Relationship between Sugar-sweetened Beverages Consumption and Sleep Duration and Quality in Korean Adolescents: Based on Korea Youth’s Risk Behavior Survey

Background@#The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the consumption frequency of sugar-sweetened beverages including soda and sweet drinks and sleep duration and quality among Korean adolescents. @*Methods@#Data on 137,101 boys and 130,806 girls of students in middle and high school were obtained from the 2014-2017 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey, a national-wide cross-sectional school-based survey. Respondents self-reported soda and sweet drinks consumption, sleep hours, and sleep quality. The associations between these variables were analyzed by complex sampling multivariate logistic regression analysis. @*Results@#76.4% and 84.7% of respondents consumed soda and sweet drinks at least one time per week. Sleep deprivation (<8 hours/day) was associated with higher soda and sweet drinks consumption (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 95% confidence interval [CI]) for 5 times a week for soda 1.44 (1.33-1.59) in boys and 1.25 (1.12-1.40) in girls: and sweet drinks 1.54 (1.43-1.66) in boys and 1.41 (1.28-1.55) in girls. Similarly, unsatisfactory sleep quality was also associated with higher soda and sweet drinks consumption (aOR, 95% CI) for 5 times a week for soda 1.19 (1.13-1.26) in boys and 1.27 (1.19-1.35) in girls: and sweet drinks 1.36 (1.29-1.44) in boys and 1.34 (1.28-1.41) in girls. @*Conclusions@#Both sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality was associated with higher consumption of soda and sweet drinks among Korean adolescents.

Effect of Korean pine nut oil on hepatic iron, copper, and zinc status and expression of genes and proteins related to iron absorption in dietinduced obese mice / 한국영양학회지

Purpose@#Body adiposity is negatively correlated with hepatic iron status, and Korean pine nut oil (PNO) has been reported to reduce adiposity. Therefore, we aimed to study the effects of PNO on adiposity, hepatic mineral status, and the expression of genes and proteins involved in iron absorption. @*Methods@#Five-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were fed a control diet containing 10% kcal from PNO (PC) or soybean oil (SBO; SC), or a high-fat diet (HFD) containing 35% kcal from lard and 10% kcal from PNO (PHFD) or SBO (SHFD). Hepatic iron, copper, and zinc content; and expression of genes and proteins related to iron absorption were measured. @*Results@#HFD-fed mice had a higher white fat mass (2-fold; p < 0.001), lower hepatic iron content (25% lower; p < 0.001), and lower hepatic Hamp (p = 0.028) and duodenal Dcytb mRNA levels (p = 0.037) compared to the control diet-fed mice. Hepatic iron status was negatively correlated with body weight (r = −0.607, p < 0.001) and white fat mass (r = −0.745, p < 0.001). Although the PHFD group gained less body weight (18% less; p < 0.05) and white fat mass (18% less; p < 0.05) than the SHFD group, the hepatic iron status impaired by the HFD feeding did not improve. The expression of hepatic and duodenal ferroportin protein was not affected by the fat amount or the oil type. PNO-fed mice had significantly lower Slc11a2 (p = 0.022) and Slc40a1 expression (p = 0.027) compared to SBO-fed mice. However, the PC group had a higher Heph expression than the SC group (p < 0.05). The hepatic copper and zinc content did not differ between the four diet groups, but hepatic copper content adjusted by body weight was significantly lower in the HFD-fed mice compared to the control diet-fed mice. @*Conclusion@#HFD-induced obesity decreased hepatic iron storage by affecting the regulation of genes related to iron absorption; however, the 18% less white fat mass in the PHFD group was not enough to improve the iron status compared to the SHFD group. The hepatic copper and zinc status was not altered by the fat amount or the oil type.

