A high protein moderate carbohydrate diet fed at discrete meals reduces early progression of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-induced breast tumorigenesis in rats

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in American women. Dietary factors are thought to have a strong influence on breast cancer incidence. This study utilized a meal-feeding protocol with female Sprague-Dawley rats to evaluate effects of two ratios of carbohydrate:protein on promotion and early progression of breast tissue carcinomas. Mammary tumors were induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) at 52 d of age. Post-induction, animals were assigned to consume either a low protein high carbohydrate diet (LPHC; 15% and 60% of energy, respectively) or a high protein moderate carbohydrate diet (HPMC; 35% and 40% of energy, respectively) for 10 wk. Animals were fed 3 meals/day to mimic human absorption and metabolism patterns. The rate of palpable tumor incidence was reduced in HPMC relative to LPHC (12.9 ± 1.4%/wk vs. 18.2 ± 1.3%/wk). At 3 wk, post-prandial serum insulin was larger in the LPHC relative to HPMC (+136.4 ± 33.1 pmol/L vs. +38.1 ± 23.4 pmol/L), while at 10 wk there was a trend for post-prandial IGF-I to be increased in HPMC (P = 0.055). There were no differences in tumor latency, tumor surface area, or cumulative tumor mass between diet groups. The present study provides evidence that reducing the dietary carbohydrate:protein ratio attenuates the development of mammary tumors. These findings are consistent with reduced post-prandial insulin release potentially diminishing the proliferative environment required for breast cancer tumors to progress

Handbook of toxicologic pathology /

A comprehensive understanding of toxicologic pathology is essential for those in industry, academia, and government who make decisions concerning the safety and efficacy of drugs and chemicals. Toxicologic Pathology relies heavily on the fields of both toxicology and pathology, which are well covered individually in various texts and references; however, there are few texts that address the field of toxicologic pathology. The Handbook of Toxicology Pathology fills this void and is thus essential for all health professionals within or interacting with the field of toxicologic pathology. This two-volume set provides the reader with a single reference for toxicologic pathology. In volume I, the book covers toxicologic pathology in its basic aspects, including its definition, the basic biochemical and morphologic mechanisms underlying the discipline, the basic practice of toxicologic pathology (including special techniques) and issues essential to the understanding of toxicologic pathology such as risk assessment, experimental design, and statistical analysis. Next, the book moves to specific issues affecting the "practice" toxicologic pathology, including issues such as knowledge management, regulatory affairs and writing pathology reports. Finally, Volume I closes with several chapters that deal with specific classes of environmental toxicants such as endocrine disruptors and heavy metals. Volume II addresses the toxicologic pathology in a thoroughly standardized systems manner, addressing the basic structure and function of a particular organ system, its response to toxic injury, mechanisms of injury and methods of evaluation of such injury. Key Features * Easy to find, up-to-date reference information * Graphic and photographic plates * Current hot topics and anticipated changes in toxicologic pathology * Standardized chapter format * Topics that are addressed in both a broad and deep manner, resulting in a stand alone text * Added coverage of important environmental toxicants * Chapters authored by internationally recognized experts and peer-reviewed.A comprehensive understanding of toxicologic pathology is essential for those in industry, academia, and government who make decisions concerning the safety and efficacy of drugs and chemicals. Toxicologic Pathology relies heavily on the fields of both toxicology and pathology, which are well covered individually in various texts and references; however, there are few texts that address the field of toxicologic pathology. The Handbook of Toxicology Pathology fills this void and is thus essential for all health professionals within or interacting with the field of toxicologic pathology. This two-volume set provides the reader with a single reference for toxicologic pathology. In volume I, the book covers toxicologic pathology in its basic aspects, including its definition, the basic biochemical and morphologic mechanisms underlying the discipline, the basic practice of toxicologic pathology (including special techniques) and issues essential to the understanding of toxicologic pathology such as risk assessment, experimental design, and statistical analysis. Next, the book moves to specific issues affecting the "practice" toxicologic pathology, including issues such as knowledge management, regulatory affairs and writing pathology reports. Finally, Volume I closes with several chapters that deal with specific classes of environmental toxicants such as endocrine disruptors and heavy metals. Volume II addresses the toxicologic pathology in a thoroughly standardized systems manner, addressing the basic structure and function of a particular organ system, its response to toxic injury, mechanisms of injury and methods of evaluation of such injury. Key Features * Easy to find, up-to-date reference information * Graphic and photographic plates * Current hot topics and anticipated changes in toxicologic pathology * Standardized chapter format * Topics that are addressed in both a broad and deep manner, resulting in a stand alone text * Added coverage of important environmental toxicants * Chapters authored by internationally recognized experts and peer-reviewed.Volume 1: General Toxicologic Pathology -- Preface. -- Contributors. -- Part A: Basics of Toxicologic Pathology -- Toxicologic Pathology: An Introduction. -- Biochemical Basis of Toxicity. -- Morphologic Manifestation of Toxic Cell Injury. -- Organelle Biochemistry and Regulation of Cell Death. -- Carcinogenesis. -- Applied Clinical Pathology in Preclinical Toxicology Testing. -- Nomenclature. -- Part B: The Practice of Toxicologic Pathology -- Basic Techniques. -- Managing Pitfalls in Toxicologic Pathology. -- Special Techniques in Toxicologic Pathology. -- Application of New Technologies to Toxicologic Pathology. -- Issues in Laboratory Animal Science for the Toxicologic Pathologist. -- New Animal Models in Toxicology. -- Pathology Issues in the Design of Toxicology Studies. -- Use and Misuse of Statistics in the Design and Interpretation of Studies. -- Preparation of the Report for a Toxicology/Pathology Study. -- Part C: Selected Topics in Toxicologic Pathology -- Risk Assessment: The Changing Paradigm. -- Principles of Risk Communication: Building Trust and Credibility with the Public. -- Biomedical Devices and Biomaterials. -- Biotechnology and Its Products. -- Endocrine Disruptors. -- Radiation and Heat. -- Nutritional Toxicologic Pathology. -- Phycotoxins. -- Mycotoxins. -- Heavy Metals. -- Volume 2: Organ Specific Toxicologic Pathology -- Organ-Specific Toxicologic Pathology: An Introduction. -- Respiratory System. -- Skin and Oral Mucosa. -- Gastrointestinal Tract. -- Liver. -- Pancreas. -- Kidney. -- Lower Urinary Tract. -- Cardiovascular and Skeletal Muscle Systems. -- Bones and Joints. -- Nervous System. -- The Eye. -- Immune System. -- Hematopoietic System. -- Endocrine System. -- Male Reproduction. -- Female Reproduction. -- Embryo and Fetus. -- Index.Includes bibliographical references and index.Electronic reproduction.Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002.digitizedPrint version record.Elsevie

