Apolipoprotein (apo) A-IV is primarily associated with HDL or with the lipoprotein-free fraction of plasma, and in small amounts with chylomicrons and VLDL. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of a fatty meal on the postprandial variation in plasma apo A-IV and on its distribution among lipoprotein fractions following absorption of fat. Twenty healthy male subjects participated in the study. After an overnight fast, subjects were given a fatty breakfast containing 1 g fat/kg body weight (% energy: fat 65, carbohydrate 20, protein 15). Blood samples were taken every hour during the next 10 h. Apo A-IV was measured by ELISA. Postprandial lipaemia was associated with a moderate, although significant, increase in the plasma levels of apo A-IV. Apo A- IV increased from the median baseline value of 0·15 g/1 to 0·165 g/l (median + 17 %; P < 0·01) 5 h after fat ingestion. The postprandial peak of apo A-IV occurred 1 h after the triacylglycerol peak. There were no statistically significant correlations between baseline lipids, baseline apo A-IV and postprandial changes in apo A-IV levels, or between postprandial changes in lipids and apo A-IV at any time. To assess apo A-IV distribution among lipoproteins, plasma was fractionated by fast performance liquid chromatography at baseline and 3, 6 and 10 h postprandially. There was a substantial heterogeneity in the apo A-IV distribution among lipoproteins following the fatty meal. At 3 h after fat ingestion, apo A-IV levels increased in the triacylglycerol-rich lipoprotein (TRL) fraction and decreased in the denser plasma fraction. At 6 h after the fatty meal, apo A-IV was still present in the TRL but was decreased in the HDL fractions. The findings of the present study support the concept that apo A-IV particles transfer from the denser plasma fraction to TRL during postprandial lipaemia

Thirty-six New Zealand women aged between 18 and 23 years received daily for 32 weeks, 200 µg Se as Se-enriched yeast (selenomethionine, SeMet), or brewer's yeast mixed with selenate, or no added Se (placebo) in a double-blind trial. Mean daily Se excretion increased with both supplements; the selenate group excreted more than the SeMet group, 123 v. 66 µg/d respectively at week 2, equivalent to 57 v. 27 % of the dose. Thereafter Se output increased for the SeMet group reaching a plateau at about 100 µg/d at week 16, when plasma Se had also plateaued at 190 ng/ml. The selenate group had reached an earlier plateau of 110 ng Se/ml at week 7. There was a close relationship between 24 h urine and plasma Se for the SeMet group but not for the selenate group. Renal plasma clearances showed two distinctly different responses; the clearance of 0·4 ml/min reached by the SeMet group at week 2 plateaued as plasma Se increased almost 2-fold; whereas for the selenate group the clearance varied between 0·8 and 1·1 ml/min whilst plasma Se remained almost constant at 110 ng/ml. Previous studies, also of 200 µgSe/d as Se-rich bread, in New Zealand (NZ) and elsewhere showed similar responses to Se-yeast; the selenite response was intermediate between selenate and Se-yeast (SeMet). The full significance of these studies awaits identification of Se components in plasma, glomerular filtrate and urine; meanwhile renal clearances serve as a pointer to changes in the distribution of Se-containing fractions in the plasma. Trimethylselenonium was detected in basal urines, and was a minor component in urines of supplemented NZ subjects at about 1 % of the total Se.

Several epidemiological studies have observed an inverse relationship between people's habitual frequency of eating and body weight, leading to the suggestion that a ‘nibbling’ meal pattern may help in the avoidance of obesity. A review of all pertinent studies shows that, although many fail to find any significant relationship, the relationship is consistently inverse in those that do observe a relationship. However, this finding is highly vulnerable to the probable confounding effects of post hoc changes in dietary patterns as a consequence of weight gain and to dietary under-reporting which undoubtedly invalidates some of the studies. We conclude that the epidemiological evidence is at best very weak, and almost certainly represents an artefact. A detailed review of the possible mechanistic explanations for a metabolic advantage of nibbling meal patterns failed to reveal significant benefits in respect of energy expenditure. Although some short-term studies suggest that the thermic effect of feeding is higher when an isoenergetic test load is divided into multiple small meals, other studies refute this, and most are neutral. More importantly, studies using whole-body calorimetry and doubly-labelled water to assess total 24h energy expenditure find no difference between nibbling and gorging. Finally, with the exception of a single study, there is no evidence that weight loss on hypoenergetic regimens is altered by meal frequency. We conclude that any effects of meal pattern on the regulation of body weight are likely to be mediated through effects on the food intake side of the energy balance equation.

