Journal of Nutrition

Vision Changes after Spaceflight Are Related to Alterations in Folate– and Vitamin B-12–Dependent One-Carbon Metabolism

szwart — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:09:05 -0800

Approximately 20% (7 of 38) of astronauts on International Space Station (ISS) missions have developed measurable ophthalmic changes after flight. This study was conducted to determine if the folate– and vitamin B-12?dependent 1-carbon metabolic pathway is altered in these individuals. Since 2006, we have conducted experiments on the ISS to evaluate nutritional status and related biochemical indices of astronauts before, during, and after flight.

Journal of Nutrition

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Bifidobacterium animalis MB5 Induce Intestinal but Not Systemic Antigen-Specific Hyporesponsiveness in Ovalbumin-Immunized Rats

mengheri — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:49:38 -0800

Probiotics may modulate the host immune response by mechanisms not yet fully understood. We evaluated the modulation of intestinal and systemic antigen-specific immune response by Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) or Bifidobacterium animalis MB5 in tolerized and immunized rats. Three groups of rats received orally LGG, B. animalis, or PBS (control) for 28 d. Each group was divided into two subgroups of tolerized or immunized rats receiving orally ovalbumin (OVA; 7 mg) or PBS on d 7, 9, and 11. All rats were immunized with OVA (300 µg) on d 14 and 21.

Journal of Nutrition

Generation and acculturation status are associated with dietary intake and body weight in Mexican American adolescents

jhliu — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:42:39 -0800

Mexican-American children are disproportionately affected by obesity. Data on how acculturation process influences diet and body weight among adolescents are limited. We used the data from the 1999-2004 NHANES, restricting to 2,286 Mexican American children between 12-19 years old. Acculturation was measured by generation status and language preference. Diet was assessed using 24-h diet recall. Multiple linear, Tobit, logistic, and quantile regression models were used.

Journal of Nutrition

Validation of an In Vitro Digestive System

KopfBolanz — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:45:57 -0800

The digestive process transforms nutrients and bioactive compounds contained in food to physiologically active compounds. In vitro digestion systems have proven to be powerful tools for understanding and monitoring the complex transformation processes that take place during digestion. Moreover, the investigation of the physiological effects of certain nutrients demands an in vitro digestive process that is close to human physiology.

Journal of Nutrition

Correcting for Inflammation Changes Estimates of Iron Deficiency among Rural Kenyan Preschool Children

ebogrant5 — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 23:19:31 -0800

The assessment of iron status where infections are common is complicated by the effects of inflammation on iron
indicators and in this study we compared approaches that adjust for this influence. Blood was collected in 680 children
(aged 6–35 mo) and indicators of iron status [(hemoglobin (Hb), zinc protoporphyrin (ZP), ferritin, transferrin receptor (TfR),
and TfR/ferritin index)] and subclinical inflammation [(the acute phase proteins (APP) C-reactive protein (CRP), and a-1-acid

Journal of Nutrition

Poor folate status predicts persistent diarrhea in 6- to 30.month old north Indian children

mariskarmanger — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:27:56 -0800

Poor micronutrient status is associated with diarrheal illness, but it is not known whether low folate and/or cobalamin status are independent risk factors for diarrhea. We measured the association between plasma folate and cobalamin and subsequent diarrheal morbidity in a prospective cohort study of 2296 children aged 6–30 mo in New Delhi, India. Plasma concentrations of folate, cobalamin, total homocysteine (tHcy), and methylmalonic acid were determined at baseline. Whether a child had diarrhea was recorded during weekly visits in a 4-mo zinc supplementation trial.

