Conjugated linoleic acid supplementation for 1 y reduces body fat mass in healthy overweight humans

BACKGROUND: Short-term trials showed that conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) may reduce body fat mass (BFM) and increase lean body mass (LBM), but the long-term effect of CLA was not examined. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to ascertain the 1-y effect of CLA on body composition and safety in healthy overweight adults consuming an ad libitum diet. DESIGN: Male and female volunteers (n = 180) with body mass indexes (in kg/m(2)) of 25-30 were included in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Subjects were randomly assigned to 3 groups: CLA-free fatty acid (FFA), CLA-triacylglycerol, or placebo (olive oil). Change in BFM, as measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included the effects of CLA on LBM, adverse events, and safety variables. RESULTS: Mean (+/- SD) BFM in the CLA-triacylglycerol and CLA-FFA groups was 8.7 +/- 9.1% and 6.9 +/- 9.1%, respectively, lower than that in the placebo group (P < 0.001). Subjects receiving CLA-FFA had 1.8 +/- 4.3% greater LBM than did subjects receiving placebo (P = 0.002). These changes were not associated with diet or exercise. LDL increased in the CLA-FFA group (P = 0.008), HDL decreased in the CLA-triacylglycerol group (P = 0.003), and lipoprotein(a) increased in both CLA groups (P < 0.001) compared with month 0. Fasting blood glucose concentrations remained unchanged in all 3 groups. Glycated hemoglobin rose in all groups from month 0 concentrations, but there was no significant difference between groups. Adverse events did not differ significantly between groups. CONCLUSION: Long-term supplementation with CLA-FFA or CLA-triacylglycerol reduces BFM in healthy overweight adults.     

Modulation of the arachidonic cascade with omega3 fatty acids or analogues: potential therapeutic benefits

Increasing interest in the role of omega3 fatty acids has arisen in these latest years since evidence of their implication in the cardioprotective fish based diet of the Inuit has been demonstrated. Furthermore, several in vitro, in vivo and epidemiological studies support the benefit of this fatty acids intake in various pathological states such as in the cardiovascular, cancer, inflammation, psychiatric, paediatric, pulmonary, dermatological and ophthalmologic fields. This review will focus on metabolism and pharmacological implication of omega3 fatty acids intake as well as its interest in the prevention or treatment of the above-mentioned pathologies.     

Evidence-based physical activity promotion - HEPA Europe, the European Network for the Promotion of Health-Enhancing Physical Activity

There has been a world-wide increase in scientific interest in health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA). The importance of a physically active lifestyle has now been well established both on the individual and on the population level. At the same time, physical inactivity has become a global problem. While sports for all has a long history, only a few examples of long-term integrated physical activity promotion strategies have been in place in Europe until recently, namely in Finland, the Netherlands and England. A number of countries have now begun to develop their own activities. However, there has been a noticeable lack of a platform for sharing the development and implementation of evidence-based policies and strategies. In order to fill this gap, HEPA Europe, the European Network for the Promotion of Health-Enhancing Physical Activity, was founded in May 2005 in Gerlev, Denmark. The goal of the network is to strengthen and support efforts and actions that increase participation in physical activity and improve the conditions favourable to a healthy lifestyle, in particular with respect to HEPA. The Network is working closely with the WHO Regional Office for Europe (). The network focuses on population-based approaches for the promotion of HEPA, using the best-available scientific evidence, and is currently implementing its first projects. HEPA Europe has established collaboration with EU Commission projects and Agita Mundo. Priorities for future work have been defined, and interested organisations and institutions have the opportunity to join the network and participate in the process.Members of the Steering Committee of HEPA Europe.Representatives of the European Commission Working Party on Lifestyle (DM, MS), and the European Commission Network Project Task Force on Public Health Nutrition and Physical Activity (JMO, HR, JMZ, DM, PO, MS).     

Blood flow variation in human muscle during electrically stimulated exercise bouts