Fifty-four roughages of known voluntary dry-matter intakes (DMI; range 7·8−35·2 g/kg live weight per d) were examined in vitro in a gas production test. Samples (200 mg) of roughage and roughage neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) respectively were incubated in a mixed suspension of rumen contents for 96 h and the gas volumes recorded after 4,6,8,12,24,30,36,48,54,60 and 96 h. The kinetics of gas production were derived from the volume recordings described by the exponential equation Y=A+B(l—e-ct) where A is the intercept and ideally reflects the fermentation of the soluble and readily available fraction of the feed, B describes the fermentation of the insoluble (but with time fermentable) fraction and c the fractional rate at which B is fermented per h; A+B describes total fermentation. In vitro true dry matter (TD) and NDF degradabilities (NDF-D) after 24 h incubation were also determined. Of the variation in DMI, 75% was accounted for by the in vitro gas production parameters A, B and c in stepwise multiple regressions; 82% of the variation in DMI was explained by the parameters (ANDF+BNDF) and cNDF as obtained from the incubation of roughage NDF. The rate constants (c) were less important than parameters related to the extent of gas production, accounting for only 6·5 (whole roughage) and 4·1% (NDF) of the variation in DMI. There was no statistical advantage in the use of the exponential model describing extent and rate of fermentation over some of the simple gas volume measurements: 75% of the variation in DMI was accounted for by in vitro gas production of whole roughage after 8 h of incubation. On average gas production from NDF measured from 24–96 h accounted for 81% of the variation in DMI. A combination of gas volume measurements after a short period of incubation (4–8 h) with a concomitant determination of NDF-D after many hours (≥24 h) can render NDF preparations and long incubation times redundant. A method is suggested to obtain two results for DMI prediction in one single incubation. Of the variation in DMI 80% was accounted for by the incubation of 500 mg whole roughage when incubation was terminated after 24 h and the residual undegraded substrate quantified.

Utilization of endogenous and exogenous energy for protein accretion during energy undernutrition has been studied. Nine lambs nourished by intragastric infusion were given either progressively increasing or decreasing amounts of casein-N up to 2550 mg/kg metabolic weight (W0·75), with or without 250 kJ/kg W0·75 of volatile fatty acids daily. Energy balance (respiration calorimetry) and N balance were measured. While all experimental animals were in negative energy balance, N balance increased curve-linearly with the increase in casein-N infusion and attained positive N balance. Endogenous energy (presumably body fat) was found to meet the energy needs for protein accretion during energy undernutrition. It is concluded that body fat can be effectively utilized to support lean-tissue growth during energy undernutrition, so that the classical nutritional concept of dietary energy:protein ratio is only meaningful when both endogenous and exogenous energy are considered.

The effect of a high dose of 3-hydroxy-3-methylbutyrate (HMB, a leucine catabolite) on protein metabolism was investigated in growing male lambs fed on hay and concentrate. Concentrate was supplemented with either Ca(HMB)2 (4g/kg) or Ca(C03)2 in experimental (HMB) and control groups respectively. Both groups consisted of six 2-month old lambs. Three complementary methods to study protein metabolism were carried out consecutively 2·5 months after beginning the dietary treatment: whole body phenylalanine fluxes, postprandial plasma free amino acid time course and fractional rates of protein synthesis in skeletal muscles. Feeding a high dose of HMB led to a significant increase in some plasma free amino acids compared with controls. Total, oxidative and non-oxidative phenylalanine fluxes were not modified by dietary HMB supplementation. Similarly, an acute infusion of HMB, in the control group, did not change these fluxes. In skeletal muscles, fractional rates of protein synthesis were not affected by long-term dietary supplementation with HMB. Taken together our results showed that administration of a high dose of HMB to lambs was able to modify plasma free amino acid pattern without any effect on whole-body protein turnover and skeletal muscle protein synthesis

