Simple Diet Research Articles

25159 The history of diet and acne: From sugar and dairy to the Western diet

Factors contributing to acne development have long been debated. The link between diet and acne, specifically, is a popular topic. Our objective was to describe the evolution of thought regarding diet and acne. When descriptions of acne were first published in the 1800s, diet was presumed to play a role. Recommendations ranged from avoiding vegetables, stimulants, and alcohol to consuming a simple diet of milk, starchy foods, and red meat. Works from between 1900 and 1940 also suggested avoiding alcohol, in addition to sugary and fried foods, eggs, and gravy. Starchy foods were debated: while some claimed carbohydrate metabolism is not affected in acne, others advised against starch. Certain foods were purported to improve acne, including liver, fruit, oatmeal, green vegetables, and boiled meat. In the mid-1900s, chocolate and dairy were scrutinized. However, skepticism regarding the role of diet in acne grew in the 1960s and 1970s. Two studies found acne was not affected by large amounts of chocolate, and another study found no difference in sugar consumption between acne patients and controls. Diet was implicated in acne again in the 2000s. 21st century researchers critiqued the methodology of the well-cited 1969 chocolate and acne study. Observations from 1974, 2002, and 2012 suggest the role of Western diet in acne pathogenesis, corroborated by randomized controlled trials. More recently, reports suggest connections between acne and milk as well as whey protein supplements. As controlled trials become more common, researchers continue to gain greater understandings of diet and acne.

Microecological preparation combined with an modified low-carbon diet improves glucolipid metabolism and cardiovascular complication in obese patients

ObjectiveTo investigate the impact of microecological preparation combined with modified low-carbon diet on the glucolipid metabolism and cardiovascular complication in obese patients.MethodsFrom August 2017 to July 2020, 66 obese patients were recruited, and administrated with an modified low-carbon diet with (group A) or without (Group B) microecology preparation and a balanced diet in control group (group C) for 6 months. Meanwhile, 20 volunteers administrated with a balanced diet were recruited as the healthy control group (group D).ResultsAfter 6-month intervention, obese subjects in group A and B showed significant improvement of body and liver fat mass, reduction of serum lipid levels, intestinal barrier function markers, insulin resistance index (IRI), high blood pressure (HBP) and carotid intima thickness, as compared with subjects in group C. More importantly, subjects in group A had better improvement of vascular endothelial elasticity and intimal thickness than subjects in group B. However, these intervention had no effect on carotid atherosclerotic plaque.ConclusionAdministration of microecological preparation combined with modified low-carbon diet had better improvement of intestinal barrier function, glucose and lipid metabolism, and cardiovascular complications than low-carbon diet in obese patients, but the effect of a simple low-carb diet on carotid atherosclerotic plaque need to be further addressed.

Global assessment of natural resources for chicken production

The poultry industry plays an important role in meat production/supply, with a growth rate of more than 4% p.a. in the last few years. This white meat production requires a large amount of feed that increases competition in the use of natural resources for primary food and other uses. Grains are the primary source of poultry nutrition and oilseeds are the most common protein source, with maize, wheat, and soybean being the most common ingredients in poultry diets. It is not clear to what extent natural resources are used to produce these feed crops and what the impact is of the resulting pressure on the availability of natural resources for other uses. The study evaluates and quantifies the local feed availability and the associated amount of local and non-local land and water resources required for the poultry production worldwide at a country and region scale as of 2016, including a detailed global feed trade analysis for the top poultry producer countries. Country-specific diets were used for the ten largest producer countries and two simplified diets for the global scale. The feed amounts were converted in land and water demand using crop-specific yields and a phisically based and spatially distributed hydrological model. The findings showed that 49 Mha of cereals (37 Mha local) and 64 Mha of soybean (25 Mha local) are needed to feed chickens globally, together with approximately 441 km3 of green water (197 km3 and 244 km3 for cereals and soybean, respectively) and 52 km3 of blue water (27 km3 and 25 km3, respectively) required by these feed crops in 2016. However, significant amounts of natural resources are saved through the international feed trade. The results obtained suggest the need for more sustainable approaches to address future projections in the sector.

Effects of Dietary Patterns on Serum Urate: Results From a Randomized Trial of the Effects of Diet on Hypertension.

