Cyclamate consumption in Catalonia, Spain (1992): relationship with the body mass index

The dietary intake of cyclamate was evaluated in the north-east of Spain in 1992. In a random sample of the Catalan population consisting of 2450 people aged 6-75 years, two 24-h recalls at different seasons were collected; the amount and type of all foods, drinks and drugs consumed were obtained and the total daily intake of cyclamate was expressed in mg/kg body weight (bw), as the average of both 24-h recalls. Eighteen percent of the population consumed cyclamate, and the highest percentage was in men aged 35-44 years (33%). Average daily intake of cyclamate was 0.44 mg/kg bw in the whole population and 2.44 mg/kg bw among consumers. Subjects following a diet reported highest intakes, especially diabetics, and only 0.16% of the sample studied had levels above the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI). Among consumers, the intake of cyclamate was negatively correlated with Body Mass Index (BMI). The results show the pattern of cyclamate intake in the Spanish population.     

Effect of ethanol drinking and naltrexone on subsequent drinking in rats

The effects of several days of oral ethanol drinking paired with naltrexone (NTX) on subsequent ethanol drinking were investigated in rats. We hypothesized that repeated pairings of NTX combined with forced oral ethanol intake would extinguish ethanol drinking so that when NTX injections were terminated, voluntary oral ethanol drinking would be suppressed. Thirty-two male. Long-Evans rats were provided with alternate days of either 8% ethanol solution or water as the sole source of fluid. Intraperitoneal injections of 0, 2.5, or 5.0 mg of NTX hydrochloride were administered on the ethanol days. Following the termination of injections, rats were returned to unrestricted access to water and ethanol and 24-h measurements of fluid intake were recorded. NTX decreased ethanol intake 4 h, but not 24 h, after NTX injections. Despite the consumption of significant amounts of ethanol during NTX treatment, there was no change in voluntary oral ethanol intake patterns after NTX injections were terminated (reinstatement of voluntary ethanol drinking). Thus, NTX's reduction in ethanol intake was limited in duration and did not result in long-term extinction of ethanol drinking behavior.     

Variation in genome organization of the plant pathogenic fungus Colletotrichum lindemuthianum

The effects of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists on ethanol intake were examined in the selectively bred alcohol-preferring P line of rats under continuous and limited access to 10% (v/v) ethanol with food and water ad lib. Single daily injections of either MDL 72222 (MDL) or ICS 205-930 (ICS) (0.01-3.0 mg/kg, SC) given 60 min before a 4-h scheduled access period for 4 consecutive days failed at all doses to alter the intake of a 10% (v/v) ethanol solution by P rats. However, multiple daily injections of either MDL (1-3 mg/kg, SC) or ICS (3.0 and 5.0 mg/kg, SC), given three times daily at 4-h intervals, significantly reduced ethanol intake under 24-h free-choice conditions on the first treatment day. Additionally, a single administration of 1.0 mg/kg MDL reduced 24-h free-choice ethanol intake by approximately 50% of control values and had no effect on 24-h saccharin intake. The effects of MDL were further examined in a 2-h schedule access paradigm in which rats received the access period at the same time every day (Fixed) or randomly during the dark cycle (Variable). Although 1.0 mg/kg MDL had little effect on ethanol drinking in the Fixed group, ethanol intake was reduced by 55% of control levels in the Variable group. Overall, the data indicate that drinking conditions influence the effectiveness of 5-HT3 antagonists to reduce ethanol consumption. Furthermore, the results suggest that conditions, associated with limited access ethanol drinking, markedly reduce the actions of 5-HT3 antagonists on ethanol intake.     

Experiences of 23 patients > or = 90 years of age treated with radiation therapy

Previous studies showed that the 5-HT2 receptor antagonist, amperozide, is somewhat more potent than the opiate antagonist, naltrexone, in reducing alcohol drinking in high alcohol-preferring (P) rats. The purpose of this study was to determine in the P rat whether the effect of either drug could be due, in part, to an alteration in gustatory function. In an unlimited, 24-h free choice paradigm, P rats were offered water simultaneously with either a highly palatable 0.1% saccharin solution or a 1:4 dilution of Nestlé Sweet Success chocolate drink. Throughout all phases of the study, the P rats always consumed significantly greater volumes of the chocolate drink than of the saccharin solution, i.e., 526 ml/kg vs. 181 ml/kg, respectively. Successive 12-day experimental periods consisted of three phases: a 4-day predrug control interval; 4 days of administration of saline control vehicle or either drug; and a final 4 day postdrug interval. In a counterbalance design, saline, amperozide (1.0 or 5.0 mg/kg) or naltrexone (2.5 or 5.0 mg/kg) was administered subcutaneously twice daily at 1600 and 2200 h for 4 days. Amperozide and naltrexone significantly reduced the drinking of chocolate in a dose-dependent manner. Conversely, only the two higher doses of amperozide and naltrexone decreased the intake of saccharin significantly. Thus, these findings suggest that different populations of central serotonin and opioid receptors concurrently underpin, in part, the preferences for both palatable and/or nutrient fluids. Finally, because both the opiate and 5-HT2A antagonists reduce the ingestion of saccharin and chocolate solutions differentially, it is apparent that preferences for alternative palatable fluids should be examined when candidate drugs are screened for suppressing alcohol drinking and ultimately the treatment of alcohol abuse.     