Selenium, but Not Lycopene or Vitamin E, Decreases Growth of Transplantable Dunning R3327-H Rat Prostate Tumors

Background: Lycopene, selenium, and vitamin E are three micronutrients commonly consumed and supplemented by men diagnosed with prostate cancer. However, it is not clear whether consumption of these compounds, alone or in combination, results in improved outcomes. Methodology/Principal Findings: We evaluated the effects of dietary lycopene (250 mg/kg diet), selenium (methylselenocysteine, 1 mg/kg diet), and vitamin E (γ-tocopherol, 200 mg/kg diet) alone and in combination on the growth of androgen-dependent Dunning R3327-H rat prostate adenocarcinomas in male, Copenhagen rats. AIN-93G diets containing these micronutrients were prefed for 4 to 6 weeks prior to tumor implantation by subcutaneous injection. Tumors were allowed to grow for ~18 weeks. Across diet groups, methylselenocysteine consumption decreased final tumor area (P = 0.003), tumor weight (P = 0.003), and the tumor weight/body weight ratio (P = 0.003), but lycopene and γ-tocopherol consumption intake did not alter any of these measures. There were no significant interactions among nutrient combinations on tumor growth. Methylselenocysteine consumption also led to small, but significant decreases in body weight (P = 0.007), food intake (P = 0.012), and body weight gain/food intake ratio (P = 0.022). However, neither body weight nor gain/food intake ratio was correlated with tumor weight. Methylselenocysteine, lycopene, and γ-tocopherol consumed alone and in combination did not alter serum testosterone or dihydrotestosterone concentrations; tumor proliferation or apoptosis rates. In addition, the diets also did not alter tumor or prostate androgen receptor, probasin, selenoprotein 15, selenoprotein P, or selenium binding protein 2 mRNA expression. However, using castration and finasteride-treated tissues from a previous study, we found that androgen ablation altered expression of these selenium-associated proteins. Conclusions: Of the three micronutrients tested, only methylselenocysteine consumption reduced growth of transplantable Dunning R3327-H prostate tumors, albeit through an unresolved mechanism

