Congenital ectropion in Noonan syndrome.

Ten-year-old female patient, with facial dysmorphia, scoliosis, short stature, muscular hypotonia, patent foramen ovale and maturational delay, presented for correction of bilateral congenital ectropion. Ophthalmological examination revealed bilateral lower eyelid ectropion, euryblepharon and lagophthalmos, with a positive Bell's phenomenon. She was treated with full-thickness autologous skin grafts on the lower eyelids with bilateral lateral canthoplasty, resolving the ectropion and improving eyelid occlusion. Subsequently, a genetic study was performed that revealed a mutation in the PTPN11 gene and allowed, together with the clinical picture, to make the diagnosis of Noonan syndrome. Noonan syndrome is a multisystem genetic disorder with a wide variety of phenotypes, which usually presents with ocular and periocular disorders. Eyelid ectropion, a distinctive feature of this patient, is a rare ophthalmological manifestation of this syndrome that can be corrected with full-thickness skin graft and lateral canthoplasty.

Long-term reduction in dietary sodium alters the taste of salt.

A group of young adult subjects was placed on self-maintained, low sodium diets for 5 months. Taste responses to salt in solutions, soups, and crackers were determined both during the 2 months preceding diet initiation and during a 5-month period when subjects lowered their sodium intake. Taste responses were also determined in a control group with ad libitum salt consumption throughout the same period. Perceived intensity of salt in crackers increased. The salt concentrations of maximum pleasantness in soup and crackers fell in the experimental subjects but not in the control subjects. These results demonstrate that the preferred level of salt in food is dependent on the level of salt consumed and that this preferred level can be lowered after a reduction in sodium intake. The implications of these findings for the maintenance of low sodium diets are discussed.

Experimental sodium depletion and salt taste in normal human volunteers.

To examine the sensory effects of extreme sodium depletion in humans, 10 normal volunteers were fed a very-low-sodium diet and were treated with diuretics for 10 d. Urine samples were collected and blood was drawn for hormone analyses. Taste tests included threshold and intensity judgments of salt (NaCl) and sucrose and preferences for salt and sucrose in foods. Subjects also rated the pleasantness of 29 foods listed on a questionnaire. Substantial sodium depletion was induced in all subjects. Salt thresholds decreased in a majority of the subjects whereas preference judgments for salt in foods tended to be greater during the depletion period. The changes in pleasantness of the 29 foods revealed that saltier foods were substantially more attractive during the depletion period than during the pre- and postdepletion periods. These data indicate that experimental sodium depletion in humans is followed by moderate sensory changes and an increased preference for salty foods.

Sodium depletion increases rats' preferences for salted food.

In contrast to humans, sodium-replete rats prefer dilute saline to water and do not prefer salted food to plain food. Sodium depletion is known to enhance the intake of and preference for salt provided in water. Here, we examined whether the context of the delivery vehicle for salt could influence salt intake and preference. This was done by studying the effects of sodium depletion on rats' preferences for salted food and salt water. In Experiment 1, rats were depleted of sodium by combined use of a sodium-deficient diet and administration of the natriuretic drug, furosemide (5 mg sc). They were then given a choice between either salted sodium-deficient diet (1% NaCl) and unsalted sodium-deficient diet or salt water (0.3 M NaCl) and water. The rats consumed more salted than unsalted sodium-deficient diet and more 0.3 M NaCl than water. However, the amount of salt ingested in food was substantially less than the amount in water. In Experiments 2 and 3 we examined preferences for various concentrations of salt (0.06%-8.0% NaCl) in food during sodium depletion. The duration of the salted food preference was inversely related to the quantity of salt consumed and the concentration of salt in the food. Data from Experiments 4 and 5 indicated that it was unlikely the changes in salted food preference were the result of taste aversions produced by furosemide administration. Taken together, these experiments demonstrate that, as the case for fluids, a preference for salted food can be produced by sodium depletion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of high fat, protein supplemented diets on maternal behavior in rats.

Female albino rats were maintained on either chow, a 25% fat, protein supplemented diet or a 45% fat, protein supplemented diet during breeding, gestation and lactation. Maternal behavior was assessed using observational techniques. Maternal bodyweight of the females on the high fat diets was not different from females on chow. Reproductive success, as indicated by pregnancy and pup survival, was reduced in the females on the 45% fat diet. However, unlike offspring of obese dams, pup growth was enhanced in most of the offspring of the dams on the high fat, protein supplemented diets. The dams on these diets showed more postural nursing, less non-postural nursing, more pup grooming and were observed more frequently with a majority of their pups. These dietary differences in maternal behavior did not appear to be necessarily due to differences in the body weight of the pups.