Food and nutrient intake outside the home of 629 French people of fifteen years and over

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to assess nutrient intake outside the home of 629 people representative of the French population. SUBJECTS: The study population consisted of 629 people aged 15 years and over. They were recruited in a randomized way with two levels (town and household). METHOD: Food intake outside the home was assessed by self-completed estimated record for 7 d. Individuals referred to photographs to estimate portions. Nutrient intake has been calculated for energy, protein, carbohydrate, fat and some minerals (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron). RESULTS: Lunches and dinners eaten out are on average too rich in protein (20% of the energy), too high in fat (40-43% of the energy) and do not contain enough carbohydrate. The percentage of energy from sugars varies between 11% for lunch and 30% for breakfast. Mean intake of nutrients by beverages drunk outside the home decrease with the age of consumers. CONCLUSION: This study shows that foods and drinks consumed outside the home in France are on average too rich in fat and protein.     

Calcium supplementation of hen drinking water

Two experiments with White Leghorn hens (42 and 56 wk old, respectively) examined the effects of calcium supplementation through drinking water in the presence of adequate and inadequate dietary calcium. Each experiment was of 28 d duration with six replicate pens of five individually caged hens in each treatment. Treatments were a combination of either 2.25 or 3.5% dietary calcium coupled with tap water or water supplemented with .2% calcium from calcium lactate. In both studies, specific gravity of eggs was significantly improved when low dietary calcium was supplemented with .2% calcium in the drinking water. Egg production and egg weight were not influenced by waterborne calcium. Daily water intake was reduced by calcium lactate in all cases. Feed consumption was also depressed by waterborne calcium in both studies when 3.5% dietary calcium was given, and in Experiment 1 when 2.25% was fed. Waterborne calcium as calcium lactate was found to be effectively utilized for eggshell quality improvement when dietary sources were inadequate.     

Histamine H3 receptors contribute to drinking elicited by eating in rats

A role for endogenous histamine and its H3 receptor subtype for mediating drinking elicited by eating was examined in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. The i.p. injection of the H3 agonist R-alpha-methylhistamine (Ramh, 2.5 mg/kg) shortened the latency to initiate drinking and increased 1-h water intake in nondeprived rats freely eating pellets and drinking water. The ICV injection (through a surgically implanted chronic cannula) of 10 micrograms Ramh increased water intake; this Ramh-induced drinking was abolished by previous ICV injection of the H3 antagonist thioperamide (Th, 60 micrograms). For rats drinking and eating after 24-h food deprivation, s.c. Th inhibited drinking behavior: for example, 10 mg/kg Th s.c. delayed the latency to initiate drinking and inhibited 1-h water intake without inhibition of food intake. In contrast, 60 micrograms Th ICV failed to inhibit food-related drinking in rats eating after food deprivation. For nondeprived rats eating a small cracker, 10 mg/kg Th s.c. delayed the latency to initiate drinking and abolished water intake without effect of eating, and 60 micrograms Th ICV had similar effects upon drinking elicited by ingestion of cracker. The IG infusion (through a surgically implanted gastric catheter) of 2 ml 600 or 900 mOsm/kg NaCl, a treatment that is subthreshold for increase in systemic plasma osmolality at the initiation of drinking, elicited drinking that was abolished by 10 mg/kg Th s.c. and attenuated by 60 micrograms Th ICV. The IG infusion of 2 ml 1800 mOsm/kg NaCl, a treatment that is above threshold for increase in systemic plasma osmolality, elicited drinking that was attenuated by 10 mg/kg s.c. or 60 micrograms Th ICV. These results demonstrate that peripheral and central H3 receptors for histamine have a role in drinking elicited by eating and the postprandial gastrointestinal osmotic consequences of eating. These findings extend the evidence demonstrating a histaminergic contribution to food-related drinking in rats.     

