Establishment of an In Vitro Co-Culture Model of the Piglet Gut to Study Inflammatory Response and Barrier Integrity.

In intensive farming, piglets are exposed to various challenges that activate intestinal inflammatory processes, negatively affecting animal health and leading to economic losses. To study the role of the inflammatory response on epithelial barrier integrity, co-culture systems that mimic in vivo complexity are more and more preferred over cell monocultures. In this study, an in vitro gut co-culture model consisting of intestinal porcine epithelial cells and porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells was established. The model provides an appropriate tool to study the role of the inflammatory response on epithelial barrier integrity and to screen for feed and food components, exerting beneficial effects on gut health. In the established model, inflammation-like reactions and damage of the epithelial barrier, indicated by a decrease of transepithelial electrical resistance, were elicited by activation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells via one of 3 stimuli: lipopolysaccharide, lipoteichoic acid, or concanavalin A. Two phytogenic substances that are commonly used as feed additives, licorice extract and oregano oil, have been shown to counteract the drop in transepithelial electrical resistance values in the gut co-culture model. The established co-culture model provides a powerful in vitro tool to study the role of intestinal inflammation on epithelial barrier integrity. As it consists of porcine epithelial and porcine blood cells it perfectly mimics in vivo conditions and imitates the inter-organ communication of the piglet gut. The developed model is useful to screen for nutritional components or drugs, having the potential to balance intestinal inflammation and strengthen the epithelial barrier integrity in piglets.

Electron Waiting Times in a Strongly Interacting Quantum Dot: Interaction Effects and Higher-Order Tunneling Processes.

Distributions of electron waiting times have been measured in several recent experiments and have been shown to provide complementary information compared with what can be learned from the electric current fluctuations. Existing theories, however, are restricted to either weakly coupled nanostructures or phase-coherent transport in mesoscopic conductors. Here, we consider an interacting quantum dot and develop a real-time diagrammatic theory of waiting time distributions that can treat the interesting regime, in which both interaction effects and higher-order tunneling processes are important. Specifically, we find that our quantum-mechanical theory captures higher-order tunneling processes at low temperatures, which are not included in a classical description, and which dramatically affect the waiting times by allowing fast tunneling processes inside the Coulomb blockade region. Our work paves the way for systematic investigations of temporal fluctuations in interacting quantum systems, for example close to a Kondo resonance or in a Luttinger liquid.

Real-Time Detection of Single Auger Recombination Events in a Self-Assembled Quantum Dot.

Auger recombination is a nonradiative process, where the recombination energy of an electron-hole pair is transferred to a third charge carrier. It is a common effect in colloidal quantum dots that quenches the radiative emission with an Auger recombination time below nanoseconds. In self-assembled QDs, the Auger recombination has been observed with a much longer recombination time on the order of microseconds. Here, we use two-color laser excitation on the exciton and trion transition in resonance fluorescence on a single self-assembled quantum dot to monitor in real-time single quantum events of the Auger process. Full counting statistics on the random telegraph signal give access to the cumulants and demonstrate the tunability of the Fano factor from a Poissonian to a sub-Poissonian distribution by Auger-mediated electron emission from the dot. Therefore, the Auger process can be used to tune optically the charge carrier occupation of the dot by the incident laser intensity, independently from the electron tunneling from the reservoir by the gate voltage. Our findings are not only highly relevant for the understanding of the Auger process but also demonstrate the perspective of the Auger effect for controlling precisely the charge state in a quantum system by optical means.

Five Days Periodic Fasting Elevates Levels of Longevity Related Christensenella and Sirtuin Expression in Humans.

