The role of diet quality and dietary patterns in predicting muscle mass and function in men over a 15-year period.

A growing body of evidence suggests that diet quality may predict muscle health. This study found that a "Traditional" dietary pattern predicted greater muscle mass, and an anti-inflammatory diet predicted greater muscle mass and better muscle function over 15 years. These findings reinforce the importance of optimising dietary behaviours for healthy ageing. INTRODUCTION: Research investigating the roles of individual nutrients in muscle health fails to account for the synergistic relationships between foods and nutrients. This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of diet quality and dietary patterns for muscle mass and function in men over a 15-year period. METHODS: This longitudinal study was conducted in 522 men from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study with complete dietary and muscle mass or muscle function data at both baseline and 15-year follow-up assessments. Dietary exposures were extracted from food frequency questionnaires and included the Australian Recommended Food Score, the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®), and three a posteriori dietary patterns: Plant-focused, Western, and Traditional (Anglo-Australian). Outcome variables included dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry-derived skeletal muscle index (SMI) and muscle function measured with the timed up-and-go (TUG) test. RESULTS: An anti-inflammatory diet and higher scores on a Traditional dietary pattern both predicted greater SMI ((B: -0.04 (95%CI -0.08, -0.00) kg/m2) and (B: 0.12 (95%CI 0.04, 0.20) kg/m2), respectively), while a pro-inflammatory diet predicted slower TUG (B: 0.11 (95%CI 0.001, 0.21) sec) over the 15-year follow-up period. These associations remained significant following adjustment for confounding variables. There were no associations observed for other dietary exposures. CONCLUSION: A Traditional dietary pattern higher in vegetables, wholegrain cereals, and animal protein was associated with greater skeletal muscle mass, and an anti-inflammatory diet, also rich in vegetables, fruit, and wholegrain cereals, was associated with greater skeletal muscle mass and better muscle function over 15 years.

The low FODMAP diet in the management of irritable bowel syndrome: an evidence-based review of FODMAP restriction, reintroduction and personalisation in clinical practice.

Dietary restriction of fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs) is effective in the management of functional gastrointestinal symptoms that occur in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Numerous reviews have been published regarding the evidence for their restriction in the low FODMAP diet; however, few reviews discuss the implementation of the low FODMAP diet in practice. The aim of this review is to provide practical guidance on patient assessment and the implementation and monitoring of the low FODMAP diet. Broadly speaking, the low FODMAP diet consists of three stages: FODMAP restriction; FODMAP reintroduction; and FODMAP personalisation. These stages can be covered in at least two dietetic appointments. The first appointment focuses on confirmation of diagnosis, comprehensive symptom and dietary assessment, detailed description of FODMAPs and their association with symptom induction, followed by counselling regarding FODMAP restriction. Dietary counselling should be tailored to individual needs and appropriate resources provided. At the second appointment, symptoms and diet are re-assessed and, if restriction has successfully reduced IBS symptoms, education is provided on FODMAP reintroduction to identify foods triggering symptoms. Following this, the patient can follow FODMAP personalisation for which a less restrictive diet is consumed that excludes their personal FODMAP triggers and enables a more diverse dietary intake. This review provides evidence and practice guidance to assist in delivering high-quality clinical service in relation to the low FODMAP diet.

Long-term impact of the low-FODMAP diet on gastrointestinal symptoms, dietary intake, patient acceptability, and healthcare utilization in irritable bowel syndrome.

BACKGROUND: The low-FODMAP diet is a frequently used treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Most research has focused on short-term FODMAP restriction; however, guidelines recommend that high-FODMAP foods are reintroduced to individual tolerance. This study aimed to assess the long-term effectiveness of the low-FODMAP diet following FODMAP reintroduction in IBS patients. METHODS: Patients with IBS were prospectively recruited to a questionnaire study following completion of dietitian-led low-FODMAP education. At baseline and following FODMAP restriction (short term) only, gastrointestinal symptoms were measured as part of routine clinical care. Following FODMAP reintroduction, (long term), symptoms, dietary intake, acceptability, food-related quality of life (QOL), and healthcare utilization were assessed. Data were reported for patients who continued long-term FODMAP restriction (adapted FODMAP) and/or returned to a habitual diet (habitual). KEY RESULTS: Of 103 patients, satisfactory relief of symptoms was reported in 12% at baseline, 61% at short-term follow-up, and 57% at long-term follow-up. At long-term follow-up, 84 (82%) patients continued an 'adapted FODMAP' diet (total FODMAP intake mean 20.6, SD 14.9 g/d) compared with 19 (18%) of patients following a 'habitual' diet (29.4, SD 22.9 g/d, P=.039). Nutritional adequacy was not compromised for either group. The 'adapted FODMAP' group reported the diet cost significantly more than the 'habitual' group (P<.001) and affected social eating (P<.01) but there was no effect on food-related QOL. Healthcare utilization was similar between both groups. CONCLUSION AND INFERENCES: Low-FODMAP education is effective for long-term IBS management, enables a nutritionally adequate diet, and is broadly acceptable to patients.