Effects of ethanol consumption on brown adipose tissue thermogenic capacity in mice

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of ethanol consumption on brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenic capacity in mice. Mice offered only ethanol (10%; v/v) for 10 days as drinking fluid had significant reductions in total energy and fluid intakes relative to mice given water, but net weight gains were similar. BAT thermogenic capacity was reduced in mice drinking ethanol, as shown by decreases in tissue protein and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity and in the uncoupling protein content of isolated mitochondria. Ethanol consumption differed greatly between mice offered a choice between ethanol and water for 25 days after a 10-day habituation period, with only ethanol as the drinking solution. Total energy intake of mice that continue to consume the most ethanol voluntarily (up to 25% of total fluid intake) was significantly reduced but carcass fat was increased, relative to mice consuming less or no ethanol. Brown fat thermogenic capacity was not significantly affected by the degree of ethanol consumption. Basal and norepinephrine-stimulated rates of oxygen uptake of isolated brown adipocytes were not affected by ethanol. Thus, changes in the animal capacity for energy expenditure in brown adipose tissue does not appear an important factor to explain the effects of ethanol consumption on fat deposition in mice.     

Molecular genetic evidence for subtypes of oligoastrocytomas

Because of inherent genetic and physiological characteristics, the natural concentration of cadmium in the kernels of sunflowers grown in uncontaminated soils of the northern Great Plains region of the United States is higher than in most other grains. We tested the hypothesis that a habitual consumption of sunflower kernels will increase the body burden and health effects of cadmium in humans. Sixty-six men and women who reported consuming various amounts of sunflower kernels were recruited and divided by sex and kernel consumption: those who consumed less than or equal to 1 ounce(oz)/week and those who consumed more than 1 oz/week. Cadmium intake was assessed by calculation from 7-day food diaries, cadmium burden by whole blood cadmium, red blood cell (RBC) cadmium and urine cadmium concentrations, and health effects by urinary excretion of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity and beta2-microglobulin (beta2MG). The results showed that high intakes of sunflower kernels (>1 oz/day) significantly increased the intake of cadmium (p<0.004). However, the amount of cadmium in whole blood or RBCs was not affected by cadmium intake. Urinary excretion of cadmium also was not affected by cadmium intake. Urine NAG activity and the amount of urinary beta2MG were significantly elevated in the urine of high sunflower kernel consumers when the values were expressed on a urine volume basis (p<0.03), but not when expressed on a creatinine basis (p>0.05). Because normal ranges for the excretion of these protein markers have not been established, it was not possible to determine if these elevated values were meaningful. However, given the knowledge that habitual consumption of sunflower kernels with natural cadmium concentrations higher than most other food products will increase the average intake of dietary cadmium, the potential exists for an increased body burden of cadmium. Controlled feeding studies in humans should be pursued in order to determine if the body burden does indeed increase and, if so, is it a cause for concern.     

Changes in social roles as predictors of changes in drinking behaviour

AIM: To assess the possible effects of changes in marital status, employment status and having children at home on alcohol consumption and the frequency of heavy drinking. With role theory as a starting point it was expected that a shift into more social roles would decrease consumption and heavy drinking while the shift away from social roles would be associated with an increase in consumption and heavy drinking. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: The province of Limburg, The Netherlands (1980-89). PARTICIPANTS: 1327 men and women aged 16-69 years at first measurement. MEASUREMENTS: Weekly consumption of standard units (10 g ethanol) of alcoholic beverages; frequency of drinking six units or more; self-reported social role. FINDINGS: The acquisition of a spouse role and a parental role but not an employment role was associated with a decrease in consumption or heavy drinking. The loss of the spouse role among women was associated with an increase in heavy drinking. Otherwise, losing a role was not linked with a change in consumption and heavy drinking. CONCLUSIONS: Limited support was found for the expectation that role transitions influence drinking behaviour. Our study suggests that other theories must be sought to explain social differences in drinking behaviour.     

Use of food quotients in human doubly labeled water studies: comparable results obtained with 4 widely used food intake methods

Information on the macronutrient composition of the diet is needed in doubly labeled water studies to convert measured rates of carbon dioxide production into values for total energy expenditure. There is no general consensus, however, about the best method to determine food intake for this purpose. Four common methods of measuring food intake (7-day weighed food intake, 24-hour recall, and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Block and Willett food frequency questionnaires) were tested for their ability to provide comparable food quotient and total energy expenditure data in doubly labeled water studies in 10 young and 10 older women. All methods gave mean values for total energy expenditure that were within 1% of each other. Individual values obtained using the 24-hour recall and food frequency questionnaires were within +/- 3% (standard deviation) of values determined using data from the 7-day weighed food record. These results suggest that it is not necessary to use time-consuming and expensive 7-day food records in doubly labeled water studies; instead, food intake data obtained more easily by 24-hour recall or food frequency questionnaire can provide comparable data.     

