Serum I-FABP as marker for enterocyte damage in coeliac disease and its relation to villous atrophy and circulating autoantibodies.

Background: Enterocyte damage is the hallmark of coeliac disease (CD) resulting in malabsorption. Little is known about the recovery of enterocyte damage and its clinical consequences. Serum intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP) is a sensitive marker to study enterocyte damage.

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: a non-invasive diagnosis by analysis of exhaled breath.

Background & Aims: Histological evaluation of a liver biopsy is the current gold standard to diagnose non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), but the procedure to obtain biopsies is associated with morbidity and high costs. Hence, only subjects at high risk are biopsied, leading to underestimation of NASH prevalence, and undertreatment. Since analysis of volatile organic compounds in breath has been shown to accurately identify subjects with other chronic inflammatory diseases, we investigated its potential as a non-invasive tool to diagnose NASH.

Noninvasive measurement of fecal calprotectin and serum amyloid A combined with intestinal fatty acid-binding protein in necrotizing enterocolitis.

Background: Diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), prevalent in premature infants, remains challenging. Enterocyte damage in NEC can be assessed by intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP), with a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 90%. Numerous markers of inflammation are known, such as serum amyloid A (SAA) and fecal calprotectin.

Relatively high-protein or 'low-carb' energy-restricted diets for body weight loss and body weight maintenance?

Background: 'Low-carb' diets have been suggested to be effective in body weight (BW) management. However, these diets are relatively high in protein as well.

Objective: To unravel whether body-weight loss and weight-maintenance depends on the high-protein or the 'low-carb' component of the diet.

Effect of a phase advance and phase delay of the 24-h cycle on energy metabolism, appetite, and related hormones.

Background: The disruption of the circadian system has been associated with the development of obesity.

Objective: We examined the effects of circadian misalignment on sleep, energy expenditure, substrate oxidation, appetite, and related hormones.

Design: Thirteen subjects [aged 24.

Physical activity parenting: a systematic review of questionnaires and their associations with child activity levels.

Insufficient physical activity (PA) is considered a critical contributor to childhood overweight. Parents are a key in influencing their child's PA through various mechanisms of PA parenting, including support, restriction of PA and facilitation of enrolment in PA classes or activities. However, study findings are difficult to compare because instruments vary in terms of constructs, psychometric assessment and type of PA assessed.

Effects of meal frequency on metabolic profiles and substrate partitioning in lean healthy males.

Introduction: The daily number of meals has an effect on postprandial glucose and insulin responses, which may affect substrate partitioning and thus weight control. This study investigated the effects of meal frequency on 24 h profiles of metabolic markers and substrate partitioning.

Methods: Twelve (BMI:21.

Lifestyle Triple P: a parenting intervention for childhood obesity.

Background: Reversing the obesity epidemic requires the development and evaluation of childhood obesity intervention programs. Lifestyle Triple P is a parent-focused group program that addresses three topics: nutrition, physical activity, and positive parenting. Australian research has established the efficacy of Lifestyle Triple P, which aims to prevent excessive weight gain in overweight and obese children.

Antenatal exposure to chorioamnionitis affects lipid metabolism in 7-week-old sheep.

Antenatal exposure of the fetus to inflammation may alter postnatal organ development. In our previous work, we demonstrated that the fetal liver is involved in the systemic inflammation associated with chorioamnionitis, leading to metabolic changes. On the basis of these findings, we hypothesized that chorioamnionitis can lead to postnatal inflammation-related liver injury and disturbed lipid metabolism.

Wheat aleurone: separation, composition, health aspects, and potential food use.

Over the last three decades substantial attention has been given to the role of dietary fiber in health and disease, in particular diabetes, cardiovascular disease, intestinal health, and some types of cancer. As a result the food industry started to add back fiber to refined foods and develop fiber rich foods. Scientists suggested that whole grain foods are superior to foods enriched with fibers obtained/synthesized using enzyme treatment, and thermal or chemical processing because the content of bioactive components and micronutrients in whole grain is more abundant.

Maternal intake of quercetin during gestation alters ex vivo benzo[a]pyrene metabolism and DNA adduct formation in adult offspring.

Variation in xenobiotic metabolism cannot entirely be explained by genetic diversity in metabolic enzymes. We suggest that maternal diet during gestation can contribute to variation in metabolism by creating an in utero environment that shapes the offspring's defence against chemical carcinogens. Therefore, pregnant mice were supplemented with the natural aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist quercetin (1 mmol quercetin/kg feed) until delivery.

Prevention of acute kidney injury in a rodent model of cirrhosis following selective gut decontamination is associated with reduced renal TLR4 expression.

Background & Aims: Superimposed infection and/or inflammation precipitate renal failure in cirrhosis. This study aimed at testing the hypothesis that increased gut bacterial translocation in cirrhosis primes the kidney to the effect of superimposed inflammation by upregulating expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), NFκB, and cytokines. A well-characterized bile-duct ligated (BDL) model of cirrhosis, which develops renal failure following superimposed inflammatory insult with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), was used and selective gut decontamination was performed using norfloxacin.

Consumption of milk-protein combined with green tea modulates diet-induced thermogenesis.

