Estimation of the dietary intake of cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic by the population of Santiago (Chile) using a Total Diet Study.

Dietary intake of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) by the population of Santiago (Chile) was determined using a Total Diet Study in the market basket modality. After conducting a survey of the foods consumed in the last 24 h, the most consumed food products were included in the basket. Subsequently, they were cooked or prepared according to typical Chilean procedures and grouped into 17 food categories according to their chemical characteristics. The fish and shellfish group had the highest contents of As (1351 ng/g wet weight, ww), Cd (277 ng/g ww), and Hg (48 ng/g ww), while the sugar group had the highest content of Pb (251 ng/g ww). For a person with a body weight of 68 kg, the dietary intakes of As (77 microg/day), Cd (20 microg/day), Hg (5 microg/day), and Pb (206 microg/day) are lower than the provisional tolerable weekly intake values established by the FAO/WHO. Consequently, the total intakes of As, Cd, Hg, and Pb in Santiago (Chile) are within the limits estimated as safe.     

Intake of arsenic from water, food composites and excretion through urine, hair from a studied population in West Bengal, India.

To evaluate the main intake source of arsenic by the villagers from arsenic-affected families in Jalangi and Domkol blocks in Mushidabad district, West Bengal-India, we determined the concentrations of arsenic in tube-well water and in food composites, mainly including vegetables and cereals collected from the surveyed families which were cultivated in that region. The daily dietary intakes of arsenic by the villagers were estimated and the excretions of arsenic through urine and hair were determined. The arsenic concentrations in hair and urine of the studied population living in mild (2.78 microg/L), moderate (30.7 microg/L) and high (118 microg/L) arsenic-affected families were 133, 1,391 and 4,713 microg/kg and 43.1, 244 and 336 microg/L, respectively. The linear regressions show good correlations between arsenic concentrations in water vs hair (r(2)=0.928, p<0.001) and water vs urine (r(2)=0.464, p<0.01). Approximately 29.4%, 58.1% and 62.1% of adult population from mild, moderate and high arsenic-affected families were suffering from arsenical skin manifestations. The mean arsenic concentrations of food composites (vegetables and cereals) in high arsenic-affected families are not significantly different from mild arsenic-affected families. The daily dietary intakes of arsenic from water and food composites of the studied population, living in high, moderate and mild arsenic-affected families were 568, 228 and 137 microg, respectively. The linear regressions show good correlations between arsenic concentrations in hair vs daily dietary intake (r(2)=0.452, p<0.001) and urine vs daily dietary intake (r(2)=0.134, p<0.001). The water for drinking contributed 6.07%, 26.7% and 58.1% of total arsenic in our study from mild, moderate and high arsenic-affected families. The result suggested that the contaminated water from high arsenic-affected families should be the main source for intake of arsenic. On contrary, the contribution of arsenic-contaminated food composites from mild and moderate arsenic-affected families might be the main source for intake of arsenic. The Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) values of arsenic in our study were 3.32, 5.75 and 12.9 microg/kg body weight/day from mild, moderate and high arsenic-affected families, respectively, which is higher than the recommended PTWI value of arsenic (2.1 microg/kg body weight/day).     

Impact of sedimentary arsenic through irrigated groundwater on soil, plant, crops and human continuum from Bengal delta: Special reference to raw and cooked rice

Existence of arsenic-rich (exceeds 2,000 mg/kg) iron pyrite in Bengal delta sediments is responsible for arsenic release in aquifer. Ingestion of contaminated drinking water is not the only elevated source of arsenic to the diet. Irrigation of agricultural fields with arsenic-contaminated groundwater has led to arsenic build-up in soil, with subsequent elevation of arsenic in crops grown on these soils. About 50.7 and 11.2 kg of arsenic are withdrawn per year from 23 and 18 shallow tubewells, used for agricultural irrigation in the studied two districts Murshidabad and Nadia, respectively and deposited on lands throughout the year. Considerable higher amounts of arsenic are accumulated in paddy plants. Mean arsenic concentration in food categories is 107 microg/kg. Arsenic concentrations are high in cooked food and skin of the vegetables. Arsenic concentration in cooked rice increases with water arsenic concentration. About 70.2% of arsenic is recovered by using the analytical speciation extraction method. Inorganic arsenic and DMA contribute 89.5% and 10.5% of the total content of arsenic in food, respectively. About 0.081% and 1.57% of arsenic are accumulated in rice grain from arsenic-deposited lands and contaminated soils. The daily dietary intake of inorganic arsenic (mug/kg body wt./day) by an adult from rice grain itself (2.32) is higher than the WHO recommended PTDI value of inorganic arsenic (2.1) and inorganic arsenic contributes 96.8% of the total dietary intakes of arsenic. Population exposed to arsenic toxicity has been identified.     

