Increasing plasma glutamine in postoperative patients fed an arginine-rich immune-enhancing diet--a pharmacokinetic randomized controlled study.

Objective: Immune-enhancing diets (IEDs) rich in arginine (ARG) reduce morbi-mortality in trauma and surgical patients. Among the pharmaconutrients inducing these effects, ARG may be involved by generating active metabolites such as glutamine (GLN). However, the ability of an ARG-enriched diet to normalize GLN plasma levels in intensive care unit (ICU) patients has never been documented.

[Standards, Options and Recommendations 2005 for a good practice in enteral nutrition in oncology (summary report.)].

Context: The "Standards, Options and Recommendations" (SOR) project, which started in 1993, is a collaboration between the French Federation of Cancer Centers (FNCLCC), the 20 French Regional Cancer Centers, and specialists from French public universities, general hospitals and private clinics. The main objective is the development of clinical practice guidelines to improve the quality of health care and the outcome of cancer patients.

Objective: To develop good practice guidelines for a good practice of enteral nutrition in oncology, in collaboration with three French learned societies involved in this area.

Semi-elemental formula or polymeric formula: is there a better choice for enteral nutrition in acute pancreatitis? Randomized comparative study.

Background: Jejunal nutrition is recommended during acute pancreatitis. The use of semi-elemental formulas presents several theoretical advantages over polymeric formulas, but their clinical value has been poorly documented. Our aim was to evaluate in patients with acute pancreatitis the effect of enteral nutrition by a semi-elemental formula compared with a polymeric formula.

Colonic Crohn's disease in children does not respond well to treatment with enteral nutrition if the ileum is not involved.

Data supporting a response to treatment with exclusive enteral nutrition in pediatric colonic Crohn's disease are few. We examined clinical and biochemical responses of ileal, colonic, and ileocolonic Crohn's disease and assessed the endoscopic and histological colonic mucosal response in the colonic and ileocolonic groups. We prospectively enrolled 65 children (age: 8-17 years) with acute intestinal Crohn's disease (Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index [PCDAI] >20).

Ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate metabolism in the healthy rat in the postabsorptive state.

To gain further insight into the ability of ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate (OKG) to generate key metabolites, the aim of this work was to study the short-term metabolism, that is, 1 hour after administration, of OKG in plasma and tissues. Particular attention was paid to keto acids (alpha-ketoglutarate and branched-chain keto acids). Young (3 weeks old) male Wistar rats in the postabsorptive state received either 1.

Improvement of weight and fat-free mass with oral nutritional supplementation in patients with Alzheimer's disease at risk of malnutrition: a prospective randomized study.

Objectives: To study the effects of oral nutritional supplements (OS) on body weight, body composition, nutritional status, and cognition in elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Design: Prospective, randomized, controlled study.

Setting: Geriatric wards and day care centers in the Toulouse area, France.

Prevention of malnutrition in older people during and after hospitalisation: results from a randomised controlled clinical trial.

Objective: to prevent the occurrence of weight loss during hospitalisation and following discharge by daily oral supplementation.

Design: in a prospective, randomised, controlled study of 80 patients aged 75 or more, and at risk of undernutrition based on their initial Mini Nutritional Assessment score, patients were randomised into a control group or one receiving oral supplementation. The intervention was a prescription of 200 ml sweet or salty sip feed twice daily (500 kcal, 21 g protein per day) throughout hospitalisation and convalescence.