To determine whether the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet or an alternative, simplified diet, emphasizing high-fiber fruits and vegetables (the FV diet), lowers serum urate levels. We conducted a secondary study of the DASH feeding study, a 3-arm, parallel-design, randomized trial of 459 adults with systolic blood pressure (BP) of <160 mm Hg and diastolic BP of 80-95 mm Hg, who were not receiving BP medications. Participants were randomized to receive 8 weeks of monitored feeding and ate 1 of 3 diets: 1) a typical American diet (control), 2) the FV diet, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables but otherwise similar to the control diet, or 3) the DASH diet, which was rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products, and reduced in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. Body weight was kept constant throughout the study. Serum urate levels were measured at baseline and after 8 weeks of feeding. For the 327 participants with available specimens (mean ± SD age 45.4 ± 11.0 years, 47% women, 50% African American), the mean ± SD baseline serum urate level was 5.7 ± 1.5 mg/dl. Compared to the control diet, the FV diet reduced the mean serum urate level by 0.17 mg/dl (95% confidence interval [95% CI] -0.34, 0.00; P = 0.051) and the DASH diet reduced the mean serum urate level by 0.25 mg/dl (95% CI -0.43, -0.08; P = 0.004). These effects increased with increasing baseline serum urate levels (<5, 5-5.9, 6-6.9, 7-7.9, and ≥8 mg/dl) for those receiving the DASH diet (a reduction of 0.08, 0.12, 0.42, 0.44, and 0.73 mg/dl, respectively; P for trend = 0.04), but not for those receiving the FV diet. Our findings indicate that the DASH diet reduces serum urate levels, particularly among those with hyperuricemia. These findings support the growing need for a dedicated trial to test the DASH diet among patients with hyperuricemia and gout.

Dietary Nutrition Cloud Platform Technology Based on Big Data

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">The long-term material shortage is in sharp contrast with the current food surplus. People gradually ignore the excessive food intake, and the accumulation of nutrients in the body is harmful to the body. How to establish a correct understanding of food nutrition, and its scientific and reasonable application in life has become an urgent problem to be solved. The object data processed by dietary nutrition analysis requires high reliability. The massive data processing technology of cloud computing technology meets the requirements, which ensures the accurate and safe access of the underlying user sign data to the system, so as to ensure the accuracy of the processing results. Therefore, based on the application background of big data, this paper discusses the cloud platform technology of dietary nutrition, and designs a simple diet nutrition platform through software and hardware for simulation analysis. The experimental results show that the 20GB file in this paper is composed of 40 512MB small files, and OSS will not perform segmentation operation. Therefore, when OSS is used, the number of maps is 40. HDFS is faster than OSS with the same map number. The BMI value of users with adequate nutrient intake and reasonable dietary structure is relatively standard. Therefore, the amount of nutrient intake can not reflect the quality of physical fitness. Only by taking sufficient nutrients under the premise of reasonable dietary structure can the body shape of users be healthy. The time required by the distributed algorithm increases more slowly, while the time required by the algorithm before the distribution increases faster, which shows that the distributed implementation can improve the speed of clustering immune algorithm to find association rules</span>

Impacts of Maternal Diet and Alcohol Consumption during Pregnancy on Maternal and Infant Gut Microbiota.

(1) Background: Maternal diet and alcohol consumption can influence both maternal and infant’s gut microbiota. These relationships are still not examined in the Chinese population. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of alcohol consumption and maternal diet during pregnancy on maternal and infant’s gut microbiota. (2) Methods: Twenty-nine mother-child dyads were enrolled in central China. Fecal samples of mothers during late pregnancy and of newborns within 48 h were collected. The V3–V4 regions of 16S rRNA sequences were analyzed. A self-administrated questionnaire about simple diet frequency in the past week was completed by mothers before childbirth. The demographic information was finished by mothers at 24 h after childbirth. (3) Results: Among these 29 mothers, 10 mothers reported alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The PCoA (β-diversity) showed significant difference in maternal gut microbiota between the alcohol consumption group vs. the non-alcohol consumption group (abund-Jaccard, r = 0.2, p = 0.006). The same phenomenon was observed in newborns (unweighted-UniFrac full tree, r = 0.174, p = 0.031). Maternal alcohol consumption frequency showed positive associations with maternal Phascolarctobacterium (p = 0.032) and Blautia (p = 0.019); maternal Faecalibacterium (p = 0.013) was negatively correlated with frequency of alcohol consumption. As for newborns, a positive relationship showed between Megamonas (p = 0.035) and newborns with maternal alcohol consumption. The diet was not associated with both maternal and infant’s gut microbiota. (4) Conclusions: Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy influenced the gut microbiota on both mothers and the newborns. Future research is needed to explore these relationships in a lager birth cohort. Understanding the long-term effect of alcohol consumption on maternal and newborns’ gut microbiota is needed.

