Effect of oral enprostil, a synthetic prostaglandin E2, on intestinal brush border membrane lipid composition following abdominal irradiation in the rat

Previous studies have demonstrated that external abdominal irradiation alters intestinal nutrient transport and brush border membrane (BBM) phospholipid content. This study was undertaken to assess the possible protective effect of oral dosing of enprostil, a synthetic E2 prostaglandin, on the BBM marker enzyme and lipid composition of non-irradiated control (CONT) animals and of rats exposed seven days perviously to a single dose of 600 cGy external abdominal irradiation (RAD). Half the CONT and RAD animals were orally dosed with enprostil 5 mcg/kg body weight, two and one mornings before the day of irradiation, and one hour before 600 cGy; the remaining half were dosed with placebo according to the same schedule. BBM were isolated and purified from the animals seven days post-irradiation for analysis of marker enzymes and lipid composition. Radiation was associated with a decline in jejunal and ileal BBM activity of sucrase. Enprostil was associated with a decline in the ratio of alkaline phosphatase/sucrase in jejunal BBM from irradiated rats, despite its preventing a radiation-associated decline in BBM sucrase activity. Radiation was associated with changes in ileal BBM phospholipids, and these alterations were not prevented with enprostil. Furthermore, enprostil given to non-radiated control rats altered BBM composition, such as increased jejunal and ileal lysophosphatidylethanolamine, and lowered ileal BBM sphingomyelin and phosphatidylethanolamine. Thus, enprostil failed to protect the intestine from the effects of abdominal irradiation on BBM phospholipids, but did partially prevent the effect of abdominal irradiation on jejunal sucrase activity.

Hypotriglyceridemic effect of dietary n - 3 fatty acids in rats fed low versus high levels of linoleic acid

The effect of dietary alpha-linolenic acid (linseed oil) or eicosapentaenoic acid (fish oil) on serum and liver triacylglycerol levels in rats fed diets rich in saturated fatty acids (hydrogenated beef tallow) versus high in linoleic acid (safflower oil) was examined. Feeding fish oil with hydrogenated tallow lowered the serum triacylglycerol concentration while the combination of fish oil and safflower oil failed to do so. Inclusion of fish oil in the hydrogenated tallow diet lowered the triacylglycerol constant in level tissue whereas inclusion of linseed oil had no significant effect. Feeding of linseed oil or fish oil in the safflower oil diet resulted in lowering of the liver triacylglycerol levels. These results suggest that dietary fish oil may have greater hypotriglyceridemic effects in individuals/populations eating diets high in saturated fats compared with those consuming mainly polyunsaturated vegetable oils rich in n - 6 fatty acids.

Persistent impairment of endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine and progression of atherosclerosis following 6 weeks of cholesterol feeding in the rabbit

The synthesis and (or) release of endothelium-dependent relaxant factor released by acetylcholine is impaired in New Zealand white rabbits fed an atherogenic diet. Experiments were designed to investigate whether the synthesis and (or) release of the endothelium-dependent relaxant factor from rabbit aortas are restored after reversal from an atherogenic diet to a non-atherogenic diet. Atherosclerosis was induced by feeding a diet containing lipids and 2% cholesterol for 6 weeks. Rabbits were sacrificed after 6 weeks on the atherogenic diet and 36 weeks after return to a standard laboratory diet. Synthesis and (or) release of the factor from the thoracic aorta was assayed using a bioassay system. The relaxant responses produced in the assay tissue were impaired both in the acute stage and after 36 weeks on non-atherogenic food. This impaired relaxation is probably due to a persistent functional abnormality in the aortic endothelium resulting in the failure to synthesize and (or) release endothelium-dependent relaxation factor 36 weeks after induction of atherosclerosis.

