Nutritional status, exclusive breastfeeding and management of acute respiratory illness and diarrhea in the first 6 months of life in infants from two regions of Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: Infant morbidity and mortality rates remain high in Indonesia, with acute respiratory illnesses (ARI) and diarrhea the leading two health problems in children under 5 years. We aimed to describe the nutritional status, feeding practice and case management of ARI and diarrhea of infants from two regions of Indonesia during the first 6 months of life. METHODS: This study was an observational study conducted in parallel to an immunogenicity and efficacy trial of an oral rotavirus vaccine (RV3-BB) in the Klaten and Yogyakarta regions, Indonesia. Mothers were interviewed at 3 time points: within the first 6 days of their infant's life, and at 8-10 and 22-24 weeks of age. Questions asked included pregnancy history, infant nutritional status, feeding status and health of infants within up to 2 weeks prior to the assessment. RESULTS: Between February 2013 and January 2014, 233 mother-infant pairs were recruited. 60% (136/223) of infants were exclusively breastfed (EBF) until 6 months of age with the strongest support for EBF reported by mothers themselves 70% (101/223) and 25% (36/223) from their partners. At 6 months, 6% (14/223) of infants were underweight and severely underweight; 4% (8/ 223) wasted and severely wasted; and 12% (28/223) were stunted and severely stunted. Non-recommended medication use was high, with 54% (21/39) of infants with reported cough within 2 weeks of an assessment receiving cough medication, 70% (27 /39) an antihistamine, 26% (10/39) a mucolytic and 15% (6 /39) an oral bronchodilator. At age 22-24 week, infants with reported diarrhea within 2 weeks of an assessment had low use of oral rehydration solutions (ORS) (3/21;14%) and zinc therapy (2/ 21;10%). CONCLUSION: In this unique observational study, breastfeeding rates of 60% at 6 months were below the Indonesian national target of >75%. Adherence to WHO guidelines for management of ARI and diarrhea was poor, with high use of non-recommended cough medications and oral bronchodilators in the first 6 months of life and low use of ORS and zinc therapy. Ongoing education of primary health care workers and parents regarding management of common illness is needed in Indonesia.

Effects of dietary supplementation of citrus by-products fermented with a probiotic microbe on growth performance, innate immunity and disease resistance against Edwardsiella tarda in juvenile olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus (Temminck & Schlegel).

Two consecutive studies were conducted to evaluate the dietary supplementation of citrus by-products (CB) fermented with probiotic bacteria on growth performance, feed utilization, innate immune responses and disease resistance of juvenile olive flounder. In Experiment I, five diets were formulated to contain 0% (control) or 3% four different CB fermented with Bacillus subtilis (BS), Enterococcus faecium (EF), Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LR) and L. plantarum (LP) (designated as CON, CBF-BS, CBF-EF, CBF-LR and CBF-LP, respectively). During 10 weeks of a feeding trial, growth performance and feed efficiency were not significantly different among all the fish groups. However, fish fed CBF containing diets had significantly higher survivals than the CON group. Disease resistance of fish against Edwardsiella tarda was increased by the fermentation of CB. In Experiment II, we chose the BS as a promising probiotic and formulated five diets to contain 0%, 2%, 4%, 6% and 8% CBF-BS. Growth performance was not significantly affected by the CBF-BS supplementation during 6 weeks of a feeding trial. Innate immunity of fish was significantly enhanced by CBF-BS supplementation. Myeloperoxidase and lysozyme activities were increased in a dose-dependent manner by dietary CBF-BS inclusions. In a consecutive challenge test against E. tarda, an increased disease resistance was found by CBF-BS supplementation. These studies indicate that the fermentation process of CB with probiotic has beneficial effects on innate immunity and thereby increases disease resistance of olive flounder against E. tarda. Bacillus subtilis can be used as a promising probiotic microbe for by-product fermentation in fish feeds.

Effect of DA-9701, a novel prokinetic agent, on stress-induced delayed gastric emptying and hormonal changes in rats.

