Dietary blueberry before and/or after exposure to HZE particle radiation attenuates neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, glial cell activation, and memory deficits in rats.

Background: Acute neuroinflammatory and oxidative-stress (OS)-inducing stressors, such as high energy and charge (HZE) particle irradiation, produce accelerated aging in the brain. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant foods, such as blueberries (BB), attenuate neuronal and cognitive deficits when administered to rodents before or both before and after HZE particle exposure. However, the effects of post-stressor treatments are unknown and may be important to repair initial damage and prevent progressive neurodegeneration.

Estimation of Absolute and Relative Body Fat Content Using Noninvasive Surrogates: Can DXA Be Bypassed?

Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning is used for objective determination of body composition, but instrumentation is expensive and not generally available in customary clinical practice. Anthropometric surrogates are often substituted as anticipated correlates of absolute and relative body fat content in the clinical management of obesity and its associated medical risks. DXA and anthropometric data from a cohort of 9230 randomly selected American subjects, available through the ongoing National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, was used to evaluate combinations of surrogates (age, height, total weight, waist circumference) as predictors of DXA-determined absolute and relative body fat content.

Cardiac Cachexia in Left Ventricular Assist Device Recipients and the Implications of Weight Gain Early After Implantation.

Background Severe cardiac cachexia or malnutrition are commonly considered relative contraindications to left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation, but post-LVAD prognosis for patients with cachexia is uncertain. Methods and Results Intermacs (Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support) 2006 to 2017 was queried for the preimplantation variable cachexia/malnutrition. Cox proportional hazards modeling examined the relationship between cachexia and LVAD outcomes.

Blueberry treatment administered before and/or after lipopolysaccharide stimulation attenuates inflammation and oxidative stress in rat microglial cells.

Microglia are key regulators of inflammation and oxidative stress (OS) in the CNS. Microglia activation can lead to chronic inflammation, OS, and neurodegeneration. Blueberries (BB) reduce inflammation and OS when administered to microglia before stressors such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), but the therapeutic value of BBs administered after activation by stressors has not been examined.

Effects of caloric restriction on human physiological, psychological, and behavioral outcomes: highlights from CALERIE phase 2.

Caloric restriction (CR) is a strategy that attenuates aging in multiple nonhuman species. The Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy (CALERIE) trials are part of a research program aiming to test the effects of CR on aging and longevity biomarkers in humans. Building on CALERIE phase 1, CALERIE phase 2 (CALERIE 2) was the largest study to date to assess sustained CR in healthy humans without obesity.

Interactions between the colonic transcriptome, metabolome, and microbiome in mouse models of obesity-induced intestinal cancer.

Obesity is a significant risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC); however, the relative contribution of high-fat (HF) consumption and excess adiposity remains unclear. It is becoming apparent that obesity perturbs both the intestinal microbiome and metabolome, and each has the potential to induce protumorigenic changes in the epithelial transcriptome. The physiological consequences and the degree to which these different biologic systems interact remain poorly defined.

Sulfur amino acids and atherosclerosis: a role for excess dietary methionine.

The homocysteine theory of arteriosclerosis received credence when it was shown that after a methionine load, circulating homocysteine-cysteine concentrations were higher in cardiovascular disease patients than in healthy controls. Subsequent studies showing associations between homocysteine and coronary artery disease, stroke and cognitive impairment, relied on small increases in homocysteine concentration unlike the very high homocysteine seen in the rare genetic disorders that lead to homocystinuria and much higher homocysteine levels. Subsequent studies in cell culture, animals, and humans showed that a variety of cardiovascular adverse effects of "high homocysteine" introduced either as a nonphysiological bolus or as a methionine load led to high homocysteine.

Age-associated declines in muscle mass, strength, power, and physical performance: impact on fear of falling and quality of life.

Unlabelled: This 3-year longitudinal study among older adults showed that declining muscle mass, strength, power, and physical performance are independent contributing factors to increased fear of falling, while declines of muscle mass and physical performance contribute to deterioration of quality of life. Our findings reinforce the importance of preserving muscle health with advancing age.

Introduction: The age-associated loss of skeletal muscle quantity and function are critical determinants of independent physical functioning in later life.

Osteoporosis and sarcopenia in older age.

Osteoporosis and sarcopenia are common in older age and associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Consequently, they are both attended by a considerable socioeconomic burden. Osteoporosis was defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1994 as a bone mineral density of less than 2.

Prevalence of and interventions for sarcopenia in ageing adults: a systematic review. Report of the International Sarcopenia Initiative (EWGSOP and IWGS).

Objective: to examine the clinical evidence reporting the prevalence of sarcopenia and the effect of nutrition and exercise interventions from studies using the consensus definition of sarcopenia proposed by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP).

Methods: PubMed and Dialog databases were searched (January 2000-October 2013) using pre-defined search terms. Prevalence studies and intervention studies investigating muscle mass plus strength or function outcome measures using the EWGSOP definition of sarcopenia, in well-defined populations of adults aged ≥50 years were selected.

Energy requirements in nonobese men and women: results from CALERIE.

Background: The energy intake necessary to maintain weight and body composition is called the energy requirement for weight maintenance and can be determined by using the doubly labeled water (DLW) method.

Objective: The objective was to determine the energy requirements of nonobese men and women in the Comprehensive Assessment of Long-Term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy 2 study.