Lack of protective effect of oral enprostil, a synthetic prostaglandin E2, on intestinal transport and morphology following abdominal irradiation in the rat

Previous studies have demonstrated that abdominal irradiation alters intestinal uptake of nutrients. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of an orally administered synthetic prostaglandin E2, enprostil, given on three occasions shortly prior to a single exposure to 600 cGy external abdominal irradiation, on intestinal active and passive transport processes and villus morphology measured 7 days later. Animals were sham-irradiated (CONT) or were exposed to a single dose of 600 cGy external abdominal irradiation (RAD); two and one mornings before the day of irradiation or sham irradiation, and 1 h before irradiation or sham irradiation enprostil was administered. One half of CONT and RAD groups were dosed orally with enprostil, 5 micrograms/kg body weight, and the other half of the CONT and RAD groups were dosed with placebo. Seven days later the in vitro uptake of glucose, galactose, long-chain fatty acids, and cholesterol was determined in the four groups (CONT with and without enprostil, and RAD with and without enprostil). In CONT, enprostil was associated with increased jejunal uptake of glucose and ileal uptake of galactose. In RAD given enprostil, there was increased jejunal uptake of galactose but reduced ileal uptake of glucose and galactose. The expected radiation-associated decline in jejunal galactose uptake was prevented with enprostil. In CONT given enprostil, there was increased jejunal uptake of fatty acid (FA) 14:0 and 16:0 but reduced uptake of FA 18:0, 18:1, and 18:2; enprostil had no effect on lipid uptake in the ileum in CONT.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Fish oil prevents effect of high cholesterol diet on active intestinal transport of galactose

We tested the hypothesis that diets containing fish oils prevent the effects of a high cholesterol diet on the morphology and nutrient uptake of the intestine. Isocaloric semisynthetic diets were supplemented with beef tallow or fish oil containing low or high amounts of cholesterol and were fed to growing female Wistar rats for 14 days, after which the in vitro jejunal and ileal uptake of glucose, galactose, long-chain fatty acids, and cholesterol was determined. Feeding cholesterol with beef tallow was associated with a 12% decrease in the jejunal mucosal surface area. Feeding fish oil decreased jejunal mucosal surface area by 24%, as compared with the beef tallow diet, but the reduction was increased to 42% when fish oil and cholesterol were fed together. Ileal surface area was unaffected by varying the major source of dietary lipid, or by adding cholesterol. Despite the effect of fish oil on the mucosal surface area, the jejunal and ileal uptake of saturated as well as unsaturated long-chain fatty acids and cholesterol was similar in the four diet groups. Cholesterol supplementation enhanced the jejunal uptake of high concentrations of galactose only when fed with beef tallow, i.e., feeding fish oil prevented the enhancing effect of cholesterol on galactose uptake observed when beef tallow was fed. Thus, (i) a fish oil diet prevents the enhancing effect of cholesterol on jejunal active transport of galactose, an effect not explained by the reduction in jejunal mucosal surface area observed with the fish oil diet; (ii) these dietary manipulations result in a clear dissociation of the morphological from the transport adaptation of the intestine; and (iii) substitution of fish oil for beef tallow as the major source of lipid in the diet prevents the influence of cholesterol on the active intestinal transport of galactose.

Omega-3 fatty acids increase the arachidonic acid content of liver cholesterol ester and plasma triacylglycerol fractions in the rat

Recent studies have demonstrated that dietary fish oils rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5,omega 3) lower the content of arachidonic acid and its metabolites in plasma and tissue phospholipids. The present study examined the fatty acid composition of cholesterol ester and triacylglycerol fractions from plasma and livers of rats fed diets enriched with saturated fatty acids (beef tallow), alpha-linolenic acid (linseed oil) or eicosapentaenoic acid (fish oil). Feeding diets containing linseed oil or fish oil for 28 days increased arachidonic acid (C20:4,omega 6) levels in the cholesterol ester fraction of liver and in the triacylglycerol fraction of the plasma lipids. Plasma cholesterol esters were depleted of C20:4,omega 6 after feeding of the diet containing either linseed oil or fish oil. The changes in C20:4,omega 6 content cannot be explained by alterations in cholesterol ester or triacylglycerol pools of plasma and liver. These results suggest that the decrease in phospholipid C20:4,omega 6 content generally observed after fish oil consumption may be partly due to a shift of C20:4,omega 6 from phospholipid to the triacylglycerol and/or cholesterol ester pools in the same tissue. Triacylglycerols and cholesterol esters may therefore play a buffering role in the homeostatic maintenance of tissue phospholipid levels of arachidonic acid.