BACKGROUND: DA-9701 is a novel prokinetic agent formulated with Pharbitis Semen and Corydalis Tuber. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of DA-9701 on stress-induced delay in gastric emptying and changes in plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone and ghrelin levels in rats. METHODS: Changes in gastric emptying in response to different durations of stress were evaluated. Gastric emptying was compared between the following groups: (i) nonstressed vehicle- or DA-9701-treated group, (ii) nonstressed vehicle- or mosapride-treated group, (iii) 2-h stressed vehicle- or DA-9701-treated group, and (iv) 2-h stressed vehicle- or mosapride-treated group. Water immersion restraint stress was used as the stressor. DA-9701 or mosapride at 3 mg kg(-1) was administered to the rats after subjecting them to 2-h stress, and then gastric emptying was measured using the phenol red method. KEY RESULTS: Gastric emptying was significantly delayed in the 2-h stressed group compared with the nonstressed group. Mosapride administration resulted in significant recovery from the stress-induced delay in gastric emptying. Gastric emptying in the rats that underwent 2-h stress followed by DA-9701 administration was not significantly different from that in the nonstressed group. The plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone and active ghrelin levels in the 2-h stressed group were significantly higher than those in the nonstressed group. These increases were significantly inhibited by DA-9701. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: The administration of DA-9701 improved delayed gastric emptying and inhibited the hormonal changes induced by stress, suggesting that DA-9701 can be used as a gastroprokinetic agent for the treatment of delayed gastric emptying, particularly that associated with stress.

The Lanindar test: a method of evaluating patient suitability for cataract surgery using assisted topical anaesthesia.

AIM: To evaluate an office-based Lanindar (light and nociceptive interaction noting distress and response) test to assist in the assessment of patient suitability for assisted topical anaesthesia (ATA) during phacoemulsification. METHODS: The Lanindar test was carried out at the preoperative assessment of 716 consecutive patients in the office of one of the authors (ICF). A standard desk lamp was shone in each patient's eye after pupillary dilation, while simultaneously elevating the upper eyelid digitally. A negative test indicated patient hypersensitivity to the light and aversion to digital pressure on the upper eyelid. A positive test was indicated by the patient feeling comfort and lack of blepharospasm and withdrawal in response to the light and digital pressure. chi (2) and Fisher's exact tests were used to assess the association between Lanindar results and suitability for ATA. The positive predictive value and specificity of the test as an indicator of patient suitability for ATA were calculated. Visual acuities at 1 and 4 weeks post-operative periods were compared between the ATA and ALA/GA (assisted local anaesthesia/general anaesthesia) group of patients. RESULTS: About 86.7% were Lanindar positive and 98.9% of these patients tolerated ATA. chi (2) and Fisher's exact tests demonstrated a significant association of a positive Lanindar test with successful ATA (chi (2)=660, P<0.001, Fisher's: P<0.001). The positive predictive value and specificity of the test were 98% (95% CI=98.04-99.7%) and 93.14% (95% CI=88.23-98.04%), respectively. Visual acuity outcomes were similar in the ATA and ALA/GA groups. CONCLUSION: The Lanindar is a simple, highly specific, office-based test to determine patient suitability for phacoemulsification under ATA.

A mixture of cottonseed meal, soybean meal and animal byproduct mixture as a fish meal substitute: growth and tissue gossypol enantiomer in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

Diets incorporating three different sources of extracted cottonseed meal (CM), soybean meal and an animal protein mixture were evaluated for juvenile rainbow trout. Fish averaging 0.96 g were divided into groups of 30; 3 groups per treatment, and each group was fed one of four diets for a 16-week period. Fish meal (FM) was replaced on a 25% protein basis by each of three different sources of CM from California (CA), Tennessee (TN), and Arkansas (AR), U.S.A. In the three CM-containing diets another 25% soybean meal protein and 50% animal protein mixture were also incorporated to completely replace FM protein. The results of growth rate and feed utilization showed that FM could be entirely replaced by a mixture of plant proteins (CM and soybean meal) and animal by-product proteins. Hematocrit levels were significantly lower in the group fed CM-containing diets than in the control. The findings suggest that CM can be used as a good protein source by the incorporation of at least 15% in diets (25% of fish meal protein replacement), and that the nutritive values of CM in juvenile trout can be different due to their different origin. Significantly higher concentrations of total gossypol were found in faeces of CM-TN (5.8 +/- 0.4 micromol/g) and CM-AR (5.6 +/- 0.6) groups than in that of CM-CA (3.7 +/- 0.4) group. It was documented that gossypol enantiomers, present in an equal proportion in diets, selectively accumulated in liver and bile, whereas equal proportions of (+)- and (-)-enantiomers were found in whole-body and faeces. Depending on CM source, fish can absorb approximately 35-50% of dietary gossypol, and the majority of the absorbed gossypol seemed to be excreted.

