Day-to-Day Variation in Food Intake and Energy Expenditure in Healthy Women: The Dietitian II Study

Because day-to-day food intake varies, we tested the hypothesis that ad libitum food intake and energy expenditure show corrective responses over periods of 1 to 10 days in healthy young women. Food intake and accelerometry measurements were collected daily for 17 days in 15 young women. Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) using doubly labeled water was also measured. The daily deviations in macronutrient and energy intake and energy expenditure from the average values were compared with the deviations observed over succeeding intervals to estimate the corrective responses. The intraindividual coefficients of variation for energy intake averaged ±25%, ranging from 16% to 34%. TDEE had a coefficient of variation of 8.3%, and accelerometry had a coefficient of variation of 8.4% (range=4.6% to 16.4%). Energy expenditure by accelerometry (2,087±191 kcal/day) was not significantly different from TDEE (2,128±177 kcal/day), but reported daily energy intake was 20.4% lower (1,693±276 kcal/day). There were significant corrective responses in energy from fat and total energy intake. This occurred from Days 3 to 6, with a peak at Day 5 that disappeared when data were randomized within each subject. Human beings show corrective responses to deviations from average energy and macronutrient intakes with a lag time of 3 to 6 days, but not 1 to 2 days. These corrective responses are likely to play a role in bringing about weight stability.     

藿香和广藿香挥发油对皮肤癣菌和条件致病真菌的抑制作用

 目的：筛选天然抗皮肤真菌新药和开发芳香油植物资源。方法目的：筛选天然抗皮肤真菌新药和开发芳香油植物资源。方法：利用培养基药物浓度稀释法和气相色谱质谱联用技术,研究了藿香和广藿香挥发油对12种皮肤癣菌和条件致病真菌的体外抑制作用和主要化学成分,比较了3种不同地理来源（中国、印度和印度尼西亚爪哇）广藿香油的抗真菌活性。结果：这4种挥发油都可以选择性地完全抑制皮肤癣菌的生长繁殖,其中中国广藿香油的活性最强,其最低抑制浓度（MIC）50～400 μl·L^-1,主要化学成分为广藿香醇、异愈创木烯和广藿香烯。藿香油最弱,MIC位于700～1000 μl·L^-1,主要成分是薄荷酮类化合物。结论：证明了广藿香油的选择性皮肤癣菌抑制作用,为进一步筛选抗真菌外用新药提供了重要依据。 ：利用培养基药物浓度稀释法和气相色谱一质语联用技术,研究了蓄香和广曹香挥发油时12种皮肤癣菌和条件致病真菌的体外抑制作用和主要化学成分,比较了3种不同地理来源(中国、印度和印度尼西亚爪哇)广茬香油的杭真菌活性。结果：这4种挥发油都可以选择性地完全抑制皮肤癣菌的生长繁殖,其中中国广着香油的活性最强,其最低抑制浓度(MIC)50～400μl·L/〈sup〉-1〈sup〉,主要化学成分为广蓉香醇、异愈创木烯和广蓉香烯。蓉香油最弱,MIC位于700～1000μl·Ｌ〈sup〉-1〈sup〉,主要成分是薄荷酮类化合物。结论：证明了广茬香油的选择性皮肤癣菌抑制作用,为进一步筛选杭真菌外用新药提供了重要依据。     

The hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype versus the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III and International Diabetes Federation clinical criteria to identify high-risk men with an altered cardiometabolic risk profile

The hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype, the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) criteria, and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria have been proposed as screening tools to identify subjects with features of the metabolic syndrome and therefore at increased cardiometabolic risk. The aim of the present study was to compare the ability of these 3 clinical approaches to identify individuals at increased cardiometabolic risk as suggested by the presence of deteriorated markers such as hyperinsulinemia, elevated apolipoprotein B levels, small low-density lipoprotein particles, high C-reactive protein concentrations, and low adiponectin levels. For that purpose, physical and cardiometabolic characteristics of a sample of 272 white men recruited for various metabolic investigations were studied. The hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype was defined as having both a high waist circumference (≥90 cm) and increased fasting triglyceride levels (≥2.0 mmol/L). Having at least 3 of the 5 NCEP-ATP III criteria or waist circumference of at least 94 cm plus any 2 of the 4 additional IDF criteria was also used to identify individuals at increased cardiometabolic risk. A large proportion of men with the hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype also met the NCEP-ATP III (82.7%) or IDF (89.2%) criteria. Men with the hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype were characterized by alterations in their lipoprotein-lipid profile that included small low-density lipoprotein particles, increased apolipoprotein B and insulin levels, as well as reduced adiponectin concentrations, which were similar to individuals meeting the NCEP-ATP III or the IDF criteria. Moreover, the Framingham risk score of men meeting any of the 3 screening tools criteria was higher and was similar across the 3 approaches (4.2, 3.8, and 3.7, respectively). These results suggest that hypertriglyceridemic waist may be as discriminant as the NCEP-ATP III or the IDF criteria and could be used as an initial screening approach to identify individuals with deteriorated cardiometabolic risk markers.     

