Effects of a Standard American Diet and an anti-inflammatory diet in male and female mice.

BACKGROUND: Obesity and chronic pain are prevalent concerns. Pain is frequently experienced in weight-bearing joints, but is common in other areas of the body as well, suggesting other factors. Poor diet often contributes to obesity and can directly influence the immune system. We have shown that poor diet prolongs recovery from inflammatory injury. Therefore, our goal was to determine whether poor-quality diet-induced consequences could be prevented or reversed by an anti-inflammatory diet (AID). METHODS: A Standard American Diet (SAD) was developed to investigate the effects of poor diet on pain. The SAD includes amounts of refined sugar, carbohydrates and fats that better model the typical American diet, as compared to high-fat diets. We developed an AID to explore whether the effects of the SAD could reverse or whether the AID would enhance recovery prophylactically. The AID was developed using ingredients (epigallocatechin gallate, sulforaphane, resveratrol, curcumin and ginseng) with known anti-inflammatory properties. Following 15 weeks of diet [SAD, AID or regular (REG)] exposure, male and female mice underwent inflammatory injury, at which point some animals had their diets switched for the remainder of the study. RESULTS: Animals who consumed the SAD showed longer recovery compared to the AID- and REG-fed animals. Animals switched off the SAD had faster recovery times, with AID-fed animals recovering as fast as REG-fed animals. CONCLUSIONS: Poor diet prolonged recovery from inflammatory injury. Substitution of SAD with AID or REG promoted faster recovery. These findings suggest diet can be used as a non-pharmacological intervention following injury. SIGNIFICANCE: Obesity may increase susceptibility to chronic pain often due to poor diet. Diet has potential to be used as treatment for pain. This study investigates the use of a novel translatable diet to act as a preventative (i.e. prior to surgery) or an intervention (i.e. following an injury).

Morfología de la placenta en recién nacidos con defecto congénito / Morphology of the placenta in newborns with congenital defects

El objetivo del estudio fue comparar el índice de madurez placentaria y las alteraciones histopatológicas en placentas de recién nacidos/óbitos con y sin defecto congénito (DC). Se realizó un estudio tipo casos y controles. Se incluyeron n=25 casos yn=50 controles sin DC. Los casos se clasificaron de acuerdo a la presencia de DC aislado (n=17) omúltiple (n=8). Se incluyeron recién nacidos/óbitos (RN) con una edad gestacional (EG) > 20 semanas. Se excluyeron embarazos gemelares. Se recolectó información sobre las características clínicas del producto y de la madre, antropometría del RN y su evaluación de APGAR. Se examinó la placenta, macroscópica y microscópicamente, para determinar la presencia y extensión de alteraciones histopatológicas. Se determinó el índice de madurez placentaria (IMP), calculado dividiendo el número de membranas vásculo sinciciales en 1 mm2 entre el grosor de las mismas (µ). El IMP (media ±DE) fue de 27.77±14 en el grupo de controles, 30.31±12 en el grupo de casos aislados y 16.76± 1 en el grupo de DC múltiple (p<0.05).El resto de las variables evaluadas no mostraron diferencias significativas entre grupos. En conclusión este trabajo muestra una menor madurez placentaria asociada con la presencia de DC múltiple.

The objective of the study was to compare the placental maturity index (PMI) and pathohistological alterations of placentas from newborn/stillborns (NB) with or without congenital defects (CD). A case control study was carried out. N=25 CD cases and n=50 controls without CD were included. Cases were classified according to the presence of simple (n=17) or multiple (n=8) CD. Newborn/stillborns with gestational age >20 weeks were included. Twin pregnancies were excluded. We collected information on clinical characteristics of the NB and the mother, NB anthropometry and APGAR score. The placenta was macro and microscopically examined to determine the presence and extension of histological alterations. The PMI was obtained by dividing the number of vasculo-syncytial membranes in 1 mm2, by their thickness (µ). The PMI (Mean ± SD) was 27.77 ± 14 in the control group, 30.31 ± 12 in the group diagnosed with simple CD, and 16.76 ± 1 in the group diagnosed with multiple CD (p<0.05. The rest of the assessed variables did not show significant difference between groups. In conclusion, this work shows a lower placental maturity associated with the presence of multiple CD.

Obesogenic phenotype of offspring of dams fed a high multivitamin diet is prevented by a post-weaning high multivitamin or high folate diet.