The spontaneously hypertensive rat's preference for salted foods.

Sprague-Dawley rats drink mild salt (NaCl) solutions in preference to plain water. In contrast, rats of this strain are less likely to show preferences when salt is tested in food. Others have established that rats of the spontaneously hypertensive strain (SHR) have greater preferences for salt water than do their normotensive counterparts (WKY). The question addressed in the present research was whether SHR rats would show an enhanced salted food preference when compared with WKY rats. SHR and WKY rats were given choices between a variety of salted and unsalted foods. When tested with potato chips, no major strain differences in salt preferences were observed; depending on concentrations, rats ate either equal amounts of salted and unsalted chips or avoided salted chips. However, when tested with liquid milk products (heavy cream and half & half), SHR rats showed both higher salt preferences and consumed more salt. The SHR actually preferred these products salted, whereas the WKY rats, like Sprague-Dawley rats, never ate more salted milk than plain milk. When tested with skim milk, SHR and WKY did not differ; both preferred the milk salted. In order to test the effect of physical state (or texture) upon salt preference, the skim milk was gelled. Salt preferences of the SHR rats fell to 50% whereas the salt preferences of the WKY rats remained unchanged.

Increasing dietary salt alters salt taste preference.

In previous studies with humans, moderate reduction of dietary sodium decreased preference for salty foods. It had been hypothesized that this occurred via reducing taste stimulation with salty foods. Taste function after increasing dietary salt (NaCl), either with or without increasing salt taste stimulation, was examined in two experiments. In Experiment 1, one group of subjects was required to add crystalline salt to food daily for 4 weeks. A second group ingested salt tablets for the same period. A third group ingested a placebo. Whereas urinary sodium excretion increased in both groups ingesting supplemental salt, the concentration of salt in soup rated as tasting most pleasant increased only in the group adding salt to food. Rated intensity of salt did not change. In Experiment 2, salt supplementation was extended to 6 weeks and taste function was tested more extensively. At the end of the experiment, the concentration of salt in soup rated as tasting most pleasant increased in the group which added the crystalline salt to food. This group also added more salt to soup to taste than did the salt tablet group. The most pleasant concentration of KCl in soup was not significantly affected. Taken together these two experiments suggest that the preferred concentration of salt in soup can be increased after dietary salt supplementation and that increased salt taste stimulation is probably required for this to occur.

Sodium regulation: Sensory aspects.

A first step in reducing salt intake is to understand sensory control of ingestion. Salt and taste, the methodology for studying taste in human beings, the development of response to salt by infants and children, and dietary sodium and salt preference are discussed. The author's conclusion is that at present it is not possible to answer the question of why people consume as much salt as they do. More research is needed.

Rats (Rattus norvegicus) do not prefer salted solid food.

Many studies have demonstrated that when sodium-replete rats are given a choice between water and isotonic saline, they consume more of the isotonic saline. Their ingestive responses to a choice between salted and unsalted food, however, have not been studied in the same detail. Because humans consume salt in or on food rather than in pure water, this lack of information calls into question the use of the rat as the animal model for human excess salt consumption. In Experiment 1, 16 Sprague-Dawley rats were given 1-hr access to salted and unsalted foods (potato chips, peanuts, soup) commonly consumed by humans in the salted form. In each choice situation, rats consumed more of the unsalted variety of solid food. In Experiment 2, the concentration of salt in a wider variety of foods was varied. Fifteen rats were allowed a choice of a given salt concentration or the unsalted food. In no case was the salted solid food eaten in excess of the unsalted solid food, and in general, more of the unsalted solid food was eaten. In a third experiment, two groups of 8 rats were given exposure from weaning to either salted or unsalted potato chips. Three-months of exposure to salted chips or unsalted chips did not alter the rats' relative intake of salted chips. When given a choice, more unsalted chips were consumed by both groups. These experiments indicate that sodium-replete Sprague-Dawley rats generally prefer unsalted solid foods to salted ones.

A small dose of morphine increases intake of and preference for isotonic saline among rats.

Water-deprived rats were given hourly opportunities to ingest physiological saline and water for a number of days until they were taking substantial amounts of both solutions. Prior to some opportunities to ingest, they were injected with either morphine (2.0 mg/kg) or a placebo. Across a variety of procedures, morphine increased intake of and, in 1-hr tests, increased preference for 0.9% NaCl. Intake of 1.5% NaCl also increased after administration of morphine. These data suggest that endogenous opioids are involved in sodium intake. These data also provide further support for the idea that one or more of the endogenous opioid systems are involved in the regulation of ingestion.