Amount and dietary sources of caffeine and saccharin intake by individuals ages 5 to 18 years

A nationwide, 7-day food consumption survey was utilized to assess average daily consumption of saccharin and caffeine by individuals 5 to 18 years old. The total sample's average daily saccharin and caffeine intakes were 4.1 and 37.4 mg, respectively. Only 14% of the individuals consumed saccharin while 98% consumed caffeine. On days when these dietary components were consumed, average saccharin intake was 87.4 mg and average caffeine intake was 47.9 mg. In general, intake levels of both dietary components increased with increasing age. However, on a body weight basis (mg/kg) caffeine intakes did not increase with increasing age. When expressed as milligrams of caffeine intake per kilogram body weight per day, children 5 to 6 years old had significantly higher intakes (1.1 mg/kg/day) than 7 to 8 year olds. No other age differences were noted. Artificially sweetened carbonated beverages contributed the greatest number of milligrams of saccharin to total intake while tea, followed by carbonated beverages, made the most significant impact on caffeine consumption. Considerable variation was found for both saccharin and caffeine consumption levels among the sample members as well as for each individual during the 7 days surveyed.     

Survey of arsenic in food composites from an arsenic-affected area of West Bengal, India.

An investigation of total arsenic in food composites, collected from the villagers, was carried out in arsenic-affected areas of the Murshidabad district, West Bengal where the agricultural system is mostly groundwater dependent. The shallow, large-diameter tubewells installed for agricultural irrigation contain an appreciable amount of arsenic (mean 0.085 mg/l, n=6). Even the soil is arsenic-contaminated (mean 11.35 mg/kg, n=36), so some arsenic can be expected in the food chain from crops cultivated in this area. The results revealed that the individual food composite and food groups containing the highest mean arsenic concentrations (microg/kg) are potato skin (292.62 and 104), leaf of vegetables (212.34 and 294.67), arum leaf (331 and 341), papaya (196.50 and 373), rice (226.18 and 245.39), wheat (7 and 362), cumin (47.86 and 209.75), turmeric powder (297.33 and 280.9), cereals and bakery goods (156.37 and 294.47), vegetables (91.73 and 123.22), spices (92.22 and 207.60) and miscellaneous items (138.37 and 137.80) for the Jalangi and Domkal blocks, respectively. Arsenic is absorbed by the skin of most of the vegetables. The arsenic concentration in fleshy vegetable material is low (mean 2.72 microg/kg, n=45). Higher levels of arsenic were observed in cooked items compared with raw. Daily dietary intakes of arsenic (microg) from the foodstuffs for adults are 171.20 and 189.13 and for children are 91.89 and 101.63 in the Jalangi and Domkal blocks, respectively.     

Methods for estimating heterocyclic amine concentrations in cooked meats in the US diet.

Heterocyclic amines (HAs) are formed in numerous cooked foods commonly consumed in the diet. A method was developed to estimate dietary HA levels using HA concentrations in experimentally cooked meats reported in the literature and meat consumption data obtained from a national dietary survey. Cooking variables (meat internal temperature and weight loss, surface temperature and time) were used to develop relationships for estimating total HA concentrations in six meat types. Concentrations of five individual HAs were estimated for specific meat type/cooking method combinations based on linear regression of total and individual HA values obtained from the literature. Using these relationships, total and individual HA concentrations were estimated for 21 meat type/cooking method combinations at four meat doneness levels. Reported consumption of the 21 meat type/cooking method combinations was obtained from a national dietary survey and the age-specific daily HA intake calculated using the estimated HA concentrations (ng/g) and reported meat intakes. Estimated mean daily total HA intakes for children (to age 15 years) and adults (30+ years) were 11 and 7.0 ng/kg/day, respectively, with 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) estimated to comprise approximately 65% of each intake. Pan-fried meats were the largest source of HA in the diet and chicken the largest source of HAs among the different meat types.     

An absorption study of dietary administered acrylamide in swine.