Effects of biogenic amines on silage intake and rumen fermentation during dietary changes were studied in sheep. Two direct-cut grass silages were prepared from a single grass sward, one untreated (WAS) and one treated with 4·0 litres formic acid (850 ml/1) per tonne (FAS). Diets of FAS, and FAS supplemented with 7·2 g biogenic amined/kg DM (FAS +A), were offered ad libitum, once daily to four rumen-cannulated, and four intact wethers in a repeated crossover design experiment. During a pre-period before each crossover, the animals were offered either the silage low in biogenic amines (FAS), or that containing moderate concentrations (WAS). During the first 4 d of the FAS+A treatment, the added biogenic amins tended to lower daily DM intake (DMI) and lowered significantly the DMI during the principal meal after feeding. This acute effect on DMI tended to be reduced when the sheep were previously preconditioned to amines by feeding WAS, and the acute DMI depression during the principal meal was significantly reduced. At the end of the 14 d FAS+A feeding period daily DMI was similar to that of the FAS treatment, but the daily pattern of intake remained different, with lower intake of FAS+A during the first 5 h after feeding, this being compensated for by the end of the day. Rumen fermentation tended to be less during the first 4 d that FAS+A was offered, due to the lower DMI and not due to the acute effect of amines. However, in the sheep unadapted to FAS+A, amine content in the rumen was higher than when the sheep were adapted for 14 d to FAS+A or WAS. Adaptation to FAS+A and feeding WAS during the pre-periods, increased the amine-degrading capacity of rumen fluid. In conclusion, in sheep unadapted to dietary amines, feeding amines will acutely lower DMI through reduced palatibility and most probably by stressing intermediary metabolism. Being preconditioned to amines slightly reduces the acute effect on daily DMI. Although the sheep adapted within 14 d to biogenic amines in the diet and increased daily DMI, there was clear evidence that amines have a negative effect on palatability.

Nutritional assessments are frequently based on amounts of nutrients consumed. In the present paper the usefulness of nutrient intake data for assessing nutrient adequacy is examined in an elderly British population. Subjects were ‘free-living’ elderly aged 68-90 years (sixty men, eighty-five women) in Norwich. Forty-two of forty-nine surviving males and sixty-seven of seventy-nine surviving females were reassessed after 2 years. With few exceptions, estimated micronutrient intake was not statistically predictive of biochemical measures of nutrient adequacy. Initial biochemical measures of nutritional adequacy were compared with those found 2 years later in an attempt to assess whether initial biochemical assessment was predictive of the ‘longer term’situation. Biochemical measurements at the start of the study were correlated to the same measurements made 2 years later for: serum ferritin, haemoglobin and erythrocyte count, whole-blood Se-glutathione peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.9; males only), plasma Cu, alkaline phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.1), ascorbic acid, vitamin B6 (pyridoxal-5-phosphate), folate and vitamin B12, total erythrocyte thiamin (males only), riboflavin (erythrocyte glutathione reductase (EC 1.6.4.1) activation coefficient): but not for: erythrocyte Cu-superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1) or plasma Zn. Either only small changes, or no changes, in mean values were seen over the 2 years for most of the biochemical measures. One exception was a large increase in plasma folate. The only important ‘negative’ features seen at 2-year follow up were a large fall in serum ferritin concentration and a large increase in the activity of two antioxidant defence enzymes, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. As judged by currently accepted biochemical deficiency threshold values, asmall proportion of subjects were possibly at risk of Fe (3% men; 1% women), folate (7%, 3%), thiamin (12%;3%) and vitamin C (15%; 17%) deficiency. Many more appeared to be at risk of vitamin B6 (42%; 47%) and riboflavin (77%; 79%) deficiency. It was concluded that the requirements of the elderly for vitamins B1, B2 and C, and the biochemical deficiency threshold vahes used to indicate vitamin B6 deficiency, need review