Hepatoprotective effects of Platycodon grandiflorum on acetaminophen-induced liver damage in mice.

The protective effects of an aqueous extract from the roots of Platycodon grandiflorum A. DC (Campanulaceae), Changkil (CK), on acetaminophen (APAP)-induced hepatotoxicities and the possible protective mechanisms involved were investigated in mice. Pretreatment with CK prior to the administration of APAP significantly prevented the increase in serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activity and hepatic lipid peroxidation in a dose-dependent manner. APAP-induced hepatotoxicity was also essentially prevented as evidenced by liver histopathology. Hepatic glutathione levels and glutathione-S-transferase activities were not affected by treatment with CK alone, but pretreatment with CK protected the APAP-induced depletion of hepatic glutathione levels. The effects of CK on cytochrome P450 (P450) 1A2 and 2E1, the major isozymes involved in APAP bioactivation, were investigated. In microsomal incubations, CK effectively inhibited P450 lA2-dependent methoxyresorufin O-deethylase activities and the P450 2E1-dependent p-nitrophenol and aniline hydroxylase. The results suggest that the protective effects of CK against the APAP-induced hepatotoxicity may, at least in part, be due to its ability to block P450-mediated APAP bioactivation.

Efficacy of use of colonoscopy in dextran sulfate sodium induced ulcerative colitis in rats: the evaluation of the effects of antioxidant by colonoscopy.

The goals in developing animal models of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are to determine the underlying mechanisms and the action of currently available drugs and to evaluate the value of new therapeutic approaches. Because of the difficulty in determining the severity of colitis in living animals, it has been necessary to kill the experimental animals at varying stages in the studies. If colonoscopic evaluation or endoscopic biopsy is feasible in these experimental animals, continuous observations could be possible, thus avoiding the need to kill them. The aims of the current study were to assess the efficacy of endoscopic examination as a monitoring tool for the severity of colitis in rats and to the efficacy of DA-9601, an extract from Artemisia asiatica which has both antioxidative and cytoprotective actions, on dextran sulfate sodium induced ulcerative colitis in rats endoscopically. Sprague-Dawley rats received 4% DSS in drinking water for 5 consecutive days. Either DA-9601 or sulfasalazine was administered twice a day for 8 days, starting 3 days before DSS administration. After the colonoscopic evaluations on days 2, 4, and 5 after DSS administration the rats were also killed for gross and histopathological evaluations. Simultaneous measurements of malondialdehyde (MDA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activities were performed. There was a statistically significant correlation between the scores evaluated by the gross examination and colonoscopic scores, between the colonoscopic scores and the levels of MDA or mucosal MPO activities, and between colonoscopic scores and histopathological activity index. DA-9601 showed excellent improvement in gross lesion scores, decreased MDA amounts and MPO activities compared to sulfasalazine. In conclusion, the introduction of appropriate colonoscopic examination in animal models of IBD could avoid the sacrifice of experimental animals for interim evaluation and provide the valuable information on the course and efficacy of treatment. The potential usefulness of antioxidants in treating IBD is very promising based on the colonoscopic intervention of IBD.

Reproductive efficiency and maternal-offspring transfer of gossypol in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed diets containing cottonseed meal.

