Showing papers in "Nutritional Neuroscience in 2002"
TL;DR: Evaluation of effect of gluten and casein-free diet for children with autistic syndromes and urinary peptide abnormalities found that the development for the group of children on diet was significantly better than for the controls.
Abstract: Impaired social interaction, communication and imaginative skills characterize autistic syndromes. In these syndromes urinary peptide abnormalities, derived from gluten, gliadin, and casein, are reported. They reflect processes with opioid effect. The aim of this single blind study was to evaluate effect of gluten and casein-free diet for children with autistic syndromes and urinary peptide abnormalities. A randomly selected diet and control group with 10 children in each group participated. Observations and tests were done before and after a period of 1 year. The development for the group of children on diet was significantly better than for the controls.
317 citations
TL;DR: The pathobiology of neurodegenerative disorders with emphasis on genetic origin and its correlation with oxidative stress of neuro degenerative disorders will be reviewed and the reasons as to why brain constitutes a vulnerable site of oxidative damage will be discussed.
Abstract: Neurodegenerative diseases (NDD) are a group of illness with diverse clinical importance and etiologies. NDD include motor neuron disease such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), cerebellar disorders, Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), cortical destructive Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Schizophrenia. Numerous epidemiological and experimental studies provide many risk factors such as advanced age, genetic defects, abnormalities of antioxidant enzymes, excitotoxicity, cytoskeletal abnormalities, autoimmunity, mineral deficiencies, oxidative stress, metabolic toxicity, hypertension and other vascular disorders. Growing body of evidence implicates free radical toxicity, radical induced mutations and oxidative enzyme impairment and mitochondrial dysfunction due to congenital genetic defects in clinical manifestations of NDD. Accumulation of oxidative damage in neurons either primarily or secondarily may account for the increased incidence of NDD such as AD, ALS and stroke in aged p...
315 citations
TL;DR: Some of the chemistry of vitamin E as an antioxidant is presented and studies in which vitamin E has been employed in these disorders and models thereof are summarized.
Abstract: Several neurodegenerative disorders are associated with oxidative stress that is manifested by lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and other markers. Included in these disorders in which oxidative stress is thought to play an important role in their pathogenesis are Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), tardive dyskinesia, Huntington's disease (HD), and multiple sclerosis. This review presents some of the chemistry of vitamin E as an antioxidant and summarizes studies in which vitamin E has been employed in these disorders and models thereof.
169 citations
TL;DR: The sharp contrast in dietary habits between the US and Spain together with the high between-subjects variability the authors have found in their Spanish cohort provides an exceptional opportunity to assess the aspects of the Mediterranean diet, which may be protective against stroke and other neurological disorders.
Abstract: Purpose: The Mediterranean diet has been postulated as a protective factor against different diseases including stroke. Thus, an epidemiological study in a Mediterranean country, such as Spain, focused on diet may offer new insights of the potential benefits of this nutritional pattern to prevent the onset of cerebrovascular diseases.Methods: The SUN (“Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra”) project is a prospective study among Spanish university alumni, aimed to identify the dietary determinants of stroke, coronary disease and other disorders. Two pilot studies have been developed. The first pilot study was focused on the understanding of the questionnaire. The second study used a random sample to assess the response proportion and the feasibility of using a mailing system for following-up the cohort. The first informative results are expected to be available after the first four years of following-up the cohort (2005). Here, we report the description of the baseline diet of the first participants in the co...
157 citations
TL;DR: Controlled clinical trials examining the effect of Mg in affective disorder are warranted as similarities exist on the functional level, i.e. with respect to kindling, sleep-EEG and endocrine effects.