Response of lymphatic tissues to natural feed additives, curcumin (Curcuma longa) and black cumin seeds (Nigella sativa), in broilers against Pasteurella multocida

The antibiotic residues and pathogenic resistance against the drug are very common in poultry because of antibiotics used in their feed. It is necessary to use natural feed additives as effective alternatives instead of a synthetic antibiotic. This study aimed to investigate the immune response of Nigella sativa and Curcuma longa in broilers under biological stress against Pasteurella multocida. The total 100, one-day-old chicks were divided into 5 groups. Groups 1 and 2 served as control negative and control positive. Both control groups were receiving simple diet without any natural feed additives, but the infection was given in group 2 at day 28 with the dose of 5.14 × 107 CFU by IV. Groups 3A and 3B were offered 2% seed powder of Nigella sativa, groups 4A and 4B were offered C. longa 1% in powdered form, and group 5A and 5B were offered both C. longa 1% and N. sativa 2% in the feed from day 1 and groups 3B, 4B, and 5B were challenged with P. multocida. The haemagglutination inhibition titter against Newcastle Disease virus (NDV), feed conversion ratio, mortality, gross, and histopathology were studied. The results of this study revealed that hemagglutination inhibition titers against NDV were highly significant (P < 0.05) in treated groups, highest titers (3A, 6.8; 3B, 6.4; and 5A, 7.2) were obtained from treated Groups. The feed conversion ratio of N. sativa + C. longa treated groups (5A, 1.57, and 3A, 1.76) were higher than that of other nontreated groups. The gross and histopathological changes were much severe in control positive, but fewer changes were seen in treated groups. Therefore, we recommend that natural feed additives, black cumin (N. sativa) and turmeric (C. longa), act as an immune enhancer in broilers against P. multocida.

Hepatorenal Tyrosinaemia: Impact of a Simplified Diet on Metabolic Control and Clinical Outcome

Background: Tyrosinaemia type 1 is a rare inherited metabolic disease caused by an enzyme defect in the tyrosine degradation pathway. It is treated using nitisinone and a low-protein diet. In a workshop in 2013, a group of nutritional specialists from Germany, Switzerland and Austria agreed to advocate a simplified low-protein diet and to allow more natural protein intake in patients with tyrosinaemia type 1. This retrospective study evaluates the recommendations made at different treatment centers and their impact on clinical symptoms and metabolic control. Methods: For this multicenter study, questionnaires were sent to nine participating treatment centers to collect data on the general therapeutic approach and data of 47 individual patients treated by those centers. Results: Dietary simplification allocating food to 3 categories led to increased tyrosine and phenylalanine blood concentrations without weighing food. Phenylalanine levels were significantly higher in comparison to a strict dietary regimen whereas tyrosine levels in plasma did not change. Non-inferiority was shown for the simplification and liberalization of the diet. Compliance with dietary recommendations was higher using the simplified diet in comparison to the stricter approach. Age correlates negatively with compliance. Conclusions: Simplification of the diet with increased natural protein intake based on three categories of food may be implemented in the diet of patients with tyrosinaemia type 1 without significantly altering metabolic control. Patient compliance is strongly influencing tyrosine blood concentrations. A subsequent prospective study with a larger sample size is necessary to get a better insight into the effect of dietary recommendations on metabolic control.

Improving Heart Disease Risk Through Quality-Focused Diet Logging: Pre-Post Study of a Diet Quality Tracking App.