Acrylamide is a food toxicant suspected to be carcinogenic to humans. It is formed in the heat processing of carbohydrate-rich food. A current issue in food safety is whether acrylamide actually represents a risk for human health. At present, available information is insufficient to reach any conclusions. Inter alias, a still unclear matter is the fraction of acrylamide ingested by food that is absorbed and metabolized. This study compared the in vivo relative absorption of acrylamide formed in cooked food with that of the pure compound dissolved in drinking water using the pig (25 Italian Large White females) as the animal model. Acrylamide intakes of about 0.8 and 8 microg kg(-1) pig body wt day(-1) equal to one and ten times, respectively, the maximum average acrylamide daily intake for humans from the diet (expressed on a body wt basis) in industrialized countries, were chosen for the study. Adducts with the N-terminal valine of haemoglobin formed by acrylamide and its epoxide metabolite glycidamide, were used as exposure markers. Analyses were carried out by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry following in-house method validation. Both for the low and the high dose regimen, the glycidamide adduct levels in swine globins were lower of the limit of quantification of the method. As concerns acrylamide adducts, it was found that the relative absorption of acrylamide from feed and water was the same and that there is a direct proportionality between the adduct concentration and acrylamide intake.     

Intake of chemical contaminants through fish and seafood consumption by children of Catalonia, Spain: health risks.

The intake of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs), polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated diphenylethers (PCDEs), hexachlorobenzene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons through fish and seafood consumption by children of Catalonia, Spain, was assessed. In 2005, samples of the 14 most consumed marine species in Catalonia were randomly acquired in various cities of the country. Analysis of the above chemical contaminants were determined according to the appropriate analytical techniques and the daily intakes were estimated. For most pollutants, intake was higher in boys than in girls. Average exposure of children to contaminants through fish and seafood consumption did not exceed the respective tolerable daily intake of those pollutants for which it has been already established (metals, PCDD/Fs plus dioxin-like PCBs, HCB, and PAHs). In relation to body weight, intake by children of most contaminants was higher than that found for other age groups of the general population of Catalonia.     

Dietary intake of acrylamide in Sweden.

High levels of acrylamide have been found in foods heated at high temperatures, especially in carbohydrate rich foods. Several kinds of foods (industrially produced) representing different food/product groups available on the Swedish market have been analysed for acrylamide. A considerable variation in levels of acrylamide between single foodstuffs (different brands) within food categories were found, which also applies for levels in different food categories. Using recent Swedish food consumption data the dietary intake of acrylamide for the Swedish adult population was assessed based on foodstuffs with low to high levels of acrylamide (<30-2300 microg/kg), such as processed potato products, bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits, cookies, snacks and coffee. The estimated dietary intake of acrylamide per person (total population) given as the 5th, 50th and 95th percentile were 9.1, 27 and 62 microg/day respectively, from those food/product groups (mean 31 microg/day). No acrylamide was found in many other foodstuffs analysed and those were therefore not included in the dietary intake assessment of acrylamide. However, an additional minor contribution of a few microg/day of acrylamide from foods/products like poultry, meat, fish, cocoa powder and chocolates cannot be excluded. An average daily intake of 35 microg corresponds to 0.5 microg per kg body weight and day (body weight 70 kg). Risk assessments of acrylamide, made by US EPA and WHO, imply that this dietary intake of acrylamide could be associated with potential health risks.     

Short-term toxicity study of carnauba wax in rats

Groups of 15 male and 15 female rats were fed diet containing 0 (control), 1, 5 or 10% carnauba wax or 10% cellulose powder for 13 wk and groups of five rats of each sex were given these treatments, except the 1% carnauba wax, for 2 or 6 wk. Rats given 10% carnauba wax or 10% cellulose consumed more food than the controls but showed no differences in body weight, an effect attributed to the dilution of the diet by non-nutrient test materials. The study showed no treatment-related differences in body weights, water intakes, haematological values, serum-enzyme activities, urinary concentration and 'dilution' tests, organ weights or histological findings. The no-untoward-effect level for carnauba wax in the diet was 10%, which represented a mean intake of approximately 8.8 and 10.2 g/kg body weight/day in males and females, respectively.     