Abstract: There are several findings on the action of magnesium ions supporting their possible therapeutic potential in affective disorders Examinations of the sleep-electroencephalogram (EEG) and of endocrine systems point to the involvement of the limbic-hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical axis as magnesium affects all elements of this system Magnesium has the property to suppress hippocampal kindling, to reduce the release of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and to affect adrenocortical sensitivity to ACTH The role of magnesium in the central nervous system could be mediated via the N-methyl-d-aspartate-antagonistic, γ-aminobutyric acidA-agonistic or a angiotensin II-antagonistic property of this ion A direct impact of magnesium on the function of the transport protein p-glycoprotein at the level of the blood-brain barrier has also been demonstrated, possibly influencing the access of corticosteroids to the brain Furthermore, magnesium dampens the calciumion-proteinkinase C related neurotransmi
139 citations
TL;DR: It is concluded that consumption of lowbush blueberries by rats confers protection to the brain against damage from ischemia, suggesting that inclusion of blueberries in the diet may improve ischemic stroke outcomes.
Abstract: Oxidative stress is an important element in the etiology of ischemic stroke. Lowbush blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton) have a high antioxidant capacity and thus we determined whether consumption of lowbush blueberries would protect neurons from stroke-induced damage. Rats were fed AIN-93G diets containing 0 or 14.3% blueberries (g fresh weight/100 g feed) for 6 weeks. Stroke was then simulated by ligation of the left common carotid artery (ischemia), followed by hypoxia. One week later, plasma and urine were collected, and neuronal damage in the hippocampus was determined histologically. In control rats, hypoxia-ischemia resulted in 40±2% loss of neurons in the hippocampus of the left cerebral hemisphere, as compared to the right hemisphere. Rats on blueberry-supplemented diets lost only 17±2% of neurons in the ischemic hippocampus. Neuroprotection was observed in the CA1 and CA2 regions, but not CA3 region, of the hippocampus. The blueberry diet had no detectable effects on the plasma o...
135 citations
TL;DR: A neuroprotective role for DHA, possibly in association with the vinyl ether (VE) linkage of plasmalogens (pPLs) in combating free radicals is proposed.
Abstract: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (22:6) is a polyunsaturated fatty acid of the n−3 series which is believed to be a molecular target for lipid peroxides (LPO) formation. Its ubiquitous nature in the nervous tissue renders it particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress, which is high in brain during normal activity because of high oxygen consumption and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Under steady state conditions potentially harmful ROS and LPO are maintained at low levels due to a strong antioxidant defense mechanism, which involves several enzymes and low molecular weight reducing compounds. The present review emphasizes a paradox: a discrepancy between the expected high oxidability of the DHA molecule due to its high degree of unsaturation and certain experimental results which would indicate no change or even decreased lipid peroxidation when brain tissue is supplied or enriched with DHA. The following is a critical review of the experimental data relating DHA levels in the brain to lip...
133 citations
TL;DR: Although there is evidence that supplementation with anti-oxidant vitamins shown some promise with Alzheimer's patients, and in preventing the development of tardive dyskinesia in schizophrenics taking neuroleptics, a role for selenium has been little considered.
Abstract: Selenium is an essential trace element although the level of selenium in food items reflects the soil in which they were grown and thus varies markedly between different parts of the world. The metabolism of selenium by the brain differs from other organs in that at times of deficiency the brain retains selenium to a greater extent. The preferential retention of selenium in the brain suggests that it plays important functions. To date mood is the clearest example of an aspect of psychological functioning that is modified by selenium intake. Five studies have reported that a low selenium intake was associated with poorer mood. The underlying mechanism is unclear although a response to supplementation was found with doses greater than those needed to produce maximal activity of the selenoprotein glutathione peroxidase. Although the functions of many selenoproteins are unknown some play important roles in anti-oxidant mechanisms. As there are suggestions that oxidative injury plays a role in normal aging, schizophrenia, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, the possible role of selenium is considered. Although there is evidence that supplementation with anti-oxidant vitamins shown some promise with Alzheimer's patients, and in preventing the development of tardive dyskinesia in schizophrenics taking neuroleptics, a role for selenium has been little considered.
128 citations
TL;DR: DHA-rich phospholipids may improve learning ability, visual function and reverse biochemical modifications in old mice fed an n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid-deficient diet; they also may improve visual function in old mouse fed a balanced diet.