Periodic fasting (PF) is an increasingly popular approach that assists in the management of metabolic and inflammatory diseases as well as in preventing mechanisms involved in aging. However, little is known about the effects of fasting on gut microbiota and its impact on the epigenetic regulation of metabolically relevant enzymes, especially sirtuins (SIRTs). We analyzed the effect of periodic fasting on the human gut microbiota, SIRTs expression, and mitochondrial content in 51 males and females. The participants fasted under supervision for five consecutive days following the Buchinger fasting guidelines. Ketogenesis, selected mRNAs, miRNAs, mitochondrial (mt) DNA, and gut composition were analyzed before and after PF. PF triggered a significant switch in metabolism, as indicated by the increase in ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase isoform 4 (PDK4) expression in the capillary blood. MtDNA, SIRT1, SIRT3, and miRlet7b-5p expression in blood cells were elevated, whereas SIRT6 and miR125b-5p were not affected. Following fasting, gut microbiota diversity increased, and a statistically significant correlation between SIRT1 gene expression and the abundance of Prevotella and Lactobacillus was detected. The abundance of longevity related Christensenella species increased after fasting and inversely correlated with age as well as body mass index (BMI). Thus, this represents the first study that showing that fasting not only changes the composition of the gut microbiota, making it more diverse, but also affects SIRT expression in humans.

Free Radical Scavenging Activity of Carbonyl-Amine Adducts Formed in Soybean Oil Fortified with Phosphatidylethanolamine.

Non-enzymatic browning reactions between lipid aldehydes and aminophospholipids might play an important role in the oxidative stability of cold-pressed vegetable oils. We, therefore, aimed to study the Maillard-type reaction between hexanal, a lipid oxidation product of linoleic acid, and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE (16:0/18:1)) at a ratio of 2:1 at conditions representative of the extraction of cold-pressed soybean oils (CPSBO) and determine the radical scavenging activity of the carbonyl-amine adducts with the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The reaction product, 2-pentyl-3,5-dibutyl-dihydropyridine, could be identified by means of LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS. The formation of this nitrogen-containing heterocycle significantly increased with time and temperature (p < 0.05). The products formed during the carbonyl-amine reaction between PE (16:0/18:1) and hexanal at 60 °C showed a radical scavenging activity of approximately 20% (p < 0.05). The fraction, containing 2-pentyl-3,5-dibutyl-dihydropyridine, contributed to, but was not solely responsible for, the radical scavenging activity (p < 0.05). Incubation of CPSBO fortified with PE (16:0/18:1) at 60 °C for 60 min had the strongest radical scavenging activity of 85.1 ± 0.62%. Besides 2-pentyl-3,5-dibutyl-dihydropyridine, other carbonyl-amine adducts might impact the radical scavenging activity of CPSBO as well. The oxidative stability of CPSBO might be increased by promoting the formation of carbonyl-amine reaction products, such as 2-pentyl-3,5-dibutyl-dihydropyridine.

Traditional v. modern dietary patterns among a population in western Austria: associations with body composition and nutrient profile.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to identify dietary patterns, compare dietary patterns regarding nutrient profile and investigate the association between dietary patterns and body composition in a population in western Austria. DESIGN: In a cross-sectional study, eating habits, anthropometric measurements and body composition were assessed. Food intake was collected by two non-consecutive 24 h recalls. Factor analysis (principal component analysis) with complementary cluster analysis was applied to identify dietary patterns. Associations of dietary patterns with body composition and nutrient profile were examined by the t test, one-way ANOVA and ANCOVA with Bonferroni's correction. The χ 2 test was used for categorical variables. SETTING: Tyrol, western Austria, 2014-2015.ParticipantsAdults (n 463) aged 18-64 years. RESULTS: Three dietary patterns were derived, labelled as the 'health-conscious', the 'western' and the 'traditional' dietary pattern. After adjustment for confounding variables, individuals following the traditional and western patterns were more likely to be overweight/obese (P <0·001) and to have a higher body fat percentage (P <0·05). Individuals following the traditional dietary pattern consumed significantly more SFA and less PUFA and dietary fibre (P <0·001) than those in the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals who mostly eat in a traditional way should be encouraged to increase their consumption of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats. It is important to know local eating habits not only for planning individual nutritional therapy, but also for well-directed public health actions.

Influence of phytogenics on recovery of the barrier function of intestinal porcine epithelial cells after a calcium switch.