Rechallenge following an early life exposure to a high-cholesterol diet enhances diet-associated alterations in intestinal permeability

This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that the intestinal transport response to a high-cholesterol (2%) diet (HCD) is influenced by prior exposure to HCD at an earlier age. Uptake was assessed using an in vitro technique, and rabbits were fed one of four dietary regimens: chow for 20 weeks, chow for 14 weeks followed by HCD for 6 weeks, chow for 2 weeks followed by 4 weeks HCD followed by chow for 14 weeks, or 2 weeks chow followed by 4 weeks HCD followed by 8 weeks chow and then 6 further weeks with HCD. The passive jejunal uptake of octanoic, lauric, cholic, and taurocholic acids was greater in animals previously exposed at an earlier age to HCD, as compared with those first exposed to HCD at a later age. Furthermore, the effect of HCD on the passive permeability properties of the intestine lasted for as long as 14 weeks after the animals were switched from HCD back to chow. These alterations in permeability properties occurred in the absence of changes in the intestinal mucosal surface area and were not explained by differences in the rabbits' body weight gain, food consumption, or mucosal surface area of the jejunum or ileum. Thus, (a) early changes in animals' dietary content of cholesterol may have prolonged effects on intestinal transport function, and (b) this early feeding experience with cholesterol may alter the adaptive pattern of the intestine when animals are exposed to a dietary cholesterol challenge at a later age.

Endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine in the aorta of streptozotocin induced diabetic-rat and the BB-diabetic rat

Experiments were designed to investigate the phenomenon of endothelium-dependent relaxation (EDR) to acetylcholine in two animal models of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Thoracic aortas obtained from streptozotocin diabetic rats and genetically diabetic biobreeding rats (BB rats) were used in this study. Concentration-effect curves to acetylcholine were carried out on aortic rings under isometric tension. Following the induction of diabetes with streptozotocin, half of the animals were treated with daily intermediate acting insulin and the other half maintained without insulin for a period of 12 weeks before the experiment. The diabetic BB rats were also maintained on insulin. The EDR to acetylcholine was not impaired in the aortas of streptozotocin diabetic rats (insulin treated as well as untreated) compared to nondiabetic controls. The scanning electron microscopic (SEM) appearances of the aortic endothelium did not differ among the three groups of animals. However, the EDR to acetylcholine was found to be impaired in the aortas of diabetic BB rats. (Maximum relaxation: 25.3 +/- 5.0% of the contraction to norepinephrine compared to 52.2 +/- 5.3% in controls.) The SEM appearances of the aortic endothelium in the diabetic BB rats were found to be abnormal with edema and loss of definition of cell margins compared to nondiabetic controls. The differences in EDR to acetylcholine seen between the two animal models of diabetes may be related to the different aetiologies of diabetes in the animals.

Influence of dietary fat composition on intestinal absorption in the rat

Omega-3 fatty acids influence the function of the intestinal brush border membrane. For example, the omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5 omega 3) has an antiabsorptive effect on jejunal uptake of glucose. This study was undertaken to determine whether the effect of feeding alpha-linolenic acid (18:3 omega 3) or EPA plus docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 omega 3) on intestinal absorption of nutrients was influenced by the major source of dietary lipid, hydrogenated beef tallow or safflower oil. The in vitro intestinal uptake of glucose, fatty acids and cholesterol was examined in rats fed isocaloric diets for 2 weeks: beef tallow, beef tallow + linolenic acid, beef tallow + eicosapentaenoic acid/docosahexaenoic acid, safflower oil, safflower oil + linolenic acid, or safflower oil + eicosapentaenoic acid/docosahexaenoic acid. Eicosapentaenoic acid/docosahexaenoic acid reduced jejunal uptake of 10 and 20 mM glucose only when fed with beef tallow, and not when fed with safflower oil. Linolenic acid had no effect on glucose uptake, regardless of whether it was fed with beef tallow or safflower oil. The jejunal uptake a long-chain fatty acids (18:0, 18:2 omega 6, 18:3 omega 3, 20:4 omega 6, 20:5 omega 3 and 22:6 omega 3) and cholesterol was lower in safflower oil than with beef tallow. When eicosapentaenoic acid/docosahexaenoic acid was given with beef tallow (but not with safflower oil), there was lower uptake of 18:0, 20:5 omega 3 and cholesterol. The demonstration of the inhibitory effect of linolenic acid or eicosapentaenoic acid/docosahexaenoic acid on cholesterol uptake required the feeding of a saturated fatty acid diet (beef tallow).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Fish oil prevents change in arachidonic acid and cholesterol content in rat caused by dietary cholesterol