Abstract: This study investigated the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-rich phospholipid supplementation on behavior, electroretinogram and phospholipid fatty acid (PUFA) composition in selected brain regions and retina in old mice. Two groups of mice were fed a semisynthetic balanced diet or a diet deficient in alpha-linolenic acid. At the age of 8 months, half of each diet group was supplemented with DHA. In the open field, no differences in motor or exploratory activities were observed between the four diet groups. In the light/dark test of anxiety, the time spent in the light compartment was significantly higher in both supplemented groups than in control and deficient groups. Learning performance in the Morris water maze was significantly impaired in deficient old mice, but was completely restored by the phospholipid supplementation. The electroretinogram showed a significant alteration of a- and b-wave amplitudes in control compared to deficient mice. Phospholipid supplementation induced a significant increase of b-wave amplitude in both control and deficient groups and restored normal fatty acid composition in brain regions and retina in deficient mice. DHA-rich phospholipids may improve learning ability, visual function and reverse biochemical modifications in old mice fed an n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid-deficient diet; they also may improve visual function in old mice fed a balanced diet.
113 citations
TL;DR: Antioxid vitamins (alpha tocopherol, beta-carotene, retinol and ascorbic acid) are decreased in sera of MS patients during an attack, and that this decrease may well be dependent on the increased oxidative burden as reflected by lipid peroxidation products.
Abstract: We determined serum levels of ascorbic acid, betacarotene, retinol and alpha tocopherol and lipid peroxidation (as estimated by thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS) generation) in 24 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and 24 healthy sex- and agematched person as control. The levels of four antioxidant vitamins were significantly lower in MS patients compared to controls ( p < 0.05). TBARS levels were significantly higher in the patients of MS compared to the controls ( p 5 0.001). In MS patients, the levels of betacarotene, alpha tocopherol and ascorbic acid correlated significantly with each other (r 2 5 0.689 2 0.779). It appeared that there was inverse correlation between the serum levels of ascorbic acid or beta-carotene, but not of alpha tocopherol or retinol, and TBARS levels in MS. The present study indicates that antioxidant vitamins (alpha tocopherol, beta-carotene, retinol and ascorbic acid) are decreased in sera of MS patients during an attack, and that this decrease may well be dependent on the increased oxidative burden as reflected by lipid peroxidation products. The role of antioxidant vitamin supplementation in prevention and/or treatment of MS remains to be explored.
106 citations
TL;DR: The total fatty acid composition of the hippocampus revealed a profound loss in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the hippocampi of LA and high LA animals compared to those on +LNA and +Lna/DHA diets with a reciprocal increase in docosapentaenoic Acid (DPAn-6) in all phospholipid species.
Abstract: Rats raised on n-3 essential fatty acid deficient diets demonstrate spatial memory deficits. To investigate neuroanatomical correlates of these deficits, morphological analysis of the hippocampus were carried out. Adult, female rats were raised for three generations on n-3 deficient or n-3 supplemented diets. Two n-3 deficient diets contained adequate linoleic acid (LA), or high linoleic acid (high LA), and two supplemented diets contained LA supplemented with alpha-linolenic acid (+LNA), or linoleic supplementation with alpha-linolenic and docosahexaenoic acids (+LNA/DHA). The total fatty acid composition of the hippocampus revealed a profound loss (90%) in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the hippocampi of LA and high LA animals compared to those on +LNA and +LNA/DHA diets with a reciprocal increase in docosapentaenoic acid (DPAn-6) in all phospholipid species. The volume, density, total number, and cell body size of neurons in CA1-3, granular and hilar layers of the hippocampus were measured at septal and temporal locations using unbiased stereology. No differences were detected in any of these measures except for in cell body size; CA1 pyramidal neurons in the LA group were significantly (p < 0.04) smaller than neurons in the +LNA/DHA group at the septal location.
TL;DR: The DHA administration favorably controlled extraggression in at least elderly white-collar workers and in the group of villagers, there was no significant difference between the control and DHA groups in extragression.