BACKGROUND: High multivitamin (10-fold AIN-93G, HV) diets fed during pregnancy to Wistar rats increase characteristics of metabolic syndrome in offspring when weaned to the recommended vitamin (RV) diet. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the effects of HV gestational diets on obesogenic phenotypes in the offspring arise as a consequence of altered hypothalamic control of feeding behavior and if their increased food intake could be prevented by feeding them HV or high folate (10-fold folate, HFol) diets. METHODS: Male offspring of dams fed HV diet during pregnancy weaned to RV, HV or HFol diets were compared with those born to RV dams and weaned to RV diet for 29 weeks. Food intake over 72 h and body weight were measured bi-weekly and weekly, respectively. Glucose response to a glucose load was measured at 18 weeks post weaning. Hypothalamic gene expression of feeding-related neuropeptides including neuropeptide Y, pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), insulin receptor, leptin receptor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), receptors for dopamine (DopaR1/2/5) and serotonin (SeroR1A/2A/2C), as well as global DNA methylation and brain and plasma folate concentrations were measured at 29 weeks post weaning. RESULTS: HV or HFol pup diets increased brain and plasma folate concentrations and prevented the increase in food intake (5%, P=0.03), body weight (8%, P=0.0006) and glucose response to a glucose load (36%, P=0.02) found in those fed the RV diet. Expression of anorexigenic POMC (P=0.004) and BDNF (P=0.02) was higher, and DopaR1 was lower (P=0.06) in pups fed the HV diet. The HFol pup diet partially brought BDNF to the control level (P=0.02) and lowered SeroR2A (P=0.008). Expression of other genes was unaffected. Global DNA methylation was similar among the diet groups. CONCLUSION: The obesogenic phenotype in offspring from HV-fed dams is prevented by feeding HV or HFol pup diets, possibly due to post-weaning modulation of food intake regulatory mechanisms.

Conditions under which a superdiffusive random-search strategy is necessary.

Intuitively, lower target densities and lower detection capabilities should demand more sophisticated search strategies for a random search reasonable outcome. In contrast, when targets are easily found, a simple Brownian random walk strategy is enough. But where is the threshold between these two scenarios and when is optimization really necessary? We address this considering the interplay between two essential scales in random search, the average distance between neighbor targets l(0) and the detection capability r(v). In the limit cases the ratio ß=r(v)/l(0) suffices to characterize the problem. For low (high) ß a superdiffusive behavior is (is not) crucial for the process optimization. However, there is a crossover range, which is a nontrivial function of r(v) and l(0), separating the two regimes. We analyze this intermediate region, common in nature, and discuss the often overlooked important trade between resources availability and the searcher location power. Our results highlight contexts where efficient random search is a key factor for survival, such as in animal foraging.

The effect of high multivitamin diet during pregnancy on food intake and glucose metabolism in Wistar rat offspring fed low-vitamin diets post weaning.

Rat offspring born to dams fed a high multivitamin diet (HV) are shown to have increased risks of obesity and metabolic syndrome. We hypothesized that a low-vitamin postweaning diet would enhance these characteristics in offspring born to HV dams. During pregnancy, Wistar rats were fed the AIN-93G diet with or without a 10-fold increase in vitamin content. In Experiment 1, at weaning, males were fed the recommended diet (RV) or a diet with 1/3 the vitamin content (1/3 RV) for 12 weeks. In Experiment 2, males and females were fed the RV diet or 1/6 RV diet for 35 weeks. Body weight was measured on a weekly basis, food intake on a daily basis, and for 1 h after an overnight fast following glucose gavage at 6, 12 and 24 weeks. Blood glucose and insulin responses to an oral glucose load were measured at 30 weeks. Males from HV dams, compared with those from RV dams, gained more weight in Experiment 1 (+7%, P < 0.05) and Experiment 2 (+11%, P < 0.0001), along with higher glucose response (+33%, P < 0.05). The 1/6 RV pup diet led to lower weight gain in males (-16%, P < 0.0001) and females (-13%, P < 0.0005), and lower food intake in males (-9%, P < 0.01) independent of the gestational diet. Females on the 1/6 RV diet and from HV dams had higher 1 h food intake (+36%, P < 0.05) and lower insulin response (-25%, P < 0.05) compared with those from RV dams. Exposure of the offspring to low-vitamin diets did not amplify the expression of the metabolic syndrome observed in those born to dams fed an HV diet.