Rats were fed diets high in either saturated fat (beef tallow) or alpha-linolenic acid (linseed oil) or eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (fish oil) with or without 2% cholesterol supplementation. Consumption of linseed oil and fish oil diets for 28 days lowered arachidonic acid content of plasma, liver and heart phospholipids. Addition of 2% cholesterol to diets containing beef tallow or linseed oil lowered 20:4 omega 6 levels but failed to reduce 20:4 omega 6 levels when fed in combination with fish oil. Feeding omega 3 fatty acids lowered plasma cholesterol levels. Addition of 2% cholesterol to the beef tallow or linseed oil diet increased plasma cholesterol concentrations but not when fish oil was fed. Feeding the fish oil diet reduced the cholesterol content of liver, whereas feeding the linseed oil diet did not. Dietary cholesterol supplementation elevated the cholesterol concentration in liver in the order: linseed oil greater than beef tallow greater than fish oil (8.6-, 5.5-, 2.6-fold, respectively). Feeding fish oil and cholesterol apparently reduced 20:4 omega 6 levels in plasma and tissue lipids. Fish oil accentuates the 20:4 omega 6 lowering effect of dietary cholesterol and appears to prevent accumulation of cholesterol in plasma and tissue lipids under a high dietary load of cholesterol.

Dietary saturated fat level alters the competition between alpha-linolenic and linoleic acid

Male weanling rats were fed semi-synthetic diets high in saturated fat (beef tallow) vs high in linoleic acid (safflower oil) with or without high levels of alpha-linolenic acid (linseed oil) for a period of 28 days. The effect of feeding these diets on cholesterol content and fatty acid composition of serum and liver lipids was examined. Feeding linseed oil with beef tallow or safflower oil had no significant effect on serum levels of cholesterol. Serum cholesterol concentration was higher in animals fed the safflower oil diet than in animals fed the beef tallow diet without linseed oil. Feeding linseed oil lowered the cholesterol content in liver tissue for all dietary treatments tested. Consumption of linseed oil reduced the arachidonic acid content with concomitant increase in linoleic acid in serum and liver lipid fractions only when fed in combination with beef tallow, but not when fed with safflower oil. Similarly, omega 3 fatty acids (18:3 omega 3, 20:5 omega 3, 22:5 omega 3, 22:6 omega 3) replaced omega 6 fatty acids (20:4 omega 6, 22:4 omega 6, 22:5 omega 6) in serum and liver lipid fractions to a greater extent when linseed oil was fed with beef tallow than with safflower oil. The results suggest that the dietary ratio of linoleic acid to saturated fatty acids or of 18:3 omega 3 to 18:2 omega 6 may be important to determine the cholesterol and arachidonic acid lowering effect of dietary alpha-linolenic acid.

A single night-time dose of famotidine is equivalent to ranitidine in decreasing 24-hour gastric acidity in asymptomatic duodenal ulcer subjects

Six asymptomatic, non-smoking men with endoscopically proven duodenal ulcer disease received single nocturnal doses of placebo, 40 mg famotidine and 300 mg ranitidine each for 1 week prior to serial measurement of pH, peptic activity and serum gastrin concentrations over 24 h and of acid output. The intragastric pH fluctuated between 1.53 and 5.07 when subjects were given placebo but within 2 h of taking famotidine or ranitidine it rose to 5.57 or higher; the effect lasted for 12 h from midnight. Peptic activity fell during famotidine and ranitidine treatment and the decline was somewhat greater 8-15 h after using famotidine. Serum gastrin levels did not change materially with any treatment. The study shows the equivalent effect of standard bed-time doses of famotidine and ranitidine on intragastric pH, acid output and serum gastrin concentrations in asymptomatic men with duodenal ulcer disease.

