The adverse effects of kava.

In Fiji, kava is also known as yaqona or grog. A convenient sample of 300 kava drinkers in Nadi, Lautoka, Ba and Sigatoka were studied to see whether local people in Fiji experienced side effects of kava use. Because males usually consume kava in Fiji, we approached specific groups of people and asked them to participate in the survey. To evaluate the side effects of kava consumption, we interviewed housewives of male kava drinkers regarding specific effects of kava. We interviewed these housewives during kava drinking sessions since they were usually not taking part in the kava drinking. We also interviewed employers of these kava drinkers and the market vendors in Nadi Town since they were closely involved with kava drinkers. Wives of kava users felt deprived of basic family needs due to the amount of money spent on kava. In Urban schools, 64% males and 46.2% had tried kava. The present study aims to assess the prevalence of side effects of kava usage among a community sample of kava drinkers in Fiji and to compare the result with some of the side effects provided by other studies. The questionnaire also asked how much kava was consumed and the reasons. Since kava use is very much part of our everyday culture and existence, convincing people to change their behavior and kava consumption is a major tasks. I hope that this study would emphasize the need at a national level to educate people on the harmful effects of kava and the need for the health ministry to view very heavy kava intake as contributing to morbidity in Fiji.

The health effects of moderate alcohol intake in humans: an epidemiologic review.

A large body of scientific evidence associates the moderate intake of alcohol with reduced mortality among middle-aged and older people in industrialized societies. This association is due largely to a reduced risk of death from coronary heart disease, which appears to outweigh any possible adverse effects of moderate drinking. The regular consumption of small amounts of alcohol is more healthful than the sporadic consumption of larger amounts. No beneficial effect of moderate drinking on mortality has been demonstrated in young adults (premenopausal women and men who have not reached their forties). It is theoretically possible that moderate drinking in young adulthood might reduce the risk of later heart disease; however, this has not been clearly demonstrated. For some individuals (e.g., those who cannot keep their drinking moderate, pregnant women, and those who are taking medications that may interact adversely with alcoholic beverages), the risks of alcohol consumption, even in moderation, outweigh any potential benefits. Because even small amounts of alcohol can impair judgment and coordination, no one should drink alcoholic beverages, even in moderation, before driving a motor vehicle or performing other activities that involve attention and skill.

Time course for entry of intestinally infused lipids into blood of rats.

The early time course of the absorption of duodenally infused 14C-labeled Intralipid into either the hepatic portal circulation or systemic circulation was measured. Plasma radioactivity did not increase significantly at either site until 30 min after the intestinal infusion began and was maximal between 60 and 120 min. In studies on the effects of intestinal lipid infusions on sham feeding in rats we find significant suppressions of sham feeding after only 10 min. Thus the time course for lipid absorption is different from that of the satiating effects of duodenally infused fats. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the satiating effect of fats infused into the small intestine occurs before entry of absorbed fats into the blood and is not dependent on recently absorbed circulating fat.

The effects of gonadectomy on glucose tolerance of genetically obese (fa/fa) rats: influence of sex and genetic background.

In both humans and rodents the occurrence and severity of obesity-associated non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) may be influenced by both gonadal hormones and genetic background. Early gonadectomy (at 3-5 days of age) of female and male Wistar diabetic fatty (WDF) rats and of male Zucker rats allowed us to examine these effects in genetically obese rats carrying the fatty (fa) gene. Impairment of glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity by obesity, and amelioration or exacerbation (in the case of female rats) of this impairment by gonadectomy were assessed by intragastric glucose tolerance tests when the rats reached adulthood. Both glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity were significantly deranged in obese WDF rats of both sexes and in obese male Zucker rats compared to lean controls of the same sex and strain. Obese male WDF rats were less glucose tolerant and insulin sensitive than were obese male Zucker rats. Glucose intolerance was not ameliorated by castration in lean or obese male WDF or Zucker rats. Insulin sensitivity was significantly improved by castration in obese male rats of both strains, as fasting plasma insulin levels and total areas under the insulin curves were significantly reduced compared to obese sham-operated controls. This effect was greater in the Zucker than in the WDF male rats. Castration significantly decreased the insulin response areas in obese male Zucker rats, but did not alter those of the obese male WDF rats. Ovariectomy did not alter glucose homeostasis of obese female WDF rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Zucker and Wistar diabetic fatty rats show different response to adrenalectomy.