Although the role of vitamin C in common cold incidence had been studied extensively, the level of vitamin C intake has not been unequivocally shown to affect the incidence of colds. In the present study the six largest vitamin C supplementation (≥ 1 g/d) studies, including over 5000 episodes in all, have been analysed, and it is shown that common cold incidence is not reduced in the vitamin C-supplemented groups compared with the placebo groups (pooled rate ratio (RR) 0·99; 95% CI 0·93, 1·04). Consequently these six major studies give no evidence that high-dose vitamin C supplementation decreases common cold incidence in ordinary people. Nevertheless, the analysis was continued with the hypothesis that vitamin C intake may affect common cold susceptibility in specific groups of people. It was assumed that the potential effect of supplementation might be most conspicuous in subjects with low dietary vitamin C intake. The average vitamin C intake has been rather low in the UK and plasma vitamin C concentrations are in general lower in males than in females. In four studies with British females vitamin C supplementation had no marked effect on common cold incidence (pooled RR 0·95; 95% CI 0·86, 1·04). However, in four studies with British male schoolchildren and students a statistically highly significant reduction in common cold incidence was found in groups supplemented with vitamin C (pooled RR 0·70; 95% CI 0·60, 0·81). Thus, these studies with British males indicate that vitamin C intake has physiological effects on susceptibility to common cold infections, although the effect seems quantitatively meaningful only in limited groups of people and is not very large.

The energy cost of eating was measured in four goats averaging 38 kg and fitted with rumen cannulas. Heat production (HP) was estimated in each goat over restricted periods of approximately 15 min while standing and eating continuously in a confinement respiration chamber. The animals were given feeds of different nature and physical form ranging from shrubs to concentrates. The energy cost of eating was calculated from the increment in HP above the average HP during the prefeeding period. The energy cost was related to the type and amount of feed consumed and also to the time spent eating. In a parallel experiment, similar amounts of the feeds eaten normally (oral feeding) were introduced into the rumen through a fistula. The increases in HP during and after fistula-feeding were negligible, which indicates that all of the increase in HP during eating is to be attributed to the energy cost of eating per se, mainly to theact of food prehension, mastication and propulsion in the alimentary tract. The rate of ingestion (g DM/min) ranged from 6·3 for fresh cut lucerne (Medicago sativa) to 46-99 for concentrates. The energy cost of eating (J/kg body weight (BW) per g DM) averaged 7·08 for fresh cut lucerne, 9·02 for roughages and 1·55 for concentrates and was 2·24 and 4·75 for pelleted and chopped lucerne hay respectively. When theenergy cost was expressed as a function of time spent eating, it ranged from 45 to 144 J/kg BW per min, depending on the physical form of the feed.

The present experiments4 were undertaken to investigate the effects of environmental temperatures on growth, abdominal fat content, rate of muscle protein turnover, and heat production in tube-fed intact male broiler chickens. Plasma concentrations of thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), and corticosterone (CTC) were also examined. Chicks (15d old) were kept at different environmental temperatures (16,19,22,25,28,31, and 34°) and given the experimental diet (200g crude protein/kg, 13·;57M/kg metabolizable energy) by tube three times daily throughout the 12d experimental period. In the hot conditions, except for 34°, body-weight gain was significantly higher than in the cold conditions. Thus, food conversion ratios (food: gain ratios) were lower when the birds were exposed to the hot conditions other than 34°. Likewise, abdominal fat content was significantly increased, and heat production was lower in the groups kept under the hot conditions other than 34°. The rate of skeletal muscle protein turnover and plasma concentration of CTC were decreased when the birds were exposed to hot conditions other than 34°. suggesting a role of CTC in the regulation of muscle protein turnover. Plasma concentrations of T4 and T3 were significantly decreased as environmental temperature increased. These results clearly show that plasma concentrations of thyroid hormones and CTC are associated with accelerated muscle protein turnover and heat production.