Abstract: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) administration controls extraggression (aggression against others) in young subjects under psychological stress. However, it is not known whether its administration affects extraggression of elderly subjects. Forty Thai subjects of 50-60 years of age (22 males and 18 females) were recruited from Silpakorn University and nearby villages. They were allocated to the control and DHA groups in a double-blind fashion, and took 10 mixed plant oil capsules and 10 DHA capsules (1.5g DHA/day) for 2 months, respectively. Extraggression was measured with a psychological test (PF Study) at the beginning and end of the study. Just prior to the PF Study at the end of the study, subjects were asked to watch a stressful videotape as a stressor component. The average DHA intake from food was 150-160mg/day. In the group of university employees, extraggression did not change over time with placebo, whereas extraggression significantly decreased (31 +/- 13 to 24 +/- 13%, P = 0.04 by the paired-t test, P = 0.04 by ANOVA). In the group of villagers, there was no significant difference between the control and DHA groups in extraggression. The DHA administration favorably controlled extraggression in at least elderly white-collar workers. The daily intake of 150-160 mg/day of DHA was not enough to control extraggression.
TL;DR: The data suggest that taurine is an important neurochemical factor in the visual system, but the exact function or functions are still unresolved despite continuing scientific study.
Abstract: Taurine is a free amino acid found in high millimolar concentrations in mammalian tissue and is particularly abundant in the retina. Mammals synthesize taurine endogenously with varying abilities, with some species more dependent on dietary sources of taurine than others. Human children appear to be more dependent on dietary taurine than adults. Specifically, it has been established that visual dysfunction in both human and animal subjects results from taurine deficiency. Moreover, the deficiency is reversed with simple nutritional supplementation with taurine. The data suggest that taurine is an important neurochemical factor in the visual system. However, the exact function or functions of taurine in the retina are still unresolved despite continuing scientific study. Nevertheless, the importance of taurine in the retina is implied in the following experimental findings: (1) Taurine exhibits significant effects on biochemical systems in vitro. (2) The distribution of taurine is tightly regulated in the different retinal cell types through the development of the retina. (3) Taurine depletion results in significant retinal lesions. (4) Taurine release and uptake has been found to employ distinct regulatory mechanisms in the retina.
TL;DR: A scheme for the ameliorative effect of AGE on deleterious effects of β-amyloid and possibly uncontrolled caspase-3 activity is proposed, which may be effective in reducing apoptotic death of neurons since casp enzyme inhibitors have been shown to inhibit neuronal cell death.
Abstract: In neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), apoptosis results in the loss of valuable neurons. A key mechanism in apoptosis is the activation of caspase-3. Caspase-3 activity first becomes detectable early in apoptosis, continues to increase as cells undergo apoptosis, and rapidly declines in late stages of apoptosis. Its activity is an early marker of cells undergoing apoptosis. Caspase-3 catalyzes the formation of beta-amyloid peptide, a hallmark of AD. The purpose of the study was to determine whether dietary aged garlic extract (AGE), with known antioxidant properties and neuroprotection against Alzheimer's beta-amyloid cytotoxicity, inhibits the caspase-3 activity in vitro. Caspase-3 activity was assayed according to the prescribed protocol and incubated overnight at ambient temperature. We report that AGE inhibits caspase-3 in dose dependent manner. Caspase-8 was not inhibited by AGE. As a caspase-3 inhibitor, AGE may be effective in reducing apoptotic death of neurons since caspase inhibitors have been shown to inhibit neuronal cell death. We propose a scheme for the ameliorative effect of AGE on deleterious effects of beta-amyloid and possibly uncontrolled caspase-3 activity.
TL;DR: The present review evaluates the literature derived both from laboratory animals and humans to conclude that convincing evidence has been provided that CFA and CTA learning are possible in a wide range of human subjects.
Abstract: Conditioned food aversion (CFA) and taste aversion (CTA) are widely occurring phenomena mediating rejection of solids or liquids, the ingestion of which has induced the onset of post-ingestional malaise. It is a powerful and durable imprint learning that may influence food choice and intake in all animals, including humans. For ethical reasons, CTA has been extensively investigated in a wide variety of laboratory animal's species but only incidentally in humans. Nevertheless, convincing evidence has been provided that CFA and CTA learning are possible in a wide range of human subjects. The results in humans may have some limitations in accuracy since data are sparse, sometimes indirect, and poorly controlled. There is only limited information on the extent of CFA in the elderly since most studies have employed questionnaire and/or interview methods on young people (i.e. college students). The present review evaluates the literature derived both from laboratory animals and humans. In the first ins...