Intestinal aspects of lipid absorption: in review

The rapidly evolving field of lipid absorption is reviewed with the thrust of new knowledge focused on the interpendency of the luminal and cellular phases of absorption. To date little attention has been paid to factors that regulate the phospholipid biosynthesis in the enterocyte. The availability of 20:4 omega 6 may be the rate-limiting factor for phospholipid synthesis. The source of 20:4 omega 6 is unknown, whether it be synthesized de novo the enterocyte or entirely originating from degradation of bile phospholipid. It has been established that dietary fat can modulate the enterocyte membrane lipid composition and transport properties. Specified fats such as as fish oils rich in 20:5 omega 3 and 22:6 omega 3 have been implicated as protective against hypercholesterolemia. However, the effects of these dietary fats on the transport of nutrients across the enterocyte are not yet known, nor are the mechanisms responsible for the adaptive responses of the brush border identified.

Evidence for critical-period programming of intestinal transport function: variations in the dietary ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids alters ontogeny of the rat intestine

2-week isocaloric modifications in the dietary ratio of polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acids (P/S) alters intestinal transport in rats. This study was undertaken to test the hypotheses that (1) the fatty acid composition of a nutritionally adequate diet in early life has lasting consequences for active and passive intestinal transport processes; and (2) early life feeding experiences with diets of varying fatty acid composition influence the intestines' ability to adaptively up- or down-regulate intestinal transport in later life. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were weaned onto S or P and were maintained on these diets for 2, 10 or 12 weeks. An in vitro uptake technique was used in which the bulk phase was vigorously stirred to reduce the effective resistance of the intestinal unstirred water layer. P decreased and S increased the uptake of glucose, and this effect was progressive from 2 to 12 weeks. Switching from a P to an S diet decreased jejunal but increased ileal uptake of glucose, whereas switching from an S to a P diet was associated with a decline in both the jejunal and the ileal uptake of glucose. The ileal uptake of galactose increased as the animals grew on either P or S. Switching from P to S resulted in a decline in ileal uptake of galactose, whereas the opposite effect was observed when switching from S to P. The effect of feeding P or S on hexose uptake was influenced by the animals' dietary history: ileal glucose and galactose uptake was lower in animals fed P at an early age (PSP) than in animals fed P for the first time in later life (SSP). Jejunal glucose and galactose uptake was also lower in animals fed S at an early age (SPS) than in those fed S for the first time in later life (PPS). The alterations in the uptake of long-chain saturated and unsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol did not progress with longer periods of feeding, and in the jejunum, lipid uptake did not change when switching from P to S or S to P. Early feeding with P (PSP vs. SSP) was associated with lower jejunal uptake of 18:3 and lower ileal uptake of 12:0, whereas previous feeding with S (SPS vs. PPS) was associated with lower ileal uptake of cholesterol. The changes in uptake of hexoses and lipids was not explained by differences in the animals' food consumption, body or intestinal weight or mucosal surface area.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Saturated fatty acid diet prevents radiation-associated decline in intestinal uptake

Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed isocaloric semipurified diets containing a high content of either polyunsaturated (P) or saturated (S) fatty acids; these diets were nutritionally adequate, providing for all known essential nutrient requirements. On day 3 after beginning S or P, one group of animals was exposed to a single 6-Gy dose of abdominal radiation, and the other half was sham irradiated. S or P diets were continued for a further 14 days. Brush-border membrane purification and sucrase-specific activities were unaffected by diet or by abdominal irradiation. In rats fed P, irradiation was associated with an increase in jejunal brush-border membrane total phospholipid and the ratio of phospholipid to cholesterol; these changes were not observed in animals fed S. In irradiated rats, ileal brush-border membrane phospholipid per cholesterol was high in animals fed S compared with P. In irradiated animals fed P, there was reduced jejunal and ileal uptake of several medium- and long-chain saturated and unsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol, and the ileal uptake of higher concentrations of glucose was reduced in irradiated animals fed P. In contrast, lipid uptake was similar in control and irradiated animals fed S except for cholesterol uptake, which was reduced. Ileal uptake of higher concentrations of glucose was increased in irradiated animals fed S. Quantitative autoradiography failed to demonstrate any change in the distribution of leucine or lysine transport sites along the villus 1 or 2 wk after abdominal irradiation or in response to feeding S or P. Also, these differences in transport achieved by feeding S to radiated animals were not explained by variations in the animals' food consumption or intestinal mucosal surface area. Thus the use of short-term feeding with a saturated fatty acid diet in the prevention of acute irradiation damage to the intestine warrants further investigation in humans.