Quiste de colédoco en el adulto / Choledochal cyst in adults

Antecedentes: El quiste de colédoco en el adulto es una entidad poco frecuente. Existe una asociación significativa entre quiste de colédoco y neoplasias biliares. Objetivo: El objetivo del trabajo es evaluar métodos diagnósticos y el tratamiento de pacientes adultos con quiste de colédoco. Lugar de aplicación: Centro público terciario de referencia. Diseño: Estudio observacional descriptivo retrospectivo de cohorte transversal. Población: Cinco pacientes adultos intervenidos por quiste de colédoco. Método: Fueron utilizados para el diagnóstico ecografía, colangiografía, tomografía axial computada (TAC) y resonancia nuclear magnética. Los quistes fueron agrupados según la clasificación de Todani. Los tratamientos efectuados fueron una gastroenteroanastomosis y 4 resecciones de la vía biliar extrahepática con hepaticoyeyunoanastomosis en Y de Roux. Resultados: Cuatro pacientes tenían quiste tipo I y la última un quiste tipo IV b. No se constató morbilidad ni mortalidad operatoria. El seguimiento se efectuó hasta la actualidad. La enferma del caso n° 1 falleció por progresión de su enfermedad neoplásica. Las 4 restantes evolucionan favorablemente. Conclusiones: El potencial carcinogenético justifica la conducta quirúrgica de resección. La cirugía de elección en los quistes tipo I y IV es la resección completa de la vía biliar extrahepática con hepático yeyuno anastomosis en Y de Roux

Quiste de colédoco en el adulto / Choledochal cyst in adults

Antecedentes: El quiste de colédoco en el adulto es una entidad poco frecuente. Existe una asociación significativa entre quiste de colédoco y neoplasias biliares. Objetivo: El objetivo del trabajo es evaluar métodos diagnósticos y el tratamiento de pacientes adultos con quiste de colédoco. Lugar de aplicación: Centro público terciario de referencia. Diseño: Estudio observacional descriptivo retrospectivo de cohorte transversal. Población: Cinco pacientes adultos intervenidos por quiste de colédoco. Método: Fueron utilizados para el diagnóstico ecografía, colangiografía, tomografía axial computada (TAC) y resonancia nuclear magnética. Los quistes fueron agrupados según la clasificación de Todani. Los tratamientos efectuados fueron una gastroenteroanastomosis y 4 resecciones de la vía biliar extrahepática con hepaticoyeyunoanastomosis en Y de Roux. Resultados: Cuatro pacientes tenían quiste tipo I y la última un quiste tipo IV b. No se constató morbilidad ni mortalidad operatoria. El seguimiento se efectuó hasta la actualidad. La enferma del caso nº 1 falleció por progresión de su enfermedad neoplásica. Las 4 restantes evolucionan favorablemente. Conclusiones: El potencial carcinogenético justifica la conducta quirúrgica de resección. La cirugía de elección en los quistes tipo I y IV es la resección completa de la vía biliar extrahepática con hepático yeyuno anastomosis en Y de Roux (AU)

Quiste de colédoco en el adulto / Choledochal cyst in adults

Antecedentes: El quiste de colédoco en el adulto es una entidad poco frecuente. Existe una asociación significativa entre quiste de colédoco y neoplasias biliares. Objetivo: El objetivo del trabajo es evaluar métodos diagnósticos y el tratamiento de pacientes adultos con quiste de colédoco. Lugar de aplicación: Centro público terciario de referencia. Diseño: Estudio observacional descriptivo retrospectivo de cohorte transversal. Población: Cinco pacientes adultos intervenidos por quiste de colédoco. Método: Fueron utilizados para el diagnóstico ecografía, colangiografía, tomografía axial computada (TAC) y resonancia nuclear magnética. Los quistes fueron agrupados según la clasificación de Todani. Los tratamientos efectuados fueron una gastroenteroanastomosis y 4 resecciones de la vía biliar extrahepática con hepaticoyeyunoanastomosis en Y de Roux. Resultados: Cuatro pacientes tenían quiste tipo I y la última un quiste tipo IV b. No se constató morbilidad ni mortalidad operatoria. El seguimiento se efectuó hasta la actualidad. La enferma del caso nº 1 falleció por progresión de su enfermedad neoplásica. Las 4 restantes evolucionan favorablemente. Conclusiones: El potencial carcinogenético justifica la conducta quirúrgica de resección. La cirugía de elección en los quistes tipo I y IV es la resección completa de la vía biliar extrahepática con hepático yeyuno anastomosis en Y de Roux (AU)

[Choroidal melanoma treated with 810 nm diode laser and indocyanine green. A case report]. / Reporte de caso. Melanoma de coroides fotocoagulado con láser de diodo 810 nm coadyuvado con verde de indocianina.