In a preceding study, complete substitution of fish meal protein with cottonseed meal (CM) protein did not affect the survival or growth rate of adult rainbow trout over a 6-mo period. Gossypol, a naturally occurring compound in cottonseeds, has an antifertility effect in terrestrial animals, but information regarding salmonid fish is lacking. Female rainbow trout in this experiment were fed diets with either 0, 25, 50, 75, or 100% (diets 1 to 5) of the fish meal protein replaced with CM protein until first maturation and spawning to study long-term effects on growth and reproduction. Feeding diets containing CM over a total period of 10 mo did not result in differences in growth and mortality compared to the control group (P > 0.05). Increased CM incorporation levels resulted in decreased (P < 0.05) blood hemoglobin (10.6 +/- 1.3, 8.4 +/- 1.8, 7.3 +/- 1.1, 6.9 +/- 0.8, and 5.6 +/- 1.4 g/dL) and hematocrit (49.6 +/- 3.9, 38.5 +/- 9.3, 34.4 +/- 3.7, 34.8 +/- 4.9 and 28.0 +/- 6.8%) levels in diets 1 to 5, respectively. The CM incorporation level had no effect (P > 0.05) on the number of eggs produced per female but led to a reduction (P < 0.05) in egg weight. Eyed stage survival of embryos was low in all dietary groups and did not show differences (P > 0.05). However, an increasing CM incorporation level led to a linear increase (P < 0.05) in the number of females that produced no viable embryos (23.1, 37.5, 42.9, 60.0, and 71.4%). Gossypol in the diet was absorbed by the female trout and transferred to the eggs (0, 2.2 +/- 0.5, 6.7 +/- 1.6, 10.6 +/- 4.2, and 20.0 +/- 2.6 micrograms/g in diets 1 to 5, respectively). A high concentration of gossypol remained in the juveniles at the swim-up stage (endogenous yolk-absorbed) (0.6 +/- 0.3, 2.4 +/- 0.3, 3.4 +/- 0.0, and 4.7 +/- 1.0 micrograms/g, diets 2 to 5, respectively). The findings suggest that replacement of the dietary fish meal protein with CM protein has no effect on fish growth and mortality but may lead to a reduction in reproductive performance in female rainbow trout.

Substance p plays a critical role in photic resetting of the circadian pacemaker in the rat hypothalamus.

Glutamate is considered to be the primary neurotransmitter in the retinohypothalamic tract (RHT), which delivers photic information from the retina to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the locus of the mammalian circadian pacemaker. However, substance P (SP) also has been suggested to play a role in retinohypothalamic transmission. In this study, we sought evidence that SP from the RHT contributes to photic resetting of the circadian pacemaker and further explored the possible interaction of SP with glutamate in this process. In rat hypothalamic slices cut parasagittally, electrical stimulation of the optic nerve in early and late subjective night produced a phase delay (2.4 +/- 0.5 hr; mean +/- SEM) and advance (2.6 +/- 0.3 hr) of the circadian rhythm of SCN neuronal firing activity, respectively. The SP antagonist L-703,606 (10 microm) applied to the slices during the nerve stimulation completely blocked the phase shifts. Likewise, a cocktail of NMDA (2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid, 50 microm) and non-NMDA (6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione, 10 microm) antagonists completely blocked the shifts. Exogenous application of SP (1 microm) or glutamate (100 microm) to the slices in early subjective night produced a phase delay ( approximately 3 hr) of the circadian firing activity rhythm of SCN neurons. Coapplication of the NMDA and non-NMDA antagonist cocktail (as well as L-703,606) resulted in a complete blockade of the SP-induced phase delay, whereas L-703,606 (10 microm) had no effect on the glutamate-induced delay. These results suggest that SP, as well as glutamate, has a critical role in photic resetting. Furthermore, the results suggest that the two agonists act in series, SP working upstream of glutamate.

Gossypol isomers bind specifically to blood plasma proteins and spermatozoa of rainbow trout fed diets containing cottonseed meal.

We investigated the role of gossypol isomers binding to blood plasma, seminal plasma and spermatozoa to elucidate gossypol anti-fertility action in the teleost fish, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Growth and hematological indicators of males were depressed when fish meal protein in diets was completely replaced with cottonseed meal. The cottonseed meal contained equal proportions of (-) (47.8+/-1.6%) and (+) gossypol isomers. Concentrations of spermatozoa were decreased with increasing proportions of gossypol in diets (from 0.22% to 0.95%); however, sperm motility and fertilizing ability were not affected. In contrast to mammals, steroid hormone concentrations were not suppressed in fish given diets with gradual increase of gossypol level. Gossypol concentrations were 100-fold higher in blood plasma than in seminal plasma, confirming a barrier in gossypol transfer between the general circulation and the testis. Spermatozoa accumulated predominantly (+) enantiomer (65-75%) with decreasing proportions as dietary gossypol concentrations increased. Spermatozoa bound most of the gossypol contained in the semen; however, this did not result in impairment of the sperm motility apparatus. Teleost fish sperm rely on ATP stores that accumulate during maturation as a source of energy during activation. In addition, the duration of sperm movement is short in these fish. As such, we hypothesize that the major action of gossypol on mammalian sperm, which is uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation, does not impair the energy supply required for flagellar beating in fish spermatozoa.

