Soft Drink Consumption in Young Mexican Adults Is Associated with Higher Total Body Fat Percentage in Men but Not in Women.

A high consumption of soft drinks (SDs) has been linked with the development of anthropometric and metabolic alterations. We evaluate the association between SD consumption and some anthropometric and metabolic variables. This study is an observational study, using a sample of 394 university students, of which 158 were men (40.1%) and 238 women (59.9%), between 18 and 30 years. An SD intake questionnaire provided the consumption of different SDs. The participants' weight, height, and waist and hip circumferences were collected. Metabolic biomarkers were analyzed. The average intake of caloric SDs (CSDs) was 1193.6 ± 1534.8 mL/week and 84.5 ± 115.02 mL/week for non-caloric SDs (NCSDs). Sex differences were found in the amount of SD consumption and these statistical differences were driven by those men subjects with a high total body fat percentage (TBF%). In men, correlations were found between the intake of CSDs and the body mass index, waist and hip circumferences, TBF%, and visceral fat percentage. In woman, a correlation was found with glucose and triglycerides. The prediction model revealed that the intake of CSDs predicts TBF% and low-density lipoprotein only in men. A high amount of CSD consumption in men was associated with a high TBF%, and this may be predictive of future development of metabolic abnormalities.

Los factores de la teoría de la conducta planeada relacionados con el patrón de consumo de bebidas endulzadas en jóvenes universitarios / Factors from the theory of planned behavior and soda consumption patterns among university students

RESUMEN En México, el consumo de bebidas endulzadas o refrescos es uno de los más altos a nivel mundial, esto representa un factor de riesgo para el desarrollo de obesidad y enfermedades metabólicas. En este estudio empleamos la Teoría de la Conducta Planeada (TCP) para identificar factores cognitivos asociados a la frecuencia de consumo de refrescos en adultos jóvenes mexicanos. Estudiamos una muestra de 261 personas, 110 hombres y 151 mujeres, de 18 a 45 años de edad (M= 22.51; DE = 4.2). Los participantes completaron cuestionarios de frecuencia de consumo e instrumentos basados en la TCP. Se encontraron dos factores predictores independientes y significativos de la frecuencia de consumo, el principal fue la baja autoeficacia, seguido por la intención. Ambos factores explican el 27.3% de la varianza de la frecuencia de consumo. Estos resultados contribuyen a entender los factores cognitivos involucrados en el consumo de refrescos, y sugieren que la alta frecuencia de consumo es una conducta no racional, por lo que podrían estar implicados aspectos afectivos y motivacionales, lo que deberá ser dilucidado con más investigación que permita explorar nuevas alternativas para el desarrollo de programas de prevención y tratamiento del consumo de bebidas con riesgo para la salud humana.

ABSTRACT Consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (SSB) in Mexico is one of the highest in the world, which represents a risk factor for the development of obesity and metabolic diseases. In the present study we used the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to identify cognitive factors associated with the frequency of SSB consumption in Mexican young adults. We studied a sample of 261 people, 110 men and 151 women, from 18 to 45 years of age (M = 22.51, SD = 4.2). Participants completed consumption frequency questionnaires and instruments based on TPB. Two independent and significant predictors of consumption frequency were found: low self-efficacy and intention. Both factors explained 27.3% of the variance in consumption frequency. These results contribute to the understanding of the cognitive factors underlying SSB consumption, and suggest that high consumption frequency is a non-rational behaviour. It is possible that affective and motivational aspects could also be involved, which should be clarified with more research, in order to explore alternatives for the prevention and treatment of unhealthy consumption of beverages that are a risk to human health.

Differential effects of spaced vs. massed training in long-term object-identity and object-location recognition memory.

Here we tested whether the well-known superiority of spaced training over massed training is equally evident in both object identity and object location recognition memory. We trained animals with objects placed in a variable or in a fixed location to produce a location-independent object identity memory or a location-dependent object representation. The training consisted of 5 trials that occurred either on one day (Massed) or over the course of 5 consecutive days (Spaced). The memory test was done in independent groups of animals either 24h or 7 days after the last training trial. In each test the animals were exposed to either a novel object, when trained with the objects in variable locations, or to a familiar object in a novel location, when trained with objects in fixed locations. The difference in time spent exploring the changed versus the familiar objects was used as a measure of recognition memory. For the object-identity-trained animals, spaced training produced clear evidence of recognition memory after both 24h and 7 days, but massed-training animals showed it only after 24h. In contrast, for the object-location-trained animals, recognition memory was evident after both retention intervals and with both training procedures. When objects were placed in variable locations for the two types of training and the test was done with a brand-new location, only the spaced-training animals showed recognition at 24h, but surprisingly, after 7 days, animals trained using both procedures were able to recognize the change, suggesting a post-training consolidation process. We suggest that the two training procedures trigger different neural mechanisms that may differ in the two segregated streams that process object information and that may consolidate differently.

Cognitive deficits in adult rats by lead intoxication are related with regional specific inhibition of cNOS.

It is well known that lead can affect several cognitive abilities in developing animals. In this work, we investigate the effects of different sub-chronic lead doses (0, 65, 125, 250 and 500 ppm of lead acetate in their drinking water for 14 days) in the performance of male adult rats in a water maze, cue maze and inhibitory avoidance tasks. We found that the acquisition of these tasks was not affected by lead, however, the highest dosage of lead (500 ppm) impaired memory consolidation in spatial and inhibitory avoidance tasks, but not in cue maze task while the 250 ppm dose only affected retrieval of spatial memory. Additionally, hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) induction in the perforant path after exposing adult rats to different doses of lead was studied. LTP induction was affected in a dose-dependent manner, and treatments of 250 and 500 ppm completely blocked LTP. We investigated the effects of lead intoxication on the activity of constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) in different brain regions of adult animals. The activity of cNOS was significantly inhibited in the hippocampus and cerebellum but not in the frontal cortex and brain stem, although lead had accumulated in all brain regions. These results suggest that lead intoxication can impair memory in adult animals and this impairment might be related with region-specific effects on cNOS activity.

Peripheral protein immunization induces rapid activation of the CNS, as measured by c-Fos expression.

To investigate immune-to-brain communication, we challenged rats intraperitoneally with a protein antigen (keyhole limpet hemocyanin, KLH), and measured c-Fos expression in different brain structures. We found a rapid c-Fos expression 120 min after immunization in brain stem and forebrain structures, using a dose of KLH not inducing fever or malaise. Using proper controls, we found that this central response is related to the immunogenicity of the antigen and the magnitude of the immune response. Our results suggest that different interconnected brain cell groups respond rapidly to an immune challenge in the periphery, constituting an afferent pathway of neuroimmune communication.