BackgroundDiet-tracking mobile apps have gained increased interest from both academic and clinical fields. However, quantity-focused diet tracking (eg, calorie counting) can be time-consuming and tedious, leading to unsustained adoption. Diet quality—focusing on high-quality dietary patterns rather than quantifying diet into calories—has shown effectiveness in improving heart disease risk. The Healthy Heart Score (HHS) predicts 20-year cardiovascular risks based on the consumption of foods from quality-focused food categories, rather than detailed serving sizes. No studies have examined how mobile health (mHealth) apps focusing on diet quality can bring promising results in health outcomes and ease of adoption.ObjectiveThis study aims to design a mobile app to support the HHS-informed quality-focused dietary approach by enabling users to log simplified diet quality and view its real-time impact on future heart disease risks. Users were asked to log food categories that are the main predictors of the HHS. We measured the app’s feasibility and efficacy in improving individuals’ clinical and behavioral factors that affect future heart disease risks and app use.MethodsWe recruited 38 participants who were overweight or obese with high heart disease risk and who used the app for 5 weeks and measured weight, blood sugar, blood pressure, HHS, and diet score (DS)—the measurement for diet quality—at baseline and week 5 of the intervention.ResultsMost participants (30/38, 79%) used the app every week and showed significant improvements in DS (baseline: mean 1.31, SD 1.14; week 5: mean 2.36, SD 2.48; 2-tailed t test t29=−2.85; P=.008) and HHS (baseline: mean 22.94, SD 18.86; week 4: mean 22.15, SD 18.58; t29=2.41; P=.02) at week 5, although only 10 participants (10/38, 26%) checked their HHS risk scores more than once. Other outcomes, including weight, blood sugar, and blood pressure, did not show significant changes.ConclusionsOur study showed that our logging tool significantly improved dietary choices. Participants were not interested in seeing the HHS and perceived logging diet categories irrelevant to improving the HHS as important. We discuss the complexities of addressing health risks and quantity- versus quality-based health monitoring and incorporating secondary behavior change goals that matter to users when designing mHealth apps.

Development of a novel mouse model of diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis-related progressive bridging fibrosis.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) progresses to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. Existing mouse models of NASH rarely develop diet-induced severe fibrosis. We aimed to establish a dietary model of NASH with rapid progression to fibrosis. Six-week-old male Tsumura-Suzuki obese diabetes (TSOD) mice (a model of spontaneous metabolic syndrome) and corresponding control Tsumura-Suzuki nonobese (TSNO) mice were fed a novel diet high in fat, cholesterol, and cholate (iHFC). Histologic steatohepatitis, including steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis, were observed in both TSNO and TSOD iHFC diet-fed mice at 20 weeks of age. As compared with TSOD mice, TSNO mice developed much more severe fibrosis and reached stage 3 of bridging fibrosis within 14 weeks under the iHFC diet feeding. Perivenular/perisinusoidal pattern of fibrosis in TSNO mice resembled human NASH. Our model of NASH with advanced fibrosis by simple diet offers many advantages useful in studying the mechanism of liver fibrosis and preclinical drug testing.

Experimental Study of Ultrafine Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide-Enhanced MRI in an Atherosclerotic Plaque Model.

Unstable atherosclerotic (AS) plaques contain numerous macrophages that can phagocytose a specific contrast agent, namely ultrafine superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO). This study prepared USPIO nanoparticles, defined their physical and magnetic properties and transmission characteristics, explored the feasibility of their use as a magnetic resonance negative contrast agent, and used them to detect unstable AS plaque as a specific marker of macrophages. We randomly divided 20 healthy male New Zealand white rabbits into two groups, experimental and control (n = 10 each). The experimental group was fed pure high-fat feed. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performance of arterial plaque before and after USPIO enhancement compare with pathological results. The experimental group successfully established a rabbit AS plaque model, and 8 of 10 rabbits developed AS plaque. USPIO-enhanced T2W1 sequence showed that the central signal of the plaque was reduced, and the signal-to-noise ratio of the vascular wall was the lowest at 96 h. The control group showed no change in the wall signal before and after enhancement. The USPIO-enhanced PJN2D-TOF sequence showed dotted filling defects on the tube wall. Pathological examination showed that USPIO nanoparticles were mainly deposited under the arterial intima. A simple high-fat diet can establish a rabbit AS plaque model, and USPIO-enhanced MRI reflects the condition of rabbit AS plaque, which is helpful in evaluating AS lesion diagnosis.