The influence of moderate reduction in dietary sodium on human salivary sodium concentration.

Twenty-four healthy subjects were placed for 12-13 weeks on diets that reduced average sodium intake from 145 to 74 m-equiv. Na+/day as determined by multiple 24-h urine collections before and during the diet. Whole-mouth resting and stimulated saliva was collected and analysed for flow rate and sodium concentration several times before and during the low-sodium period. Sodium restriction did not influence salivary flow rates but salivary sodium levels fell 25 per cent for resting and 17 per cent for stimulated saliva. Thus moderate reductions in sodium intake are accompanied by significantly lower salivary sodium levels.

Ectropión congénito en síndrome de Noonan / Congenital ectropion in Noonan syndrome

Caso clínico: Niña de 10 años con dismorfia facial, escoliosis, baja talla, hipotonía muscular, foramen oval permeable y retraso madurativo, acude a consulta para corrección de ectropión congénito bilateral. Al examen oftalmológico se constató ectropión palpebral inferior, euribléfaron y lagoftalmos bilaterales, con fenómeno de Bell positivo. Se realizaron injertos cutáneos autólogos de espesor completo en párpados inferiores con cantoplastia lateral bilateral, resolviendo el ectropión y mejorando la oclusión palpebral. Posteriormente, se hizo un estudio genético que reveló una mutación en el gen PTPN11 y permitió, junto a la clínica, hacer el diagnóstico de síndrome de Noonan (SN).DiscusiónEl SN es un trastorno genético multisistémico con una gran variedad de fenotipos, que suele cursar con alteraciones oculares y perioculares. El ectropión palpebral, característica distintiva de la paciente, es una manifestación oftalmológica infrecuente de este síndrome que puede corregirse con injerto cutáneo de espesor completo y cantoplastia lateral. (AU)

Case report: Ten-year-old female patient, with facial dysmorphia, scoliosis, short stature, muscular hypotonia, patent foramen ovale and maturational delay, presented for correction of bilateral congenital ectropion. Ophthalmological examination revealed bilateral lower eyelid ectropion, euryblepharon and lagophthalmos, with a positive Bell's phenomenon. She was treated with full-thickness autologous skin grafts on the lower eyelids with bilateral lateral canthoplasty, resolving the ectropion and improving eyelid occlusion. Subsequently, a genetic study was performed that revealed a mutation in the PTPN11 gene and allowed, together with the clinical picture, to make the diagnosis of Noonan syndrome.DiscussionNoonan syndrome is a multisystem genetic disorder with a wide variety of phenotypes, which usually presents with ocular and periocular disorders. Eyelid ectropion, a distinctive feature of this patient, is a rare ophthalmological manifestation of this syndrome that can be corrected with full-thickness skin graft and lateral canthoplasty. (AU)

Analysis of lipsticks using Raman spectroscopy.

In this study, 80 lipsticks were obtained and evaluated using Raman spectroscopy at excitation wavelengths of 532 and 780 nm. Fluorescence severely limited analysis with the 532 nm line while the 780 nm line proved useful for all samples analyzed. It was possible to differentiate 95% of the lipsticks evaluated based on one or more Raman peaks. However, there were no peak trends observed that could be used to identify a manufacturer or categorize a sample. In situ analysis of lipstick smears was found to be possible even from several Raman active substrates, but was occasionally limited by background fluorescence and in extreme cases, photodegradation.

Dietary influences on the development of sucrose acceptability in rats.

Weanling rats were placed on a high-fat diet or chow. Beginning at 5 weeks of age, they were tested for acceptability of 4 sucrose solutions of different concentrations once a week until they showed the previously established adult pattern of acceptability. Subjects on the chow diet showed a gradual transition from a juvenile to adult pattern of acceptability, that is, a progressive downward shift in the concentration of solution that is most acceptable. Subjects on the high-fat diets never showed the adult pattern but continued to display a juvenile pattern of acceptability throughout the experiment. The data obtained from the subjects on the high-fat diets are similar to those on taste preferences in obese humans.

Salted food preferences in rats (Rattus norvegicus): responses to liquid milk products.

