Effects of dairy food supplements on bone mineral density in teenage girls

Summary Background Bone mineral density (BMD) is largely genetically determined and this influence is most powerful in the period of rapid skeletal development in childhood and late adolescence but environmental factors such as exercise and dietary calcium intake may influence up to 20%. Aims of the study The aims of the study were to examine healthy late adolescent females for the effects and benefits of a high calcium intake from dairy product foods on bone mineral density, body composition, lipids and biochemistry. The secondary aim is determine whether a high intake of dairy product foods in the diet is acceptable for this age group long term. Methods Ninety-one teenage girls who participated in a two-year randomised controlled study on the effect of dairy food supplementation on dietary patterns, body composition and bone density in post-pubertal teenage girls were approached one year after the cessation of the study to determine the effects of the cessation of dairy supplements on bone mineral density, dietary habits, biochemical markers, body composition and blood lipids. Bone mineral density and bone mineral content were assessed at the hip, spine and total body. Anthropometric data were collected, and exercise, Tanner, dietary assessment, preference and compliance questionnaires were administered. Lipid profiles, hydroxyproline excretion and urinary calcium and sodium excretion measurements were performed. Results There were no significant differences between the 2 groups for height, weight, lean and fat mass. The supplemented group had significantly higher calcium, phosphorus and protein intake during the supplementation period (p<0.001). No differences were seen between the groups 12 months after supplementation finished. There were no significant differences in exercise level, preference or acceptability of dairy products or in the lipids and bone markers between baseline the end of supplementation and 1 year follow-up. There was a significant increase in trochanter (4.6%), lumbar spine (1.5%) and femoral neck (4.8%) BMD (p<0.05) in the high calcium group at the end of supplementation. There was an increase in bone mineral content at the trochanter (p<0.05) and lumbar spine; however the latter was not statistically significant, in the high calcium group at the end of supplementation. There was no difference in vertebral height or width at any stage of the study, indicating no influence on bone size. Conclusions In this 3 year study (2 years of supplementation, 1 year follow-up), teenage girls, aged 15–18 years, were able to significantly increase their BMD at the trochanter, femoral neck and lumbar spine when supplemented with dairy product foods to a mean calcium intake of 1160 mg/d. There was also an effect seen on the BMC particularly at the trochanter and to a lesser extent at the lumbar spine. The dietary calcium intake achieved did not adversely affect body weight, fat and lean mass or blood lipid profiles. Twelve months after the supplementation finished the girls had returned to their baseline diet, indicating self-selection of a high dairy product diet may be hard to achieve. Received: 5 June 2000, Accepted: 5 September 2000     

Long-term treatment and management of violent tendencies of men with intellectual disabilities convicted of assault

Success of anger management treatment with individuals who have intellectual disabilities convicted of assault-related offenses has not been verified. We employed a single case design with repeated measures with 6 such men. Recidivism is reported at least 4.5 years and up to 10 years. Modified anger management training incorporating cognitive restructuring and arousal reduction was employed. Participants showed no uniform reductions in emotional or behavioral systems of anger and aggression. Although several retained significant anger feelings, there were reductions in the extent to which they would act in an aggressive fashion. Five have not re-offended; 1 re-offended within 6 months but not in the subsequent 4 years. Anger management treatment seems effective for men with intellectual disabilities in the community who have committed socially and legally unacceptable acts.     

Parent influences in the transmission of eating and weight related values and behaviors

Early adolescent boys (n = 587) and girls (n = 619) and a parent completed questionnaires, that assessed child dieting behaviors, body dissatisfaction and tendency to overeat, child's current and ideal size, mother and father dieting, and encouragement of the child to diet.     

