Background: Excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) is a modifiable risk factor of chronic non-communicable diseases. Accurate and context-specific assessment tools are needed to capture emerging beverage types and to estimate beverage-related sugar intake among university students. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the reproducibility and relative validity of a modified Beverage Intake Questionnaire (ModBEVQ) for assessing beverage types, consumption frequency, volume, and total sugar intake of sweetened beverage consumption among Mahidol university students. Design: A validation study was conducted among 122 students at Mahidol University, Thailand. Reproducibility was assessed by comparing two administrations of the ModBEVQ conducted 1 month apart. Relative validity was assessed by comparing the second BEVQ with a 4-day beverage record (4dBR). Statistical analyses included Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (r) and Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC), and Bland–Altman analysis. Results: Reproducibility coefficients of the ModBEVQ ranged from 0.27 to 0.84 for beverage volume and from 0.20 to 0.82 for total sugar intake. Relative validity coefficients ranged from 0.16 to 0.65 for beverage volume and from 0.20 to 0.58 for total sugar intake, indicating variable performance across beverage outcome. Bland–Altman analysis demonstrated a small mean bias between the ModBEVQ and the 4dBR. The wide 95% limits of agreement indicated considerable disagreement between the methods at the individual level. Conclusion: The ModBEVQ demonstrates variable reproducibility and weak-to-moderate relative validity overall, with stronger performance for some beverage outcomes. It may be useful for estimating average beverage volume and sugar intake at the group-level and may have potential applications in epidemiological surveillance and public health monitoring in Thailand, particularly among university students and similar young-adult populations. However, it should not be used to estimate individual beverage intake.
Objectives: Atrial fibrillation (AF) has a high prevalence and a heavy healthcare burden, making prevention of AF essential. Coffee and tea are popular beverages around the world, and they may have a relationship with AF, but the results are controversial. This study aimed to investigate the relationship of coffee and tea intake with the risk of AF. Methods: This study included 495,269 participants without AF at baseline from the UK Biobank. Coffee and tea intake was self-reported (0, 0.5–1, 2–3, ≥ 4 cups/day). Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Results: During a median follow-up of 13.04 ± 2.26 years, 37,261 participants developed AF. The associations of coffee and tea with AF were non-linear (P for non-linear < 0.001). Compared with non-drinkers, drinking 0.5–1, 2–3, and ≥ 4 cups of coffee per day was associated with a protective effect against AF, corresponding to a 7, 11, and 9% lower risk, respectively. For tea, only consumption of 2–3 cups per day was associated with a modestly lower risk of AF, whereas no significant associations were observed for other intake categories. Conclusions: We found that coffee intake was inversely associated with incident AF across multiple intake categories, whereas for tea, a modest inverse association was observed only at 2–3 cups per day, with no statistically significant associations for other intake categories. Further studies are warranted to confirm our findings and clarify the potential mechanism.
Background: Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by plaque accumulation and narrowing of blood vessels. Dietary substances may help to prevent atherosclerosis by modulating lipid metabolism and inflammation. Allium hookeri (A. hookeri), a medicinal herb used in Southeast Asia, exhibits antioxidant and antidiabetic activities. Objective: This study evaluated the protective effects of A. hookeri water extract (AHWE) against atherosclerosis in C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat/high-cholesterol diet (HFCD) (60% kcal from fat plus 1% cholesterol; HFCD) for 13 weeks. Design: Four-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups (n = 10/group): control (CON), HFCD, HFCD + AHWE 300 mg/kg/day, and HFCD + AHWE 500 mg/kg/day. Following 12 weeks of dietary intervention, the mice were sacrificed at 17 weeks of age. Body and organ weights, serum parameters, histological changes, and the expression of proteins and genes involved in lipid metabolism and inflammation were analyzed. The immunomodulatory effects of AHWE were evaluated using regulatory T cells (Tregs). Results: AHWE supplementation at 500 mg/kg/day reduced body weight gain, liver and adipose tissue weights, and serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and insulin, while increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and reducing the atherogenic index in HFCD. AHWE alleviated hepatic lipid accumulation and aortic intimal thickening. Mechanistically, AHWE upregulated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, liver X receptor alpha, and ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 expression and downregulated CD36, SR-A1, and LOX-1. In addition, AHWE promoted AMP-activated protein kinase activation, inhibited mechanistic target of rapamycin phosphorylation, and suppressed inflammatory responses by reducing nuclear factor-kappa B, cyclooxygenase-2, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-6 expression. AHWE increased Treg populations, and IL-10 secretion, while ex vivo analysis confirmed its anti-inflammatory effects. Moreover, AHWE inhibited H3K9 and H3K27 acetylation. Conclusion: These findings suggest that AHWE at 500 mg/kg/day may alleviate atherosclerosis by regulating lipid metabolism, inflammation, Treg-mediated immune balance, and histone acetylation.