The Morning After: Limit Violations and the Self-Regulation of Alcohol Consumption.

The authors examined whether the reciprocal relationship between alcohol consumption and distress unfolded over time in 2 samples of social drinkers. Participants monitored their alcohol intake and their cognitive and emotional responses to that drinking on hand-held computers. On mornings after drinking, those who had violated their self-imposed limits the day before reported more guilt, even after controlling for acute negative symptoms of drinking and amount consumed. Reciprocally, guilt led to poorer self-regulation of alcohol intake: Greater distress over alcohol consumption was linked to more intake, intoxication, and more limit violations. Individual differences moderated the relationships among limit violations, distress, and drinking. Consistent with the limit violation effect, violating a limit produced distress over consumption among social drinkers, and they responded to that distress by drinking more. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Four-week ethanol intake decreases food intake and body weight but does not affect plasma leptin, corticosterone, and insulin levels in pubertal rats

Long-term intake of ethanol decreases food intake and inhibits growth in experimental rats. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of 4-week oral ethanol ingestion on plasma leptin and adrenal function. Male 45-day-old Wistar rats were divided into three groups: absolute control (AC), ethanol (E) administered 10% (wt/vol) ethanol instead of tap water, and pair-fed (PF) given an amount of food corresponding to the food intake of E animals. E rats consumed less pelleted diet (74% cumulative total intake); however, this caloric deficit was compensated by ethanol ingestion. Net water intake in E animals was 76% of that in the control groups. The body growth of both E and PF rats was stunted compared with AC animals, but E rats were heavier than PF rats. The plasma leptin level was similar in E and AC and decreased in PF animals. There were no differences in plasma osmolality or glycemia among the three groups. Plasma insulin was decreased in PF compared with both AC and E rats. Plasma corticosterone was not affected by ethanol, but was increased in the food-restricted (PF) group. Although there were no differences in basal adrenal corticosterone production in vitro, there was a slightly higher response to corticotropin (ACTH) in E rats. We conclude that drinking 10% ethanol decreased the dietary intake and body growth. These changes were not mediated by plasma leptin changes. Although alcohol ingestion and its energy content theoretically normalized the total energy intake and prevented the decrease of plasma leptin, the growth of young rats was inhibited. Drinking 10% ethanol instead of tap water for 4 weeks did not stimulate basal adrenal activity.     

One Too Many: Predicting Future Alcohol Consumption Following Heavy Drinking.

Adult social drinkers used handheld computers to monitor alcohol intake as well as the precursors and consequences of drinking over a 2-week period. The within-person relationship between mood and amount of alcohol consumed was examined, as well as the role of individual differences. When individuals made internal attributions for their greater than average consumption, they were in a more negative mood after drinking. Individuals who experienced a negative mood after drinking consumed more subsequently. This dysregulatory process may help explain the progression from social drinking to more problematic drinking; indeed, the relationship between mood and alcohol intake was stronger for heavier drinkers. Likewise, gender and trait temptation and restriction moderated this process. The results are consistent with the Limit Violation Effect model (R. L. Collins, 1993) of mood and regulation of alcohol intake. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Consumption of solutions containing sodium chloride is enhanced in female oxytocin-deficient mice.

Intact and ovariectomized oxytocin (OT)-deficient (OT-/-) and wild-type (OT+/+) mice were tested for consumption of 0.5 M NaCl solution or tap water in a 2-bottle choice test. During 3 days of acclimation, voluntary ingestion of NaCl was equal between genotypes. After overnight fluid deprivation, intact OT-/- mice ingested 2 times more NaCl solution than OT+/+ mice in the 6th hr, but not the 1 st hr, after reintroduction of fluid. Ovariectomized mice consumed less than intact mice after overnight fluid deprivation. When a 0.2 M NaCl solution was administered for 6 days in ovariectomized mice, OT-/- mice voluntarily consumed greater amounts than OT+/+ mice. After overnight fluid deprivation, consumption by OT-/- mice was 3 times that of OT+/+ mice at 1 hr and 2-fold greater after 6 hr. Enhanced intake of NaCl-containing solutions in female OT-/- mice suggests that central OT may be an important inhibitor of sodium consumption. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Drinking patterns as predictors of alcohol withdrawal reactions in DBA/2J mice

