Background-It is well established that glutamine supplemented elemental diets result in less severe intestinal damage in experimental colitis. However, few studies have examined the mode of action of glutamine in reducing intestinal damage. Aims-To examine the eVects of glutamine supplemented elemental diets on the potent inflammatory cytokines interleukin 8 (IL-8) and tumour necrosis factor (TNF-) in trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS) induced colitis which presents with both acute and chronic features of ulcerative colitis. Methods-Sprague-Dawley rats were randomised into three dietary groups and fed 20% casein (controls), or 20% casein supplemented with either 2% glutamine (2% Gln) or 4% glutamine (4% Gln). After two weeks they received intracolonic TNBS to induce colitis. Results-Both Gln groups of rats gained more weight than the control group (p<0.05) which had progressive weight loss. Colon weight, macroscopic, and microscopic damage scores for the Gln groups were lower than in the control group (p<0.05). IL-8 and TNF-concentrations in inflamed colonic tissues were lower in the Gln groups than in the control group (p<0.05), and correlated well with disease severity. Bacterial translocation was lower both in incidence (p<0.05) and in the number of colony forming units (p<0.05) for the Gln groups, than in the control group. With respect to all indices studied, the 4% Gln group performed better than did the 2% Gln group. Conclusion-Prophylactic glutamine supplementation modulates the inflammatory activities of IL-8 and TNF-in TNBS induced colitis.

Kisspeptin plays a pivotal role in pubertal onset and reproductive function. In rodents, kisspeptin perikarya are located in 2 major populations: the anteroventral periventricular nucleus and the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC). These nuclei are believed to play functionally distinct roles in the control of reproduction. The anteroventral periventricular nucleus population is thought to be critical in the generation of the LH surge. However, the physiological role played by the ARC kisspeptin neurons remains to be fully elucidated. We used bilateral stereotactic injection of recombinant adeno-associated virus encoding kisspeptin antisense into the ARC of adult female rats to investigate the physiological role of kisspeptin neurons in this nucleus. Female rats with kisspeptin knockdown in the ARC displayed a significantly reduced number of both regular and complete oestrous cycles and significantly longer cycles over the 100-day period of the study. Further, kisspeptin knockdown in the ARC resulted in a decrease in LH pulse frequency. These data suggest that maintenance of ARC-kisspeptin levels is essential for normal pulsatile LH release and oestrous cyclicity.

SummaryThis study was designed to investigate the modulatory effect of dietary soybean protein on the skeleton of an ovariectomized rat model with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Thirty-two female Sprague-Dawley rats were weight matched and divided into the following four experimental groups: Soy group, ovariectomized and fed soy protein diet; Estrogen group, ovariectomized, fed casein diet and injected with estrogen; Casein group, ovariectomized and fed casein diet; and Sham group, sham-operated and fed casein diet. The diets and estrogen were started two weeks after surgery, and continued for four weeks. Rats in the Sham, Soy and Estrogen groups had significantly higher (p<0.05) femur and tibia ash content than those in the Casein group. Accordingly, the calcium content of the tibia and femur were also significantly higher (p<0.05) in the Soy, Estrogen and Sham groups as compared to the Casein group. Serum total and bone-type alkaline phosphatase levels were both significantly lower (p<0.05) in the Estrogen and Sham groups in relation to the Soy and Casein groups. This study demonstrated that a 22% soybean protein diet could be just as effective as daily estrogen administration in suppressing bone loss due to ovariectomy. However, unlike estrogen, soy protein diet did not have any uterotrophic effect and did not decrease the markers of bone turnover measured, suggesting a possible difference in the mechanism of action. Key Words soy protein, ovariectomy, estrogen, bone loss osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease characterized by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue resulting in an increase in bone fragility and susceptibility to fractures (1).

In the present study we examined the immune-enhancing effect of a nucleoside-nucleotide mixture on the non-specific T-cell immune functions of senescence-accelerated mice (SAM) fed on a lowprotein diet. The immune functions studied were in vitro thymic and splenic cell lymphoproliferative responses to phytohaemagglutinin, lipopolysaccharide and concanavalin A and their production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-y ( I N F y ) in response to mitogen stimulation. SAMP8 mice aged 3 and 6 months were used. In each age group, mice were fed on diets containing either 50g casein/kg, 50 g casein/kg supplemented with 5 g nucleoside-nucleotide mixture/kg or 200 g casein/kg for 3 weeks. The supplemented 3-and 6-month-old mice had higher (P