Enhanced endogenous type I interferon cell-driven survival and inhibition of spontaneous apoptosis by Riluzole

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), although effective in improving the survival of HIV-1-infected individuals, has not been able to reconstitute the adaptive immune response. We have described the use of novel chemical agents to restore T-cell survival/proliferation by inducing cytokine production. Due to its cationic amphiphilic structure, these molecules appear to enhance immune restoration. In this study, we investigated the action of Riluzole (2-amino-6-trifuromethoxybenzothiazole) in HIV-1 infection. Riluzole is able to increase (effective dose from 1 to 1000 nM) the cell-survival of T cells from HIV-1-infected patients and inhibit spontaneous apoptosis. The immunomodulatory effect of riluzole-sensitized cells was ascribed to endogenous type I interferon (IFN) derived from monocytes. Riluzole might be used for restoring the cell survival of immunocompromised patients and eliminating latent infected cells upon HIV-1 reactivation.     

Sustained clinical response of large hepatocellular carcinoma after chemoembolization with pirarubicin, amiodarone and Lipiodol

Although chemoembolization is known to be an effective palliative treatment in hepatocellular carcinoma, it has a limited effect in large tumors. We report the case of a patient with a large hepatocellular carcinoma of the left liver who had a significant and sustained clinical response after six sessions of chemoembolization with a pirarubicin/amiodarone/lipiodol emulsion. Pirarubicin is an anthracycline which penetrates faster than doxorubicin into cancer cells. Amiodarone is a multidrug resistance inhibitor. Polysorbate 80, an excipient of injectable amiodarone stabilizes the anthracycline/lipiodol emulsion. The clinical efficacy of this new formulation could be evaluated in a phase II clinical trial.     

B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia cells express and release transforming growth factor-β

Summary Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) has been described as a potent inhibitor of various cell types, among others of primitive haematopoietic progenitors in vitro, and as a negative autocrine regulator of normal B lymphocyte growth and differentiation. In the present study we investigated TGF-β gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and in B cells from patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL) and from normal controls. Monocyte depleted B-CLL cells expressed constitutively mRNA for TGF-β1 and secreted low amounts of TGF-β activity into the culture medium. Stimulation of cells by phorbol ester noticeably enhanced mRNA levels as well as protein secretion in most cases. TGF-β activity was of the same magnitude as in normal controls. We next analysed TGF-β in highly enriched B lymphocytes from B-CLL (95100% CD19+), and found that TGF-β secretion was up to 3 times higher than in the original PBMC population. It is discussed that B-CLL cells might escape from negative regulation by TGF-β and, on the other hand, inhibit normal haematopoietic cell proliferation and thereby achieve a growth advantage in the haematopoietic tissues.     

The clinimetric properties of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II in early inflammatory arthritis

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinimetric properties of a new health-related quality of life (HRQOL) instrument, the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS II), in patients with early inflammatory arthritis. METHODS: Internal consistency as well as criterion, construct, and discriminative validity of the WHODAS II were assessed in 172 patients with early inflammatory arthritis who completed the WHODAS II, the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36), and other measures of disease severity, functioning, pain, depression, and resource use. Test-retest reliability of the WHODAS II was assessed by having a subset of 20 patients complete the WHODAS II a second time, 1 week after the first assessment. RESULTS: The WHODAS II had high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.96 for patients working or in school and 0.93 for patients not working or in school). Test-retest intraclass correlation coefficients of the WHODAS II total score and subscales ranged from 0.82-0.96. The WHODAS II total score was strongly correlated with the SF-36 physical component score (Kendall's tau-b 0.51, P < 0.001) and moderately correlated with the SF-36 mental component score (tau-b 0.43, P < 0.001). WHODAS II correlations with disease outcomes ranged from Kendall's tau-b 0.15-0.55. The WHODAS II significantly differentiated between every aspect of disease severity assessed with the exception of measures of health resource use. CONCLUSION: The WHODAS II is a valid and reliable measure of HRQOL in cross-sectional studies of patients with early inflammatory arthritis. Research is still required to investigate potential item redundancy and determine its usefulness in longitudinal studies.