Green tea and protein separately are able to increase diet-induced thermogenesis. Although their effects on long-term weight-maintenance were present separately, they were not additive. Therefore, the effect of milk-protein (MP) in combination with green tea on diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT) was examined in 18 subjects (aged 18-60 years; BMI: 23.

Knowledge, attitudes and preferences regarding genetic testing for smoking cessation. A cross-sectional survey among Dutch smokers.

Objectives Recent research strongly suggests that genetic variation influences smokers' ability to stop. Therefore, the use of (pharmaco) genetic testing may increase cessation rates. This study aims to assess the intention of smokers concerning undergoing genetic testing for smoking cessation and their knowledge, attitudes and preferences about this subject.

Different tastants and low-caloric sweeteners induce differential effects on the release of satiety hormones.

Recent studies have found different types of taste receptors located along the intestine. However, the effect of tastants, and in particular sweet tastants, on satiety hormone release is still unknown. STC-1 cells were incubated with different concentrations of bitter, sour, sweet, salty, and umami tastants.

Lower extremity muscle strength is reduced in people with type 2 diabetes, with and without polyneuropathy, and is associated with impaired mobility and reduced quality of life.

Aim: The purpose of the present study was to distinguish the effects of both diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) and diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) on mobility, muscle strength and health related quality of life (HR-QoL).

Methods: DPN patients (n=98), DM2 patients without DPN (DC) (n=39) and healthy subjects (HC) (n=19) performed isometric and isokinetic lower limb muscle strength tests. Mobility was determined by a timed up and go test (TUGT), a 6 min walk test and the physical activity scale for the elderly questionnaire.

No effects of Korean pine nut triacylglycerol on satiety and energy intake.

Background: Triacylglycerols (TAG) have been shown to have potential appetite suppressing effects. This study examined the effects of 3 g and 6 g Korean pine nut triacylglycerols (PinnoThin) on appetite and energy intake.

Methods: 130 g Isoenergetic yogurt containing either placebo (milk fat) or PinnoThin TAG was consumed as a breakfast, after an overnight fast, in a double blind randomized crossover design.

Changes in genetic and environmental effects on growth during infancy.

Background: Accelerated infant growth is a possible explanation for the relation between birth weight and adult diseases.

Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the heritability of infant growth and to examine whether the genetic contribution changes with increasing or decreasing birth weight and gestational age.

Design: Growth (change in weight z score) was analyzed in 522 infants from the East Flanders Prospective Twin Survey for age windows of 0-1, 1-6, 6-12, and 12-24 mo.

Physical activity, energy restriction, and the risk of pancreatic cancer: a prospective study in the Netherlands.

Background: Because of their influence on insulin concentrations, we hypothesized that both physical activity and energy restriction may reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Objective: We examined the associations between physical activity, proxies for energy restriction, and pancreatic cancer risk.

Design: The Netherlands Cohort Study consisted of 120,852 individuals who completed a baseline questionnaire in 1986.

Preventing enterocyte damage by maintenance of mean arterial pressure during major nonabdominal surgery in children.

Loss of the gut barrier, which is related to hypotension and gastrointestinal hypoperfusion during surgery, has been implicated as a critical event in postoperative complications development. This study aims at preventing gut barrier loss by maintenance of mean arterial pressure (MAP) in patients undergoing major nonabdominal surgery. In 20 previously included children undergoing spinal fusion surgery, the critical MAP value, which should be maintained to prevent enterocyte damage, was determined.

Treatment of hypertriglyceridemia in patients receiving parenteral nutrition.

Background: This study aims to evaluate whether withdrawal of a soy oil-based lipid emulsion from the parenteral nutrition (PN) regimen in humans is associated with improved triglyceride and liver enzyme concentrations.

Methods: In this retrospective study, patients with hypertriglyceridemia (>4.50 mmol/L) while receiving PN were retrieved from a prospective complication registration database.

Effects of sleep fragmentation in healthy men on energy expenditure, substrate oxidation, physical activity, and exhaustion measured over 48 h in a respiratory chamber.

Background: Epidemiologic studies show an inverse or U-shaped relation between sleep duration and BMI. Decreases in total energy expenditure (TEE) and physical activity have been suggested to be contributing factors.

Objective: The objective was to assess the effect of sleep fragmentation on energy metabolism and energy balance in healthy men.

Effects of oligofructose on appetite profile, glucagon-like peptide 1 and peptide YY3-36 concentrations and energy intake.

In rats, oligofructose has been shown to stimulate satiety hormone secretion, reduce energy intake and promote weight loss. The present study aimed to examine the effect of oligofructose supplementation on appetite profiles, satiety hormone concentrations and energy intake in human subjects. A total of thirty-one healthy subjects (ten men and twenty-one women) aged 28 (SEM 3) years with a BMI of 24·8 (SEM 0·3) kg/m(2) were included in a randomised double-blind, cross-over study.

Genetic variants in the serotonin transporter influence the efficacy of bupropion and nortriptyline in smoking cessation.

Aims: We investigated whether variants in the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) influence smoking cessation rates using antidepressant therapy (i.e. bupropion and nortriptyline).