BACKGROUND: The gut barrier is essential for animal health as it prevents the passage of potentially harmful foreign substances. The epithelial tight junctions support the intestinal barrier and can be disrupted by stress caused, for example, by pathogens or dietary or environmental factors, predisposing the host to disease. In animal husbandry, phytogenics (plant-derived feed additives) are used to support and maintain growth, feed efficiency and health. Therefore, several phytogenics were tested in vitro for their influence on the barrier function recovery of intestinal porcine epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) after disruption, particularly on the abundance of tight junction proteins. RESULTS: IPEC-J2 treated with 1,000 µg/ml liquorice root extract, 80 µg/ml plant powder mix, or 80 µg/ml angelica root powder showed significantly higher trans-epithelial electric resistance (TEER) 24 hr after tight junction disruption via a calcium switch assay than the control. In contrast, cells treated with 1,000 µg/ml oak bark extract showed a significantly lower TEER after 6 hr but not at later time points. The increased TEER caused by the liquorice root extract correlated with an increase in the abundance of the tight junction protein claudin-4. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests potential beneficial effects of liquorice and angelica root extracts on the gut barrier function when used as feed additives for livestock. Further studies, especially in vivo, are necessary to confirm these findings.

PPARγ Modulates Long Chain Fatty Acid Processing in the Intestinal Epithelium.

Nuclear receptor PPARγ affects lipid metabolism in several tissues, but its role in intestinal lipid metabolism has not been explored. As alterations have been observed in the plasma lipid profile of ad libitum fed intestinal epithelium-specific PPARγ knockout mice (iePPARγKO), we submitted these mice to lipid gavage challenges. Within hours after gavage with long chain unsaturated fatty acid (FA)-rich canola oil, the iePPARγKO mice had higher plasma free FA levels and lower gastric inhibitory polypeptide levels than their wild-type (WT) littermates, and altered expression of incretin genes and lipid metabolism-associated genes in the intestinal epithelium. Gavage with the medium chain saturated FA-rich coconut oil did not result in differences between the two genotypes. Furthermore, the iePPARγKO mice did not exhibit defective lipid uptake and stomach emptying; however, their intestinal transit was more rapid than in WT mice. When fed a canola oil-rich diet for 4.5 months, iePPARγKO mice had higher body lean mass than the WT mice. We conclude that intestinal epithelium PPARγ is activated preferentially by long chain unsaturated FAs compared to medium chain saturated FAs. Furthermore, we hypothesize that the iePPARγKO phenotype originates from altered lipid metabolism and release in epithelial cells, as well as changes in intestinal motility.

Recording of fluid, beverage and water intakes at the population level in Europe.

The European Food Safety Authority's 2010 scientific opinion on dietary reference values for total water intakes was partly based on observed intakes in population groups. Large variability was observed, and it is unlikely that these differences can be explained by differences in climate, activity level and/or culture. This suggests that there are uncertainties in the methodologies used to assess water intake from food and fluids, including all types of beverages. To determine current methods for recording and reporting total water, beverages and fluid intakes, twenty-one European countries were surveyed using an electronic questionnaire. In total, twelve countries responded and ten completed surveys were summarised. Countries reported that their survey was representative of the population in terms of age and socio-economic status. However, a variety of methods were used - that is, repeated 24-h recalls, estimated food diaries and FFQ. None of the methods were validated to assess water and fluid intakes. The methods used to record liquid foods - for example, soup and diluted drinks - were inconsistent. Clarity and consistency on definitions of categories of beverages to facilitate comparisons between countries are needed. Recommendations for a unified approach to surveying and quantifying intake of water from fluids and foods are proposed.

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet and risk of diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with significant improvements in health status. However, to date no systematic review and meta-analysis has summarized the effects of Mediterranean diet adherence on the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. DESIGN: Electronic searches for randomized controlled trials and cohort studies were performed in MEDLINE, SCOPUS, EMBASE and the Cochrane Trial Register until 2 April 2014. Pooled effects were calculated by an inverse-variance random-effect meta-analysis using the statistical software Review Manager 5.2 by the Cochrane Collaboration. SETTING: Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and cohort studies. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: 19+years of age. RESULTS: One randomized controlled trial and eight prospective cohort studies (122 810 subjects) published between 2007 and 2014 were included for meta-analysis. For highest v. lowest adherence to the Mediterranean diet score, the pooled risk ratio was 0.81 (95 % CI 0.73, 0.90, P<0.0001, I 2=55 %). Sensitivity analysis including only long-term studies confirmed the results of the primary analysis (pooled risk ratio=0.75; 95 % CI 0.68, 0.83, P<0.00001, I 2=0 %). The Egger regression test provided no evidence of substantial publication bias (P=0.254). CONCLUSIONS: Greater adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of diabetes (19 %; moderate quality evidence). These results seem to be clinically relevant for public health, in particular for encouraging a Mediterranean-like dietary pattern for primary prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Inverting the pyramid! Extent and quality of food advertised on Austrian television.