Improved intestinal form and function in diabetic rats fed long-term with a polyunsaturated fatty acid diet

Short-term (two weeks) feeding of isocaloric diets supplemented with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) is useful for the prevention or treatment of the enhanced uptake of glucose which occurs in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes, as compared with animals fed a diet supplemented with saturated fatty acids (SFA). The study was undertaken to compare the effects of long-term (seven weeks) feeding PUFA or SFA to diabetic rats. We have previously reported that diabetic animals fed PUFA had superior body weight gain, lower hemoglobin AlC values, lower plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels, lower percentage decline in glucose (K value) following intravenous glucose tolerance testing, near-normal values of hepatic microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase activity and near-normal concentrations of 18:2(6) and 20:4(6) in liver microsomal phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine. However, jejunal and ileal uptake of varying concentrations of glucose were similar in the three diet groups. Thus, the potential long-term beneficial effects of feeding diets with a high PUFA/SFA ratio probably have their explanation in metabolic effects distant to their uptake by the intestine.

Antacid maintenance therapy in the prevention of duodenal ulcer relapse

The effectiveness of antacid maintenance therapy in preventing duodenal ulcer (DU) relapse was investigated. Two hundred and fifty one asymptomatic patients with healed DU were stratified into smokers and non-smokers and randomised to receive for one year either placebo, or Maalox TC three tablets (81 mmol) at bedtime (hs), or Maalox TC three tablets in the morning plus three tablets at bedtime (bd) (162 mmol), or cimetidine 400 mg at bedtime. A double dummy technique was used to render the study double blind. In 176 patients evaluable for efficacy, the cumulative relapse at one year was: placebo 57%; Maalox TC hs 39%; Maalox TC bd 23%; cimetidine 25%. Maalox TC bd and cimetidine were equally effective and superior to placebo (p less than 0.01) and bedtime Maalox TC (p less than 0.04). The benefit of treatment was significant for the overall sample and for the subgroup of smokers. The results for the non-smokers also supported efficacy for these two treatments but, perhaps because of small sample sizes, these comparisons were not significant. All 251 patients were assessed for safety. Approximately half the patients in each treatment group had adverse events, leading to withdrawal in three, seven, 12, and four patients on placebo, Maalox hs, Maalox bd, and cimetidine respectively. Diarrhoea occurred in 12 patients in Maalox TC bd and eight in each other group. Serum magnesium concentrations were unchanged; aluminium concentrations were higher than baseline at six and 12 months in both antacid groups and at 12 months in the cimetidine group but the differences were not significant. Maalox TC three tablets bd are as effective as cimetidine 400 mg at bedtime in reducing DU relapse and both are superior to placebo.

Fish oil reduces cholesterol and arachidonic acid content more efficiently in rats fed diets containing low linoleic acid to saturated fatty acid ratios

Rats were fed diets containing a high level of saturated fatty acids (hydrogenated beef tallow) versus a high level of linoleic acid (safflower oil) at both low and high levels of fish oil containing 7.5% (w/w) eicosapentaenoic and 2.5% (w/w) docosahexaenoic acids for a period of 28 days. The effect of feeding these diets on the cholesterol content and fatty acid composition of serum and liver lipids was examined. Feeding diets high in fish oil with safflower oil decreased the cholesterol content of rat serum, whereas feeding fish oil had no significant effect on the cholesterol content of serum when fed in combination with saturated fatty acids. The serum cholesterol level was higher in animals fed safflower oil compared to animals fed saturated fat without fish oil. Consumption of fish oil lowered the cholesterol content of liver tissue regardless of the dietary fat fed. Feeding diets containing fish oil reduced the arachidonic acid content of rat serum and liver lipid fractions, the decrease being more pronounced when fish oil was fed in combination with hydrogenated beef tallow than with safflower oil. These results suggest that dietary n-3 fatty acids of fish oil interact with dietary linoleic acid and saturated fatty acids differently to modulate enzymes of cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism.