TL;DR: While UCP1 has a clear role in energy homeostasis, the newcomers UCP2—UCP5 may have more delicate physiological importance acting as free radical oxygen scavengers and in the regulation of ATP-dependent processes, such as secretion.
Abstract: Uncoupling proteins are inner mitochondrial membrane proteins, which dissipate the proton gradient, releasing the stored energy as heat. Five proteins have been cloned, named UCP1, UCP2, UCP3, UCP4 and UCP5/BMCP1. These proteins are structurally related but differ in tissue expression. UCP1 is expressed uniquely in the brown adipose tissue, while UCP2 is widely distributed, UCP3 is mainly restricted to skeletal muscle and UCP4 and UCP5/BMCP1 expressed in the brain. The properties and regulation of the uncoupling proteins and their exact function has been the focus of an intense research during recent years. This review briefly summarizes the actual knowledge of the properties and function of this new family of proteins. While UCP1 has a clear role in energy homeostasis, the newcomers UCP2-UCP5 may have more delicate physiological importance acting as free radical oxygen scavengers and in the regulation of ATP-dependent processes, such as secretion.
TL;DR: Soy derived PS is a safe nutritional supplement for older persons if taken up to a dosage of 200 mg three times daily, although it is widely sold as a nutritional supplement which may improve cognitive function in the elderly.
Abstract: Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a phospholipid which has been claimed to enhance neuronal membrane function, and can be derived from several sources. Earlier studies used brain cortex derived PS, of which the human tolerability of 300 mg daily in 130 patients has been shown. The human tolerability of PS derived from soy-bean has not been reported, although it is widely sold as a nutritional supplement which may improve cognitive function in the elderly. We report the results of a study of the safety of two dosages of soy-phosphatidylserine (S-PS) in elderly.Subjects were 120 elderly of both sexes who fulfilled the more stringent criteria for age-associated memory impairment; some also fulfilled the criteria for age-associated cognitive decline. Subjects were allocated at random to one of the three treatment groups: placebo, 300 or 600 mg S-PS daily. Standard biochemical and hematological safety parameters, blood pressure, heart rate and adverse events were assessed at baseline, after 6 and 12 weeks of ...
TL;DR: Differences in metabolism of glucose and fructose are found and may provide insight into the metabolic steps monitored by brain glucoreceptors to control food intake.
Abstract: 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) inhibits glycolysis and stimulates food intake. Previous work suggests that fructose may attenuate the hyperglycemic and hypothermic effects of 2DG. The current study examined the effect of intracerebroventricular fructose on 2DG-induced feeding. We found that concentrated fructose injected into the cerebroventricles enhanced food intake both in the presence and absence of 2DG. On the other hand, similar concentrations of glucose suppressed 2DG-induced food intake. These data suggest differences in metabolism of glucose and fructose and may provide insight into the metabolic steps monitored by brain glucoreceptors to control food intake.
TL;DR: It is shown that mitochondrial F1F0-ATP synthase itself is a target protein for an anorectic peptide, enteringostatin, demonstrated both after affinity purification of rat brain membranes and through a direct physical interaction between enterostatin and purified F1-ATp synthase.
Abstract: The increasing prevalence of obesity in the Western world has stimulated an intense search for mechanisms regulating food intake and energy balance. A number of appetite-regulating peptides have been identified, their receptors cloned and the intracellular events characterized. One possible energy-dissipating mechanism is the mitochondrial uncoupling of ATP-synthesis from respiratory chain oxidation through uncoupling proteins, whereby energy derived from food could be dissipated as heat, instead of stored as ATP. The exact role of the uncoupling proteins in energy balance is, however, uncertain. We show here that mitochondrial F1F0-ATP synthase itself is a target protein for an anorectic peptide, enterostatin, demonstrated both after affinity purification of rat brain membranes and through a direct physical interaction between enterostatin and purified F1-ATP synthase. In insulinoma cells (INS-1) enterostatin was found to target F1F0-ATP synthase, causing an inhibition of ATP production, an increased thermogenesis and increased oxygen consumption. The experiments suggest a role of mitochondrial F1F0-ATP synthase in the suppressed insulin secretion induced by enterostatin. It could be speculated that this targeting mechanism is involved in the decreased energy efficiency following enterostatin treatment in rat.
