An easy-to-use semiquantitative food record validated for energy intake by using doubly labelled water technique.

Background: Estimating dietary intake is important for both epidemiological and clinical studies, but often lacks accuracy.

Objective: To investigate the accuracy and validity of energy intake estimated by an easy-to-use semiquantitative food record (EI(SQFR)) compared to total energy expenditure (TEE) estimated by doubly labelled water technique (EE(DLW)).

Design: TEE was measured in 29 nonobese subjects using the doubly labelled water method over a period of 14 days.

Probiotic beverage containing Lactobacillus casei Shirota improves gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with chronic constipation.

Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of a probiotic beverage on gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with chronic constipation.

Methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study was conducted over a four-week period in patients with symptoms of chronic constipation (n=70). To all patients, 65 mL/day of a probiotic beverage containing Lactobacillus casei Shirota (LcS) or a sensorially identical placebo was administered.

Sonographic findings of the hepatobiliary-pancreatic system in adult patients with cystic fibrosis.

Objective: Sonography of the liver, biliary system, and pancreas in adult patients with cystic fibrosis is by far less systematically documented than in pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis. In this prospective study, duplex sonographic findings of the liver, biliary system, and pancreas in adult patients with cystic fibrosis were compared with those of healthy control subjects.

Methods: Seventy-two consecutive patients with cystic fibrosis and 60 healthy control subjects were examined by high-resolution sonography.

Heat shock response is associated with protection against acute interstitial pancreatitis in rats.

We recently reported that hyperthermia induces pancreatic expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs), particularly HSP70 isoforms, and protects against cerulein pancreatitis. We have now studied whether a double hyperthermia amplifies these effects and whether hyperthermia also protects against dibutyltin dichloride (DBTC)-induced pancreatitis. A further aim was to examine whether hyperthermia induces changes in transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1).

Increased cytosolic Ca2+ amplifies oxygen radical-induced alterations of the ultrastructure and the energy metabolism of isolated rat pancreatic acinar cells.

Background: Oxygen radicals have been implicated as important mediators in the early pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis, but the mechanism by which they produce pancreatic tissue injury remains unclear. We have, therefore, investigated the effects of oxygen radicals on isolated rat pancreatic acinar cells as to the ultrastructure, cytosolic Ca2+ concentration and energy metabolism.

Methods: Acinar cells were exposed to an oxygen radical-generating system consisting of xanthine oxidase, hypoxanthine and chelated iron ions.