BACKGROUND: Research showed that food marketing for children frequently contradicts national dietary guidelines. Children, unlike adults, are not able to understand the persuasiveness of the advertisements with its short- and long-term effects on health, thus the common international tenor is to restrict food marketing. In the European Union, marketing restriction based on self-regulation have been initiated (EU Pledge Nutrition Criteria). The study aims contribute to depict the status quo of television advertisement targeted at children before the pledged initiative came into full effect. METHODS: In this study we analyze the quality and displaying frequency of a set of advertisements targeted at children broadcasted on Austrian television. Promoted food products targeted at children or adults were identified. Category-based analysis of the displayed food was performed based on the Austrian Nutrition guidelines (number of displayed food per food category). The children's food content was analyzed according to the newly established nutritional quality criteria for advertised food in the EU to assess the nutritional quality of the depicted food. RESULTS: In total, 360 h of video material was recorded in February and March 2014. A set of 1919 food advertisements, with 15.1 % targeted at children were broadcasted. Of all food advertisements targeted at children, 92.4 % was for fatty, sweet and salty snacks, while no advertisements for vegetables, legumes or fruits were shown. From all food advertisements for children, 65.9 % originated from participating companies of the EU Pledge Nutrition Criteria. Further analysis revealed that 95.9 % of the advertised food for children showed at least one aspect of nonconformity with the EU Pledge Nutrition Criteria; on the contrary 64.7 % of the displayed food advertisement also featured at least one desirable food component (e.g. high fibre content, high protein content). CONCLUSIONS: The present research suggests that the majority of advertised food for children do not conform with the pledged criteria as defined in the EU Pledge Nutrition Criteria and almost all advertisements would be prohibited. We discuss our findings in the context of public health nutrition and present a perspective for future directions in this important field of research.

Influence of intravenous thiamine supplementation on blood lactate concentration prior to cardiac surgery: A double-blinded, randomised controlled pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Stress related to surgery and critical illness depletes thiamine, essential in energy metabolism, and might result in high blood lactate concentrations and higher mortality. OBJECTIVES: We hypothesised that thiamine supplementation would increase blood concentration of thiamine and reduce blood lactate concentration postoperatively. Moreover, we aimed to identify the prevalence of, and risk factors for, high blood lactate concentrations. DESIGN: This was a double-blind, randomised controlled pilot study from February to July 2012 including 30 patients scheduled for cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were assigned randomly to receive thiamine (300 mg in 0.9% Normal saline solution) or placebo (0.9% Normal saline) preoperatively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: One arterial blood sample was taken preoperatively and another postoperatively to measure thiamine concentration, and multiple samples were taken during surgery and ICU stay to determine lactate concentrations. Twenty-four hour urine samples were collected to measure urinary thiamine concentration. Preoperatively, we assessed extracellular mass to body cell mass ratio (ECM/BCM). RESULTS: The mean (SD) age of the patients was 58 (12) years, 73% were overweight, 10% were malnourished and the prevalence of thiamine deficiency was 10%. Patients in the thiamine group had significantly higher blood thiamine concentrations 2 days postoperatively [805.2 ± 289.8 ng g(-1) haemoglobin (Hb)] than those in the placebo group (591.2 ± 100.7 ng g(-1) Hb, P < 0.01). The mean blood lactate concentration changed significantly over time, but did not differ significantly between the groups. Patients with ECM/BCM more than 1 had higher lactate concentrations on admission to ICU than those with ECM/BCM less than 1 (2.1 ± 0.7 vs. 1.7 ± 0.6, P = 0.09) and were at a significantly greater risk of having a higher lactate concentration on ICU admission [odds ratio (OR) 13.5, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.0 to 179.4, P < 0.05]. On the basis of these results, a sample size calculation for a larger study has been facilitated. CONCLUSION: Thiamine supplementation caused normalisation of blood and urine concentrations postoperatively but without a significant reduction in lactate concentration or clinical outcome. Body composition played an important role in lactate formation. Further research focusing on preoperative screening and optimal treatment of high lactate concentrations in this specific population is warranted. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01524315.