Development of a personal dosimetry system based on optically stimulated luminescence of alpha-Al2O3:C for mixed radiation fields.

To develop a personal optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimetry system for mixed radiation fields using alpha-Al2O3:C, a discriminating badge filter system was designed by taking advantage of its optically stimulable properties and energy dependencies. This was done by designing a multi-element badge system for powder layered alpha-Al2O3:C material and an optical reader system based on high-intensity blue light-emitting diode (LED). The design of the multielement OSL dosimeter badge system developed allows the measurement of a personal dose equivalent value Hp(d) in mixed radiation fields of beta and gamma. Dosimetric properties of the personal OSL dosimeter badge system investigated here were the dose response, energy response and multi-readability. Based on the computational simulations and experiments of the proposed dosimeter design, it was demonstrated that a multi-element dosimeter system with an OSL technology based on alpha-Al2O3:C is suitable to obtain personal dose equivalent information in mixed radiation fields.

An application of artificial neural intelligence for personal dose assessment using a multi-area OSL dosimetry system.

Significant advances have been made in recent years to improve measurement technology and performance of phosphor materials in the fields of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimetry. Pulsed and continuous wave OSL studies recently carried out on alpha-Al2O3:C have shown that the material seems to be the most promising for routine application of OSL for dosimetric purposes. The main objective of the study is to propose a new personal dosimetry system using alpha-Al2O3:C by taking advantage of its optical properties and energy dependencies. In the process of the study, a new dose assessment algorithm was developed using artificial neural networks in hopes of achieving a higher degree of accuracy and precision in personal OSL dosimetry system. The original hypothesis of this work is that the spectral information of X- and gamma-ray fields may be obtained by the analysis of the response of a multi-element system. In this study, a feedforward neural network using the error back-propagation method with Bayesian optimization was applied for the response unfolding procedure. The validation of the proposed algorithm was investigated by unfolding the 10 measured responses of alpha-Al2O3:C for arbitrarily mixed photon fields which range from 20 to 662 keV.

Increase in airway hyperresponsiveness among workers exposed to methylene diphenyldiisocyanate compared to workers exposed to toluene diisocyanate at a petrochemical plant in Korea.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of airway hyperresponsiveness induced by methylene diphenyldiisocyanate (MDI) and toluene diisocyanate (TDI) at a petrochemical industry complex in Korea. METHODS: Questionnaires, allergic skin test, and nonspecific airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) were studied in 64 exposed workers and 27 control subjects. Questionnaires included questions about symptoms of cough, wheezing, chest tightness, dyspnea, rhinorrhea, sneezing, itching, stuffiness, tearing, urticaria, sore throat, and exacerbating time. Methacholine challenge tests were done. Bronchial responsiveness (BRindex) defined as log (% fall in FEV(1))/log (last concentration of methacholine +10). RESULTS: Prevalence of AHR (PC20 FEV(1) < 16.0 mg/mL of methacholine) was higher in MDI-exposed workers than in TDI-exposed workers [4/20 (20%) vs. 2/42 (4.7%), P<0.05]. Twenty-three workers (36%) of all subjects had respiratory symptoms. MDI-exposed workers, in comparison with control subjects, had higher BRindex (0.73+/-0.04 vs. 0.62+/-0.02, P<0.05). Workers exposed to TDI or MDI who had respiratory symptoms (n = 23), in comparison to workers exposed to TDI or MDI without respiratory symptoms (n = 41), had significantly higher BRindex (0.82+/-0.06 vs. 0.60+/-0.02, P<0.05). FEV(1) was significantly negatively correlated with BRindex (r = -0.253, P<0.05). BRindex was not correlated with atopy, smoking status, and exposure duration. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that workers exposed to MDI are at a higher risk of asthma in comparison with TDI-exposed workers and control subjects at a petrochemical plant in Korea.

A case of methemoglobinemia after ingestion of an aphrodisiac, later proven as dapsone.

