Adsorption ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Failure, Acute ; therapy ; Liver, Artificial ; Male ; Membranes, Artificial ; Retrospective Studies ; Sorption Detoxification

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The standard pattern of Brazilian food consumption is based on the combination of rice and beans served together in the main meals. This study assessed the effects of Brazilian-staple calorie-restricted (BS-diet) dietary advice, with brown rice and beans, on metabolic parameters, body composition, and food intake in overweight/obese subjects. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Twentyseven subjects were randomly assigned to a conventional-type calorie-restricted diet (CT-diet) (n = 13) or a BS-diet (n = 14). Glucose metabolism, lipid profile, anthropometric and body composition parameters, and food intake were measured before and after 16 weeks. Paired t-tests/Wilcoxon tests were used for comparison of differences from baseline and unpaired t-tests/Mann-Whitney tests were used for comparison of differences between the groups. RESULTS: After 16 weeks, both groups showed reductions in weight and waist circumference (P < 0.02), and the BS-diet group showed a decrease in body fat (P = 0.0001), and significant improvement in glucose metabolism (fasting plasma glucose, glucose and insulin areas under the curve, Cederholm index, and HOMA2-%beta) (P < or = 0.04) and lipid profile (cholesterol, triacylglycerol, LDL-c, VLDL-c, and cholesterol/HDL-c ratio) (P < or = 0.05). In addition, the BS-diet group showed significant improvement in HOMA2-%beta, compared to the CT-diet group (P = 0.03). The BS-diet group also showed a significant reduction in energy, lipids, carbohydrate, and cholesterol intake (P < or = 0.04) and an increase in fiber intake (P < or = 0.001), while the CT-diet group showed a significant reduction in intake of energy, macronutrients, PUFA, and cholesterol (P < or = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate the benefits of the BS-diet on metabolic parameters in obese subjects.
Adipose Tissue ; Blood Glucose ; Body Composition ; Cholesterol ; Diet* ; Eating ; Fabaceae ; Glucose ; Glycemic Index ; Insulin ; Lipid Metabolism ; Meals ; Metabolism ; Obesity ; Triglycerides ; Waist Circumference

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The standard pattern of Brazilian food consumption is based on the combination of rice and beans served together in the main meals. This study assessed the effects of Brazilian-staple calorie-restricted (BS-diet) dietary advice, with brown rice and beans, on metabolic parameters, body composition, and food intake in overweight/obese subjects. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Twentyseven subjects were randomly assigned to a conventional-type calorie-restricted diet (CT-diet) (n = 13) or a BS-diet (n = 14). Glucose metabolism, lipid profile, anthropometric and body composition parameters, and food intake were measured before and after 16 weeks. Paired t-tests/Wilcoxon tests were used for comparison of differences from baseline and unpaired t-tests/Mann-Whitney tests were used for comparison of differences between the groups. RESULTS: After 16 weeks, both groups showed reductions in weight and waist circumference (P < 0.02), and the BS-diet group showed a decrease in body fat (P = 0.0001), and significant improvement in glucose metabolism (fasting plasma glucose, glucose and insulin areas under the curve, Cederholm index, and HOMA2-%beta) (P < or = 0.04) and lipid profile (cholesterol, triacylglycerol, LDL-c, VLDL-c, and cholesterol/HDL-c ratio) (P < or = 0.05). In addition, the BS-diet group showed significant improvement in HOMA2-%beta, compared to the CT-diet group (P = 0.03). The BS-diet group also showed a significant reduction in energy, lipids, carbohydrate, and cholesterol intake (P < or = 0.04) and an increase in fiber intake (P < or = 0.001), while the CT-diet group showed a significant reduction in intake of energy, macronutrients, PUFA, and cholesterol (P < or = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate the benefits of the BS-diet on metabolic parameters in obese subjects.
Adipose Tissue ; Blood Glucose ; Body Composition ; Cholesterol ; Diet* ; Eating ; Fabaceae ; Glucose ; Glycemic Index ; Insulin ; Lipid Metabolism ; Meals ; Metabolism ; Obesity ; Triglycerides ; Waist Circumference

This study aimed to measure the levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin 1 (IL-1), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and nitrite/nitrate (NOx) in serum of dogs experimentally infected with Rangelia vitalii. Twelve female mongrel dogs were divided into 2 groups; group A (uninfected controls) composed by healthy dogs (n=5) and group B consisting of dogs inoculated with R. vitalii (n=7). Animals were monitored by blood smear examinations, which showed intraerythrocytic forms of the parasite on day 5 post-infection (PI). Blood samples were collected through the jugular vein on days 0, 10, and 20 PI to determine the serum levels of IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-1, IL-6, and NOx. Cytokines were assessed by ELISA quantitative sandwich technique, and NOx was measured by the modified Griess method. Cytokine levels (IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-1, and IL-6) were increased (P<0.01) in serum of infected animals. Serum levels of NOx were also increased on days 10 PI (P<0.01) and 20 PI (P<0.05) in infected animals. Therefore, the infection with R. vitalii causes an increase in proinflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide content. These alterations may be associated with host immune protection against the parasite.
Animals ; Chemistry Techniques, Analytical ; Cytokines/*blood ; Disease Models, Animal ; Dogs ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Nitric Oxide/*blood ; Piroplasmida/*immunology ; Protozoan Infections/*immunology/parasitology/pathology ; Serum/chemistry

Cinnamon, a member of the Lauraceae family, has been widely used as a spice and traditional herbal medicine for centuries and has shown beneficial effects in cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. However, its effectiveness as a therapeutic intervention for chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains unproven. The bioactive compounds within cinnamon, such as cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, and cinnamate, can mitigate oxidative stress, inflammation, hyperglycemia, gut dysbiosis, and dyslipidemia, which are common complications in patients with CKD. In this narrative review, we assess the mechanisms by which cinnamon may alleviate complications observed in CKD and the possible role of this spice as an additional nutritional strategy for this patient group.

Meniscectomy is the most common surgery in orthopaedics. The absence of meniscal tissue might be related to irreversible damage to the articular cartilage. Meniscal replacement is a tissue-engineering technique for postmeniscectomy syndrome. Its success depends on the implant integration which was vastly proven in animal model studies. Histological evidence is hard to obtain in humans due to ethical issues. We report a clinical case in which a collagen scaffold meniscal implant was harvested six months after implantation due to mechanical failure. Histological analysis was performed revealing vascularisation not only of the peripheral attachment of the implant but also on the anterior horn. These morphologic findings demonstrate that this implant allows the colonisation by precursor cells and vessels, leading to the formation of a fully functional tissue. This present report is one of the few independent reports of scaffold biological integration in the literature.