Dietary zinc supplementation in highfat diet-induced obese mice: Effects on the skeletal muscle ZIP7 expression and blood glucose regulation / 한국영양학회지

Purpose@#The zinc transporter ZIP7 is known to regulate glucose metabolism in skeletal muscles, and skeletal muscles are known to play a critical role in glycemic control. The present study examines the effects of dietary zinc supplementation on the blood glucose concentration and expression of ZIP7 in skeletal muscle obtained from obese mice fed a highfat diet (HF). @*Methods@#C57BL/6J male mice were divided into three groups and were administered either a HF (60% of total calories from fat), HF supplemented with zinc (HF+Zn, 60% calories from fat + 300 mg zinc/kg diet), or low-fat diet (CON, 10% calories from fat), for 15 weeks. @*Results@#Compared to CON group mice, the final body weights and adipose tissue weights were significantly increased, while the skeletal muscle weights were significantly decreased in mice belonging to the HF and HF+Zn groups. The HF+Zn group had significantly lower levels of fasting blood glucose concentrations than the HF group. Similarly, zinc supplementation significantly decreased the HF-elevated area under the curve values obtained from the oral glucose tolerance test. Skeletal muscle protein levels of ZIP7 in samples obtained from the HF group were significantly decreased as compared to the CON group. Conversely, the skeletal ZIP7 protein levels in the HF+Zn group were significantly increased as compared to the HF group. Moreover, the protein levels of phosphorylated-AKT and glucose transporter 4 in the skeletal muscle were significantly increased subsequent to zinc supplementation. @*Conclusion@#Our data demonstrates that zinc supplementation up-regulates the skeletal muscle ZIP7 expression, which is associated with improved glucose tolerance in the obesity.

Comparison of Nutrient Intake and the Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome According to the Frequency of Eating with Others in the Elderly: Based on the 2013-2017 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Background@#The objective of this study was to examine the association between the nutritional status and the risk of metabolic syndrome according to the frequency of eating with others in elderly men and women. @*Methods@#This study included 4,562 subjects (≥65 years) from the 2013-2017 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Survey logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between the frequency of eating with others per day (0, 1-2, 3 times/day) and nutrient intake and metabolic syndrome, adjusted for the related confounding variables. @*Results@#In elderly men, eating with others was significantly associated with a higher intake of vitamin C, phosphorus, and iron. Additionally, elderly men who ate with others 0 time/day had an adjusted odds ratio of 3.08 (95% confidence interval, 1.43-6.62) for overall nutrient intake insufficiency as compared to elderly men who ate with others 3 times/day. In elderly women, eating with others was significantly associated with a higher intake of energy. However, no association was found between the frequency of eating with others and risk of metabolic syndrome in either sex. @*Conclusions@#Our study findings suggest that frequently eating with others may improve the nutritional status in both elderly men and women.

Comparison of Nutrient Intake and the Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome According to the Frequency of Eating with Others in the Elderly: Based on the 2013-2017 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Background@#The objective of this study was to examine the association between the nutritional status and the risk of metabolic syndrome according to the frequency of eating with others in elderly men and women. @*Methods@#This study included 4,562 subjects (≥65 years) from the 2013-2017 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Survey logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between the frequency of eating with others per day (0, 1-2, 3 times/day) and nutrient intake and metabolic syndrome, adjusted for the related confounding variables. @*Results@#In elderly men, eating with others was significantly associated with a higher intake of vitamin C, phosphorus, and iron. Additionally, elderly men who ate with others 0 time/day had an adjusted odds ratio of 3.08 (95% confidence interval, 1.43-6.62) for overall nutrient intake insufficiency as compared to elderly men who ate with others 3 times/day. In elderly women, eating with others was significantly associated with a higher intake of energy. However, no association was found between the frequency of eating with others and risk of metabolic syndrome in either sex. @*Conclusions@#Our study findings suggest that frequently eating with others may improve the nutritional status in both elderly men and women.

Associations of the eating alone behavior with nutrient intake, obesity and metabolic syndrome in middle-aged adults based on the 2013 ~ 2017 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey / 한국영양학회지