Impact of different training modalities on glycaemic control and blood lipids in patients with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: This study aimed to systematically review randomised controlled trials comparing the effects of aerobic exercise training (AET), resistance training (RT) and combined training (CT) on glycaemic control and blood lipids in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: Searches were performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library. Inclusion criteria were: type 2 diabetes mellitus, adult, supervised training and a minimum intervention period of 8 weeks. Pooled effects were calculated by fixed/random effect pairwise and Bayesian fixed/random effects network meta-analyses. RESULTS: A total of 14 trials enrolling 915 participants were included. AET was more effective than RT in improving HbA1c levels (mean difference [MD] -0.20% [-2.2 mmol/mol]; 95% CI -0.32, -0.08; p = 0.0007, 10 trials/515 participants) and fasting glucose (MD -0.9 mmol/l; 95% CI -1.71, -0.09; p = 0.03, 8 trials/245 participants). Compared with AET, CT resulted in a significantly more pronounced reduction in HbA1c (MD -0.17% [-1.87 mmol/mol]; 95% CI -0.31, -0.03; p = 0.02, 9 trials/493 participants). Compared with RT, the MD of the change in HbA1c (MD -0.62%, [-6.82 mmol/mol]; 95% CI -0.95, -0.30; p = 0.0002, 5 trials/362 participants], fasting glucose (MD -1.99 mmol/l; 95% CI -3.07, -0.90; p = 0.0003, 3 trials/99 participants) and triacylglycerols (MD -0.28 mmol/l; 95% CI -0.46, -0.10; p = 0.003, 4 trials/213 participants) were all in favour of CT. The exclusion of trials with a high risk of bias yielded only non-significant results. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: The present data suggest that CT might be the most efficacious exercise modality to improve glycaemic control and blood lipids. Interpretation with respect to clinical relevance is limited by the low quality of the studies included and the limited information on the clinically important outcomes or adverse effects of exercise.

Identification of the Brucea javanica Constituent Brusatol as a EGFR-Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor in a Cell-Free Assay.

Inhibitors of the tyrosine kinase (TK) activity of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are routinely used in cancer therapy. However, there is a need to discover a new TK inhibitor. This study evaluated extracts from Brucea javanica and its components for their potential as novel EGFR-TK inhibitors. The cytotoxic effect of a g aqueous extract and its fractions was assessed by MTT assays with A549 lung cancer cells. The two fractions with the highest cytotoxicity were analyzed by LC/MS and 1H NMR. Brusatol was identified as the main constituent of these fractions, and its cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic activities were confirmed in A549 cells. To elucidate the inhibitory activity of brusatol against EGFR-TK, a specific ADP-GloTM kinase assay was used. In this assay, the IC50 value for EGFR-TK inhibition was 333.1 nM. Molecular dynamic simulations and docking experiments were performed to identify the binding pocket of brusatol to be located in the intracellular TK-domain of EGFR. This study demonstrates that brusatol inhibits EGFR-TK and therefore harbors a potential as a new therapeutic drug for the therapy of EGFR-depending cancers.

Mesoscopic stoner instability in metallic nanoparticles revealed by shot noise.

We study sequential tunneling through a metallic nanoparticle close to the Stoner instability coupled to parallel magnetized electrodes. Increasing the bias voltage successively opens transport channels associated with excitations of the nanoparticle's total spin. For the current this leads just to a steplike increase. The Fano factor, in contrast, shows oscillations between large super-Poissonian and sub-Poissonian values as a function of bias voltage. We explain the enhanced Fano factor in terms of generalized random-telegraph noise and propose the shot noise as a convenient tool to probe the mesoscopic Stoner instability.

What Do People Know about Food, Nutrition and Health?-General Nutrition Knowledge in the Austrian Population.

