Effects of high-fat diets from different sources on serum and thymus lipid profile: study in an experimental model.

BACKGROUND: A balanced diet is important to maintain an optimal health status and to prevent noncommunicable chronic diseases. The principal objective of this study was to analyze the effect of diets containing high fat levels from different sources, on serum and thymus lipid profile, in adult rats. METHODS: Experimental diets contained 50% kcal of fat, provided by butter (B) or sunflower oil (S); control diet (C) was isocaloric, with 15 kcal of fat per 100 total kcal, provided by soy oil. Diets were otherwise complete in all nutrients and were administered for 40 days. RESULTS: Group B had higher levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides than C; S serum lipid profile did not differ from C, despite the higher fat content. Regarding serum and thymus FA profile, B showed an increase of saturated fatty acids and lower levels of ω6 and ω3 FA, and S had lower levels of ω3 fatty acids. CONCLUSIONS: The administration of high-fat diets, during 40 days to adult rats, provoked specific variations on serum and thymus fatty acids, as a consequence of differences in FA profile of their lipid sources. These results reflect the impact that eating habits have on health status. It is important to put emphasis not only on the reduction of total fat intake, but also on choosing healthy sources of fat, replacing saturated fatty acids by polyunsaturated and including oils with higher content of ω3 to keep a balanced ω6/ω3 ratio.

Specific nutritional supplement (Supportan®) in the supportive care of the radio-chemotherapy treatment of head and neck cancers: biochemical parameters. Preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: This is a preliminary study of a specific nutritional supplement -Supportan(®) - for the clinical support of patients with locally advanced head and neck (H&N) cancers who underwent treatment with concurrent radiochemotherapy (RT-CHT). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seven patients received nutritional supplement (Supportan(®)) plus habitual diet during a median time of treatment with RT on 7.8 weeks plus concurrent weekly CHT(S). Specific serum protein fractions as a potential useful tool to evaluate the nutritional status were determined. The main objective was to assess the compliance with the above-mentioned treatment. RESULTS: Patients completed the nutritional support, 5 / 7 patients via oral route and 2/7 patients through nasogastric tube. All studied patients, that completed treatment, had not severe mucositis -ulcera, hemrraghe and/ or infection. None of them had another severe toxicity by treatment nor had impairment of Pefomance Status. No differences in all specific sera proteins were observed between S and To. CONCLUSION: In this preliminary study of few patients, we have observed a potential usefulness of Supportan(®) in the compliance of concurrent RT-CHT in patients with H&N cancers; moreover, its administration was useful to maintain the initial biochemical nutritional profile.

Efecto de los acidos grasos poliinsaturados n-3 PUFA sobre el timo de ratas con deplecion proteica severa / Effect of n-3 PUFA plyunsatured fatty acids on the thymus of rats submetted to severe protein depletion

Se estudia el efecto de la malnutrición proteica severa y la posterior recuperación nutricional sin y con el agregado de (n-3) PUFA, sobre el timo de ratas en período de crecimiento activo. Se determina recuento celular, población T total y actividad de adenosina deaminasa (ADA) y purina nucleósido fosforilasa (PNP). La deprivación proteica several al destete provova un frenado en la proliferación y maduración celular del timo junto con el aumento de la actividad de las enzimas ADA y PNP. La administración de la dieta de caseína al 20 por ciento durante 9 días, sólo fue suficiente para revertir el efecto observado sobre la actividad de las enzimas estudiadas. La suplementación con 24mg/d de n-3 PUFA permite restablecer la proliferación y la maduración celular tímica.

Efecto de los acidos grasos poliinsaturados n-3 PUFA sobre el timo de ratas con deplecion proteica severa / Effect of n-3 PUFA plyunsatured fatty acids on the thymus of rats submetted to severe protein depletion

Se estudia el efecto de la malnutrición proteica severa y la posterior recuperación nutricional sin y con el agregado de (n-3) PUFA, sobre el timo de ratas en período de crecimiento activo. Se determina recuento celular, población T total y actividad de adenosina deaminasa (ADA) y purina nucleósido fosforilasa (PNP). La deprivación proteica several al destete provova un frenado en la proliferación y maduración celular del timo junto con el aumento de la actividad de las enzimas ADA y PNP. La administración de la dieta de caseína al 20 por ciento durante 9 días, sólo fue suficiente para revertir el efecto observado sobre la actividad de las enzimas estudiadas. La suplementación con 24mg/d de n-3 PUFA permite restablecer la proliferación y la maduración celular tímica. (AU)