Individual Variability Is More Important Than Analytical Methods When Calculating Relative Speed of Beverage Bioavailability.

Deuterium oxide (D2O) appearance in blood is a marker of fluid bioavailability. However, whether biomarker robustness (e.g., relative fluid delivery speed) is consistent across analytical methods (e.g., cavity ring-down spectroscopy) remains unclear. Fourteen men ingested fluid (6 ml/kg body mass) containing 0.15 g/kg D2O followed by 45 min blood sampling. Plasma (D2O) was detected (n = 8) by the following: isotope-ratio mass spectrometry after vapor equilibration (IRMS-equilibrated water) or distillation (IRMS-plasma) and cavity ring-down spectroscopy. Two models calculated D2O halftime to peak (t1/2max): sigmoid curve fit versus asymmetric triangle (TRI). Background (D2O) differed (p < .001, η2 = .98) among IRMS-equilibrated water, IRMS-plasma, and cavity ring-down spectroscopy (152.2 ± 0.8, 147.2 ± 1.5, and 137.7 ± 2.2 ppm), but did not influence (p > .05) D2O appearance (Δppm), time to peak, or t1/2max. Stratifying participants based on mean t1/2max (12 min) into "slow" versus "fast" subgroups resulted in a 5.8 min difference (p < .001, η2 = .73). Significant t1/2max model (p = .01, η2 = .44) and Model × Speed Subgroup interaction (p = .005, η2 = .50) effects were observed. Bias between TRI and sigmoid curve fit increased with t1/2max speed: no difference (p = .75) for fast (9.0 min vs. 9.2 min, respectively) but greater t1/2max (p = .001) with TRI for the slow subgroup (16.1 min vs. 13.7 min). Fluid bioavailability markers are less influenced by which laboratory method is used to measure D2O as compared with the individual variability effects that influence models for calculating t1/2max. Thus, TRI model may not be appropriate for individuals with slow fluid delivery speeds.

Bifidobacterium longum supplementation improves age-related delays in fracture repair.

Age-related delays in bone repair remains an important clinical issue that can prolong pain and suffering. It is now well established that inflammation increases with aging and that this exacerbated inflammatory response can influence skeletal regeneration. Recently, simple dietary supplementation with beneficial probiotic bacteria has been shown to influence fracture repair in young mice. However, the contribution of the gut microbiota to age-related impairments in fracture healing remains unknown. Here, we sought to determine whether supplementation with a single beneficial probiotic species, Bifidobacterium longum (B. longum), would promote fracture repair in aged (18-month-old) female mice. We found that B. longum supplementation accelerated bony callus formation which improved mechanical properties of the fractured limb. We attribute these pro-regenerative effects of B. longum to preservation of intestinal barrier, dampened systemic inflammation, and maintenance of the microbiota community structure. Moreover, B. longum attenuated many of the fracture-induced systemic pathologies. Our study provides evidence that targeting the gut microbiota using simple dietary approaches can improve fracture healing outcomes and minimize systemic pathologies in the context of aging.