Crossbred sheep (n 16,8·5 months of age and 33 (SE 0·9) kg) were used in a 21 d experiment (2x2 factorial) to determine effects on net flux of nutrients across the portal-drained viscera (PDV) and liver of ad libitum consumption of bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon; B) v. ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum)-wheat (Triticum aestivum; RW) hay, coarsely chopped (CC) or finely ground and pelleted (GP). Crude protein concentrations were 86, 81, 113 and 119g/kg and neutral-detergent fibre concentrations were 710, 688, 654 and 672 g/kg (dry matter basis) for B-CC, B-GP, RW-CC and RW-GP respectively. Digestible energy intake (6.0,9.6·, 10·2 and 13·8 W/d) Mered (P < 0·01) with grass source and form, and digestible N intake values were 4·4, 7·0, 8·4 and 14.1 (SEM 0·82) g/d for B-CC, B-GP, RW-CC and RW-GP diets respectively. Consumption of O2 by the PDV (118,165,144 and 155mmol/h) and splanchnic bed (196,273,247 and 266 mmollh for B-CC, B-GP, RW-CC and RW-GP respectively) was greater (P=O·O7) for GP than for CC. The ratio splanchnic heat energy production: digestible energy intake was greater (P=0·06) for B than for RW (0·374,0·300,0·278 and 0·219 for B.CC, B-GP, RW-CC and RW-GP respectively). α-Amino-N release by the PDV (P< 0·01; 11·6, 12·8, 23·0 and 18·7 mmoyh) and uptake by the liver (P=0·07; 15·2, 6·1, 17·0 and 19·3 mmol/h for B-CC, B-GP, RW-CC and RW-GP respectively) were greater for RW than for B. Release of NH3-N by the PDV was greater (P=O·02) for CC than for GP (12·5, 6·2, 15·7 and 8·9 mmol/h), and hepatic urea-N release differed between grass sources (P=O·O3) and physical forms (P=0·07; 22·6, 12·7, 31·4 and mmol/h for B-CC, B-GP, RW-CC and RW-GP respectively). In conclusion, decreases in forage particle size elicited by grinding and pelleting did not affect the difference between grass sources in splanchnic tissue heat energy production relative to digestible energy intake.

An experiment was designed to investigate whether the degree of synchrony between the rates of digestion of carbohydrates and N of foods offered as a choice would have an effect, through their consequences, on the short- and long-term diet selection of sheep. Four foods (RL, RH, SL and SH) with the same high metabolizable energy, and similar high metabolizable protein contents were made into pellets. Foods RL and RH were based on a rapidly fermentable carbohydrate source and foods SL and SH on a slowly fermentable carbohydrate source; within each source one food (RL or SL) had a low, and the other (RH or SH) a high, men-degradable protein (RDP) content. The foods within a carbohydrate source were offered either singly or as a choice (RI/RH or SI/SH) to eleven rumen-fistulated mature sheep. The design was two 3 x 3 Latin squares (replicated once) with 5- week periods; squares consisted of two single foods and their respective choice. Weeks 1, 3 and 5 were considered to be controls, and weeks 2 and 4 used for remen infusions of either urea or fructose infused over 4h (10·00-14·00 hours). Food intake (FI) and diet selections (DS) were recorded daily and every 2 h (08·00-16·00 hours) on days 2-5 of each week; m e n pH and NH3 concentrations were also measured during these time intervals of day 5. As expected, feeding treatment affected significantly the rumen measurements: m e n NH3 concentrations were higher on foods RH and SH, and men pH lowest on RL. Daily FI was lowest on treatments SL and choice SI/ The mean daily proportion of the low-RDP food in the selected diet was lower when the carbohydrate source was rapidly (choice RI/RH) rather than slowly fermentable (choice SI/SH); this was consistent with the experimental hypothesis. Short-term infusions affected further rumen variables (in the expected directions), irrespective of feeding treatment. However, DS over the 4 h infusion period were unaffected; these short-term DS were consistent with the ones selected over the longer term (daily). The results suggest that the long-term (daily) diet selection of sheep may be affected by the degree of synchrony of energy and protein to the men. The fact that diet selections were not altered further by short-term manipulations of these supplies might reflect inadequacies of the methodology (infusions) adopted here.