Detection of genetic incompatibilities in non-model systems using simple genetic markers: hybrid breakdown in the haplodiploid spider mite Tetranychus evansi.

When two related species interbreed, their hybrid offspring frequently suffer from reduced fitness. The genetics of hybrid incompatibility are described by the Bateson-Dobzhansky-Muller (BDM) model, where fitness is reduced by epistatic interactions between alleles of heterospecific origin. Unfortunately, most empirical evidence for the BDM model comes from a few well-studied model organisms, restricting our genetic understanding of hybrid incompatibilities to limited taxa. These systems are predominantly diploid and incompatibility is often complete, which complicates the detection of recessive allelic interactions and excludes the possibility to study viable or intermediate stages. Here, we advocate research into non-model organisms with haploid or haplodiploid reproductive systems and incomplete hybrid incompatibility because (1) dominance is absent in haploids and (2) incomplete incompatibility allows comparing affected with unaffected individuals. We describe a novel two-locus statistic specifying the frequency of individuals for which two alleles co-occur. This approach to studying BDM incompatibilities requires genotypic characterization of hybrid individuals, but not genetic mapping or genome sequencing. To illustrate our approach, we investigated genetic causes for hybrid incompatibility between differentiated lineages of the haplodiploid spider mite Tetranychus evansi, and show that strong, but incomplete, hybrid breakdown occurs. In addition, by comparing the genotypes of viable hybrid males and inviable hybrid male eggs for eight microsatellite loci, we show that nuclear and cytonuclear BDM interactions constitute the basis of hybrid incompatibility in this species. Our approach opens up possibilities to study BDM interactions in non-model taxa, and may give further insight into the genetic mechanisms behind hybrid incompatibility.

Evidence of Amblyseius largoensis and Euseius alatus as biological control agent of Aceria guerreronis.

Amblyseius largoensis (Muma) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) and Euseius alatus De Leon (Acari: Phytoseiidae) are predatory mites that are mostly found on leaves and on the exposed fruit surface of coconut plants. Their morphology hampers the access to the microhabitat occupied by Aceria guerreronis Keifer (Acari: Eriophyidae), the most important pest of coconut fruits throughout the world. However, it was suggested that they can prey on A. guerreronis under natural conditions when this pest leaves its refuge to disperse. Since the trophic interactions between A. largoensis or E. alatus and A. guerreronis are unknown, we compare the frequencies of occurrence of A. largoensis and E. alatus under the bracts of coconut fruits and on coconut leaflets. In addition, because phytoseiids feed by liquid ingestion, we used molecular analysis to confirm the potential role of A. largoensis or E. alatus as predators of A. guerreronis and to assess how fast the A. guerreronis DNA fragment is degradated in the A. largoensis digestive tract. Our study demonstrated that E. alatus was only present on coconut leaflets whereas A. largoensis was found mostly on leaflets and, to a much lesser extent, under the bracts of coconuts. Species-specific ITS primers designed for A. guerreronis were shown to have a high degree of specificity for A. guerreronis DNA and did not produce any PCR product from DNA templates of the other insects and mites associated with the coconut agroecosystem. Based on molecular analysis, we confirmed that the predatory mites, A. largoensis and E. alatus, had preyed on the coconut mite in the field. Overall the predatory mites collected in the field exhibited low levels of predation (26.7% of A. largoensis and 8.9% of E. alatus tested positive for A. guerreronis DNA). The fragment of A. guerreronis DNA remained intact for a very short time (no more than 6 h after feeding) in the digestive tract of A. largoensis.

Effects of immune challenge on the oviposition strategy of a noctuid moth.

Infections can have detrimental effects on the fitness of an animal. Reproducing females may therefore be sensitive to cues of infection and be able to adaptively change their oviposition strategy in the face of infection. As one possibility, females could make a terminal investment and shift reproductive effort from future to current reproduction as life expectancy decreases. We hypothesized that females of the noctuid moth Heliothis virescens make a terminal investment and adapt their oviposition timing as well as their oviposition site selectivity in response to an immune challenge. We indeed found that females that were challenged with the bacterial entomopathogen Serratia entomophila laid more eggs than control females one night after the challenge. Additionally, bacteria-challenged females were less discriminating between oviposition sites than control females. Whereas control females preferred undamaged over damaged plants, immune-challenged females did not differentiate between the two. These results indicate that terminal investment is part of the life history of H. virescens females. Moreover, our results suggest that the strategy of terminal investment in H. virescens oviposition represents a fitness trade-off for females: in the face of infection, an increase in oviposition rate enhances female fitness, whereas low oviposition site selectivity reduces female fitness.