Background: Sunset Yellow (SY), a widely used azo dye food additive, has raised increasing health concerns.However, its potential testicular toxicity and the underlying molecular mechanisms, particularly those involv-ing regulatory microRNAs (miRNAs), remain poorly understood. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of SY exposure on testicular histopathology and theexpression patterns of key miRNAs (miR-34c, miR-122, and let-7a) in a rat model. Design: Rats were exposed to low and high doses of SY for 28 days. Testicular tissues were analyzed usingHematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) and quantitative PCR for miRNA expression. Statistical analysis was per-formed to assess dose-dependent effects. Results: SY exposure induced severe histopathological damage in a dose-dependent manner, including dis-rupted seminiferous tubule architecture, germ cell depletion, vacuolization, and interstitial cell changes. High-dose SY caused significant downregulation of miR-34c (P < 0.0001) and upregulation of miR-122 (16.2-fold,P < 0.0001), while let-7a showed alteration only at high doses. The miRNA expression changes showed aparallel association with the severity of histological impairment at the group level. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that SY induces dose-related testicular toxicity via dysregulation of miR-34c and miR-122. These candidate tissue markers are associated with testicular damage and support riskassessment and regulatory strategies, although further mechanistic and validation studies are needed.
Background: Cognitive impairment limits daily functioning and is closely linked to neuroinflammation and neuronal death caused by oxidative stress. Hesperetin, a bioactive flavonoid aglycone from citrus peels, remains relatively unexplored despite its therapeutic potential. Objective: This study evaluated hesperetin in scopolamine (SCO)-induced cognitive impairment in C57BL/6 mice. Design: Memory impairment was induced using SCO (1 mg/kg). Mice were divided into control (n = 10), SCO (n = 10), and SCO with hesperetin (25 or 50 mg/kg/day, n = 10) groups. Treatments were administered daily for 28 days. Spatial memory performance was assessed using the Y-maze test. Brain histology was examined through hematoxylin and eosin staining. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured to evaluate lipid peroxidation, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was analyzed. The underlying mechanism was investigated using Western blotting and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, focusing on the AKT (protein kinase B)/CREB (cAMP-response element binding protein)/BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) signaling pathway. Results: Hesperetin significantly improved cognition, increasing spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze (P < 0.05). It also mitigated histopathological changes, such as neuronal contraction and morphological abnormalities, and improved lipid profiles. Hesperetin reduced AChE activity, MDA levels, and the expression of proinflammatory markers (tumor necrosis factor-α, cyclooxygenase-2, and nuclear factor-κB). The AKT/CREB/BDNF pathway, critical for long-term memory formation, was activated by hesperetin through increased phosphorylation of AKT and CREB and elevated BDNF expression. Hesperetin enhanced H3K9 and H3K27 acetylation, reduced H3K4 and H3K27 dimethylation, and restored sirtuin 1–histone deacetylase balance, all of which are associated with memory formation. Conclusion: Overall, hesperetin improved cognition in SCO-treated mice, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic candidate for neurodegenerative disorders.