The quantitative relationship between the urinary excretion of benzoic acid (BA)and the uptake of 3-phenylpropionic (PPA) and cyclohexanecarboxylic (CHCA) acids was assessed.PPA and CHCA are produced in the rumen by microbial fermentation of lignocellulosic feeds and metabolized, after absorption, to BA which is excreted in the urine mainly as its glycine conjugate hippuric acid (HA). Four sheep nourished by intragastric infusions of all nutrients weregiven continuous ruminal infusions of PPA (8,16 or 24 mmol/d) either alone or with CHCA (8 or 16 mmol/d) in a factorial experiment. The treatments were allocated to ten consecutive 6 d periods, with a control being repeated at periods 1, 5 and 10. PPA and CHCA ruminal absorption rates, estimated using the liquid-phase marker Cr-EDTA, were 0·78 (SD 0·29)/h and 0·88 (SD 0·28)/h respectively. For the control, HA excretion was only 0·22 (SD 0·33) mmol/d and free BA was absent. For the other treatments, both HA and free BA were present and HA accounted for 0·85 (SD 0·05) of total BA. The urinary excretion of total BA showed a significant linear correlation (r = 0·997, P<0·001) with the amounts of PPA and CHCA infused. The urinary recovery of infused PPA and CHCA as total BA was 0·79 (SE 0·01). Faecal excretion of BA and its precursors was negligible. Results of this study show that urinary total BA is a potential estimator of the absorption of PPA + CHCA produced in the rumen

The energy expenditure of six goats averaging 35 (SE 0·3) kg was measured when the animals were standing or walking on a treadmill enclosed in a confinement-type respiration chamber at different speeds (0·167, 0·333 and 0·500 m/s) and slopes ( — 10, — 5, 0, +5 and +10%). The energy costs of locomotion, estimated from the coefficients of linear regressions of heat production (HP) per kg body weight v. distance travelled were 1·91, 2·33, 3·35, 4·68 and 6·44 J/kg BW per m for — 10, — 5, 0, +5 and +10% inclines respectively, indicating that the energy expenditure of walking over standing changes with slope according to a slightly curvilinear relationship. The energy cost of raising 1 kg body weight one vertical metre was found to be 31·7 J, giving an average efficiency for upslope locomotion of 30·9%. The energy recovered on vertical descent was estimated as 13·2 J/kg per m, indicating an efficiency of the energy recovered above the theoretical maximum.

Dietary and pharmacological approaches to slowing the rate of glucose absorption and blunting the insulin response show promise in the treatment of diabetes and hyperlipidaemia. These approaches include dietary fibre, low-glycaemic-index foods and gastrointestinal digestive enzyme inhibitors. One common feature is that they spread the nutrient load over time. A potentially simpler approach is to take more frequent smaller meals over a longer period of the day. Early studies suggested that frequent glucose and insulin administration to diabetic patients improved diabetes control. More recent acute studies of one test meal or 1 d blood metabolite profiles have identified a significant economy in insulin secretion when glucose is sipped or when meal frequency is increased in both diabetic or non-diabetic subjects. In diabetic subjects improvement in mean blood glucose levels has also been reported. However, despite the demonstration of an alteration in response over time in glucose tolerance in healthy volunteers, no longer-term improvement in glycaemic control was reported in the only study in diabetes to examine a change from three to nine meals daily over a 1- month period. The disparity between longer-term and acute studies requires further investigation. At present, although this nutritional approach holds considerable theoretical promise, specific advice is premature.

The disappearance of total N, non-protein-N and amino acid-N after washing, rumen incubation and intestinal passage of sugarbeet pulp, maize-gluten feed, maize feed meal, palm kernel meal, soyabean hulls, soyabean meal, grass silage, maize silage and concentrate was measured in four dairy cows using nylon-bag techniques. Disappearance of amino acid-N after washing varied between feedstuff's from 14 to 69% of feed amino acid-N, and was lower than disappearance of non-protein-N. For sugarbeet pulp, grass silage and maize silage, washing had a considerable effect on the amino acid profile. Disappearance of amino acid-N after rumen incubation was also lower than non-protein-N and varied between feedstuffs from 25 to 73% of feed amino acid-N. Rumen incubation had only a small effect on the amino acid profile of the residue after washing. Disappearance of amino acid-N in the intestine varied between feedstuffs from 70 to 99% of rumen undegraded amino acid-N, and was higher than the disappearance of non-protein-N. Intestinal incubation showed a considerable effect on the amino acid profile for all feedstuffs. It was concluded that protein that was assumed to escape rumen degradation and was absorbable in the intestine was higher in amino acids and methionine, and lower in non-amino acid-N and glutamic acid and proline compared with protein in the feedstuff.