Individually housed DBA/2J mice were fed a liquid diet in which ethanol supplied 33% of the calories. The level of physical dependence that developed was estimated by scoring convulsions, elicited by handling the mice, after discontinuing the alcohol diet. The severity of the withdrawal reaction increased progressively with duration (5-12 days) of alcohol administration. A 2-day period on the diet produced no withdrawal reaction. Pretreatment of the mice with alcohol in their drinking water slightly increased the subsequent intake of the liquid diet. "Effective" alcohol intake was defined as uninterrupted alcohol consumption above 10 g/kg/day. Withdrawal scores correlated better with effective intake than with total intake under a variety of conditions. We interpret this to mean that brief interruptions in drinking (1 day) may allow the accrued physical dependence to disappear. On the basis of their effective alcohol intake, mice could be assigned to nondependent, moderately dependent or severely dependent groups for further study of the nature of physical dependence.     

Nutrient intake and dental health in school children

Diet refers to the customary allowance of food and drink taken by a person from day to day. The diet may affect dental caries by reacting with the enamel surface and by serving as a substrate for cariogenic microorganisms. This study examined the role of specific nutrients in the caries experience of elementary school children. 120 children aged between 6-11, who attended the Pedodontics Department of Marmara University, Faculty of Dentistry for routine dental treatment received a dental examination, parent interview, and a 3-day diet diary. The diary was completed adequately for 100 children (83%). The average daily intake of nutrients were computed and total sugar consumption and Ca/P ratio were calculated. Each child's gender, age, fluoride history, socio-economic state of the family, previous dental experience, brushing habit, and nutrient intake were examined as independent variables. No association was apparent between dental caries and the intake of specific nutrients or Ca/P ratio, except with total sugar consumption.     

Effects of environmental conditions on food consumption in female and male rats

The present experiment examined food and water consumption under different housing conditions in 20 female and 20 male Wistar rats. Food and water consumption were measured for 6 h a day following an 18-h same-sex crowded or individual housing period for each of 6 days. All subjects were individually housed during the 6-h measurement period and had access to food and water. Female rats consumed more food and water than did male rats during the 6-h period, regardless of their 18-h housing condition. In addition, previously crowded rats consumed more food and water during the 6-h period than did rats that were previously individually housed. During the 18-h period, when subjects were differentially housed, males consumed more food and water than did females; crowded rats ate less than did individually housed rats; and crowded rats drank more water than did individually housed rats. Based on plasma corticosterone data, the female and male rats were differentially affected by housing conditions. The present results are discussed with regard to housing conditions per se and sex differences in stress responses to housing.     

Drinking water source and reproductive outcomes in Sprague-Dawley rats

As part of our work on the influence of water source on reproductive outcome, Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to tap water, bottled water, or deionized water treatment groups, utilizing 160 animals per treatment; animals received the water prior to and during pregnancy. Rats were shipped in four batches (A-D). Batch effects were seen for several reproductive parameters. Because the tap water supply was interrupted by an earthquake resulting in an unbalanced design, primary analyses utilized only batches C and D, which included most of the tap water-treated rats. A treatment effect with respect to resorption frequency was seen that was marginally significant using a fixed-effects analysis of variance (P = 0.053), but not when batch was entered as a random effect (P = 0.36). The data were modeled by logistic regression, controlling for batch, litter size, and batch-treatment interaction. The odds ratio comparing tap to bottled water was 1.8 (95% CI 1.0 to 3.3, P = 0.05), which was similar to the epidemiologic result that prompted this study. The magnitude of this association varied by batch, and the difference in resorption frequency was within the range of variation seen for control animals. Although these findings do not justify public health action at this time, further investigation is warranted.     

Schedule-induced polydipsia: Effect of water temperature, ambient temperature, and hypothalamic cooling.

Conducted 3 polydipsia experiments with a total of 26 female Sprague-Dawley rats, 6 of which were implanted with thermodes and thermistors and 2 of which were implanted with thermistors alone in the medial preoptic area or posterior hypothalamus. A cold (5.C) ambient temperature reduced the amount of water consumed by food-deprived Ss tested with a VI schedule of reinforcement, while a warm (30.C) ambient increased water intake. Response rate in the cold was twice that in a neutral temperature. A hot (38.C) ambient suppressed the rate of responding and drinking. Cooling the hypothalamus substantially reduced water intake in a neutral ambient temperature. Ambient temperature affected the volume of a drink but not the frequency of drinking, while hypothalamic cooling affected both volume and frequency. Water temperature had little effect on polydipsia although less cold water was consumed than warm water. It is concluded that schedule-induced polydipsia is a temperature-dependent phenomenon. (39 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)