Caveolin-1 expression is maintained in rat and human astroglioma cell lines

Caveolin-1 is the principal structural and functional component of caveolae, a plasmalemmal compartment that has been proposed to sequester lipid and protein components that participate in transmembrane signal transduction processes. Multiple studies reveal a reduction in the expression level of caveolin-1 mRNA and protein in many carcinomas as well as transformed cells. The human caveolin-1 gene is localized to a suspected tumor suppressor locus (7q31.1). Collectively, these data have been taken to imply that caveolin-1 may function in a tumor suppressor capacity. To determine if a reduction in the expression level of caveolin-1 mRNA and protein accompanied the transformation of astrocytes, we undertook studies of two transformed rat astroglial cell lines, C6 and DI TNC(1), as well as several cell lines derived from human glioblastoma tumors: T98G, U87MG, U118MG, U138MG, and U373MG. Ultrastructural, immunolocalization, immunoblot, and Northern blot analyses demonstrated that caveolin-1 message and protein were expressed in all rat and human glioma cells. The localization pattern, buoyant density, and detergent-insolubility property of caveolin-1 protein were indistinguishable from that determined for nontransformed type 1 astrocytes in culture. Nucleotide sequence analyses of caveolin-1 cDNAs indicate that mutations are not present in the caveolin-1 sequence in any of the glioma cell types. Taken together with previous analyses, these data indicate that, at least for astrocytes, the process of transformation in and of itself is not solely sufficient to reduce the level of caveolin-1 expression, and that caveolin-1 expression in and of itself is not solely sufficient to prevent the acquisition of a transformed phenotype.     

Deficiency of either cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 or COX-2 alters epidermal differentiation and reduces mouse skin tumorigenesis

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are widely reported to inhibit carcinogenesis in humans and in rodents. These drugs are believed to act by inhibiting one or both of the known isoforms of cyclooxygenase (COX). However, COX-2, and not COX-1, is the isoform most frequently reported to have a key role in tumor development. Here we report that homozygous deficiency of either COX-1 or COX-2 reduces skin tumorigenesis by 75% in a multistage mouse skin model. Reduced tumorigenesis was observed even though the levels of stable 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-DNA adducts were increased about 2-fold in the COX-deficient mice compared with wild-type mice. The premature onset of keratinocyte terminal differentiation appeared to be the cellular event leading to the reduced tumorigenesis because keratin 1 and keratin 10, two keratins that indicate the commitment of keratinocytes to differentiate, were expressed 8-13-fold and 10-20-fold more frequently in epidermal basal cells of the COX-1-deficient and COX-2-deficient mice, respectively, than in wild-type mice. Papillomas on the COX-deficient mice also displayed the premature onset of keratinocyte terminal differentiation. However, loricrin, a late marker of epidermal differentiation, was not significantly altered, suggesting that it was the early stages of keratinocyte differentiation that were primarily affected by COX deficiency. Because keratin 5, a keratin associated with basal cells, was detected differently in papillomas of COX-1-deficient as compared with COX-2-deficient mice, it appears that the isoforms do not have identical roles in papilloma development. Interestingly, apoptosis, a cellular process associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced inhibition of tumorigenesis, was not significantly altered in the epidermis or in papillomas of the COX-deficient mice. Thus, both COX-1 and COX-2 have roles in keratinocyte differentiation, and we propose that the absence of either isoform causes premature terminal differentiation of initiated keratinocytes and reduced tumor formation.     

Nitrogen assimilation and growth of wheat under elevated carbon dioxide

Simultaneous measurements of CO(2) and O(2) fluxes from wheat (Triticum aestivum) shoots indicated that short-term exposures to elevated CO(2) concentrations diverted photosynthetic reductant from NO(3)(-) or NO(2)(-) reduction to CO(2) fixation. With longer exposures to elevated CO(2), wheat leaves showed a diminished capacity for NO(3)(-) photoassimilation at any CO(2) concentration. Moreover, high bicarbonate levels impeded NO(2)(-) translocation into chloroplasts isolated from wheat or pea leaves. These results support the hypothesis that elevated CO(2) inhibits NO(3)(-) photoassimilation. Accordingly, when wheat plants received NO(3)(-) rather than NH(4)(+) as a nitrogen source, CO(2) enhancement of shoot growth halved and CO(2) inhibition of shoot protein doubled. This result will likely have major implications for the ability of wheat to use NO(3)(-) as a nitrogen source under elevated CO(2).     