Sprague-Dawley rats do not prefer salted (NaCl) solid food when it is presented with its unsalted counterpart but prefer isotonic saline when it is presented with plain water. Preferences in liquid foods were examined by giving rats one-hour choices between various salted liquid milk products and their unsalted counterparts. When heavy cream and half and half were tested, rats consumed either equal amounts of the salted and unsalted food, or more of the unsalted food. The absence of salt preference in heavy cream and half and half was evident using other testing procedures and, with heavy cream, additional salt concentrations. In contrast, rats consumed more skin milk containing 0.150 M NaCl than plain skim milk. The role of fat content in modulating the expression of these salt preferences was examined in tests using whole milk and low-fat milk, both of which have water, protein and carbohydrate contents similar to skim milk, but a greater fat content. Unlike skim milk, preferences for 0.150 M NaCl in whole milk and low-fat milk were approximately 50%. The role of solidity in salted food preferences was also investigated by adding gelatin to salted (0.150 M NaCl) and unsalted skim milk. Whereas the rats ate equal quantities of salted and unsalted gelled skim milk, they preferred salted skim milk when it was a liquid. Results from these experiments suggest that several cues contained within food influence the expression of rats' salt preferences.

Naltrexone, an opioid blocker, alters taste perception and nutrient intake in humans.

To test the hypothesis that reduced food intake produced by opioid blockade is due to a reduction in the pleasant aspects of tastes, 18 fasted male college students rated the intensity and pleasantness of soup that contained various concentrations of NaCl and of Kool-Aid that contained various concentrations of sucrose at hourly intervals after ingesting either naltrexone (50 mg) or a placebo in a double-blind study. Hunger, fullness, nausea, and current mood state were also assessed. Lunch followed and food intake was recorded. After placebo, the pleasantness of the salted soup increased as lunchtime approached. After naltrexone, however, soup pleasantness remained unchanged across time. Similar changes were obtained for perceived sweetness and pleasantness of Kool-Aid and for the perceived saltiness of soup. Naltrexone also blocked the increases in hunger ratings that occurred across time in the placebo condition. Nausea was higher after naltrexone. After naltrexone, subjects consumed approximately 500 kcal less at lunch than after placebo. Analysis of covariance suggested that decreased hunger (but not nausea or taste pleasantness) accounted for the naltrexone-induced reduction of food intake.

Failure to compensate decreased dietary sodium with increased table salt usage.

This study tested the extent to which individuals placed on a lowered sodium diet would compensate for the reduced dietary sodium by adding table salt to their food. Eleven students, unaware that their use of saltshakers was being studied, consumed all their meals and snacks in a clinical research center for 13 weeks. During the first three weeks and the last week (week 14), the diet contained approximately 135 mmol/d (135 mEq/24 h) of sodium, which was reduced to approximately 70 mmol/d (70 mEq/24 h) during weeks 4 through 13. A preweighed saltshaker was available for use throughout the entire 14-week period. Evaluations of salt taste preference and intensity scaling were conducted at regular intervals. Subjects compensated only slightly for the reduction of dietary sodium, making up less than 20% of the decrement with increased saltshaker usage. No changes in taste function were found. A substantial reduction in dietary sodium is possible if lowered-sodium foods are consumed in conjunction with ad libitum table salt.

Modification of salt taste.

Salt appetite and sodium intake in humans are controlled in part by taste. A distinction can be drawn between salt appetite that occurs when the organism is sodium deficient (in need) and when the organism has sufficient sodium stores (non-need) but continues to ingest salt. Although the latter case is most relevant to human sodium consumption, little is known about its physiologic, developmental, and experiential bases. Recent studies show that changes in dietary sodium consumption are followed by taste changes. Moderate decreases in dietary sodium of 2 months or more are followed by a decrease in the concentration of salt in food judged most pleasant.

Tretinoin peeling.

BACKGROUND: Topical tretinoin has been used for a long time to improve photoaged skin, but this therapy takes quite a few months to show some clinical changes. Because of that, we think tretinoin peeling would be an excellent choice for improvement of photoaged skin. OBJECTIVE: [corrected] Our objective was to show the clinical and histologic modifications of the skin after five sessions of tretinoin peeling. METHODS: The authors studied the clinical and histologic modification that occurred in 15 female patients after conducting tretinoin peeling procedures twice a week in concentrations of 1-5%. Conventional sectioning of punch biopsy specimens was conducted before and after the treatment. RESULTS: Clinical improvement was observed in the skin texture and appearance. Through histologic examinations, a decrease in the corneous layer and an increase in the epidermal thickness were noticed, inducing an improvement of its stratification, as well as the formation of cristae cutis. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that the peeling conducted with serial tretinoin showed good clinical and histologic results, especially for the treatment of photoaged skins I and II, melasma, ephelis, and acne degree I, as well as being practical, quick, and easily accomplished with no side effects.