Clinical effectiveness and economic costs of group versus one-to-one education for short-chain fermentable carbohydrate restriction (low FODMAP diet) in the management of irritable bowel syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Restriction of fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs) is an effective dietary treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Patient dietary education is essential but labour intensive. Group FODMAP education may alleviate this somewhat but has not previously been investigated. The present study aimed to investigate the clinical effectiveness of low FODMAP group education in patients with IBS and to explore the cost of a group pathway. METHODS: Patients with IBS (n = 364) were assessed for their suitability to attend dietitian-led group education or traditional one-to-one education in a novel group pathway. Clinical effectiveness (global symptom question, symptom prevalence, stool output) were compared at baseline and follow-up using the chi-squared test. The costs of the novel group pathway were assessed using a decision model. RESULTS: The global symptom question indicated more patients were satisfied with their symptoms following dietary advice, in both group education [baseline 48/263 (18%) versus follow-up 142/263 (54%), P < 0.001] and one-to-one education [baseline 5/101 (5%) versus follow-up 61/101 (60%), P < 0.001], with no difference between group and one-to-one education at follow-up (P = 0.271). Overall, there was a significant decrease in symptom severity from baseline to follow-up (P < 0.001 for both groups) but no difference in symptom response between group and one-to-one education. The cost for the group education pathway for all 364 patients was £31 713.36. CONCLUSIONS: The present study shows that dietitian-led FODMAP group education is clinically effective and the costs associated with a FODMAP group pathway are worthy of further consideration for routine clinical care.

One quantitative trait locus for intra- and interspecific variation in a sex pheromone.

Even though premating isolation is hypothesized to be a major driving force in speciation, its genetic basis is poorly known. In the noctuid moth Heliothis subflexa, one group of sex pheromone components, the acetates, emitted by the female, plays a crucial isolating role in preventing interspecific matings to males of the closely related Heliothis virescens, in which females do not produce acetates and males are repelled by them. We previously found intraspecific variation in acetates in H. subflexa: females in eastern North America contain significantly more acetates than females in Western Mexico. Here we describe the persistence of this intraspecific variation in laboratory-reared strains and the identification of one major quantitative trait locus (QTL), explaining 40% of the variance in acetate amounts. We homologized this intraspecific QTL to our previously identified interspecific QTL using restriction-associated DNA (RAD) tags. We found that a major intraspecific QTL overlaps with one of the two major interspecific QTL. To identify candidate genes underlying the acetate variation, we investigated a number of gene families with known or suspected acetyl- or acyltransferase activity. The most likely candidate genes did not map to our QTL, so that we currently hypothesize that a transcription factor underlies this QTL. Finding a single, large QTL that impacts variation in pheromone blends between and within species is, to our knowledge, the first such example for traits that have been demonstrated to affect premating isolation.

Comparison of symptom response following advice for a diet low in fermentable carbohydrates (FODMAPs) versus standard dietary advice in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence indicates that the consumption of fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs) may result in symptoms in some patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The present study aimed to determine whether a low FODMAP diet is effective for symptom control in patients with IBS and to compare its effects with those of standard dietary advice based on the UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines. METHODS: Consecutive patients with IBS who attended a follow-up dietetic outpatient visit for dietary management of their symptoms were included. Questionnaires were completed for patients who received standard (n = 39) or low FODMAP dietary advice (n = 43). Data were recorded on symptom change and comparisons were made between groups. RESULTS: In total, more patients in the low FODMAP group reported satisfaction with their symptom response (76%) compared to the standard group (54%, P = 0.038). Composite symptom score data showed better overall symptom response in the low FODMAP group (86%) compared to the standard group (49%, P < 0.001). Significantly more patients in the low FODMAP group compared to the standard group reported improvements in bloating (low FODMAP 82% versus standard 49%, P = 0.002), abdominal pain (low FODMAP 85% versus standard 61%, P = 0.023) and flatulence (low FODMAP 87% versus standard 50%, P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A low FODMAP diet appears to be more effective than standard dietary advice for symptom control in IBS.

Short-term high-fat diet alters substrate utilization during exercise but not glucose tolerance in highly trained athletes.