Intake of dioxins and related compounds from food in the U.S. population

The first U.S. nationwide food sampling with measurement of dioxins, dibenzofurans, and coplanar, mono-ortho and di-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is reported in this study. Twelve separate analyses were conducted on 110 food samples divided into pooled lots by category. The samples were purchased in 1995 in supermarkets in Atlanta, GA, Binghamton, NY, Chicago, IL, Louisville, KY, and San Diego, CA. Human milk also was collected to estimate nursing infants' consumption. The food category with highest World Health Organization (WHO) dioxin toxic equivalent (TEQ) concentration was farm-grown freshwater fish fillet with 1.7 pg/g, or parts per trillion (ppt), wet, or whole, weight. The category with the lowest TEQ level was a simulated vegandiet, with 0.09 ppt. TEQ concentrations in ocean fish, beef, chicken, pork, sandwich meat, eggs, cheese, and ice cream, as well as human milk, were in the range O.33 to 0.51 ppt, wet weight. In whole dairy milk TEQ was 0.16 ppt, and in butter 1.1 ppt. Mean daily intake of TEQ for U.S. breast-fed infants during the first year of life was estimated at 42 pg/kg body weight. For children aged 1-11 yr the estimated daily TEQ intake was 6.2 pg/kg body weight. For males and females aged 12-19 yr, the estimated TEQ intake was 3.5 and 2.7 pg/kg body weight, respectively. For adult men and women aged 20-79 yr, estimated mean daily TEQ intakes were 2.4 and 2.2 pg/kg body weight, respectively. Estimated mean daily intake of TEQ declined with age to a low of 1.9 pg/kg body weight at age 80 yr and older. For all ages except 80 yr and over, estimates were higher for males than females. For adults, dioxins, dibenzofurans, and PCBs contributed 42%, 30%, and 28% of dietary TEQ intake, respectively. DDE was also analyzed in the pooled food samples.     

Reduction of fat and protein intakes but not carbohydrate intake following acute and chronic fluoxetine in female rats.

Fluoxetine hydrochloride, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, leads to reductions in food intake and body weight and is under investigation as a possible treatment for obesity. Additionally, it has been suggested that fluoxetine administration could lead to a selective suppression in carbohydrate consumption. Because women more often than men seek weight reduction treatment, the present study examined the acute and chronic effects of fluoxetine on food intake, macronutrient selection, body weight, estrous cycle, and motor activity in female rats. Female Long-Evans rats were provided with separate sources of protein, fat and carbohydrate, and nutrient intakes were recorded following single (5.0, 10.0, and 20.0 mg/kg, IP) and chronic daily (10 mg/kg for 28 days) injections of fluoxetine. Acute and chronic administration of fluoxetine significantly reduced total caloric intake when compared to vehicle treatment. Moreover, fluoxetine significantly suppressed fat and protein intakes, but not carbohydrate intake following both acute and chronic drug administration. Animals chronically treated with fluoxetine gained significantly less weight than animals treated with vehicle. Chronic fluoxetine treatment did not significantly alter estrous cycle. However, in both fluoxetine- and vehicle-treated animals, total caloric intake, and carbohydrate and protein intakes were reduced and fat intake was increased when estrogen levels were high. Fluoxetine significantly reduced motor activity up to 4 h postinjection, and increased motor activity 24 h postinjection.     

Teratogenic potential of purified pentachlorophenol and pentachloroanisole in subchronically exposed Sprague-Dawley rats

Male and female Sprague-Dawley (Spartan) rats were exposed to dietary levels of 0, 60, 200 or 600 ppm purified pentachlorophenol (PCP) or pentachloroanisole (PCA) for 181 days, through mating and pregnancy. The daily intakes of PCP were 0, 4, 13 or 43 mg/kg body weight and of PCA were 0, 4, 12 or 41 mg/kg body weight. Animals exposed to PCP generally consumed more food than control animals during pregnancy. Dams at the high-dose level of both compounds showed evidence of toxicity, weighing less on day 0 of gestation and gaining less throughout pregnancy than did the controls. Dams exposed to the high dose of PCP gained less weight during pregnancy (exclusive of the gravid uterus) than control dams. At the 43 mg/kg/day dose level PCP was embryolethal. Foetuses at the lower dose levels of PCP exhibited dose-related decreases in body weights. A reduction in crown-rump length and an increase in foetal skeletal variations were seen at 13 mg/kg/day in PCP animals only. An intake of 41 mg PCA/kg/day was associated with a decrease in the number of corpora lutea and in embryolethality. PCA exposure also resulted in reductions in foetal body weight and crown-rump lengths of males at 4 and 41 mg/kg/day. Female foetuses were unaffected.     