CASE REPORT: A 35 year-old female with a pigmented choroidal tumor in the inferotemporal quadrant, of 3.31 x 7.64 x 5.46 mm. The patient received an intravenous injection of 25 mg of indocyanine green previous to photocoagulation of the lesion with an 810 nm diode laser. After one year follow-up the tumor showed involution demonstrated by clinical and ultrasonographic evaluation. DISCUSSION: Indocyanine green allows maximal absortion of light energy delivered by diode laser, enhancing its action by making the deepest tissues vulnerable to photocoagulation and reducing time of exposure and number of sessions.

Reporte de caso. Melanoma de coroides fotocoagulado con láser de diodo 810 nm coadyuvado con verde de indocianina / Choroidal melanoma treated with 810 nm diode laser and indocyanine green. A case report

Caso clínico: Paciente femenino de 35 años de edad con presencia de tumoración coroidea pigmentada en cuadrante inferotemporal, de 3,31x7,64 x 5,46 mm. La lesión se fotocoaguló con láser de diodo de 810 nm previa inyección intravenosa de 25 mg de verde de indocianina.Tras un año de seguimiento el tumor mostró involución demostrada por clínica y ultrasonido.Discusión: El verde de indocianina permite máxima absorción de la energía luminosa suministrada por el láser de diodo, potenciando su acción al hacer a los tejidos más profundos vulnerables a la fotocoagulación, reduciendo el tiempo de exposición y número de sesiones (AU)

No disponible

Impact on blood pressure control of a six-month intervention project

The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of a six-month structured education programme on blood pressure (BP) control in patients with uncontrolled hypertension. All patients attending the Specialist Hypertension Clinic, University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), between January 4 and March 29, 1999, with blood pressure > 140/90 mmHg (n = 80), were randomly divided into Group 1, cases (n = 42) and Group 2, controls (n = 38). A 40-item pretested questionnaire, administered at the baseline and final visits of both groups, elicited demographic, lifestyle and knowledge data. Group 1 attended monthly structured interventions for six months. Except for diastolic blood pressure among male controls, diastolic blood pressure and systolic blood pressure were significantly reduced at the end of the intervention period (p < 0.01). Knowledge improved among the male patients (p < 0.01). Among the female patients, activity scores were significantly increased (p < 0.01), weight (p < 0.05) and BMI (p < 0.05) were significantly reduced. There were no differences in these variables among the controls. This intervention had a benefit in blood pressure control.

Nutrition and cancer: a curriculum and short student research experiences.

In 1988, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) received an NCI/NIH R25 grant to strengthen nutrition-cancer education in the medical school and to provide short cancer-related research experiences for students. Support for the nutrition-cancer curriculum component of the grant was limited to the first five years, while renewal of the research component was possible on a competitive basis. After the initial five-year award ended, the administration of LSUHSC assumed the support of the nutrition-cancer curriculum. This curriculum, modified over time, continues to be taught in each year of medical school and culminates with a required clinical nutrition course in the fourth year. The teaching of nutrition continues to be very successful and is well received by students and faculty. The research component, renewed twice, has achieved its goals over the same period. As a consequence of the initial award and the commitment of the administration, nutrition education at LSUHSC remains strong and is well established.

[Relationship between pregestational body mass index and body composition in the immediate puerperium]. / Relación entre el índice de masa corporal pregestacional y la composición corporal en el puerperio inmediato.