Lightly Cooked Broccoli Is as Effective as Raw Broccoli in Mitigating Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis in Mice

Dietary broccoli is anti-inflammatory. Past studies have typically investigated raw broccoli, even though most consumers prefer cooked broccoli, where the plant myrosinase is inactivated by heat, resulting in failure of formation of the anti-inflammatory bioactive compound sulforaphane (SF). This study compareed efficacy of lightly cooked broccoli (CB) containing greatly diminished myrosinase activity, with raw broccoli (RB), in mitigating colitis in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-treated mice. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed for two weeks on a 10% RB, 10% CB or control diet, all based on the AIN-93M diet. Half (n = 9) of each group received drinking water, half received 2.5% DSS in water for one week, starting from Day 7 of the diet. Even with far less plant myrosinase activity, CB was essentially as effective as RB in lessening damage by DSS, evidenced by decreased disease activity index, attenuated colon length shrinkage, less endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide) leakage into blood, and less severe colon lesions as assessed by histopathology. mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines indicated that broccoli anti-inflammatory action may be through inhibition of the IL-6 trans-signaling pathway, as evidenced by reversal of the DSS-increased expression of IL-6, CCR2 and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1)

Forced treadmill exercise training exacerbates inflammation and causes mortality while voluntary wheel training is protective in a mouse model of colitis

The purpose of this study was to examine whether exercise training reduced inflammation and symptomology in a mouse model of colitis. We hypothesized that moderate forced treadmill running (FTR) or voluntary wheel running (VWR) would reduce colitis symptoms and colon inflammation in response to dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). Male C57Bl/6J mice were randomized to sedentary, moderate intensity FTR (8-12. m/min, 40. min, 6. weeks, 5x/week), or VWR (30. days access to wheels). DSS was given at 2% (w/v) in drinking water over 5. days. Mice discontinued exercise 24. h prior to and during DSS treatment. Colons were harvested on Days 6, 8 and 12 in FTR and Day 8 post-DSS in VWR experiments. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found that moderate FTR exacerbated colitis symptomology and inflammation as measured by significant (p\u3c 0.05) increases in diarrhea and IL-6, IL-1β, IL-17 colon gene expression. We also observed higher mortality (3/10 died vs. 0/10, p= 0.07) in the FTR/DSS group. In contrast, VWR alleviated colitis symptoms and reduced inflammatory gene expression in the colons of DSS-treated mice (p\u3c 0.05). While DSS treatment reduced food/fluid intake and body weight, there was a tendency for FTR to exacerbate, and for VWR to attenuate, this effect. FTR (in the absence of DSS) increased gene expression of the chemokine and antibacterial protein CCL6 suggesting that FTR altered gut homeostasis that may be related to the exaggerated response to DSS. In conclusion, we found that FTR exacerbated, whereas VWR attenuated, symptoms and inflammation in response to DSS. © 2013 Elsevier Inc

Comparison between Candida albicans Agglutinin-Like Sequence Gene Expression Patterns in Human Clinical Specimens and Models of Vaginal Candidiasis

Expression of the eight genes in the Candida albicans agglutinin-like sequence (ALS) family was studied by reverse transcription-PCR of RNA isolated from clinical vaginal fluid specimens and vaginal candidiasis model systems. Although expression of all ALS genes was detected across the set of clinical specimens, ALS1, ALS2, ALS3, and ALS9 transcripts were detected most frequently, and expression of ALS4 and ALS5 was detected least frequently. Laboratory strain 3153A and two C. albicans strains isolated from the clinical specimens were studied using two models of vaginal candidiasis to determine how closely these models mimicked the clinical specimens at the level of gene expression. ALS gene expression patterns in a murine vaginitis model were identical to those from the clinical specimens. Expression of more ALS genes was detected in specimens collected 7 days after infection compared to those collected at 4 days. Similar patterns of ALS gene expression were observed when the three C. albicans strains were tested in the reconstituted human vaginal epithelium model. In this model, expression of ALS4, ALS5, ALS6, and ALS7 was least frequently detected. Negative or weakened signals for ALS4 expression were observed at early time points, suggesting that ALS4 expression, which was strong in the inoculum cells, was down-regulated upon contact of C. albicans with vaginal epithelial cells in this model. The data presented here support the conclusion of host-site-specific influences on ALS gene expression and validate the use of the experimental models for evaluating the phenotype of als/als mutant strains