TL;DR: The speed of caffeine's action on psychomotor performance was shown to be on the order of minutes, and caffeine was found to reduce the effect of a distracter on reaction time in the keypress test and to reduce response time in a component of the touch-screen task.
Abstract: Though consumers of tea and coffee can report feeling beneficial subjective effects of consumption virtually immediately, tests for objective effects of caffeine immediately post-consumption have been rare. Two experiments examined caffeine's ability to influence reaction time in choice reaction time tasks, using a dose of caffeine typical of a cup of tea or instant coffee, and testing at short post-consumption delays. Two groups of participants were given 60 mg of caffeine, after overnight abstinence, either in a hot tea drink, or a hot water drink. Two control groups also received hot tea or water, but without caffeine. In Experiment 1, participants were given a keypress task before the drink (baseline), immediately after the drink, and 40 min after the drink. In Experiment 2, a touch-screen test was given either 1, 14, or 27 min post consumption. Caffeine was found to reduce the effect of a distracter on reaction time in the keypress test and to reduce reaction time in a component of the touch-screen task; however, in neither experiment were these effects significantly modulated by post-consumption delay length. Thus, the speed of caffeine's action on psychomotor performance was shown to be on the order of minutes.
TL;DR: Analysis of the association between breakfast cereal consumption and Cortisol showed that the effect could not be accounted for by general health or nutritional status, which shows that the effects of breakfast found here cannot be due to stress buffering.
Abstract: Recent research has shown that regular consumption of breakfast cereal is associated with lower stress levels and reports of better physical and mental health. The present study examined this issue using an objective indicator of stress, salivary cortisol. The results showed that stress was associated with higher cortisol levels and daily consumption of breakfast cereal was associated with lower cortisol levels. Although it was not possible to rule out all the alternative explanations of the association between breakfast cereal consumption and cortisol, analyses did show that the effect could not be accounted for by general health or nutritional status. The effects of breakfast cereal consumption and stress were also independent, which shows that the effects of breakfast found here cannot be due to stress buffering. Further research manipulating the nutrient content of the breakfast cereal is now required to provide further information about the mechanisms underlying this effect.
TL;DR: In the M-groups, CIT affected CSD in the same manner as in the W ones, and the results reinforce previous evidence for an antagonistic influence of the serotoninergic activity on CSD.
Abstract: Adult, well-nourished (W) and early-malnourished (M) male Wistar rats were injected intraperitoneally for 7 days with 20 mg/kg CIT and cortical spreading depression (CSD) was recorded for 4h on the day following the treatment M-animals presented lower body weights, as well as higher CSD velocities of propagation, than the W ones, as previously reported. Compared to saline-injected controls, rats treated with CIT for 7 days presented comparable body weights and lower mean CSD velocities, per hour of recording, the differences being significant at the second hour (3.29 ± 0.31 versus 3.56 ± 0.40 mm/min; P < 0.05). Topical, cortical application of CIT (1- and 5 mg/ml solutions over the intact dura-mater) reduced dose-dependently the CSD velocity (maximal reductions of 16.3 and 55.8% for the 1 and 5 mg/ml solutions, respectively; P < 0.05), as well as the amplitude of the CSD-slow potential change (58.2 and 88.3%). In three out of seven W-rats and in one out of seven M-rats, topical CIT (5 mg/ml) blocked CSD p...
TL;DR: It is confirmed that energy consumed as alcohol prior to lunch fails to reduce subsequent food intake, but also suggests that changes in rated appetite are influenced by beliefs about alcohol content.
