Breath Production Research Articles

Effect of Structural Individual Low-FODMAP Dietary Advice vs. Brief Advice on a Commonly Recommended Diet on IBS Symptoms and Intestinal Gas Production.

A low fermentable oligosaccharide, disaccharide, monosaccharide, and polyol (FODMAP) diet has been recommended for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients. This study compared the efficacy of two types of dietary advice: (1) brief advice on a commonly recommended diet (BRD), and (2) structural individual low-FODMAP dietary advice (SILFD). Patients with moderate-to-severe IBS were randomized to BRD or SILFD groups. Gastrointestinal symptoms, 7-day food diaries, and post-prandial breath samples were evaluated. The SILFD included (1) identifying high-FODMAP items from the diary, (2) replacing high-FODMAP items with low-FODMAP ones by choosing from the provided menu. The BRD included reducing traditionally recognized foods that cause bloating/abdominal pain and avoidance of large meals. Responders were defined as those experiencing a ≥30% decrease in the average of daily worst abdominal pain/discomfort after 4 weeks. Sixty-two patients (47 F, age 51 ± 14 years), BRD (n = 32) or SILFD (n = 30), completed the studies. Eighteen (60%) patients in SILFD vs. 9 (28%) in the BRD group fulfilled responder criteria (p = 0.001). Global IBS symptom severity significantly improved and the number of high-FODMAP items consumed was significantly decreased after SILFD compared to BRD. Post-prandial hydrogen (H2) breath production after SILFD was significantly lower than was seen after BRD (p < 0.001). SILFD was more effective than BRD. This advice method significantly reduced FODMAP intake, improved IBS symptoms, and lowered intestinal H2 production.

C57BL/6J mouse apolipoprotein A2 gene is deterministic for apnea

RationaleBrainstem apolipoprotein AII (apoa2) mRNA expression correlates with apnea in breathing present in the adult C57Bl/6J (B6) sleep apnea model. ObjectivesTo test the hypothesis that the B6 apoa2 gene contributes to the trait, we performed plethysmographic testing in apoa2 knock out (KO: −/-) mice, an in situ brainstem-spinal cord preparation comparing KO to WT (+/+) mice, and B6xDBA recombinant inbred strains (RISs). Measurements and main resultsApoa2 WT do, but KO and heterozygote (+/−) mice do not exhibit apnea during post-hypoxic breathing, measured in vivo. In the in situ model, pauses and instability in fictive phrenic bursting are substantially reduced in KO vs. WT preparations. In 24 RISs, apnea number in vivo was higher in strains with B6 apoa2 than with DBA apoa2 alleles. ConclusionsThe B6 apoa2 polymorphism is directly involved in breath production, and its identification suggests a novel pathway influencing risk for adult sleep apnea