PURPOSE: This study examined the changes in the nutrient intake and the prevalences of obesity and metabolic syndrome according to the eating alone behavior in middle-aged men and women. METHODS: The data from the 2013 ~ 2017 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. A total of 7,728 adults (3,404 male, 4,324 female) aged 40 ~ 64 years old were included. The subjects were classified into three groups according to the number of times eating alone per day (0, 1 ~ 2, and 3 times/day). Dietary data were collected by a 1-day 24-h recall. The nutrient intakes were compared among the three groups. Survey logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association of the eating alone behavior with obesity and metabolic syndrome, adjusting for the related confounding variables. RESULTS: In men, eating alone was associated significantly with a lower intake of potassium (p-for-trend = 0.048) and lower intake of calories from protein (p-for-trend = 0.04). In women, the proportion of subjects consuming energy less than 75% of the estimated energy requirement (p = 0.001) and less than the estimated adequate requirement of riboflavin (p < 0.001) differed significantly according to the eating alone behavior. The eating alone behavior was positively associated with an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome (p-for-trend = 0.033), increased blood pressure (p-for-trend < 0.001), and increased waist circumference (p-for-trend = 0.004). On the other hand, in women, however, the eating alone behavior was associated with a decreased risks of developing obesity (p-for-trend = 0.02). No association was found between the eating alone behavior and the risk of metabolic syndrome in women. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the eating alone behavior is a risk factor for the development of metabolic syndrome in middle-aged Korean men.

Energy Drink Consumption and Dietary-, Lifestyle-, and Mental Health-Related Behaviors in Korean Adolescents: Based on the 10th–13th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey

BACKGROUND: Energy drinks (EDs), functional beverages with high concentrations of caffeine, can cause health risks. This study examined the frequency of ED consumption and related factors in Korean adolescents. METHODS: Data from the 10th-13th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey was used, and a total of 137,101 boys and 130,806 girls were included in the final analyses. Differences in ED consumption and associated factors were analyzed using the Rao-Scott chi-square test and a multivariate logistic regression analysis, reflecting of the complex sample design. RESULTS: In total, 17.3% boys and 12.9% girls consumed EDs more than once a week (P<0.001). In particular, 24.2% of all high-school students in the 12th grade consumed more than three EDs a week. After adjusting for confounding factors, a multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that higher ED consumption was significantly associated with a higher soda, sweet-drink, and fast food intake; skipping breakfast; a lower vegetable intake; depression; suicidal thoughts; sleep deprivation; and increased smoking and alcohol drinking. CONCLUSIONS: ED consumption is associated with undesirable dietary-, lifestyle-, and mental health-related behaviors, suggesting the need for appropriate nutrition education in adolescents.

Energy Drink Consumption and Dietary-, Lifestyle-, and Mental Health-Related Behaviors in Korean Adolescents: Based on the 10th–13th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey

BACKGROUND@#Energy drinks (EDs), functional beverages with high concentrations of caffeine, can cause health risks. This study examined the frequency of ED consumption and related factors in Korean adolescents.@*METHODS@#Data from the 10th-13th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey was used, and a total of 137,101 boys and 130,806 girls were included in the final analyses. Differences in ED consumption and associated factors were analyzed using the Rao-Scott chi-square test and a multivariate logistic regression analysis, reflecting of the complex sample design.@*RESULTS@#In total, 17.3% boys and 12.9% girls consumed EDs more than once a week (P<0.001). In particular, 24.2% of all high-school students in the 12th grade consumed more than three EDs a week. After adjusting for confounding factors, a multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that higher ED consumption was significantly associated with a higher soda, sweet-drink, and fast food intake; skipping breakfast; a lower vegetable intake; depression; suicidal thoughts; sleep deprivation; and increased smoking and alcohol drinking.@*CONCLUSIONS@#ED consumption is associated with undesirable dietary-, lifestyle-, and mental health-related behaviors, suggesting the need for appropriate nutrition education in adolescents.

Effects of high-fat diet induced obesity on tissue zinc concentrations and zinc transporter expressions in mice / 한국영양학회지

PURPOSE: Obesity is often associated with disturbances in the mineral metabolism. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of high-fat diet-induced obesity on tissue zinc concentrations and zinc transporter expressions in mice. METHODS: C57BL/6J male mice were fed either a control diet (10% energy from fat, control group) or a high-fat diet (45% energy from fat, obese group) for 15 weeks. The zinc concentrations in the serum, stool, and various tissues were measured by inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-atomic emission spectrophotometry or ICP-mass spectrophotometry. The levels of zinc transporter mRNAs in the liver, duodenum, and pancreas were measured by real-time RT-PCR. The levels of serum adipokines, such as leptin and IL-6, were determined. RESULTS: The total body weight, adipose tissue weight, and hepatic TG and cholesterol concentrations were significantly higher in the obese group, as compared to the control group. The obese group had significantly higher levels of serum leptin and pro-inflammatory IL-6 concentrations, and had significantly lower levels of serum alkaline phosphatase activity. The zinc concentrations of the liver, kidney, duodenum, and pancreas were all significantly lower in the obese group than in the control group. On the other hand, the fecal zinc concentrations were significantly higher in the obese group than in the control group. The serum zinc concentrations were not significantly different between the two groups. The ZnT1 mRNA levels of the liver and the pancreas were significantly higher in the obese group, as compared to the control group. Hepatic Zip10 mRNA was also increased in the obese group. CONCLUSION: Our study findings suggest that obesity increases fecal zinc excretion and lowers the tissue zinc concentrations, which may be associated with alterations in the zinc transporter expressions.

