Prebiotic Oligosaccharides: Comparative Evaluation Using In Vitro Cultures of Infants' Fecal Microbiomes.

The objective of this study was to systematically assess the bifidogenic effect of three commonly used prebiotic products using in vitro cultures of infant fecal samples. Fresh stool samples collected from six term infants, each exclusively fed human milk (n = 3) or infant formula (n = 3), at 28 days of age were used as inocula. The following prebiotic products were added at concentrations applicable to infant formula: Vivinal GOS 15 (containing 28.5% galacto-oligosaccharide [GOS]) at 7.2 g/liter, Beneo HP (99.5% long-chain inulin [IN]) at 0.8 g/liter, Beneo Synergy 1 (enriched oligofructose and inulin [OF-IN]) at 4 g/liter, and a combination of Vivinal GOS 15 (7.2 g/liter) and Beneo HP (0.8 g/liter) (GOS-IN). The growth of total bacteria, Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium longum, and Escherichia coli was quantified using specific quantitative PCR (qPCR). Bifidobacterium was also enumerated on selective Beerens agar plates, with representative colonies identified by sequencing of their 16S rRNA genes. Volatile fatty acids (VFA) and pH in the cultures were also determined. Irrespective of the feeding methods, the GOS product, either alone or in combination with Beneo HP, resulted in substantially higher growth of total bifidobacteria, and much of this growth was attributed to growth of B. longum. Beneo Synergy 1 also increased the abundance of total bifidobacteria and B. longum. Corresponding to the increases in these two bacterial groups, acetic acid concentrations were higher, while there was a trend of lower E. coli levels and pH. The lower pH and higher acetic acid concentration might be directly responsible for the lower E. coli population. At the concentrations studied, the GOS product was more bifidogenic and potent in inhibiting E. coli than the other products tested. These results suggest that supplementation of infant formula with GOS may increase intestinal bifidobacteria and benefit infant health.

Protective effect of green tea polyphenols on bone loss in middle-aged female rats.

UNLABELLED: Recent studies have suggested that green tea polyphenols (GTP) are promising agents for preventing bone loss in women. Findings that GTP supplementation resulted in increased urinary GTP concentrations and bone mass via an increase of antioxidant capacity and/or a decrease of oxidative stress damage suggest a significant role of GTP in bone health of women. INTRODUCTION: Recent studies suggested that green tea polyphenols (GTP) are promising agents for preventing bone loss in women. However, the mechanism related to the possible protective role of GTP in bone loss is not well understood. METHODS: This study evaluated bioavailability, mechanisms, bone mass, and safety of GTP in preventing bone loss in middle-aged rats without (sham, SH) and with ovariectomy (OVX). A 16-week study of 2 (SH vs. OVX) x 3 (no GTP, 0.1% GTP, and 0.5% GTP in drinking water) factorial design using 14-month-old female rats (n = 10/group) was performed. An additional 10 rats in baseline group were euthanized at the beginning of study to provide baseline parameters. RESULTS: There was no difference in femur bone mineral density between baseline and the SH+0.5% GTP group. Ovariectomy resulted in lower values for liver glutathione peroxidase activity, serum estradiol, and bone mineral density. GTP supplementation resulted in increased urinary epigallocatechin and epicatechin concentrations, liver glutathione peroxidase activity and femur bone mineral density, decreased urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine and urinary calcium levels, but no effect on serum estradiol and blood chemistry levels. CONCLUSION: We conclude that a bone-protective role of GTP may contribute to an increase of antioxidant capacity and/or a decrease of oxidative stress damage.

Open laparoscopy for an adnexal mass in pregnancy. A case report.

Adnexal masses requiring surgical intervention in pregnancy occur at a frequency cited as 1 in 81-2,500. We present an alternative to exploratory celiotomy applicable in special cases. Open laparoscopy can provide definitive information on adnexal masses without the operative time, incision size or morbidity associated with exploratory celiotomy.

Atypical cervical cytology. Colposcopic follow-up using the Bethesda System.

Patients with a cytologic diagnosis of either atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (squamous ACUS) (191), atypical squamous cells suggestive of papillomavirus (ACPV) (79), low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) (184) or atypical glandular cells of undetermined significance (glandular ACUS) (30) obtained over an 18-month period were evaluated colposcopically at the National Naval Medical Center. The diagnosis of squamous atypia rendered using the Bethesda System was reduced when compared to the diagnosis of atypia rendered using traditional cytologic terms (1.9% versus 7.2%). Results from colposcopic evaluations of patients with squamous ACUS demonstrated similar rates of underlying dysplasia as in studies using older terminology (low grade dysplasia in 14% and high grade in 6% of the referrals). Colposcopic evaluation of patients with a referral diagnosis of squamous ACPV demonstrated rates of underlying low grade dysplasia double that of the diagnosis of squamous ACUS but half that of a diagnosis of LSIL (25% versus 14%, and 48%, respectively). Colposcopic evaluation of glandular ACUS rendered a diagnosis of high grade dysplasia more than three times (20%) as often as of squamous ACUS (6%). While the Bethesda System reduces inconsistencies in the diagnosis of atypical cytologic changes, a separate category (ACUS) appears to be useful in identifying underlying, unsuspected low grade dysplasias in our laboratory. In addition, glandular atypias herald a significant rate of underlying high grade dysplasias and warrant immediate colposcopic investigation.

Intrapartum clinical, sonographic, and parous patients' estimates of newborn birth weight.

The accuracy of estimating birth weight clinically, sonographically (using femur length and abdominal circumference), and by maternal prediction was studied prospectively in 106 term parous women who were in active labor. Estimates of birth weight by these women had lower standardized error (86.8 +/- 78.0 g/kg) than either clinical estimates (90.2 +/- 84.8 g/kg) or sonographically derived estimates (155.8 +/- 118.0 g/kg) of birth weight (P = not significant). Maternal estimates of birth weight were within +/- 10% of the actual weight in 69.8%, compared with 66.1% for clinical estimates and 42.4% for sonography. A term parous woman in labor can predict the birth weight with accuracy comparable to a clinical estimation by a physician or a sonographic estimate based on infant measurements.

Elevated maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein values. How low is high?

Most maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP) screening programs are set up with the goal of prenatal detection of fetal neural tube defects. It is also commonly accepted that MSAFP testing yields many false-positive results. Screening programs commonly utilize schemata that identify abnormal levels of MSAFP as greater than 2.5 multiples of the median (MOM) and also recommend two abnormal values before initiating ultrasound evaluation. Our pilot program evaluating obstetric outcomes found that 21 of the 29 women with elevated MSAFP values (greater than 2.0 MOM) eventually developed significant pregnancy management changes or complications of pregnancy. Thus, we believe that the use of MSAFP screening solely for the purpose of detecting fetal neural tube defects is inconsequential relative to its usefulness in detecting other pregnancy abnormalities. We also believe that ultrasound evaluation should be accomplished after the first abnormal value and that the cutoff of 2.5 MOM should be lowered to at least 2.0.