Design: Energy requirements were determined for 217 healthy, weight-stable men and women [aged >21 to <50 y; 70% female, 77% white; body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) 22 to <28; 52% overweight] over 28 d with 2 consecutive 14-d DLW assessments in addition to serial measures of body weight and fat-free mass and fat mass by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Protein nutrition mediates lean body mass homeostasis in the aging warfighter.

The demographic shift of the average age in the United States and worldwide mandates that careful attention be paid to the nutritional and health needs of all segments of our older adult population. Well-defined changes in body composition occur in aging animals and humans. Characteristic of this change is the age-associated decline in skeletal muscle mass, sarcopenia.

Bioinformatics of the urinary proteome.

Proteomics-based biomarker discovery studies usually entail the isolation of peptide fragments from candidate biomarkers of interest. Detection of such peptides from biological or clinical samples and identification of the corresponding full-length protein and the gene encoding that protein provide the means to gather a wealth of information. This information, termed annotation because it is attached to the gene or protein sequence under study, describes relationships to human disease, cytogenetic map position, protein domains, protein-protein and small molecule interactions, tissues or cell types in which the gene is expressed, as well as several other aspects of gene and protein function.

Grape juice, berries, and walnuts affect brain aging and behavior.

Numerous studies have indicated that individuals consuming a diet containing high amounts of fruits and vegetables exhibit fewer age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Research from our laboratory has suggested that dietary supplementation with fruit or vegetable extracts high in antioxidants (e.g.

Effect of dietary restriction on serum antioxidant capacity in rats.

The effects of dietary restriction on serum antioxidant capacities were studied in male Fischer 344 rats. Dietary restriction was started at the age of 6 weeks and consisted of 60% of the mean daily food intake of the ad libitum fed controls. They were killed at 7 and 18 months of age.

Cytokines, insulin-like growth factor 1, sarcopenia, and mortality in very old community-dwelling men and women: the Framingham Heart Study.

Background: Aging is associated with increased production of catabolic cytokines, reduced circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and acceleration of sarcopenia (loss of muscle with age). We hypothesized that these factors are independently linked to mortality in community-dwelling older persons.

Methods: We examined the relation of all-cause mortality to peripheral blood mononuclear cell production of inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-alpha], interleukin 1 beta, interleukin 6), serum interleukin 6 and IGF-1, and fat-free mass and clinical status in 525 ambulatory, free-living participants in the Framingham Heart Study.

Biologic mechanisms of the protective role of lutein and zeaxanthin in the eye.

The macular region of the primate retina is yellow in color due to the presence of the macular pigment, composed of two dietary xanthophylls, lutein and zeaxanthin, and another xanthophyll, meso-zeaxanthin. The latter is presumably formed from either lutein or zeaxanthin in the retina. By absorbing blue-light, the macular pigment protects the underlying photoreceptor cell layer from light damage, possibly initiated by the formation of reactive oxygen species during a photosensitized reaction.

An assessment lexicon: assessment of dietary trends, physical activity patterns and nutritional status in the elderly.

This article discusses the use of nutritional assessment to improve the health and nutritional status of older persons. A three pronged approach is suggested. First, the emphasis is on screening for poor nutritional status.

Chronic disease and dietary management in the elderly: alive and kicking!

The paper reviews progress in chronic disease prevention and dietary management strategies in the elderly to help them remain independent with a high quality of life for as long as possible. Progress in public health over the past century is briefly reviewed. The similarities and differences in preventive measures for elders and younger adults are summarized.

Role of membrane lipids in regulation of vulnerability to oxidative stress in PC12 cells: implication for aging.

Previously, we reported that PC12 cells showed increased vulnerability to oxidative stress (OS) induced by H2O2 (as assessed by decrements in calcium recovery, i.e., the ability of cells to buffer Ca(2+) after a depolarization event) when the membrane levels of cholesterol (CHL) and sphingomyelin (SPH) were modified to approximate those seen in the neuronal membranes of old animals.

A possible emerging role of phytochemicals in improving age-related neurological dysfunctions: a multiplicity of effects.

It is rare to see a day pass in which we are not told through some popular medium that the population is becoming older. Along with this information comes the "new" revelation that as we enter the next millennium there will be increases in age-associated diseases (e.g.

Complete and selective estrogenic effects on lipids and cardiovascular disease.

Observational studies have shown a protective effect of estrogen replacement on risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women. The estrogen protection is thought to be mediated by mechanisms acting at different levels, including a beneficial effect on plasma lipid concentrations. Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERM) share with estrogen the ability to reduce plasma levels of atherogenic lipoproteins like low-density lipoproteins and lipoprotein(a).

Polyphenolics enhance red blood cell resistance to oxidative stress: in vitro and in vivo.

In this study we investigated the potential antioxidant properties of blueberry polyphenolics in vitro and vivo, using red blood cell (RBC) resistance to reactive oxygen species (ROS) as the model. In vitro incubation with anthocyanins or hydroxycinnamic acids (HCA) (0.5 and 0.

The effect of diet on vitamin E intake and oxidative stress in response to acute exercise in female athletes.

Vitamin E is the major lipid-soluble antioxidant found in foods, and its bioavailability is affected by the presence of dietary fats. Athletes often consume lowfat diets and may be more susceptible to the oxidative stress produced by exercise due to the low availability of vitamin E. In this study, the effects of a low-fat diet on vitamin E intake and oxidative stress markers were assessed in collegiate female rowers.