Protective effects of Cirsium setidens ethanolic extracts against alcoholic fatty liver injury in rats / 한국영양학회지

PURPOSE: In this study, we investigated the effects of Cirsium setidens ethanolic extract (CS) on the development of alcoholic fatty liver and associated injury. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley male rats were fed either Lieber-DeCarli control (C) or ethanol (35.5% of total calories) liquid diet with 0 (E), 100 mg/kgBW CS (E+LCS), or 500 mg/kgBW CS (E+HCS) for 8 weeks. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities as well as TG and cholesterol concentrations in the serum and liver tissues were measured by colorimetric assays. Liver histopathology was examined by Hematoxylin-eosin staining of the fixed liver tissues. Protein levels of phosphorylated-AMP activated protein kinase (p-AMPK), phosphorylated-acetyl CoA carboxylase (p-ACC), phosphorylated-nuclear factor kappa B (p-NFκB), and TNFα were measured by Western blot analyses. RESULTS: Both doses of CS markedly suppressed alcohol-induced lipid droplets accumulation in the liver tissues and significantly inhibited alcohol-induced increases in activities of serum ALT and serum AST. Similarly, CS significantly reduced hepatic and serum TG concentrations. Compared to groups fed alcohol only, CS supplementation strongly increased hepatic levels of p-AMPK and p-ACC. Further, CS significantly inhibited alcohol-induced phosphorylation of NFκB, which was associated with reduced hepatic protein levels of TNFα. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrated that CS has a protective effect against alcoholic liver injury, which was associated with activation of AMPK and inhibition of NFκB.

Iron Supplementation Reverses the Reduction of Hydroxymethylcytosine in Hepatic DNA Associated With Chronic Alcohol Consumption in Rats

BACKGROUND: Alcohol is known to affect two epigenetic phenomena, DNA methylation and DNA hydroxymethylation, and iron is a cofactor of ten-eleven translocation (TET) enzymes that catalyze the conversion from methylcytosine to hydroxymethylcytosine. In the present study we aimed to determine the effects of alcohol on DNA hydroxymethylation and further effects of iron on alcohol associated epigenetic changes. METHODS: Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either Lieber-DeCarli alcohol diet (36% calories from ethanol) or Lieber-DeCarli control diet along with or without iron supplementation (0.6% carbonyl iron) for 8 weeks. Hepatic non-heme iron concentrations were measured by colorimetric assays. Protein levels of hepatic ferritin and transferrin receptor were determined by Western blotting. Methylcytosine, hydroxymethylcytosine and unmodified cytosine in DNA were simultaneously measured by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method. RESULTS: Iron supplementation significantly increased hepatic non-heme iron contents (P < 0.05) but alcohol alone did not. However, both alcohol and iron significantly increased hepatic ferritin levels and decreased hepatic transferrin receptor levels (P < 0.05). Alcohol reduced hepatic DNA hydroxymethylation (0.21% ± 0.04% vs. 0.33% ± 0.04%, P = 0.01) compared to control, while iron supplementation to alcohol diet did not change DNA hydroxymethylation. There was no significant difference in methylcytosine levels, while unmodified cytosine levels were significantly increased in alcohol-fed groups compared to control (95.61% ± 0.08% vs. 95.26% ± 0.12%, P = 0.03), suggesting that alcohol further increases the conversion from hydroxymethylcytosine to unmodified cytosine. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic alcohol consumption alters global DNA hydroxymethylation in the liver but iron supplementation reverses the epigenetic effect of alcohol.

