Nutrition
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Our previous study revealed that chronic consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) stimulates colon cancer progression in obesity-resistant BALB/c mice. The aim of the present study was to investigate the significant alteration of metabolites caused by tumor progression and an HFD in the serum and liver in the same mouse model. ⋯ The HFD- and tumor-related metabolite alterations of phospholipids, especially lysoPCs, in the liver and serum of obesity-resistant mice, suggesting that the lysoPCs are potential biomarkers for the chronic consumption of HFD in nonobese individuals.
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Obesity is associated with alterations in intestinal microbiota and immunity. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of probiotic Lactobacillus casei CRL 431 administration on intestinal and humoral immune response, clinical parameters, and gut microbiota was evaluated using a high-fat diet to induce obesity in a mouse model. ⋯ Administration of probiotics to obese hosts improved the gut microbiota and the mucosal immunity altered by obesity, down-regulated some biochemical parameters in blood associated with metabolic syndrome, and decreased liver steatosis. These results demonstrate the potential use of probiotics in obese individuals to decrease the body weight and to improve the biochemical and immunologic parameters altered by obesity.
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Parkinson's disease (PD) may be caused by the interaction of a number of factors, including genetics, toxins, oxidative stress, mitochondrial abnormalities, and aging. Studies have shown that consumption of an antioxidant-rich diet may reduce the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of the flavonoid hesperidin in an animal model of PD induced by 6-hidroxidopamine (6-OHDA). ⋯ This study demonstrated a protective effect of hesperidin on the neurotoxicity induced by 6-OHDA in aged mice, indicating that it could be useful as a therapy for the treatment of PD.
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Comparative Study
Using alternative or direct anthropometric measurements to assess risk for malnutrition in nursing homes.
The aim of this study was to use the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) to assess the applicability of alternative versus direct anthropometric measurements for evaluating the risk for malnutrition in older individuals living in nursing homes (NHs). ⋯ When it is not possible to determine risk category by using SH, we suggest using the alternative measurements (primarily UL, due to its highest sensitivity) to predict the height and to compare these evaluations with those obtained by using middle-upper-arm-circumference to predict the BMI.