The epidemiologic evidence that dietary fiber protects against colorectal cancer is equivocal. No large-scale clinical study of the administration of Lactobacillus casei has been reported. We examined whether dietary fiber and L. casei prevented the occurrence of colorectal tumors. Subjects were 398 men and women presently free from tumor who had had at least 2 colorectal tumors removed. Subjects were randomly assigned to 4 groups administered wheat bran, L. casei, both or neither. The primary end point was the presence or absence of new colorectal tumor(s) diagnosed by colonoscopy after 2 and 4 years. Among 380 subjects who completed the study, 95, 96, 96 and 93 were assigned to the wheat bran, L. casei, both and no treatment groups, respectively. Multivariate adjusted ORs for occurrence of tumors were 1.31 (95% CI 0.87-1.98) in the wheat bran group and 0.76 (0.50-1.15) in the L. casei group compared to the control group. There was a significantly higher number of large tumors after 4 years in the wheat bran group. The occurrence rate of tumors with a grade of moderate atypia or higher was significantly lower in the group administered L. casei. No significant difference in the development of new colorectal tumors was observed with administration of either wheat bran or L. casei. However, our results suggest that L. casei prevented atypia of colorectal tumors. ' 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Background Low masticatory ability and the resulting decrease in intake of masticable foods can result in undernutrition. The present study investigated the relationship between tooth loss, low masticatory ability, and nutritional indices in the elderly. Methods The data analyzed in this study were retrieved from the baseline data of the 2007 Fujiwara-kyo study, a prospective cohort study of community-dwelling elderly individuals. Subjects included 1591 men and 1543 women, both with a median age of 71 years. The maximum occlusal force was measured as an objective index of masticatory ability. Foods were divided into five groups based on hardness: Group 1 (bananas, etc.), 0.53 kg; Group 2 (boiled rice, etc.), 1.22 kg; Group 3 (raisins, etc.), 2.93 kg; Group 4 (raw carrots, etc.), 4.38 kg; and Group 5 (beef jerky), 6.56 kg. To obtain a subjective index of masticatory ability, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted to determine whether subjects could masticate foods within each group. As nutritional indices, serum albumin levels and body mass index (BMI) data were used. Results The median number of teeth was 21. The proportion of subjects for whom all five food groups were masticable showed a significant decrease in the number of teeth in both males and females. Logistic regression analysis showed that, after adjustment for confounders, no significant relationships were observed between the number of teeth and the masticatory ability with nutritional indices in males. In females, a maximum occlusal force of 100 to 300 N (OR = 1.65; 95% CI = 1.06–2.55) or less than 100 N (OR = 1.95; 95% CI = 1.15–3.31) showed a significant correlation with serum albumin levels below 4.4 g/dL (reference: 500 N or more). In addition, the masticability of all five food groups showed a significant correlation with BMI < 21.0 kg/m 2 (OR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.46–0.85) in females. Conclusions A low number of teeth was associated with low masticatory ability in both males and females. Low masticatory ability was associated with low plasma albumin levels and low BMI in females. Not smoking, maintaining grip strength, preventing cancer, and masticatory ability are important for preventing undernutrition.

There are several reports of clinical trials of aspirin in sporadic colon cancer. However, only one double-blind trial of aspirin in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) has been reported to date. This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial was therefore performed to evaluate the influence of low-dose aspirin enteric-coated tablets (100 mg/day for 6–10 months) in 34 subjects with FAP (17 each in the aspirin and placebo groups). The increase in mean diameter of colorectal polyps tended to be greater in the placebo group compared with the aspirin group, which showed a response ratio, that is, aspirin response rate (number of subjects with reduced polyps/total)/placebo response rate (number of subjects with reduced polyps/total), of 2.33 (95% confidence interval: 0.72–7.55). Subgroup analysis revealed that the number of subjects with a mean baseline polyp diameter of ≤2 mm, and the diameter and number of polyps after intervention showed a significant reduction in the aspirin group. Adverse effects of aspirin, such as anastomotic ulcer, aphtha in the large intestine, and progression of anemia, occurred in three subjects. Moreover, none of the subjects developed colorectal cancer. The results thus indicated a potential for aspirin to reduce colorectal adenoma development in patients with FAP, but careful follow-up is needed to avoid or rapidly counter severe adverse effects.

In the ring: The title compound ([5]CPPA), the smallest belt‐shaped conjugated system known to date, forms a considerably stable ring‐in‐ring complex with [8]CPPA (see picture). [8]CPPA⊃[5]CPPA has a smaller contact area than [9]CPPA⊃[6]CPPA but its large Ka and ΔH values reveal that the interaction results from the electrostatic attractive force rather than the dispersion force.

Background/Aims: Ulcer healing involves expression of various growth factors such as epidermal growth factor (EGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) at the ulcer margin, but the influence of EGF, HGF and bFGF applied locally with or without neutralizing anti-EGF, HGF and bFGF antibodies or cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and COX-2 inhibitors on ulcer healing and the expression of COX-1 and COX-2 during ulcer healing have only been studied a little. Methods: Rats with gastric ulcers induced by serosal application of acetic acid (ulcer area 28 mm²) received a submucosal injection of either (1) vehicle (saline), (2) EGF, (3) HGF, and (4) bFGF with or without antibodies against EGF, HGF and bFGF or indomethacin (2 mg/kg/day i.p.), a nonspecific inhibitor of COX, or NS-398 (10 mg/kg/day i.g.) and Vioxx (5 mg/kg/day i.g.), both highly specific COX-2 inhibitors. A separate group of animals with chronic gastric fistulas was also used to assess gastric secretion during ulcer healing with and without growth factors. Each growth factor and specific antibody against EGF, HGF and bFGF (100 ng/100 µl each) were injected just around the ulcer immediately after ulcer induction and this local injection was repeated on day 2 following anesthesia and laparotomy. On days 13 and 21, the ulcer area was determined by planimetry, gastric blood flow (GBF) at the ulcer margin was examined by the H₂-gas clearance technique, and mucosal generation of PGE₂ and the gene expression of COX-1 and COX-2 in the non-ulcerated and ulcerated gastric mucosa were assessed. Gastric ulcers healed progressively within 21 days after induction and this effect was accompanied by a significant increase in GBF at the ulcer margin and in the expression of COX-2 in the ulcer area. Local treatment with EGF, HGF and bFGF produced a significant decrease in gastric acid secretion and significantly accelerated the rate of ulcer healing and raised GBF at the ulcer margin causing further significant upregulation of COX-2 but not COX-1 expression in the ulcerated mucosa. The acceleration of ulcer healing and hyperemia at the ulcer margin exhibited by locally applied EGF, HGF and bFGF were similar to those obtained with systemic administration of these growth factors. HGF applied submucosally, upregulated COX-2 expression and this was significantly attenuated by concurrent treatment with antibody against this peptide. Anti-EGF and anti-bFGF antibodies completely abolished the acceleration of the ulcer healing and hyperemia at the ulcer margin induced by these growth factors. Indomethacin and both COX-2 inhibitors significantly prolonged ulcer healing, while suppressing the generation of PGE₂ in non-ulcerated and ulcerated gastric mucosa and GBF at the ulcer margin. The acceleration of ulcer healing by EGF, HGF and bFGF and the accompanying rise in GBF at the ulcer margin were significantly attenuated by the concurrent treatment with indomethacin or NS-398 and Vioxx. Conclusions: (1) Growth factors...