Abstract: Previously, it has been reported that energy consumed as alcohol prior to lunch does not result in subsequent reductions in voluntary food intake, and in some situations alcohol can increase subsequent appetite. The present study extends these findings by examining the effects of beliefs about alcohol content. Eighteen unrestrained men ate lunch 20 min after a preload of either water, an alcoholic beer or a non-alcoholic beer matched for energy content. Food intake was significantly less following the non-alcoholic beer than after alcohol or water, but when preload energy was included subjects had a higher overall energy intake on the day they consumed alcohol compared with both water and no-alcohol conditions. There were no significant differences in hunger or fullness ratings following the three drinks before or after the test meal, but the specific relationship between rated hunger and intake within the test meal was altered by the drink manipulation. The rate at which hunger decreased, and fullness in...
TL;DR: It appears that adequate zinc status may be necessary to minimize the amount of neuroimmune cell death after brain injury, as Examination of the nuclear morphology of these cells suggested the presence of both apoptosis and necrosis.
Abstract: Zinc supplementation has been used clinically to reduce Zn losses and protein turnover in patients suffering from traumatic brain injury. Despite the known role of zinc in cell survival and integrity, the influence of zinc status on central nervous system wound healing in the weeks and months after brain injury has not been addressed. In this investigation, we examined cell death after unilateral cortical stab wounds in adult rats (n=5 per group) that were provided diets containing adequate zinc (30 mg Zn/kg diet), supplemental zinc (180 mg/kg), or moderately deficient zinc (5 mg/kg). Four weeks following the brain injury there was a 1.82-2.65-fold increase in terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated biotinylated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells with DNA fragmentation at the site of injury in animals receiving a moderately zinc deficient diet compared to animals receiving a zinc-adequate or supplemented diet (p#0.05). Examination of the nuclear morphology of these cells suggeste...
TL;DR: This study presents the first analysis in terms of feeding patterns and meal microstructure of a conditioned taste aversion induced by a food rather than a toxin.
Abstract: Food intake decreases and a conditioned taste aversion is induced when rats are fed a diet that is devoid of an indispensable amino acid. The purpose of this study was to characterize the meal patterns associated with (1) the onset of anorexia after the initial recognition of a threonine deficiency and (2) after the development of the conditioned taste aversion to this deficient diet. When rats ate the threonine-devoid diet for the first time, meal patterns were characterized by an increase in intermeal interval (IMI) between 3 and 6 h after food presentation, which was followed by a decrease in meal size and ingestion rate, between 6 and 12 h. Meal patterns on days 2 and 10 were associated with expression of the taste aversion, characterized by meals of smaller size, longer duration and by a reduction in ingestion rate, without variations in either IMI or meal frequency. Meals of the threonine-deficient group were composed of more frequent bouts, smaller size and shorter duration, with large within-meal pauses, which accounted for the reduced ingestion rate. This study presents the first analysis in terms of feeding patterns and meal microstructure of a conditioned taste aversion induced by a food rather than a toxin.
TL;DR: It was pointed out that different types of neurons, possibly in distinct brain structures, might be differently affected by nutritional manipulation, including not only lack- but also excess of nutrient intake, which could aid in determining the basic mechanisms underlying lesions or changes in brain function and behavior.
Abstract: A few months ago, the Brazilian Society for Neuroscience and Behavior (SBNeC) promoted a "virtual symposium" (by Internet, under the coordination of R.C.A. Guedes) on "Nutrition and Brain Function". The discussions generated during that symposium originated the present text, which analyzes current topics on the theme, based on the multidisciplinary experience of the authors. The way the brain could be non-homogeneously affected by nutritional alterations, as well as questions like early malnutrition and the development of late obesity and hormone abnormalities were discussed. Also, topics like the role of essential fatty acids (EFAs) on brain development, increased seizure susceptibility and changes in different neurotransmitters and in cognitive performance in malnourished animals, as well as differences between overall changes in nutrient intake and excess or deficiency of specific nutrients (e.g. iodine deficiency) were analyzed. It was pointed out that different types of neurons, possibly in distinct brain structures, might be differently affected by nutritional manipulation, including not only lack-but also excess of nutrient intake. Such differences could help in explaining discrepancies between data on humans and in animals and so, could aid in determining the basic mechanisms underlying lesions or changes in brain function and behavior.