BACKGROUND: Only limited information is available on the nutrition knowledge of the general Austrian population and how this relates to the nutrition knowledge of health professionals (medical doctors, pharmacists, nutritionist, dieticians) and school teachers. METHODS: Adolescents and adults at the age of 14-75 years (n = 1000), medical doctors (n = 307), pharmacists (n = 295), nutritionists (n = 124), dieticians (n = 160) and school teachers (n = 873) completed an online survey using a German version of the General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire-Revised (GNKQ-R) including self-reported data on sex, age, BMI, and health status. Adolescent and adult participants were recruited by a research agency to be representative for the Austrian population for age, sex, and education. A convenience sample was used for health professionals (medical doctors, pharmacists, nutritionist, dieticians) and school teachers. All participants completed a computer-assisted web-based interviewing (CAWI) survey. RESULTS: Total scores for nutrition knowledge of the general population (61.4%) were significantly lower than scores from all other groups (medical doctors 81.3%, pharmacists 83.0%, dieticians 87.5%, nutritionists 85.6%, school teachers 74.5%). The main drivers for better nutritional knowledge were female sex, higher age, and higher level of education, while BMI classification and self-reported health status had no impact. In regard to single questions, the most striking result was the misclassification of sugar as the nutrient with the most calories by 41.4% of the general population while only 29.0% correctly identified fat to be the nutrient with the most calories. CONCLUSIONS: The nutritional knowledge of the general population should be significantly improved in order to lay a basis for better dietary behavior. In view of the relatively low scores of teachers, their nutrition education should be improved in order to enable transfer of sound education in schools.

Gender, Age, Hunger, and Body Mass Index as Factors Influencing Portion Size Estimation and Ideal Portion Sizes.

Portion sizes of meals have been becoming progressively larger which contributes to the onset of obesity. So far, little research has been done on the influence of body weight on portion size preferences. Therefore, we assessed whether Body Mass Index (BMI), as well as other selected factors, contribute to the estimation of food portions weight and the subjective perception of portion sizes. Through online questionnaires, the participants were asked to estimate the weight of pictured foods in the first study. In the second study, the participants indicated how the depicted varying portion sizes of different meals relate to their actual consumed real-life portion sizes. A total of 725 and 436 individuals were included in the statistical analysis in the first and second study, respectively. BMI and gender had a small effect on the capacity to estimate the weight of foods. The main predictor for portion size choices was the factor gender with men estimating ideal portion sizes as larger than women. Further, age and hunger together with external and restrictive eating behaviors were among the deciding factors for portion size choices. As expected, externally motivated eaters chose bigger portions while restrictive individual smaller ones. Gender- and age-related differences in portion size preferences likely reflect distinct energy requirements. The individuals with a higher BMI do not differ strongly from other BMI groups in their portion-related preferences. Therefore, other factors such as meal frequency, snacking, or a lifestyle, may contribute more to the onset, development, and maintenance of overweight.

Self-reported Resistance Training Is Associated With Better HR-pQCT-derived Bone Microarchitecture in Vegan People.

CONTEXT: A plant-based lifestyle is a global trend; lower bone mineral density and increased fracture risk in vegan people are reported. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective was to assess trabecular and cortical bone microarchitecture in vegans and omnivores. Secondary objectives were to evaluate relationships between bone microarchitecture, nutrition parameters, and physical activity. METHODS: This was an observational study at the Medical Department II, St. Vincent Hospital (tertiary referral center for gastrointestinal, metabolic, and bone diseases, and teaching hospital of the Medical University of Vienna), including 43 healthy nonobese female and male subjects on a plant-based diet for at least 5 years, and 45 healthy nonobese female and male subjects on an omnivore diet for at least 5 years. The main outcome measures were the parameters of trabecular and cortical bone microarchitecture (high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography), serum markers of bone turnover, nutrient intake (nutrition protocol), and self-reported resistance training (physical activity questionnaires). RESULTS: In the vegan group, trabecular and cortical structure were altered compared with omnivores. Vegans not reporting resistance training had diminished bone microarchitecture compared with omnivores not reporting resistance training. In vegans and omnivores reporting resistance training, bone structure was similar. In both vegan subgroups (resistance training and not resistance training), a small number of correlations between nutrient intake and bone microarchitecture were observed without a conclusive pattern. CONCLUSION: Bone microarchitecture in vegans differed from matched omnivores but could not be explained solely by nutrient uptake. These differences were attenuated between the subgroups reporting resistance training. In addition to a well-planned diet, progressive resistance training on a regular basis should be part of the vegan lifestyle.