Nutrition
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We investigated whether food restriction offers protection against the toxicity of carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) and, if so, at what percentage of restriction. ⋯ The present results suggested that food restriction can minimize drug-related increases in peroxidation and protect the system against drug toxicity, presumably by induction of antioxidant potential.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Seasonal variation in insulin sensitivity in healthy elderly people.
There is a seasonal variation in the incidence of diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. However, there is very little information about the seasonal variation in insulin sensitivity. We report the seasonal variation in insulin sensitivity in a group of elderly subjects followed for 1 y. ⋯ In this group of elderly subjects, insulin resistance and triacylglycerol levels were higher during the summer. Nutritional supplementation and training had a positive effect on serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
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In this prospective study, we assessed nutritional and immunologic risk factors for infectious complications and deaths related to infection in elderly patients undergoing major elective surgery. ⋯ In patients with a good cardiac index (Goldman I and II) who underwent major elective surgery, prealbumin protein, retinol-binding protein, and transferrin levels below normal values represented a significant risk for postoperative infectious complications. Lymphocyte counts lower than 1500/m(3) and abnormal prealbumin values were associated with postoperative mortality secondary to infection. The anthropometric variables evaluated did not predict postoperative infectious complications and mortality.
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We investigated the effect of L-carnitine supplementation on carnitine content in muscle fiber, glucose, and fatty acid metabolism and on performance in trained rats. ⋯ This study showed that carnitine supplementation increases fatty acid oxidation in skeletal muscle by a mechanism that includes increasing total carnitine content in soleus muscle mitochondria and the total content of acyl-carnitine. The most interesting finding was that the effect of supplementation was even greater in trained rats that had received 3-wk supplementation of carnitine.