Breastfeeding in infants seen in private pediatric practices and its relation with type of delivery and history of prematurity.

Objective: To describe the type of milk used to feed infants seen in private pediatric practices in Brazil. To evaluate the relationship between breastfeeding, type of delivery, and history of prematurity.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional and observational study that included 4929 infants in the first year of life seen in private pediatric practices in the five geographic regions of Brazil.

Protective effect of soybean oil- or fish oil-rich diets on allergic airway inflammation.

Background: The increased prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases in westernized societies has been associated with increased intake of diets rich in n-6 fatty acids (FAs) and poor in n-3 FAs. This study aimed to analyze the prophylactic effects of treatment with a soybean oil-rich diet (rich in n-6) or fish oil (rich in n-3) in an allergic airway inflammation model on lung inflammation score, leukocyte migration, T-helper cell (Th)-2 (interleukin [IL]-4, IL-5) and Th1 (interferon [IFN]-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α) cytokines, lipoxin A4, nitric oxide, bradykinin, and corticosterone levels in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) or lungs.

Methods: Male Wistar rats fed with soybean oil- or fish oil-rich diet or standard rat chow were sensitized twice with ovalbumin-alumen and challenged twice with ovalbumin aerosol.

Effects of a high fat or a balanced omega 3/omega 6 diet on cytokines levels and DNA damage in experimental colitis.

Objective: High-fat diets have been shown to be a risk factor for ulcerative colitis (UC). Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids are considered to increase lipid peroxidation, while the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid exerts a chemopreventative effect. We evaluated the effect of high-fat diets (20%) enriched with fish or soybean oil on colonic inflammation and DNA damage in dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis.