mediated in part by SIM1-positive neurons of the hypothalamus and is inhibited by ß-adrenergic receptor antagonists. Given that FGF21 also is known to suppress alcohol intake in favor of pure water, this work identifies FGF21 as a fundamental neurotropic hormone that governs water balance in response to specific nutrient stresses that can cause dehydration.

Role of Spiritual Sentiments in Improving the Compliance of Water Intake in Patients with Urolithiasis.

The aim of this study was to compare the compliance for water intake and rate of recurrence between spiritually motivated and non-motivated patients of renal tract stone disease. It is a multi centric prospective cohort study, conducted in Department of Urology, Institute of Kidney Diseases and Peshawar Medical College, from January 10, 2009 to December 2012. A total of 180 patients with comparable demographic, IQ, EQ and BMI after achieving complete stone clearance were divided into two equal groups. Both groups were instructed to increase the water intake timetable according to AUA guidelines. Group 'A' comprising of 90 patients who were identified as spiritually motivated patients based on questioner of FICA 12 is also instructed that increasing the water intake is mentioned in contemporary Islamic medicine. No spiritual instruction was given to Group B. The instructed guidelines and practice for amount and timing of water intake were recalled from participants at the end of 6 and 12 months. The data were recorded on structured proforma and was analyzed using SPSS version 17. The mean age of the patient in Group A was 37.5 years (18-70 years), while in Group B it was 34 years (18-65 years). Urolithiasis affected predominantly male gender in both groups. Sixty-five patients (72.2 %) in Group A have significant compliance (p < 0.001) for water intake over Group B (46 %). The spiritually motivated Group A has significantly reduced rate of recurrence of stones in 23 patients versus 37 in Group B. The spiritually motivated patients had significantly better compliance for water intake and reduced rate of recurrence versus non-motivated individuals in urolithiasis.