Effects of naltrexone on food intake and body weight gain in olanzapine-treated rats

Blockade of opioidergic neurotransmission contributes to reduction in body weight. However, how such blockade affects body weight gain (BWG) attributed to second generation antipsychotic agents (SGAs) has not yet been established. Here we examined the effects of an opioid receptor antagonist, naltrexone (NTX), on food intake and BWG associated with an SGA, olanzapine (OL). Four groups of Wistar Han IGS rats were treated for 28 days with either OL (2 mg/kg twice daily, intraperitoneal (IP)), a combination of OL (2 mg/kg twice daily, IP) + extended-release NTX (50 mg/kg, one-time, intramuscular (IM)), extended-release NTX (50 mg/kg, one-time, IM) or vehicle and their food intake and body weight were measured daily for the first nine days and every other day thereafter. Food intake and BWG that were increased by OL were decreased by the added NTX while NTX alone had no significant effects on food intake or on BWG. Plasma leptin concentrations were significantly elevated in the three groups receiving pharmacological agents, but did not differ among each other, suggesting that changes in leptin secretion and/or clearance alone would not explain the food intake and the body weight findings. Our results extend prior reports on anorexigenic effects of opioid antagonists by demonstrating that such effects may generalize to food intake increases and BWG arising in the context of OL pharmacotherapy.     

Effects of a chronic administration of two benzodiazepines on food intake in rats given a highly palatable diet

Chronic administration of benzodiazepines is known to increase food intake in numerous species. But this effect has been studied only after a unique daily injection and over a short part of the 24 hr cycle. In the present study, during 28 days, drugs were administered to rats receiving ordinary chow or a highly palatable diet (cafeteria diet): diazepam (DZ) (2.5 mg/kg IP) twice a day, or brotizolam (BR) (1 mg/kg IP), a longer acting compound, once a day. In the chow fed rats, DZ and BR provoked a post injection hyperphagia throughout the study, followed by a compensatory hypophagia resulting in 24 hr food intakes not different from those of controls; conversely neither body weight nor weight of fat pads were increased. The cafeteria diet provoked hyperphagia and overweight. DZ did not induce any supplementary hyperphagia. BR provoked a post injection hyperphagia, also compensated in time, resulting again in 24 hr food intakes, body weight gains and weight of fat pads not increased compared to those of cafeteria controls. Thus in the rat, benzodiazepine treatment increases food intake, but only acutely, and does not provoke any trend toward obesity.     

The effects of chronic intraperitoneal administration of the GABA B receptor agonist baclofen on food intake in rats

This study was undertaken to examine the effects of repeated administration of the GABA(B) receptor agonist baclofen on food intake in male Wistar rats. In the 1st Experiment, the effects of daily administration of physiological saline and baclofen (2 mg/kg, i.p.) for 27 days were investigated on food intake and body weight in non-deprived rats (n=6 in each group). Baclofen significantly (P<0.05) increased cumulative food intake each day over the treatment period during the 60 min measurement period following administration. Tolerance did not develop to the short-term hyperphagic effect of baclofen over the course of the experiment. In addition, treatment with baclofen did not alter body weight of the animals over the 27 day treatment period when compared with the saline control rats. In the 2nd Experiment, the effects of acute and chronic administration of baclofen (2 mg/kg) were investigated on 24 h food intake in rats. The rats were injected daily for 21 days with either saline (n=6) or baclofen (n=6). Food intake was measured in 30 min time bins for 24 h on treatment Days 1, 12 and 21 following injection. The results showed that while baclofen produced short-term increases in food consumption following injection on treatment Days 1, 12 and 21, the daily (24 h) food intake of the animals was not significantly different from those of control rats. Thus, these data reveal that while chronic administration of baclofen (2 mg/kg) produces short-term increases in feeding without the development of tolerance, daily (24 h) food consumption is not affected. These findings are consistent with the observation that chronic administration of baclofen (2 mg/kg) had no effect on the body weight of these animals.     

Effects of chronic haloperidol treatment on ingestive behaviour and body weight regulation in the rat

This study was designed to investigate the effects of two doses of haloperidol on body weight, food spillage and food and water intake using rats as subjects. In the first experiment, 12 male Wistar albino rats were observed in individual cages for 30 days, six receiving a daily injection of haloperidol (1 mg/kg IP in 1 ml/kg isotonic saline), while the other six received a control injection of isotonic saline in the experimental phase. In the second experiment, 12 rats were observed for 9 days in individual cages, six receiving a daily injection of 10 mg/kg haloperidol in 4 ml/kg isotonic saline in the experimental phase. In both studies, haloperidol depressed food intake and food spillage. With the lower dose of haloperidol (1 mg/kg), body weight was not depressed until several days after a significant reduction of food intake had been recorded. With the higher dose (10 mg/kg), body weight was depressed during the first 24 h, but quickly returned to normal, although food intake remained depressed. It is suggested that haloperidol may have a limited facilitatory effect on body weight.     