To determine the correlation between pregestational body mass index and certain body composition parameters measured by bioelectric impedance (percentage of fat weight, fat mass, and lean weight) and to compare the body composition of women in immediate puerperal period with non-pregnant women, a cross sectional study was done including 86 women in physiologic puerperal period and 90 healthy non-pregnant women, from the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, in Chihuahua, Mexico, aged 16 to 40 years old. The variables considered were the body mass index (BMI) before pregnancy, percentage of fat, fat mass, lean weight, total water and bio-resistance. Body composition was measured by bioelectric impedance (BIO) from 4 to 12 hours after delivery. Correlation coefFicient for BMI and percentage of fat was r = 0.66 (p < 0.01), and for BMI and fat mass, it was r = 0.74 (p < 0.01). In non-pregnant women the total water was 35.5 +/- 5 L and in women in the immediate puerperal period 38.5 +/- 5 L (p < 0.01). In conclusion, BMI before pregnancy is a suitable predictor for body composition in the puerperal period. However, it does not discriminate important variables such as total body water, so it may be convenient to use BIA for surveillance of body composition during pregnancy.

Impact on blood pressure control of a six-month intervention project.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of a six-month structured education programme on blood pressure (BP) control in patients with uncontrolled hypertension. All patients attending the Specialist Hypertension Clinic, University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), between January 4 and March 29, 1999, with blood pressure > 140/90 mmHg (n = 80), were randomly divided into Group 1, cases (n = 42) and Group 2, controls (n = 38). A 40-item pretested questionnaire, administered at the baseline and final visits of both groups, elicited demographic, lifestyle and knowledge data. Group 1 attended monthly structured interventions for six months. Except for diastolic blood pressure among male controls, diastolic blood pressure and systolic blood pressure were significantly reduced at the end of the intervention period (p < 0.01). Knowledge improved among the male patients (p < 0.01). Among the female patients, activity scores were significantly increased (p < 0.01), weight (p < 0.05) and BMI (p < 0.05) were significantly reduced. There were no differences in these variables among the controls. This intervention had a benefit in blood pressure control.

Perioperative nursing--the Jamaican perspective.

Under constraints of a restricted economy Jamaica strives to deliver health care at the standard of developed countries. Nurses in Jamaica assume various roles as they provide perioperative nursing care; they work as a team and act as patient advocates. Bonds of caring and love are often established between patients, families, and the nursing staff. The quality of nursing care often determines the client's perioperative outcome, and Jamaican nurses strive to meet the challenges inherent in achieving positive patient outcomes.

Traveling for care: factors influencing health care access for rural dwellers.

This study explored 19 rural dwellers' perceptions of health care issues through semi-structured interviews. Sample selection, data collection, and analysis adhered to the grounded theory method in that an interactive design was maintained. The strategy of traveling for care describes how rural dwellers deal with the problem of varying access to health care. This study uncovers the influencing factors that impact on rural dwellers' decisions when traveling for care. Most rural dwellers choose to wait before seeking health care; those factors that contributed to the decision to wait includes limited financial resources to pay for health care, prior experiences within the system, and the prevalent belief that they can provide self-care effectively. When self-care was not successful they evaluated their resources to assist in their decision making. The last phase of this strategy was choosing the distance they would go to receive health care. Choosing the distance varied greatly among the participants. A few choose to go without health care whereas others would go to any lengths to resolve their health problem.

Priorities for nutrition content in a medical school curriculum: a national consensus of medical educators.

The ASCN Committee on Medical/Dental School and Residency Nutrition Education conducted a series of activities to establish guidelines for nutrition core content in a medical school curriculum. These activities included mail surveys of medical-nutrition educators and a representative group of medical school curriculum administrators and a national consensus workshop of nutrition educators. Results indicated close agreement between the nutrition educators and curriculum administrators (r = 0.89, p less than 0.0001) on the importance ratings of 41 nutrition topics and on the number of hours of nutrition course work that medical schools should provide (44 vs 37 h, respectively, p = 0.14). There was consensus among the nutrition educators that 26 topics should be given priority ratings as essential for inclusion in medical course work. Further prioritization of these topics resulted in a listing of core content topics and subtopics to serve as a guide to administrators and educators for planning nutrition course work in a medical school curriculum.

Diet and exercise in middle-aged men.

Effects of an anaerobic exercise program on serum lipids and lipoproteins in sedentary male subjects were studied for 12 weeks. No dietary changes were made, and individuals were encouraged to maintain their body weight. Increase in lean body weight, decrease in percent body fat, and unchanged total body weight occurred in subjects participating in the resistive weight training program, while the men's serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol decreased and their high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol increased. Lipid profile improvements were attributed to exercise.