267 Determining the effects of diet complexity and body weight categories on growth performance of nursery pigs

Abstract Our objective was to determine the effects of feeding complex or simple diets to nursery pigs sorted by body weight (BW) on growth performance. A total of 1,296 pigs (PIC 337×Camborough, initially 5.8±0.10 kg) were used in a 35-d study. Pens of pigs were blocked by gender and randomly allotted to 1 of 6 treatments. Treatments included three BW categories: light (4.7±0.10 kg), medium (5.8±0.10 kg), and heavy (7.1±0.10 kg); and two dietary strategies: simple (SD) or complex (CD) diets. Treatments were fed in two phases from d 0-10 and 10-20, followed by 15-d with common diet. Simple diets had greater soybean meal (20/26 vs 12/20%) and phytase levels (2,000 vs 500FTU/kg), lower specialty protein (8.1/4.2 vs 12.0/6.8%) and lactose levels (12/5.3 vs 18/11.5%) compared to CD. There were 8 or 11 pens per treatment and 24 pigs per pen. Data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS with pen as the experimental unit. There was no evidence of interaction for any response criteria. During the treatment period (d 0-20), pigs fed CD had greater (P&amp;lt; 0.05) average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and improved (P&amp;lt; 0.10) feed efficiency (G:F) compared to pigs fed SD. During the common period (d 20-35), pigs fed SD had greater (P&amp;lt; 0.05) ADG and ADFI compared to pigs fed CD. Overall (d 0-35), there was no evidence of differences in ADG, ADFI, G:F, and final BW between SD or CD. Heavy pigs had the greatest (P&amp;lt; 0.05) ADG and ADFI followed by medium and light pigs. In conclusion, pigs fed SD after weaning had poorer performance compared to pigs fed CD but were able to recover the loss in performance when switched to a common diet. This indicates nursery nutrition programs can be simplified without negatively affecting performance from 5.8 to 16.6 kg.

138 Effects of Diet Complexity and L-Threonine Supplementation on Immune Response and Intestinal Barrier Function in Nursery Pigs

Abstract The aim was to investigate the effects of diet complexity and L-Thr supplementation on immune response and intestinal barrier function in nursery pigs. Thirty-two pigs (7.23 ± 0.48 kg of body weight) were randomly assigned dietary treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement based on diet complexity (complex or simple) and L-Thr supplementation (standard, NRC 2012 or 15% more). The complex diet contained fish meal, plasma protein and dried whey to mimic a conventional nursery diet. The simple diet was formulated with corn, wheat, and soybean meal and did not contain any animal products. Pigs were individually housed and fed experimental diets ad libitum for 14 d. All data were analyzed using mixed procedure of SAS with the individual pen as the experimental unit. Pigs fed the simple diet had greater (P &amp;lt; 0.05) plasma interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10 concentrations compared to those fed the complex diet. Pigs fed the simple diet tended to show greater (P &amp;lt; 0.10) expression of genes encoding for tumor necrosis factor-α, claudin-1, and zonula occludens-1 in the jejunum compared to those fed the complex diet. The addition of L-Thr increased (P &amp;lt; 0.05) villus height and numbers of both villi and crypt goblet cells in the jejunum and deepened (P &amp;lt; 0.05) crypts in the proximal colon. Also, L-Thr-supplemented diets upregulated (P &amp;lt; 0.05) the expression of the gene encoding for occludin and tended to downregulate (P &amp;lt; 0.10) IL-6 gene expression in the jejunum. Trends (P &amp;lt; 0.10) for interaction between diet complexity and L-Thr supplementation were observed in villus height:crypt depth ratio, the number of goblet cells, and IL-6 gene expression in the jejunum. In conclusion, feeding a simple diet stimulated the immune system of nursery pigs compared to a complex diet. Dietary L-Thr supplementation fortified intestinal structure and function.

Left Ventricular Mass Reduction by a Low-Sodium Diet in Treated Hypertensive Patients.

