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To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink at the bottom of the page Programs initiated to prevent iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) may not remain effective due to changes in government policies, commercial factors, and human behavior that may affect the efficacy of IDD prevention programs in unpredictable directions. Monitoring and outcome studies are needed to optimize the effectiveness of IDD prevention. Although the need for monitoring is compelling, the current reality in Europe is less than optimal. Regular and systematic monitoring surveys have only been established in a few countries, and comparability across the studies is hampered by the lack of centralized standardization procedures. In addition, data on outcomes and the cost of achieving them are needed in order to provide evidence of the beneficial effects of IDD prevention in countries with mild iodine deficiency. Monitoring studies can be optimized by including centralized standardization procedures that improve the comparison between studies. No study of iodine consumption can replace the direct measurement of health outcomes and the evaluation of the costs and benefits of the program. It is particularly important that health economic evaluation should be conducted in mildly iodine-deficient areas and that it should include populations from regions with different environmental, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. EUthyroid info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/FP7/634453

In order to establish if dietary pectin could influence the levels of hepatic reduced glutathione (GSH) and the rate of lipid peroxide formation, we fed 8 male Balb C mice for 14 days with a standard powder diet supplemented with 5% highly methoxylated apple pectin. Another 8 mice received the standard powder diet only and served as controls. The animals were killed on the 15th day. The levels of GSH and lipid peroxides expressed in terms of malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined in liver homogenates. Besides, parameters that could be related to GSH metabolism or lipid peroxidation, such as the activity of y-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT) and the content of iron, were assessed as well. In pectin-fed animals γ-GT activity was decreased (p

Udgivelsesdato: 2006-Jun Hypertensive inbred rats (ISIAH; inherited stress-induced arterial hypertension) present with baseline hypertension (>170 mmHg in adult rats), but attain substantially higher values upon mild emotional stress. We aimed to characterize key parameters related to hypertension in ISIAH. Kidneys, adrenals, and systemic endocrine parameters were studied in ISIAH of different ages and compared to normotensive Wistar albino Glaxo (WAG) rats. Native organs were obtained for Western and PCR analysis. Perfusion-fixed organs were prepared for histopathology and quantitative histochemistry. Plasma renin and adrenal hormones were measured. Renal morphology was unaltered in ISIAH. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis was constitutively upregulated with enlarged adrenal cortices and enhanced plasma corticosterone levels. Plasma renin activity was not different between groups, whereas aldosterone levels were in part reduced. Juxtaglomerular NO synthase type 1, cyclooxygenase type 2, and renin expression were significantly reduced, whereas tubular gene products related to sodium transport (bumetanide-sensitive Na, K, 2Cl cotransporter type 2; thiazide-sensitive Na, Cl cotransporter; epithelial Na channel-alpha; 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2) were increased. These data suggest enhanced volume conservation by the kidney. Our data define ISIAH as an attractive model for the renal components determining salt and water homeostasis in hypertension. The specific condition of a basally stimulated HPA axis is highlighted, including the option to study effects superimposed by emotional stress.