Methemoglobin (MetHb) is an oxidation product of hemoglobin in which the sixth coordination position of ferric iron is bound to a water molecule or to a hydroxyl group. The most common cause of acquired MetHb-emia is accidental poisoning which usually is the result of ingestion of water containing nitrates or food containing nitrite, and sometimes the inhalation or ingestion of butyl or amyl nitrite used as an aphrodisiac. We herein report a case of MetHb-emia after ingestion of an aphrodisiac, later identified as dapsone by gas chromatograph/mass selective detector (GC/MSD). A 24-year old male was admitted due to cyanosis after ingestion of a drug purchased as an aphrodisiac. On arterial blood gas analysis, pH was 7.32, PaCO2 26.8 mmHg, PaO2 75.6 mmHg, and bicarbonate 13.9 mmol/L. Initial pulse oxymetry was 89%. With 3 liter of nasal oxygen supplement, oxygen saturation was increased to 90-92%, but cyanosis did not disappear. Despite continuous supplement of oxygen, cyanosis was not improved. On the fifth hospital day, MetHb was 24.9%. Methylene blue was administered (2 mg/kg intravenously) and the patient rapidly improved. We proved the composition of aphrodisiac as dapsone by the method of GC/MSD.

Evaluation of chemopreventive effect of dietary selenium-rich egg on mouse skin tumor induced by 2'-(4-nitrophenoxy)oxirane and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate.

Chemoprotective effect of dietary selenium (as sodium selenite or as Se-rich egg) on mouse skin tumor induced by topical application of 2'-(4-nitrophenoxy)oxirane (NPO) as tumor initiator and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) as tumor promoter was evaluated in relation to the dietary source and levels of selenium. Selenium supplementation (0.3 p.p.m.) to the basal diet (0.07 p.p.m. Se) as sodium selenite or as Se-rich egg brought about a 40 or 37% reduction respectively, in the incidence of papilloma formation at 12 weeks after NPO treatment. Tumor yield (number of papillomas per mouse) at 14 weeks after NPO treatment in the basal diet group, basal diet supplemented with 0.3 p.p.m. Se as sodium selenite group and basal diet supplemented with 0.3 p.p.m. Se as Se-rich egg group were 7.5 +/- 2.1, 2.7 +/- 2.3 and 4.1 +/- 3.5 respectively. Dietary supplementation of 1.0 p.p.m. See as Se-rich egg to the basal diet reduced the incidence and the multiplicity of papillomas during the early phase of promotion (11 weeks) but its antitumor activity decreased thereafter, indicating that the accumulation of tissue selenium above the saturated level may not be beneficial. Selenium concentrations in blood, liver and skin tissue of mice in basal diet group (0.33 +/- 0.02, 0.54 +/- 0.10 and 0.21 +/- 0.03 p.p.m. respectively) increased significantly ( P < 0.05) by the supplementation of 0.3 p.p.m. Se as selenite (0.58 +/- 0.02, 1.17 +/- 0.10 and 0.31 +/- 0.05 p.p.m. respectively), 0.3 p.p.m. Se as Se-rich egg (0.59 +/- 0.02, 1.25 +/- 0.11 and 0.33 +/- 0.06 p.p.m. respectively) and 1.0 p.p.m. Se as Se-rich egg (1.20 +/- 0.05, 2.32 +/- 0.28 and 0.51 +/- 0.01 p.p.m. respectively). Glutathione peroxidase activity in blood of mice of the basal diet group (2.4 +/- 0.4 EU/mg) increased significantly (P < 0.05) by dietary selenium supplementation (3.8 +/- 0.6 EU/mg in 0.3 p.p.m. Selenite; 3.7 +/- 0.8 EU/mg in 0.3 p.p.m. Se as Se-rich egg; 4.9 +/- 0.9 EU/mg in 1/0 p.p.m. Se as Se-rich egg) and the enzyme activities in liver and skin tissue also increased by 0.3 p.p.m. Se (as selenite or Se-rich egg) supplementation, but no further increases in their activities were obtained by 1.0 p.p.m. Se (as Se-rich egg). It is, therefore, concluded that a moderate level of dietary selenium (0.3 p.p.m.) has an efficient chemopreventive activity at the promotional stage of carcinogenesis and that dietary selenium rich egg as well as dietary selenite exerted antitumor activity.