Objective: To evaluate the left ventricular mass (LVM) reduction induced by dietary sodium restriction. Patients and Methods: A simple sodium-restricted diet was advised in 138 treated hypertensives. They had to avoid common salt loads, such as cheese and salt-preserved meat, and were switched from regular to salt-free bread. Blood pressure (BP), 24-h urinary sodium (UNaV) and LVM were recorded at baseline, after 2 months. and after 2years. Results: In 76 patients UNaV decreased in the recommended range after 2 months and remained low at 2 years. In 62 patients UNaV levels decreased after 2 months and then increased back to baseline at 2 years. Initially the two groups did not differ in terms of BP (134.3 ± 16.10/80.84 ± 12.23 vs. 134.2 ± 16.67/81.55 ± 11.18 mmHg, mean ± SD), body weight (72.64 ± 15.17 vs. 73.79 ± 12.69 kg), UNaV (161.0 ± 42.22 vs. 158.2 ± 48.66 mEq/24 h), and LVM index (LVMI; 97.09 ± 20.42 vs. 97.31 ± 18.91 g/m2). After 2years. they did not differ in terms of BP (125.3 ± 10.69/74.97 ± 7.67 vs. 124.5 ± 9.95/75.21 ± 7.64 mmHg) and body weight (71.14 ± 14.29 vs. 71.50 ± 11.87 kg). Significant differences were seen for UNaV (97.3 ± 23.01 vs. 152.6 ± 49.96 mEq/24 h) and LVMI (86.38 ± 18.17 vs. 103.1 ± 21.06 g/m2). Multiple regression analysis: UNaV directly and independently predicted LVMI variations, either as absolute values (R2 = 0.369; β = 0.611; p < 0.001), or changes from baseline to +2years. (R2 = 0.454; β = 0.677; p < 0.001). Systolic BP was a weaker predictor of LVMI (R2 = 0.369; β = 0.168; p = 0.027; R2 = 0.454; β = 0.012; p = 0.890), whereas diastolic BP was not correlated with LVMI. The prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy decreased (29/76 to 15/76) in the first group while it increased in the less compliant patients (25/62 to 36/62; Chi2 p = 0.002). Conclusion: LVM seems linked to sodium consumption in patients already under proper BP control by medications.

Fast Induction of Hcc in Nash Rodent Model: A Simple Diet Associated with A Chemical Carcinogen

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have been increasing as an important cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Experimental models are crucial to identify some pathways in the pathogenesis of HCC secondary to NAFLD. Objective: To systematize an experimental hybrid rodent model of HCC secondary to NAFLD. Material and Methods: Fourteen male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighting 350-500g, were fed with choline-deficient high-fat diet and diethylnitrosamine (DEN) in the drinking water for 16 weeks. The animals were separated into two groups: 7 received DEN in water (100mg/ml) associated to choline-deficient high-fat diet and 7 received only cholinedeficient high-fat diet. Histological and immunohistochemical analysis were also performed. Results: All animals had definitive diagnosis of NASH in both groups with hepatocellular ballooning, steatosis and inflammation. In the group that received high-fat choline deficient diet, only two animals had micro nodular cirrhosis. However, in DEN group with high-fat choline deficient diet, all animals had gross lesions, major nodulations and fibrosis, visible in macroscopy. Besides, according of Edmondson-Steiner classification, 71% of the animals that received DEN + Diet with positive CK19 and oval cells and developed some grades of dysplastic and tumoral lesions. Moreover, in this model we could identify beyond NASH progression, some tumor-development stages, which means this model shows different treatment and study targets. Conclusion: The model is accomplishable, promotes fast induction of HCC in NAFLD context without much complexity to be executed and will be implemented as an interesting model to study new drugs to HCC secondary a NASH.

Fast Induction of Hcc in Nash Rodent Model: A Simple Diet Associated with A Chemical Carcinogen

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have been increasing as an important cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Experimental models are crucial to identify some pathways in the pathogenesis of HCC secondary to NAFLD. Objective: To systematize an experimental hybrid rodent model of HCC secondary to NAFLD. Material and Methods: Fourteen male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighting 350-500g, were fed with choline-deficient high-fat diet and diethylnitrosamine (DEN) in the drinking water for 16 weeks. The animals were separated into two groups: 7 received DEN in water (100mg/ml) associated to choline-deficient high-fat diet and 7 received only cholinedeficient high-fat diet. Histological and immunohistochemical analysis were also performed. Results: All animals had definitive diagnosis of NASH in both groups with hepatocellular ballooning, steatosis and inflammation. In the group that received high-fat choline deficient diet, only two animals had micro nodular cirrhosis. However, in DEN group with high-fat choline deficient diet, all animals had gross lesions, major nodulations and fibrosis, visible in macroscopy. Besides, according of Edmondson-Steiner classification, 71% of the animals that received DEN + Diet with positive CK19 and oval cells and developed some grades of dysplastic and tumoral lesions. Moreover, in this model we could identify beyond NASH progression, some tumor-development stages, which means this model shows different treatment and study targets. Conclusion: The model is accomplishable, promotes fast induction of HCC in NAFLD context without much complexity to be executed and will be implemented as an interesting model to study new drugs to HCC secondary a NASH.

