Effect of dietary intake on the levels of biliary unsaturated free Fatty acids having inhibitory activity on mutagens.

Unsaturated free fatty acids (FFAs), such as palmitoleic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic and arachidonic acids, have inhibitory actions on mutagenesis. These FFAs in bile may play a role in preventing cholecystopathy and their levels may be influenced by diet. However, the effects of dietary intake on biliary FFAs levels are not known. In order to examine possible associations between dietary habits and biliary FFAs levels, bile samples were collected from resected gallbladders of 114 Chilean female patients with gallstones, and FFAs were measured with an HPLC system. The long-term dietary intake of the patients was investigated through a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. A high intake of vegetables was negatively correlated with the total FFA level (r = -0.264, P = 0.010). Positive correlations were found between fruit consumption and the lauric acid level (r = 0.200, P = 0.041), fish consumption and the levels of oleic (r = 0.370, P <0.0001), linolenic (r = 0.197, P = 0.038) and arachidonic (r = 0.200, P =0.035) acids, and consumption of foods fried in vegetable oil and the linoleic acid level (r = 0.269, P =0.004). Linoleic, linolenic, and arachidonic acids which may have an inhibitory effect on actions of unknown mutagens in bile appear to be increased by consumption of high levels of fish and fried foods.

Changes in plasma lactate and pyruvate concentrations after taking a bath in hot deep seawater.

The use of deep seawater (DSW) in thalassotherapy has begun in Japan. To clarify the health effects of DSW on the human body, we investigated the changes in plasma lactate and pyruvate concentrations, or subjective judgment scores, after bathing at rest in 9 healthy young men. Subjects were immersed for 10 minutes in DSW, surface seawater (SSW), and tap water (TW) heated to 42 degrees C. Plasma samples were collected before bathing, immediately after bathing, and 60 minutes after bathing. The scores were obtained by an oral comprehension test. In the DSW bathing, plasma lactate and pyruvate concentrations showed no significant changes immediately after bathing or 60 minutes after bathing. In contrast, subjects who bathed in SSW showed a significant decrease in lactate concentrations 60 minutes after bathing compared with immediately after bathing. Subjects who bathed in TW showed a significant increase in lactate concentrations immediately after bathing compared with before bathing, and they showed a significant decrease in lactate and pyruvate concentrations 60 minutes after bathing. We found no significant change in the thermal sensation score in the DSW bathing, though significant differences were found between before and immediately after bathing in the SSW and TW groups. Moreover, the score decreased significantly 60 minutes after bathing compared to immediately after bathing in the TW bathing. Higher concentrations of salts contained DSW such as sodium, nitrate-nitrogen, phosphate-phosphorus, and silicate-silicon may have a good influence on human health. Although additional studies are needed to support our findings, DSW is the mildest water to the human body among the three kinds of water, since no significant changes in the items measured were found only in DSW.