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate, with a high spatial resolution, the blood flow variations in human skeletal muscle during neuromuscular electric stimulation (NMES) and hence to gain better understanding of the mechanisms of muscle spatial recruitment during NMES. DESIGN: One thigh was submitted to 3 stimulation bouts of different durations (S1=4min, S2=8min, S3=12min) with a workload corresponding to 10% of quadriceps maximal isometric voluntary torque. SETTING: A cyclotron research center at a Belgian university. PARTICIPANTS: Ten healthy male volunteers. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants were studied with positron emission tomography and H(2)(15)O. Tissue blood flow was evaluated during the last 4 minutes of each stimulation bout in multiple regions of interest (ROIs) selected in the transverse section of the stimulated thigh. RESULTS: Mean tissue blood flow was significantly lower during S1 (5.9+/-1.3mL. min(-1). 100g(-1)) than during S2 (10.6+/-3.4mL. min(-1). 100g(-1)) and S3 (11.6+/-3.7mL. min(-1). 100g(-1)) (P<.05). For each ROI, an arbitrary tissue blood flow activation level of 5mLmin(-1)100g(-1) was fixed. The mean percentage of activated ROIs reached 42.4%, 62.7%, and 63.6% during S1, S2, and S3, respectively. Between S1 and S3, the newly recruited ROIs were preferentially located far from the electrode. CONCLUSION: During NMES, new muscular regions situated far from the stimulation site are recruited. These recruitment mechanisms are particular and contrast with the recruitment of motor units seen during voluntary contraction.     

Effect of interferon alpha-ribavirin bitherapy on cytochrome P450 1A2 and 2D6 and N-acetyltransferase-2 activities in patients with chronic active hepatitis C

BACKGROUND: Interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) is thought to be responsible for cytochrome P450 (CYP)-dependent drug interactions mediated by a decrease in CYP activities. OBJECTIVES: The objectives are to determine whether IFN-alpha and ribavirin can alter pretreatment CYP1A2, CYP2D6, CYP3A4 and N-acetyltransferase-2 activities after 1 month of treatment. METHODS: Enzymatic activities were determined among 14 patients with chronic active hepatitis C before IFN-alpha (3. 10(6) U, 3 times a week) and ribavirin introduction and after 1 month of treatment. During both study periods, subjects received 80 mg dextromethorphan and 140 mg caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine [137X]). CYP3A4, CYP2D6, and NAT2 activities were assessed by use of urinary metabolic ratios of 3-methoxymorphinan/dextromethorphan, dextrorphan/dextromethorphan, and 5-acetylamino-6-formylamino-3-methyluracil (AFMU)/1-methylxanthine(1X). The plasma paraxanthine/caffeine ratio was used to measure CYP1A2 activity. RESULTS: CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 activities tended to increase after 1 month of antiviral therapy, but the change did not reach statistical significance. CYP1A2 and NAT2 activities were not significantly modified after 1 month of antiviral treatment. Pretreatment activities were significantly lower than those previously observed in healthy volunteers for CYP2D6 (mean +/- SD, 148 +/- 139 versus 759 +/- 692; P =.0008) and CYP3A4 (0.18 +/- 0.06 versus 0.52 +/- 0.72; P =.0006). This difference was no longer statistically significant after 1 month of treatment, because CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 activities improved in 7 patients. CONCLUSION: In patients with chronic hepatitis C, pretreatment CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 activities were significantly lower than those observed in healthy volunteers. These differences disappeared after 1 month of antiviral treatment because of the restoration of these CYP activities in about half of the patients.     

Fluticasone propionate inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced proinflammatory response in human cystic fibrosis airway grafts

Airway inflammation, one of the major factors leading to lung damage in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, is associated with an abnormal increase in proinflammatory cytokines. In this work, we demonstrate the increased release of the proinflammatory cytokines after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation: human interleukin (hIL)-8 in CF and non-CF airway xenografts, and hIL-6 and human growth-related oncogene-alpha (hGRO-alpha), which could be only analyzed in non-CF xenografts. Under basal conditions, we observed that hIL-8 was higher in CF xenografts compared with non-CF. We also report the anti-inflammatory effect of a glucocorticoid, fluticasone propionate (FP), on CF airway epithelium using a humanized model of airway inflammation developed in nude mice. In CF and non-CF tracheal xenografts, airway inflammation was induced by inoculating Pseudomonas aeruginosa LPS (4 h; 1 microg/ml) in the lumen of the xenografts. FP pretreatment (2 h; 10(-8) M) followed by P. aeruginosa LPS stimulation induced a significant reduction of LPS-induced hIL-8 release in airway liquid collected from CF and non-CF tracheal xenografts (85 and 80%, respectively). In non-CF tracheal xenografts, FP treatment before LPS stimulation induced a significant decrease in hIL-6 and hGRO-alpha. From these data, we suggest that FP exerts anti-inflammatory properties that may be appropriate to CF therapy, at an early stage of the disease. In addition, these results demonstrate that the humanized airway model of inflammation provides a relevant tool for analyzing the effects of anti-inflammatory drugs in different diseases in which airway inflammation is implicated.