We determined the effect of a high-fat diet and carbohydrate (CHO) restoration on substrate oxidation and glucose tolerance in 7 competitive ultra-endurance athletes (peak oxygen uptake [VO(2peak)] 68 +/- 1 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1); mean +/- SEM). For 6 days, subjects consumed a random order of a high-fat (69% fat; FAT-adapt) or a high-CHO (70% CHO; HCHO) diet, each followed by 1 day of a high-CHO diet. Treatments were separated by an 18-day wash out. Substrate oxidation was determined during submaximal cycling (20 min at 65% VO(2peak)) prior to and following the 6 day dietary interventions. Fat oxidation at baseline was not different between treatments (17.4 +/- 2.1 vs. 16.1 +/- 1.3 g x 20 min(-1) for FAT-adapt and HCHO, respectively) but increased 34% after 6 days of FAT-adapt (to 23.3 +/- 0.9 g x 20 min(-1), p < .05) and decreased 30% after HCHO (to 11.3 +/- 1.4 g x 20 min(-1), p < .05). Glucose tolerance, determined by the area under the plasma [glucose] versus time curve during an oral glucose tolerance (OGTT) test, was similar at baseline (545 +/- 21 vs. 520 +/- 28 mmol x L(-1) x 90 min(-1)), after 5-d of dietary intervention (563 +/- 26 vs. 520 +/-18 mmol x L(-1) x 90 min(-1)) and after 1 d of high-CHO (491 +/- 28 vs. 489 +/- 22 mmol x L(-1) x 90 min(-1) for FAT- adapt and HCHO, respectively). An index of whole-body insulin sensitivity ( S(I), 10000/divided by fasting [glucose] x fasting [insulin] x mean [glucose] during OGTT x mean [insulin] during OGTT) was similar at baseline (15 +/- 2 vs. 17 +/- 5 arbitrary units), after 5-d of dietary intervention (15 +/- 2 vs. 15 +/- 2) and after 24 h of CHO loading (17 +/- 3 vs. 18 +/- 2 for FAT- adapt and HCHO, respectively). We conclude that despite marked changes in the pattern of substrate oxidation during submaximal exercise, short-term adaptation to a high-fat diet does not alter whole-body glucose tolerance or an index of insulin sensitivity in highly-trained individuals.

Effects of fat adaptation and carbohydrate restoration on prolonged endurance exercise.

We determined the effect of fat adaptation on metabolism and performance during 5 h of cycling in seven competitive athletes who consumed a standard carbohydrate (CHO) diet for 1 day and then either a high-CHO diet (11 g. kg(-1)x day(-1) CHO, 1 g x kg(-1) x day(-1) fat; HCHO) or an isoenergetic high-fat diet (2.6 g x kg(-1) x day(-1) CHO, 4.6 g x kg(-1) x day(-1) fat; fat-adapt) for 6 days. On day 8, subjects consumed a high-CHO diet and rested. On day 9, subjects consumed a preexercise meal and then cycled for 4 h at 65% peak O(2) uptake, followed by a 1-h time trial (TT). Compared with baseline, 6 days of fat-adapt reduced respiratory exchange ratio (RER) with cycling at 65% peak O(2) uptake [0.78 +/- 0.01 (SE) vs. 0.85 +/- 0.02; P < 0.05]. However, RER was restored by 1 day of high-CHO diet, preexercise meal, and CHO ingestion (0.88 +/- 0.01; P < 0.05). RER was higher after HCHO than fat-adapt (0.85 +/- 0.01, 0.89 +/- 0.01, and 0.93 +/- 0.01 for days 2, 8, and 9, respectively; P < 0.05). Fat oxidation during the 4-h ride was greater (171 +/- 32 vs. 119 +/- 38 g; P < 0.05) and CHO oxidation lower (597 +/- 41 vs. 719 +/- 46 g; P < 0.05) after fat-adapt. Power output was 11% higher during the TT after fat-adapt than after HCHO (312 +/- 15 vs. 279 +/- 20 W; P = 0.11). In conclusion, compared with a high-CHO diet, fat oxidation during exercise increased after fat-adapt and remained elevated above baseline even after 1 day of a high-CHO diet and increased CHO availability. However, this study failed to detect a significant benefit of fat adaptation to performance of a 1-h TT undertaken after 4 h of cycling.

[New sulfonamide-trimethoprim combination, Supristol. Results of a joint therapeutic trial (author's transl)]. / Neue Sulfonamid-Trimethoprim-Kombination Supristol. Ergebnisse einer gemeinschaftlichen therapeutischen Prüfung.

The efficacy of a new low dosage trimethoprim-sulfamoxole combination (Supristol) was tested in a joint therapeutic study in 6 medical clinics or departments and in a general practice. A good therapeutic result (healing) was achieved in about 80% of the 143 patients included in the trial. The preparation was well tolerated. Symptoms of intolerance appeared in only 2% of the cases. It is assumed that the low dosage of the preparation influences the tolerance favorably without affecting the efficacy.