The Effect of Athletes' Probiotic Intake May Depend on Protein and Dietary Fiber Intake.

Studies investigating exercise-induced gut microbiota have reported that people who exercise regularly have a healthy gut microbial environment compared with sedentary individuals. In contrast, recent studies have shown that high protein intake without dietary fiber not only offsets the positive effect of exercise on gut microbiota but also significantly lowers the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria. In this study, to resolve this conundrum and find the root cause, we decided to narrow down subjects according to diet. Almost all of the studies had subjects on an ad libitum diet, however, we wanted subjects on a simplified diet. Bodybuilders who consumed an extremely high-protein/low-carbohydrate diet were randomly assigned to a probiotics intake group (n = 8) and a placebo group (n = 7) to find the intervention effect. Probiotics, comprising Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. casei, L. helveticus, and Bifidobacterium bifidum, were consumed for 60 days. As a result, supplement intake did not lead to a positive effect on the gut microbial environment or concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). It has been shown that probiotic intake is not as effective as ergogenic aids for athletes such as bodybuilders with extreme dietary regimens, especially protein and dietary fiber. To clarify the influence of nutrition-related factors that affect the gut microbial environment, we divided the bodybuilders (n = 28) into groups according to their protein and dietary fiber intake and compared their gut microbial environment with that of sedentary male subjects (n = 15). Based on sedentary Korean recommended dietary allowance (KRDA), the bodybuilders′ intake of protein and dietary fiber was categorized into low, proper, and excessive groups, as follows: high-protein/restricted dietary fiber (n = 12), high-protein/adequate dietary fiber (n = 10), or adequate protein/restricted dietary fiber (n = 6). We found no significant differences in gut microbial diversity or beneficial bacteria between the high-protein/restricted dietary fiber and the healthy sedentary groups. However, when either protein or dietary fiber intake met the KRDA, gut microbial diversity and the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria showed significant differences to those of healthy sedentary subjects. These results suggest that the positive effect of exercise on gut microbiota is dependent on protein and dietary fiber intake. The results also suggest that the question of adequate nutrition should be addressed before supplementation with probiotics to derive complete benefits from the intervention.

Combining stable isotopes, morphological, and molecular analyses to reconstruct the diet of free-ranging consumers.

Accurate estimates of animal diet composition are essential to untangle complex interactions in food webs. Biomarkers and molecular tools are increasingly used to estimate diet, sometimes alongside traditional dietary tracing methods. Yet only a few empirical studies have compared the outcomes and potential gains of using a combination of these methods, especially using free‐ranging animals with distinct foraging preferences.We used stable isotopes, morphological, and molecular analyses to investigate the diet of free‐ranging consumers with two distinct diet types, that is, carnivore and omnivore. By combining the three analytical methods to assess the diet of consumers during the same period, we aimed to identify the limits of each method and to assess the potential benefits of their combined use to derive diet estimates.Our results showed that the different methods led to a consistent diet description for carnivores, which have a relatively simple diet mixture, but their outcomes somewhat differed for omnivore, which have a more complex diet. Still, the combined use of morphological and molecular analyses enhanced the diversity of food sources detected compared to the use of a single method independently of diet types. Precision of diet estimates derived from stable isotope analyses was improved by the addition of priors obtained from morphological and molecular diet analyses of the same population.Although we used free‐ranging animals without a known diet, our empirical testing of three of the most widely used methods of diet determination highlights the limits of relying over a single approach, especially in systems with few or no a priori information about the foraging habits of consumers. The choice of an appropriate approach of diet description should be a key step when planning dietary studies of free‐ranging populations. We recommend using more than one dietary determination methods especially for species with complex diet mixtures.