Oxidative damage biomarker levels according to Mn-SOD and GST gene polymorphisms in preschool children / 한국영양학회지

PURPOSE: Genetic polymorphisms in antioxidant defense and detoxification genes may modulate the levels of oxidative stress biomarkers. METHODS: A total of 301 healthy preschool-aged children in the Seoul and Kyung-gi areas were recruited. DNA was extracted from blood for genotyping of manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) Val16Ala, glutathione S-transferase (GST) P1 Ile105Val, GSTT1 present/null, and GSTM1 present/null polymorphisms by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism or multiplex PCR analyses. In addition to a questionnaire survey, the levels of urinary 8- hydroxyl-2-deoxiguanosine (8-OHdG) and plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: Significantly higher urinary 8-OHdG concentrations were observed in GSTP1 Ile/Val + Val/Val genotype (p = 0.030), and tended to be higher in Mn-SOD Val/Val genotype (p = 0.065). On the other hand, exposure to environmental tobacco smoking (ETS) and interaction between ETS and gene polymorphisms did not significantly influence either urinary 8-OHdG concentrations or serum MDA. CONCLUSION: Based on our findings, GSTP1 Ile/Val gene polymorphisms might modulate the levels of oxidative stress biomarkers in healthy preschool children.

Effects of chronic alcohol and excessive iron intake on mitochondrial DNA damage in the rat liver / 한국영양학회지

PURPOSE: In this study, we investigated the effects of chronic alcohol and excessive iron intake on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage and the progression of alcoholic liver injury in rats. METHODS: Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into four groups (Control, EtOH, Fe, and EtOH + Fe), and fed either control or ethanol (36% of total calories) liquid diet with or without 0.6% carbonyl iron for eight weeks. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities, liver malondialdehyde concentrations were measured by colorimetric assays. Liver histopathology was examined by Hematoxylin-eosin staining of the fixed liver tissues. The integrity of the hepatic mtDNA and nuclear DNA was measured by long-range PCR. The gene expression levels of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (Cox1) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4 (Nd4) were examined by real-time PCR. RESULTS: Serum ALT and AST activities were significantly higher in the EtOH+Fe group, as compared to the Control group. Similarly, among four groups, liver histology showed the most severe lipid accumulation, inflammation, and necrosis in the EtOH + Fe group. PCR amplification of near-full-length (15.9 kb) mtDNA showed more than 50% loss of full-length product in the liver of the EtOH + Fe group, whereas amounts of PCR products of a nuclear DNA were unaffected. In addition, the changes in the mtDNA integrity showed correlation with reductions in the mRNA levels of mitochondrial gene Cox1 and Nd4. CONCLUSION: Our data suggested that the liver injury associated with excessive iron and alcohol intake involved mtDNA damage and corresponding mitochondrial dysfunction.

Effects of developmental iron deficiency and post-weaning iron repletion on the levels of iron transporter proteins in rats

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Iron deficiency in early life is associated with developmental problems, which may persist until later in life. The question of whether iron repletion after developmental iron deficiency could restore iron homeostasis is not well characterized. In the present study, we investigated the changes of iron transporters after iron depletion during the gestational-neonatal period and iron repletion during the post-weaning period. MATERIALS/METHODS: Pregnant rats were provided iron-deficient (< 6 ppm Fe) or control (36 ppm Fe) diets from gestational day 2. At weaning, pups from iron-deficient dams were fed either iron-deficient (ID group) or control (IDR group) diets for 4 week. Pups from control dams were continued to be fed with the control diet throughout the study period (CON). RESULTS: Compared to the CON, ID rats had significantly lower hemoglobin and hematocrits in the blood and significantly lower tissue iron in the liver and spleen. Hepatic hepcidin and BMP6 mRNA levels were also strongly down-regulated in the ID group. Developmental iron deficiency significantly increased iron transporters divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) and ferroportin (FPN) in the duodenum, but decreased DMT1 in the liver. Dietary iron repletion restored the levels of hemoglobin and hematocrit to a normal range, but the tissue iron levels and hepatic hepcidin mRNA levels were significantly lower than those in the CON group. Both FPN and DMT1 protein levels in the liver and in the duodenum were not different between the IDR and the CON. By contrast, DMT1 in the spleen was significantly lower in the IDR, compared to the CON. The splenic FPN was also decreased in the IDR more than in the CON, although the difference did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that iron transporter proteins in the duodenum, liver and spleen are differentially regulated during developmental iron deficiency. Also, post-weaning iron repletion efficiently restores iron transporters in the duodenum and the liver but not in the spleen, which suggests that early-life iron deficiency may cause long term abnormalities in iron recycling from the spleen.