Journal of Nutrition

Retinol May Counteract the Negative Effect of Cadmium on Bone

agnake — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:26:12 -0800

Cadmium and high vitamin A intake are both proposed risk factors for low bone mineral density (BMD), but potential
interactions have not been studied. Within the Women’s Health in the Lund Area, a population-based study in southern
Sweden,wemeasured retinol in serumamong 606womenaged 54–64 y. Data onBMDwere measured byDXAat the distal
forearm. Parathyroid hormone (PTH), bone alkaline phosphatase (bALP), and osteocalcin in serum and deoxypyridinoline
(DPD) and cadmium in urine were available. Associations were evaluated using multivariable-adjusted linear regression

Journal of Nutrition

Whole Blueberry Powder Modulates the Growth and Metastasis of MDA-MB-231 Triple Negative Breast Tumors in Nude Mice

Stedda68 — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 19:11:27 -0700

Previous studies in our laboratory demonstrated that blueberry (BB) extract exhibited antitumor activity againstMDA-MB-231
triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells and decreased metastatic potential in vitro. The current study tested 2 doses of
whole BB powder, 5 and 10% (wt:wt) in the diet, against MDA-MB-231 tumor growth in female nude mice. In this study,
tumor volume was 75%lower in mice fed the 5%BB diet and 60% lower in mice fed the 10%BB diet than in control mice

Journal of Nutrition

Dietary Ellagic Acid Attenuates Oxidized LDL Uptake and Stimulates Cholesterol Efflux in Murine Macrophages

shpark — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 02:11:24 -0700

Foam cell formation is the hallmark of early atherosclerosis. Lipid uptake by scavenger receptors (SR) in macrophages
initiates chronic proinflammatory cascades linked to atherosclerosis. It has been reported that the upregulation of
cholesterol efflux may be protective in the development of atherosclerosis. Ellagic acid, a polyphenolic compound mostly
found in berries, walnuts, and pomegranates, possesses antioxidative, growth-inhibiting and apoptosis-promoting
activities in cancer cells. However, the antiatherogenic actions of ellagic acid are not well defined. The current study

Journal of Nutrition

Plasma caffeic acid is associated with statistical clustering of the anticolitic efficacy of caffeic acid in dextran sulfate sodium treated mice

shendric — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 07:12:54 -0700

We hypothesized that interindividual variability in the bioavailability of caffeic acid (CA) would influence its anticolitic
efficacy and that mice may be appropriate for modeling human gut microbial metabolism of CA, which is thought to
influence CA bioavailability. Anaerobic human fecal and mouse cecal sample mixtures were incubated with CA derivatives
from Echinacea purpurea and compound disappearance rates were measured, which were similar in both sample types.
CA metabolism, including formation of its main metabolite,m-hydroxyphenylpropionate, in the mouse cecum may usefully

Journal of Nutrition

Food Acculturation Drives Dietary Differences among Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and Non-Hispanic Whites

carobatis — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 17:39:22 -0700

Abstract

Journal of Nutrition

Soy protein diet, but not Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, decreases mucin-1, trefoil factor-3 and TNFa in colon of dextran sodium sulfate-treated C57BL/6 mice.

ruthmacd — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 08:58:07 -0700

The incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases has increased during recent decades. Within the colon, the families of
mucins (MUC) and trefoil factors (TFF) facilitate mucosal protection. Probiotic administration influences the intestinal MUC
layer. Additionally, food components may affect gut microflora or have direct effects on the MUC barrier. Our objective
was to determine whether diet and/or Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) would mediate dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-
induced colitis by altering expression of the MUC and TFF genes. C57BL/6 mice were fed diets containing 20% (wt:wt)

Journal of Nutrition

Development of a Cardiovascular Risk Score for Use in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

stella7 — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:34:09 -0700

Summary measures of cardiovascular risk have long been used in public health, but few include nutritional predictors despite extensive evidence linking diet and heart disease. Study objectives were to develop and validate a novel risk score in a case-control study of myocardial infarction (MI) conducted in Costa Rica during 1994-2004.