Diet complexity and l-threonine supplementation: effects on nutrient digestibility, nitrogen and energy balance, and body composition in nursery pigs.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary complexity and l-Thr supplementation on energy and nutrient utilization in nursery pigs. Thirty-two nursery pigs (7.23 ± 0.48 kg) were randomly assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial treatment arrangement based on diet complexity (complex vs. simple) with different levels of l-Thr supplementation. The complex diet contained animal protein sources (e.g., fish meal and plasma) and a dairy product (e.g., dried whey) to mimic a conventional nursery diet. The simple diet was formulated with corn, wheat, and soybean meal. Both diets were supplemented with l-Thr to contain either 100% or 115% (SUP Thr) of the estimated standardized ileal digestible Thr requirement for 9 kg body weight pigs (NRC, 2012). The pigs were individually housed in metabolism crates and fed an experimental diet ad libitum for a 7-d adaptation period and 5 d of total but separate urine and fecal collection. On day 14, all pigs were euthanized to determine body composition. The diet complexity, l-Thr supplementation, and their interactions were considered main effects. Pigs fed the complex diet tended to exhibit greater (P < 0.10) apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of ash and urinary energy output than those fed the simple diet. The complex diet had greater (P < 0.05) digestible energy and net energy contents than the simple diet. Furthermore, the complex diet-fed pigs had lower (P < 0.05) plasma urea nitrogen concentration on day 14 than simple diet-fed pigs. The SUP Thr decreased (P < 0.05) ATTD of acid detergent fiber but trended (P < 0.10) toward a decrease in urinary nitrogen (N) output and an increase in N retention and body N mass. In conclusion, the simple diet for nursery pigs had lower digestible and net energy contents than a complex diet. The SUP Thr can improve N utilization and body protein deposition, irrespective of diet complexity.

Diet complexity and l-threonine supplementation: effects on growth performance, immune response, intestinal barrier function, and microbial metabolites in nursery pigs.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of diet complexity and l-Thr supplementation level on the growth performance, immune response, intestinal barrier function, and microbial metabolites in nursery pigs. Thirty-two weaned pigs (body weight 7.23 ± 0.48 kg) were randomly assigned to dietary treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement based on diet complexity (complex or simple) and dietary Thr content. The complex diet contained fish meal, plasma protein, and dried whey to mimic a conventional nursery diet. The simple diet was formulated with corn, wheat, and soybean meal and did not contain any animal products. l-Thr was supplemented to each diet to supply either 100% (STD Thr) or 115% (SUP Thr) of the NRC (2012) requirement for standardized ileal digestible Thr. Pigs were individually housed and fed experimental diets ad libitum for 14 d. Diet complexity, dietary Thr content, and their interactions were considered the main effects. Pigs fed the simple diet had greater (P < 0.05) plasma interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-6 concentrations compared with those fed the complex diet on days 7 and 14, respectively. Simple diet-fed pigs tended to show greater (P < 0.10) expression of genes encoding for tumor necrosis factor-α, claudin-1, and zonula occludens-1 in the jejunum compared with complex diet-fed pigs. The simple diet-fed pigs had greater (P < 0.05) concentrations of NH3-N in the jejunum digesta than did complex diet-fed pigs. The SUP Thr increased (P < 0.05) villus height and goblet cell (GC) density in villi and crypts in the jejunum and deepened (P < 0.05) crypts in the proximal colon. The SUP Thr resulted in the upregulation (P < 0.05) of occludin gene expression and a tendency toward the downregulation (P = 0.10) of IL-6 gene expression in the jejunum. Interactions (P < 0.05) between diet complexity and l-Thr supplementation level were observed in GC density in the crypt, NH3-N concentration in the jejunum, and the contents of acetate, propionate, and total volatile fatty acids in the colon. In conclusion, feeding a simple diet to nursery pigs resulted in systemic and intestinal inflammation. The SUP Thr diet did not normalize the simple diet-induced inflammation but improved gut integrity. SUP Thr seems to have greater benefits with a simple diet than with a complex diet. Therefore, SUP Thr in a simple diet could be a beneficial nutritional strategy for enhancing gut health.