Excursions of Intake above ADI: Case Study on Cadmium

High oral intake of cadmium via food or drink in a single dose by humans gives rise to vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Concentrations of cadmium in drinks giving rise to such symptoms have been 16 mg/liter and higher corresponding to doses of 3 mg and higher. Longer term intakes of food (rice) with concentrations around 1 mg/kg corresponding to daily intakes of 600 μg have given rise to some less pronounced symptoms including signs of malabsorption. Reproductive and developmental effects have been observed in animal experiments at oral and other exposures. The present provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) for Cd is 500 μg (a weekly intake of 7 μg/kg body wt), corresponding to a daily intake of 70 μg or 1 μg per kg body wt. Recent data demonstrating renal dysfunction in humans at even lower lifelong oral exposures indicate that the PTWI needs to be lowered in the future. An estimated lowest-observed-adverse-effect level (LOAEL) for symptoms from the gastrointestinal tract in humans after intake of a single oral dose is 43 μg/kg body wt. If a safety factor of 3–10 is used based on LOAEL, a tolerable single dose would be 0.3–1 mg (4 to 14 μg/kg body wt). For longer time exposures (months–a few years) daily intakes of 200 μg (3 μg/kg body wt) may be tolerated without obvious gastrointestinal symptoms or signs. At present, there is no convincing human evidence that such doses can cause reproductive or developmental effects, but since such effects have been reported in animals, it may be advisable not to exceed a daily intake of 1 μg/kg body wt for such potentially sensitive subsections of the population as children and women who are pregnant or lactating. Any excursions above the PTWI need to be compensated for by a corresponding period with intake below the PTWI in order for the cumulative dose to be low enough to avoid the long-term effects of cadmium on the kidney.     

Dietary behavior of French men according to alcohol drinking pattern

Relationships of alcohol consumption with diet were studied in 216 French men aged 18-44. The sample was divided on the basis of alcohol intake in the preceding 7 days: controls (less than or equal to 43 g/day), moderate drinkers (44-87 g/day) and heavy drinkers (88-200 g/day). Moderate and heavy drinkers consumed more meat and meat products, bread and toast, dried vegetables and potatoes than controls but fewer nonalcoholic drinks and less milk, yogurt, cooked vegetables, raw and cooked fruits, pastries and confectioneries. Total energy intake was higher in drinkers than in controls but nonalcoholic energy intake was not significantly different; alcohol was simply added to food intake. Moderate and heavy drinkers consumed significantly less carbohydrates but more fat and protein than controls. Vitamins A and C intakes were lower in the moderate and heavy drinkers than in controls but folate and iron intakes were higher. The differences in dietary habits between controls and drinkers were not related to age nor to socioprofessional status since after adjustment for these two parameters the same relationships were still found.     

Methoxyflurane-induced nephrotoxicity: Influence of food intake on some biochemical indicators of renal function in Fischer 344 rats

The effect of methoxyflurane (MOF) anesthesia on food and water intake was measured in Fischer 344 rats which had been placed in an inhlation chamber containing 0.5% MOF for exposure times up to 6 hr. Pair-fed control rats were used to determine the role food intake plays in the renal toxicity observed after MOF administration. MOF anesthesia caused a dose-related decrease in the daily food consumption, body weight, and urinary osmolality, and an increase in the daily water intake and 24-hr urine volume. Administration of 0.5% MOF caused the daily food consumption to drop from 16.1 to 0.5 g/day/rat. Restricting the amount of food consumed per day by sham-treated Fischer 344 rats caused a decrease in body weight, daily water intake, and urine osmolality without changing the 24-hr urine volume (food deprivation for periods greater than 2 days resulted in a significant reduction in the 24-hr urine output). In MOF-treated rats, the increase in urine volume occurred prior to the increase in water intake. The loss in body weight and the decrease in excretion of solutes in the urine was the same for MOF-treated and pair-fed rats. The polyuria and polydipsia in MOF-treated rats was a result of the treatment unrelated to changes in daily food consumption.