Arctiin inhibits adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells and decreases adiposity and body weight in mice fed a high-fat diet

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects and associated mechanisms of arctiin, a lignan compound found in burdock, on adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells. Also, the effects of arctiin supplementation in obese mice fed a high-fat diet on adiposity were examined. MATERIALS/METHODS: 3T3-L1 cells were treated with arctiin (12.5 to 100 microM) during differentiation for 8 days. The accumulation of lipid droplets was determined by Oil Red O staining and intracellular triglyceride contents. The expressions of genes related to adipogenesis were measured by real-time RT-PCR and Western blot analyses. For in vivo study, C57BL/6J mice were first fed either a control diet (CON) or high-fat diet (HF) to induce obesity, and then fed CON, HF, or HF with 500 mg/kg BW arctiin (HF + AC) for four weeks. RESULTS: Arctiin treatment to 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes markedly decreased adipogenesis in a dose-dependent manner. The arctiin treatment significantly decreased the protein levels of the key adipogenic regulators PPARgamma and C/EBPalpha, and also significantly inhibited the expression of SREBP-1c, fatty acid synthase, fatty acid-binding protein and lipoprotein lipase. Also, arctiin greatly increased the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and its downstream target phosphorylated-acetyl CoA carboxylase. Furthermore, administration of arctiin significantly decreased the body weight in obese mice fed with the high-fat diet. The epididymal, perirenal or total visceral adipose tissue weights of mice were all significantly lower in the HF + AC than in the HF. Arctiin administration also decreased the sizes of lipid droplets in the epididymal adipose tissue. CONCLUSIONS: Arctiin inhibited adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes through the inhibition of PPARgamma and C/EBPalpha and the activation of AMPK signaling pathways. These findings suggest that arctiin has a potential benefit in preventing obesity.

Relationship of Unbalanced Diet and Eating Behavior between School Age Children and Their Mothers in Wonju Area

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship of unbalanced diet habits and eating behaviors between school age children and their mothers. METHODS: From the Wonju area of Gangwon-do, 232 children and their mothers were recruited for this study. General characteristics, degree of unbalanced diet, eating behaviors, factors associated with food preferences, food preferences, and food intake frequencies were obtained through a questionnaire. RESULTS: The degree of unbalanced diet habits were significantly correlated between school age children and their mothers. Children's eating behaviors were also highly affected by their mother's eating behaviors. Especially, the frequency of eating breakfast showed a significant correlation between children and mothers. Among the factors associated with food preferences, family eating habits, appetite, and emotions showed significant associations between girls and mothers. As for food preferences, preference for meat in children was not significantly associated with that in their mothers, whereas preference for perilla oil and butter was significantly associated with preference in their mothers. The relationship of food preferences between children and mothers differed according to the sex of the children. Further, the intake frequencies for most foods were highly correlated between children and mothers. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that the unbalanced diet habits and eating behaviors of mothers can affect those in their children. Moreover, the correlations of food preferences between children and their mothers were different depending on the sex of the children. Our data suggest that educating mothers about their diet and eating behaviors could improve the eating practices of their children.

Perceptions and Use of Premium Snacks and Associated Factors in School Aged Children and Their Mothers in Kyung-Ki Area

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions and use of premium snacks (PS) in school aged children. In addition, the influence of their mothers attitude toward the PS use on the children's PS eating behavior was examined. METHODS: 337 boys and 292 girls and their mothers (n=535) were participated in this study. Participants were recruited from two elementary schools located in Kyung-ki area. Information on general characteristics, the frequencies of general snack eating and associated factors, and the frequencies of PS eating and associated factors were obtained by a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: The mean frequency of PS eating were 1.12 times/wk in boys and 0.98 times/wk in girls. The PS eating frequency was positively associated with the frequency of eating general snacks in boys and the money spent on purchasing general snacks in girls. The main reasons for eating PS were 'health' followed by 'taste'. The frequencies of general snack eating and those of PS use in mothers were highly associated with the frequencies of eating PS in children. Further, the perceptions on PS in mothers were significantly correlated with the frequencies of PS eating both in boys and in girls, although correlation coefficients were somewhat weak. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that mother's snack eating behavior and perceptions can affect their children's PS uses. Our findings suggest that the education toward the mother's eating behavior and nutrition knowledge are important in improving child's eating behavior including reasonable and healthy snack choices.

