Aims: In humans, impaired gastric accommodation is associated with early satiety and weight loss. In animals, accommodation involves activation of gastric nitrergic neurones. Our aim was to study involvement of nitric oxide in gastric accommodation and in meal induced satiety in humans. Methods: The effect of N G -monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) 4 mg/kg/h and 8 mg/kg/h on gastric compliance, on sensitivity to distension, and on gastric accommodation was studied with a barostat in double blind, randomised, placebo controlled studies. The effect of L-NMMA 8 mg/kg/h on meal induced satiety was studied using a drinking test. Results: L-NMMA had no significant effect on fasting compliance and sensitivity. Ingestion of a meal induced a relaxation of 274 (15) ml which was significantly smaller after L-NMMA 4 mg/kg/h (132 (45) ml; p=0.03) or L-NMMA 8 mg/kg/h (82 (72) ml; p=0.03). L-NMMA 8 mg/kg/h significantly decreased the amount of food ingested at maximum satiety from 1058 (67) to 892 (73) kcal (p<0.01). Conclusion: In humans, fasting gastric tone and sensitivity to distension are not influenced by nitric oxide synthase inhibition, but the gastric accommodation reflex involves activation of nitrergic neurones. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase impairs accommodation and enhances meal induced satiety.

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Objective: To assess whether psyllium, a soluble dietary ®bre, could, at an acceptable dose (7.4 g), delay gastric emptying of a low-calorie meal, and reduce hunger feeling and energy intake, without requiring intimate mixing with the meal. Design: A double blind randomized cross over study with 14 normal volunteers, to evaluate the effect of this dose of psyllium on postprandial serum glucose, triglycerides and insulin levels, and on gastric fullness, hunger feeling and food intake. Methods: Gastric emptying was measured using a standard double-radiolabeled 450 kcal meal and feelings by visual analogic scales. The postprandial serum glucose, triglycerides and insulin levels were also determined. Results: No delay in the gastric emptying of the solid and liquid phases of the meal was observed with psyllium. After the meal, hunger feelings and energy intake were signi®cantly lower during the psyllium session than during the placebo session (13% and 17% lower respectively; P`0.05). Postprandial increase in serum glucose, triglycerides and insulin levels was less with psyllium than with placebo (P`0.05). Conclusions: Psyllium reduces hunger feelings and energy intake in normal volunteers at reasonable dose and without requiring mixing with the meal. It does not act by slowing down the gastric emptying of hydrosoluble nutrients, but by increase in the time allowed for intestinal absorption, as suggested by the¯attening of the postprandial serum glucose, insulin and triglycerides curves.

It has been proposed that neonatal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations are a good indicator of iodine deficiency in the population. A frequency of neonatal TSH concentrations above 5 mU/L below 3% has been proposed as the threshold indicating iodine sufficiency. The objective of the present study was to evaluate feasibility and usefulness of nation-wide neonatal TSH concentration screening results to assess iodine status in Belgium. All newborns born in Belgium during the period 2009–2011 (n = 377713) were included in the study, except those suffering from congenital hypothyroidism and premature neonates. The frequency of neonatal TSH concentrations above 5 mU/L from 2009 to 2011 in Belgium fluctuated between 2.6 and 3.3% in the centres using the same TSH assay. There was a significant inverse association between neonatal TSH level and birth weight. The longer the duration between birth and screening, the lower the TSH level. Neonatal TSH levels were significantly lower in winter than in spring or autumn and significantly lower in spring and summer than in autumn while significantly higher in spring compared to summer. In conclusion, despite that pregnant women in Belgium are mildly iodine deficient, the frequency of neonatal TSH concentrations above 5 mU/L was very low, suggesting that the neonatal TSH threshold proposed for detecting iodine deficiency needs to be re-evaluated. Although neonatal TSH is useful to detect severe iodine deficiency, it should not be recommended presently for the evaluation of iodine status in mildly iodine deficient regions.

Both anti- and pro-nociceptive effects of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) treatment on visceral pain have been reported. Here, this dual action of CRF was differentiated by selective (in)activation of the CRF1 and CRF2 receptor prior to a visceral pain stimulus. Visceral pain was evaluated out of behavioural and visceromotor (abdominal electromyogram) responses to duodenal distension in the freely moving rat. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) CRF (50 microg kg-1) increased the distension-induced visceromotor and behavioural pain response. The pro-nociceptive effects of CRF on the behavioural response were attenuated by a selective CRF1 (CP-154526; 20 mg kg-1) but not a selective CRF2 [antiSauvagine30 (aSVG30); 100 microg kg-1] antagonist. Selective activation of the CRF2 receptor by stresscopin-related peptide (SRP; i.p. 25 microg kg-1) reduced the distension-induced visceromotor and behavioural response. Intrathecal injection of CRF (2 microg 10 microL-1) or SRP (20 microg 10 microL-1) decreased the distension-induced visceromotor and behavioural response. The antinociceptive effects of intrathecal CRF on the behavioural response were attenuated by aSVG30 (20 microg 10 microL-1) but not with CP-154526 (10 microg 10 microL-1). These findings indicate that the CRF1 receptor is involved in pro-nociception of visceral pain, whereas the CRF2 receptor is mainly involved in antinociception. This divergent role of the CRF subreceptors may explain the bimodal effects of CRF treatment on visceral nociception.