TL;DR: The forced-running study shows the lateral hypothalamus as a critical region in the effects of a BCAA-based solution, and the exercise-related shift in the fluid preference towards aBCAA- based solution suggests an ergogenic benefit.
Abstract: Rats were given free access to a running wheel, food, water, and a solution composed of branched-chain amino acids plus glutamine and arginine (the "BCAA-based" solution). A positive relationship between dark-period running distance and preference for the BCAA-based solution was observed. Serotonin release in the lateral hypothalamus, the central nucleus of amygdala and the medial nucleus raphe in overnight fluid-deprived rats during their first subsequent free drinking was also measured. A lowered serotonin release in the lateral hypothalamus characterized the rats that consumed the BCAA-based solution. No drink-related changes were observed in the amygdala. A separate group of rats was trained on a treadmill. Following the training period, plasma amino acids and brain serotonin release were measured during running. The BCAA-based solution infused before running elevated the branched chain amino acids/tryptophan plasma ratio at the end of, and after, running. Additionally, a decreased lateral hy...
TL;DR: This review describes behavioral investigations concerning the role of one experiential factor in early infancy, that of, prior diet and its effect on the development of solid food preferences in cats and the latest attempt to explain these apparently contradictory effects.
Abstract: The processes of food and fluid acquisition are necessary for the preservation of the animal's integrity. This review describes behavioral investigations concerning the role of one experiential factor in early infancy, that of, prior diet and its effect on the development of solid food preferences in cats. The results are presented in a broader investigative context, which includes behavioral data obtained both on precocial and altricial species. The emphasis of this review is on the two tendencies established by prior dietary experiences with nutritionally complete foods on later food preferences: the primacy effect and the novelty effect. The primacy effect is a preference of adult animals for their rearing diet, while the novelty effect is a preference for a novel diet. The latest attempt to explain these apparently contradictory effects is described. That is, if the taste environment is rich in many tastes of food in early life, the potential palatability of some foods may be masked or oversha...
TL;DR: Rats, neonatally underfed by daily mother-litter separation in an incubator from days 1 to 23 postpartum, exhibited prolonged retrieving latencies and disruption in the body area of young ones chosen by the dam to transport them to the nest.
Abstract: In the rat, perinatal food and maternal deprivation provoke long-lasting effects upon the retrieving responses of dams to displaced pups. In the current study, the retrieving latency and the disruption in the body area of pups chosen by the mother to transport them to a new location was investigated on days 4, 8 and 12 postpartum in lactating Wistar rats. Rats, neonatally underfed by daily (12 h) mother-litter separation in an incubator from days 1 to 23 postpartum, exhibited prolonged retrieving latencies and disruption in the body area of young ones chosen by the dam to transport them to the nest. Furthermore, neonatally underfed dams frequently transported pups in a rude manner eliciting sonic distress cries from them compared to control mothers. These findings are possibly relevant to understand the impact of epigenetic influences on offspring brain and physiological maturation partly mediated through maternal care.
TL;DR: It is suggested that well-nourished but not 'deficient' animals tolerate a mild brain insult, and the decline in brain glutathione in the "deficient" animals may be one of several contributing mechanisms.
Abstract: Primary brain injury in stroke is followed by an excitotoxic cascade, oxidative stress and further neural damage. Glutathione is critical and depleted in oxidative stress. Since cysteine is limiting in glutathione synthesis, this study investigated the effect of dietary sulfur amino acid (SAA) deficiency on neural damage in a rat model of global hemispheric hypoxia-ischemia (GHHI). Animals were fed with SAA deficient ("deficient") or control diet for 3 days, subjected to right common carotid artery ligation and hypoxia, and diet continued for 3 more days. Histologically evaluated neural damage at 7 days post hypoxia-ischemia was greater in "deficient" rats, shown by mean (±SEM) global and hippocampal grid scores of 2.5±0.7 and 34.9±9.3%, respectively, vs. controls' scores of 0.1±0.1 and 0.1±0.1%, respectively. Mean brain (±SEM) reduced glutathione was not different between groups at 6 h post hypoxia-ischemia, but was decreased in "deficient" animals 3 days later in neocortex (1.46 μmoles/g wet we...