The Effect of Zinc Status on Salty Taste Acuity, Salty Taste Preference, Sodium Intake and Blood Pressure in Korean Young Adults

High sodium intake is one of the risk factors for the development of hypertension. According to 2007 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, sodium intake of Korean was three times higher than adequate intake (1.5 g/day) recommended by Korean Dietary Reference Intakes. High sodium intake is related to high threshold and preference of salty taste. And zinc status is known to affect taste acuity. The hypothesis of this study is that zinc status is associated with salty taste acuity, preference, sodium intake and blood pressure. The subjects included in this study were 50 men and 41 women aged 20-29 y who did not smoke and not take supplements or medications regularly. Dietary intake data for 3 days were collected by 24-h recall for 1 day and dietary record for 2-days. Salty taste acuity and preference were determined by sensory test. Fasting serum concentration of zinc, height, weight, body composition and blood pressure data were collected. Salt taste preference in high zinc intake group (> or = estimated average requirement, EAR; men-8.1 mg/day, women-7 mg/day) was higher than that in low zinc intake group (< EAR). Salty taste preference was inversely correlated with serum zinc concentration in people with low concentration of serum zinc (<== 81microgram/dL)(r = -0.3520, p < 0.05). Diastolic blood pressure was higher in high sodium intake group than in low sodium intake group (p < 0.05), positively correlated with salty taste preference (r = 0.3866, p < 0.05) in subjects with daily zinc intake below the EAR. We conclude that low zinc status may be related to high salty taste preference and high blood pressure in Korean young adults.

Effect of Copper on the Regulation of Ferroportin-1 Gene Expression

Ferroportin-1 (FPN) is a transporter protein that is known to mediate iron export from macrophages. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of copper on the regulation of FPN gene expression in J774 mouse macrophage cells. J774 cells were treated with various concentrations of CuSO4 and RT-PCR analyses were performed to measure the steady-state levels of mRNAs for FPN and divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1, an iron importer). Copper treatment significantly increased FPN mRNAs in a dose-dependent manner, but didn't change the levels of DMT1 mRNA. Experiments with transcriptional inhibitor actinomycin D (0.5 microgram/mL) revealed that copper treatment did not affect the half-life of FPN mRNAs in J774 cells. On the other hand, results from luciferase reporter assays showed that copper directly stimulated the promoter activity of FPN. In summary, our data showed copper induced FPN mRNA of macrophages via a transcriptional rather than post-transcriptional mechanisms.

Cadmium increases ferroportin-1 gene expression in J774 macrophage cells via the production of reactive oxygen species

Cadmium intoxication has been associated with the dysregulation of iron homeostasis. In the present study, we investigated the effect of cadmium on the expression of ferroportin 1 (FPN1), an important iron transporter protein that is involved in iron release from macrophages. When we incubated cadmium with J774 mouse macrophage cells, FPN1 mRNA levels were significantly increased in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, the cadmium-induced FPN1 mRNA expression was associated with increased levels of FPN1 protein. On the other hand, cadmium-mediated FPN1 mRNA induction in J774 cells was completely blocked when cells were co-treated with a transcription inhibitor, acitomycin D. Also, cadmium directly stimulated the activity of the FPN1-promoter driven luciferase reporter, suggesting that the cadmium up-regulates FPN1 gene expression in a transcription-dependent manner. Finally, cadmium exposure to J774 macrophages increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels by ~ 2-fold, compared to untreated controls. When J774 cells were co-treated with antioxidant N-acetylcystein, the cadmium-induced FPN1 mRNA induction was significantly attenuated. In summary, the results of this study clearly demonstrated that cadmium increased FPN1 expression in macrophages through a mechanism that involves ROS production, and suggests another important interaction between iron and cadmium metabolism.