Comparison of effects of anandamide at recombinant and endogenous rat vanilloid receptors

Background. Anandamide, an endogenous lipid, activates bothcannabinoid (CB₁) and vanilloid (VR1) receptors, both of whichare co-expressed in rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells. Activationof either receptor results in analgesia but the relative contributionof CB₁ and VR1 in anandamide-induced analgesia remains controversial.Here we compare the in vitro pharmacology of recombinant andendogenous VR1 receptors using calcium imaging, in clonal andDRG cells, respectively. We also consider the contribution ofCB₁ and VR1 receptors to anandamide-induced analgesia. Methods. Using a Flurometric Imaging Plate Reader (FLIPR^TM),calcium imaging has been used to study the effects of severalvanilloid and cannabinoid ligands in rat VR1-transfected HEK293(rVR1-HEK) cells and in DRG cells. The effect of pre-exposureof several vanilloid and cannabinoids has also been comparedin DRG cells. Results. The VR1 agonists capsaicin, olvanil, (N-(4-hydroxyphenyl-arachinoylamide)(AM404) and anandamide caused a concentration-dependent increasein intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca²⁺]_i), with similartemporal profiles in both rVR1-HEK and DRG cells, and potency(pEC₅₀) values of 8.25 (SEM 0.11), 8.37 (0.04), 6.96 (0.06),5.85 (0.01) and 7.45 (0.10), 7.55 (0.07), 6.10 (0.13), approximately5.5, respectively. These responses were inhibited by the VR1antagonist capsazepine (1 µM). In contrast, applicationof synthetic cannabinoid antagonists failed to inhibit the anandamide-inducedincrease in [Ca²⁺]_i. Reapplication of VR1 agonists significantlyinhibited a subsequent challenge to either capsaicin or anandamidein either cell type, whilst pre-exposure to cannabinoid agonistswere without effect. Conclusion. Here we provide evidence that the pharmacology ofrecombinant rVR1 receptors is similar to those endogenouslyexpressed in DRG cells. Moreover, we have shown that VR1, butnot CB₁, receptors are involved in anandamide-induced responsesin dorsal root primary neurones in vitro. Therefore, the analgesicproperties of anandamide are likely to be mediated, at leastin part, by VR1 activation in DRG cells in vivo. Br J Anaesth 2002; 89: 882–7     

A multi-dimensional model of clinical utility.

Clinical utility is an increasingly used concept in health care, but one that lacks an agreed formal definition or conceptualization. In this article, I show that the term is commonly used as a synonym for studies of clinical effectiveness and/or economic evaluations and argue that further factors relating to everyday working practice should be included under its auspices. I go on to develop a multi-dimensional model that outlines four factors in practitioners' judgements about clinical utility: appropriateness, accessibility, practicability, and acceptability.     

Association of a functional polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene with anxiety-related temperament and behavior problems in children: a longitudinal study from infancy to the mid-teens

A polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) has been associated with anxiety-related personality traits in adults. Initial studies showed that the short allele was associated with higher neuroticism, anxiety and harm avoidance. However, most attempts to replicate these findings have been negative. Because the association of candidate polymorphisms with behavioral traits may vary with stage of development, we investigated the association using participants in a longitudinal study of childhood temperament. DNA was available for 660 children who had been assessed for temperament from 4-8 months to 15-16 years, and for behaviour problems from 3-4 years to 15-16 years. No significant associations were found at most ages. However, at ages 13-14 years and 15-16 years, the long/long genotype was associated with higher anxiety. These findings do not support an association of the short allele with anxiety-related traits in early life.