Development of a Cardiovascular Risk Score for Use in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Bacteroides uniformis Is a Putative Bacterial Species Associated with the Degradation of the Isoflavone Genistein in Human Feces

shendric — Fri, 20 May 2011 11:53:37 -0700

Inter-individual variation in isoflavone absorption depends on gut microbial degradation and affects the efficacy of these
compounds. We hypothesized that inter-individual variation in fecal isoflavone disappearance coincided with variation in
bacterial species. In vitro anaerobic fecal disappearance of isoflavones was measured from 33 participants by HPLC. Fecal
microbial 16S rRNA variable region PCR products were obtained from 4 participants with the greatest and least genistein

Journal of Nutrition

Dietary Intake of Arachidonic Acid and alpha-Linolenic Acid are Associated with Reduced Risk of Hip Fracture in Older Adults

emily.farina — Fri, 20 May 2011 04:12:40 -0700

PUFA are hypothesized to influence bone health, but longitudinal studies on hip fracture risk are lacking. We examined associations between intakes of PUFA and fish, and hip fracture risk among older adults (n = 904) in the Framingham Osteoporosis Study. Participants (mean age ~75 y at baseline) were followed for incident hip fracture from the time they completed the baseline exam (1988-1989) until December 31, 2005.

Journal of Nutrition

Food Portion Patterns and Trends among U.S. Children and the Relationship to Total Eating Occasion Size, 1977–2006

carmenpiernas — Mon, 16 May 2011 13:08:59 -0700

Abstract
Food and beverage portion sizes are related to childhood obesity. We examined trends in food portion sizes and the
association with total meal sizes among U.S. children. We selected children 2- to 18-y-old (n = 31,337) from 4 nationally
representative surveys of food intake between 1977–1978 and 2003–2006. We assessed portion sizes (kcal and g) of
selected key foods (soft/fruit drinks, salty snacks, desserts, French fries, burgers, pizzas, Mexican fast foods, and hot

Journal of Nutrition

Membrane Raft Organization Is More Sensitive to Disruption by (n-3) PUFA Than Nonraft Organization in EL4 and B Cells

shaikhlab — Fri, 06 May 2011 07:39:19 -0700

Model membrane and cellular detergent extraction studies show (n-3) PUFA predominately incorporate into nonrafts;
thus, we hypothesized (n-3) PUFA could disrupt nonraft organization. The first objective of this study was to determine
whether (n-3) PUFA disrupted nonrafts of EL4 cells, an extension of our previous work in which we discovered an (n-3)
PUFA diminished raft clustering. EPA or DHA treatment of EL4 cells increased plasma membrane accumulation of the
nonraft probe 1,19-dilinoleyl-3,3,39,39-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate by ;50–70% relative to a BSA control.

Journal of Nutrition

Identification of Zyklopen, a New Member of the Vertebrate Multicopper Ferroxidase Family, and Characterization in Rodents and Human Cells

patbain — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 07:45:36 -0700

We previously detected a membrane-bound, copper-containing oxidase that may be involved in iron efflux in BeWo cells, a human placental cell line. We have now identified a gene encoding a predicted multicopper ferroxidase (MCF) with a putative C-terminal membrane-spanning sequence and high sequence identity to hephaestin (Heph) and ceruloplasmin (Cp), the other known vertebrate MCF. Molecular modeling revealed conservation of all type I, II, and III copper-binding sites as well as a putative iron-binding site.

Journal of Nutrition

The eIF2 kinase GCN2 is essential for the murine immune system to adapt to amino acid deprivation by asparaginase

tracyanthony — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 11:49:31 -0700

Amino acid starvation by asparaginase (ASNase) enhances phosphorylation of eIF2 by general control nonderepressible 2 (GCN2) kinase, leading to reduced global mRNA translation rates. This conserves energy and allows cells time to reprogram stress-related gene expression to alleviate cell injury. This study addressed the importance of GCN2 for the immune system to adapt to amino acid starvation by ASNase. GCN2+/+ and GCN2-/- mice were injected once daily with ASNase or saline for up to 7 d.