The short-term effects of adrenalectomy on certain aspects of glucose homeostasis and adiposity were examined in Zucker and Wistar diabetic fatty (WDF) rats. Ten-week-old male obese and lean WDF and Zucker rats were adrenalectomized or underwent sham operation. Obese rats of each strain were pair fed the intake of obese adrenalectomized rats. Intragastric glucose tolerance tests showed that sham-operated obese rats of both strains were severely hyperinsulinemic compared with leans; adrenalectomy and pair feeding reduced palsma insulin to lean levels in Zucker but not WDF rats. At the time they were killed, sham-operated obese WDF rats were significantly hyperglycemic and hyperinsulinemic compared with other groups, but adrenalectomy reduced plasma glucose and insulin to lean levels in both strains. Adrenalectomy reduced inguinal and retroperitoneal fat pad weights more in Zucker than WDF obese rats. Although adrenalectomy decreased epididymal and inguinal fat cell size in both obese rat strains, the effect was greater in Zucker compared with WDF rats. These data suggest that the basis for the differential response to adrenalectomy in obese WDF and Zucker rats may reside in their different genetic backgrounds.

Sexual dimorphism of hyperglycemia and glucose tolerance in Wistar fatty rats.

Obese and lean male and female Wistar fatty rats were fed a high-sucrose (68% of calories) diet from 5 to 22 wk of age. Obese males, but not obese females, developed hyperglycemia in the fed state and were more glucose intolerant during an intragastric glucose tolerance test than obese females. Lean Wistar fatty rats did not become hyperglycemic on the sucrose diet. Obese males also showed a smaller insulin response during the glucose tolerance test than did obese females. The Wistar fatty rat is a sexually dimorphic model of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in which the male but not the female obese rats become diabetic. The diabetic condition and impaired glucose tolerance in the obese male Wistar fatty rat may be related to impaired pancreatic insulin release and peripheral insulin resistance.

Effects of food restriction on cardiac ouput and blood flow to the uterus and placenta in the pregnant rat.

Cardiac output and blood flow to the uterus, ovary and placenta were determined at day 21 of gestation in rats fed ad libitum a standard diet or 50% of control intake from day 5 of gestation. Restricted rats had lower body weights, smaller fetuses and placentas and a marked reduction in blood flow to ovary and placenta but not to endometrium and myometrium. These animals also had a marked reduction in cardiac output. However, the percent distribution of cardiac output in the whole uterus, ovary and placenta was similar in control and restricted rats. Results suggest that food restriction decreases expansion in uterine and placental blood flow by interfering with the expansion in cardiac output which normally occurs in pregnancy.

Development of basal lipolysis and fat cell size in the epididymal fat pad of normal rats.

The normal development of adipose tissue lipolysis as measured by glycerol release was studied in epididymal fat pads of fed and fasted Sprague-Dawley rats between 15 and 128 days of age and correlated with changes in fat cell size. At 15 and 17 days of age, when fat cell size was small, glycerol release per cell was highest and decreased steadily to adult levels by 73 days of age. Between 85 and 128 days of age as fat cell size continued to increase, glycerol release per cell began to rise. Therefore, glycerol release per cell inversely correlated with fat cell size during early development and directly correlated with fat cell size after 73 days of age. The response to fasting was variable in the younger rats but was established by the third postnatal week. The possible early reciprocal and later complementary roles of lipolytic activity and lipoprotein lipase activity in the "setting" and regulation of fat cell size during postnatal adipose tissue development is discussed.