Dietary cholesterol and/or n-3 fatty acid modulate delta 9-desaturase activity in rat liver microsomes

delta 9-Desaturase activity and fatty acid composition of liver microsomal phospholipids in rats fed diets enriched with either saturated (hydrogenated beef tallow) or alpha-linolenic (linseed oil) or eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic (fish oil) acids with or without 2% cholesterol supplementation were investigated. Both the linseed oil and the fish oil diets inhibited delta 9-desaturase activity in the rat liver microsomes. The inhibition was greater when feeding fish oil (90%) compared with the linseed oil (60%) diet. Dietary cholesterol feeding accelerated conversion of palmitic (16:0) to palmitoleic (16:1) acid, irrespective of the fatty acid supplement. Feeding the linseed oil diet decreased, while feeding the fish oil diet increased synthesis of the monounsaturated fatty acids of n-7 series (palmitoleic and vaccenic acid) and decreased 18:1(n-9) in microsomal membrane lipids when compared with animals fed beef tallow. Addition of 2% cholesterol to the otherwise low cholesterol diets led to accumulation of 16:1(n-7), and 18:1(n-9) in microsomal membranes. These results suggest that delta 9-desaturase activity is dependent on the cholesterol contents as well as the n-3 fatty acid content of microsomal membranes on which it is localized.

Discriminant function analysis to calculate a Crohn's activity group scale to predict future inactive or active disease

A discriminant function analysis was performed on several demographic, anthropometric, clinical, and laboratory data of 685 observations performed over 12 months on 137 patients with Crohn's disease. A Crohn's activity group scale (CAGS) was calculated. The CAGS has two advantages over the usual Crohn's disease activity index: it is objective, but more important is the fact that the values, when calculated longitudinally, have predictive value. Thus, calculation of CAGS is useful for counseling purposes and may also be useful in the design of future trials assessing therapy for Crohn's disease by allowing prerandomization stratification of patients with high or low probability of future recurrences of symptomatic disease activity.

Inflammatory bowel disease in northern Alberta. An epidemiologic study

The Medical Record departments of the five teaching hospitals in Edmonton, plus the 37 community hospitals in the eight census districts of the northern half of the province of Alberta, Canada, were contacted, and a search was made of all patients with a discharge diagnosis of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Also, the patient records of all Edmonton gastroenterologists were reviewed to discover patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis who had never been hospitalized within these census areas. From January 1, 1977, to December 31, 1981 (which was the prevalence date), the population was 1,295,360. Of the 2,419 patients with inflammatory bowel disease, 48.5% had definite Crohn's disease and 33% had definite ulcerative colitis. There were 1,716 (70.9%) patients analyzed in this study. The factorial analysis of disease prevalence per 10(5) population revealed that significant differences were found for location of residence, sex, and age. The prevalence of Crohn's disease was higher in urban than in rural areas and in females than in males, whereas the prevalence of ulcerative colitis was unaffected by these variables. The peak prevalence of Crohn's disease was below age 29 in males and females, and the prevalence in young women at this age was approximately twice that in males. The highest prevalence of Crohn's disease was in urban females aged 20-39 (greater than 234 cases/10(5) population), with similar prevalence rates in urban males and rural females, and with the lowest prevalence rates in rural males. The incidence of Crohn's disease was greater than for ulcerative colitis, began to increase in about 1965, and reached a plateau in the late 1970s. In conclusion, the demonstration of an age, location of residence, or effect of sex on the prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease requires multiple factorial analyses. When the sample is extrapolated to the total diseased population of the region, a prevalence value of 330/10(5) was derived for young female urban individuals residing in this northern area.

Differential effects of dietary linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid on lipid metabolism in rat tissues

Comparative effects of feeding dietary linoleic (safflower oil) and alpha-linolenic (linseed oil) acids on the cholesterol content and fatty acid composition of plasma, liver, heart and epididymal fat pads of rats were examined. Animals fed hydrogenated beef tallow were used as isocaloric controls. Plasma cholesterol concentration was lower and the cholesterol level in liver increased in animals fed the safflower oil diet. Feeding the linseed oil diet was more effective in lowering plasma cholesterol content and did not result in cholesterol accumulation in the liver. The cholesterol concentration in heart and the epididymal fat pad was not affected by the type of dietary fatty acid fed. Arachidonic acid content of plasma lipids was significantly elevated in animals fed the safflower oil diet and remained unchanged by feeding the linseed oil diet, when compared with the isocaloric control animals fed hydrogenated beef tallow. Arachidonic acid content of liver and heart lipids was lower in animals fed diets containing safflower oil or linseed oil. Replacement of 50% of the safflower oil in the diet with linseed oil increased alpha-linolenic, docosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids in plasma, liver, heart and epididymal fat pad lipids. These results suggest that dietary 18:2 omega 6 shifts cholesterol from plasma to liver pools followed by redistribution of 20:4 omega 6 from tissue to plasma pools. This redistribution pattern was not apparent when 18:3 omega 3 was included in the diet.