The eIF2 kinase GCN2 is essential for the murine immune system to adapt to amino acid deprivation by asparaginase

Honoring Clive McCay and 75 Years of Calorie Restriction Research

rbmcdonald — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 11:08:39 -0700

Journal of Nutrition

Dietary Choline Reverses Some, but Not All, Effects of Folate Deficiency on Neurogenesis and Apoptosis in Fetal Mouse Brain

UNCNRI — Wed, 12 May 2010 13:35:46 -0700

Dietary choline reverses some, but not all effects of folate deficiency on neurogenesis and apoptosis in the fetal mouse brain.

Journal of Nutrition

Oligosaccharide-Induced Whey-Specific CD25+ Regulatory T-Cells Are Involved in the Suppression of Cow Milk Allergy in Mice

Bastiaan — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 10:50:43 -0700

Dietary intervention with a unique prebiotic nondigestible carbohydrate mixture has been shown to reduce the development of allergic disease in infants at risk. In this study, the involvement of CD25+ regulatory T-cells (Treg) in the carbohydrate-induced effects was investigated in mice orally sensitized with whey using adoptive transfer experiments. Donor mice were sensitized with whey and fed a diet containing short-chain galacto-, long-chain fructo- and acidicoligosaccharides, or a control diet starting 2 wk before sensitization.

Journal of Nutrition

Measurement Site for Waist Circumference Affects Its Accuracy As an Index of Visceral and Abdominal Subcutaneous Fat in a Caucasian Population

Bosy-Westphal — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 01:58:39 -0700

Following experts’ consensus, waist circumference (WC) is the best anthropometric obesity index. However, different
anatomic sites are used, and currently there is no universally accepted protocol for measurement of WC. In this study, we
compare the associations between WC measured at different sites with total visceral adipose tissue (VAT) volume and
cardiometabolic risk. Cross-sectional data were obtained from 294 adults and 234 children and adolescents. In addition,
longitudinal data were provided in 75 overweight adults before and after dietary-induced weight loss. WC was measured

Journal of Nutrition

Cash and in-kind transfers in poor rural communities in Mexico increase household fruit, vegetable, and micronutrient consumption but also lead to excess energy consumption

jefleroy — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 09:51:56 -0800

Conditional transfer programs are increasingly popular, but the impact on household nutrient consumption has not been
studied. We evaluated the impact of the Programa de Apoyo Alimentario (PAL), a cash and in-kind transfer program, on the
energy and nutrient consumption of poor rural households in Mexico. The program has been shown to reduce poverty.
Beneficiary households received either a food basket (including micronutrient-fortified milk) or cash. A random sample of
206 rural communities in Southern Mexico was randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups: a monthly food basket with or without

Journal of Nutrition

Acute Ingestion of Long-Chain (n-3) Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Decreases Fibrinolysis in Men with Metabolic Syndrome

lrobinson — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 10:01:57 -0800

Individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS) often have elevated plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and
tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), contributing to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. PAI-1 and t-PA may be
affected by chronic (n-3) long-chain PUFA [(n-3)LCPUFA] supplementation; however, the acute impact of fat ingestion on
these risk factors has not been established. Our objective was to investigate the acute effect of (n-3)LCPUFA on plasma

Journal of Nutrition

Iron-Deficiency Sensitizes Mice to Acute Pain Stimuli and Formalin-Induced Nociception.

pdowling — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:31:36 -0700

Iron deficiency has been described as a risk factor in secondary restless legs syndrome (RLS), although it has not been investigated whether iron deficiency induces sensory symptoms in RLS patients. In this study, we established a mouse model of iron deficiency by administering a purified iron-deficient (ID) diet (<8 mg/kg iron) or nonpurified standard diet [normal diet (ND)] (<179 mg/kg iron) to male C57Bl/6 mice from postnatal d 28 for 1, 4, or 15 wk. The level of iron deficiency was assessed by the plasma iron concentration.