Dietary effects of omega 3-fatty acids on intestinal transport function

Animals were fed for 2 weeks on one of four isocaloric and isocholesterolic semisynthetic diets: high 18:3 omega 3, low 18:3 omega 3, high 20:5 omega 3, or low 20:5 omega 3. The weight of the intestine and the percentage of the wall consisting of mucosa was greater in high 20:5 omega 3 than in high 18:3 omega 3, and greater in low 20:5 omega 3 than in low 18:3 omega 3, although the mucosal surface area was 26% lower in high 20:5 omega 3 than high 18:3 omega 3. The jejunal uptake of 40 mM glucose and ileal uptake of 40 mM galactose was greater in high 18:3 omega 3 than in high 20:5 omega 3, jejunal uptake of fatty acid 12:0 was higher, but 18:0 was lower in high 18:3 omega 3 than in high 20:5 omega 3. The jejunal or ileal uptake of cholesterol was not affected by 20:5 omega 3. However, 20:5 omega 3 had a variable effect on the uptake of medium- and long-chain fatty acids. Alterations in the uptake of fatty acids and glucose were not explained by any difference in the animals' food consumption, body weight gain, or intestinal weight, but the reduced jejunal uptake of 40 mM glucose in rats fed the high 20:5 omega 3 diet was associated with reduced mucosal surface area. Thus, (i) varying the source of omega 3-fatty acids (vegetable, 18:3 omega 3 versus fish oil, 20:5 omega 3) altered the mucosal mass of the intestine, and (ii) the source of the dietary omega 3-fatty acid (18:3 omega 3 versus 20:5 omega 3) influenced intestinal hexose uptake, with fish oil having an anti-absorptive effect on the jejunal uptake of D-glucose.

Twenty-four-hour intragastric measurements in twenty healthy subjects: effect of enisoprost, a novel and potent antisecretory and antipeptic synthetic E1 prostaglandin

Gastric aspiration was performed continuously overnight and at hourly intervals during the daytime in 20 healthy male volunteers. Medications used included enisoprost 100, 200 or 400 micrograms, misoprostol 200 micrograms and placebo, given at bedtime. Each dose of enisoprost markedly inhibited nocturnal mean acid output, hydrogen ion activity, pH and peptic activity. The duration of these effects was up to 10 h. Misoprostol, given at bedtime, also decreased acid secretion, but the effect was significantly less than that observed with any of the doses of enisoprost. A dose-response effect for enisoprost was found for the mean nocturnal hydrogen ion activity and pH, as well as for maximum pH attained. Although enisoprost, given at bedtime, had a marked inhibitory effect on acid and pepsin secretion for the overnight interval, this did not result in rebound hyperacidity or a rise in serum total gastrin concentration. The results of this study suggest that enisoprost should be tested by clinical trial for the treatment of peptic ulcer disease.

Dietary fat and the diabetic state alter insulin binding and the fatty acyl composition of the adipocyte plasma membrane

Control and diabetic rats were fed on semi-purified high-fat diets providing a polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio (P/S) of 1.0 or 0.25, to examine the effect of diet on the fatty acid composition of major phospholipids of the adipocyte plasma membrane. Feeding the high-P/S diet (P/S = 1.0) compared with the low-P/S diet (P/S = 0.25) increased the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in membrane phospholipids in both control and diabetic animals. The diabetic state decreased the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly arachidonic acid, in adipocyte membrane phospholipids. The decrease in arachidonic acid in membrane phospholipids of diabetic animals tended to be normalized to within the control values when high-P/S diets were given. For control animals, altered plasma-membrane composition was associated with change in insulin binding, suggesting that change in plasma-membrane composition may have physiological consequences for insulin-stimulated functions in the adipocyte.