Epidemiological data suggesting benefits of increased meal frequency on CHD risk and lipid and lipoprotein levels may be flawed because of biases associated with the method of data collection. In normolipidaemic individuals increasing meal frequency from three to six or more meals daily over a period of several weeks appears to be associated with reduced levels of total and LDL-cholesterol, possibly due to reduced cholesterol synthesis or enhancement of reverse cholesterol transport. However, in non-obese individuals with polygenic hyperlipidaemia and non-insulin-dependent diabetes, altered meal frequency does not appear to confer similar benefits. The reasons for the different responses in these groups of subjects is not clear. The reported effects of altered meal frequency on diurnal levels of triacylglycerols and fatty acids are more variable, with benefits being reported principally in association with meal frequencies exceeding those which might be translated into practical recommendations. Present data preclude recommendations concerning meal frequency on the basis of effects on lipids and lipoproteins. Even in healthy individuals amongst whom benefits have been observed, the periods of observation have been relatively short and it is not known whether adaptation occurs. Further research should focus on longer-term studies in healthy individuals as well as hyperinsulinaemic and diabetic subjects. For those individuals choosing to have a large number of small meals each day, it is relevant to emphasize that no untoward effects of increased meal frequency on lipids or lipoproteins have been demonstrated.

The uptake and metabolism of propionate in the isolated perfused caudal lobe of the liver and in isolated hepatocytes were examined following treatment of sheep with glucagon or saline. Glucagon or sterile saline was infused at 9·8 µg/min for 3 h into the jugular vein and then the caudal lobe of the liver was removed surgically under anaesthesia. The caudal lobe was used either to prepare hepatocytes or in a non-recirculating perfusion experiment. Uptake and metabolism of propionate were studied using [2-14C]propionate. In studies using the non-recirculation perfusion of the caudal lobe of the sheep liver it was shown that the treatment of sheep with glucagon resulted in an increased rate of gluconeogenesis from propionate and in an increased net uptake of propionate by the caudal lobe. The uptake of propionate into the hepatocytes was saturable, concentrative and exhibited a Km for propionate of 0·24 (SE 0·07) mM and a maximal rate of uptake (Vmax) of 6·7 (SE 0·6) nmol/mg dry cells per min and was unaffected by glucagon treatment of sheep. After incubation of cells in medium containing 0·5 mM-[2-14C]propionate for 10 min, the rate of gluconeogenesis from propionate was 22 % higher in the hepatocytes isolated from glucagon-treated sheep. Concentrations in the medium of 1·35 mM butyrate and 1 mM-caproate inhibited propionate uptake by about 50 % and abolished the glucagon-induced stimulation of gluconeogenesis from propionate. The results are consistent with a regulatory role for glucagon in the gluconeogenesis from propionate in the sheep liver.

The effect of growth retardation, resulting from feed restriction for a prolonged period, on the course of infection with Trypanosoma vivax was studied. Twelve male castrated West Africa Dwarf goats were subjected to a restricted feeding reghen of 55 g pelleted lucerne (Medicago safiva)/kg body weight0·75 per d for on average 17 weeks. Twelve other animals were fed on pelleted lucerne ad libitum, resulting in a normal growth pattern. After this period, all animals were fed on pelleted lucerne ad libitum, and six animatn of each previous feeding regimen treatment were infected with Trypanosoma viva. The other animals served as controls. In week 2 and 4 post infection (pi) energy and N balaoces were measured. In the week before infection and daring infection blood biochemical and clinlcal variables were measured. At 2 weeks before, and 4 weeks after infection, a liver biopsy was taken for measurement of triacylglycerol. Iofection caused intermittent fever and anaemia. The first peak of fever persisted longer in iofected anlmaln with normal growth than in infected animals with retarded growth. Gross energy and metabolizable energy intake, and energy retention were reduced ininfected animals. Metabolizable energy requirements for mainteoaoce were increased by infection. Plasma non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and glucose concentratioos were increased in infected animals, whereas serum triiodothyronine and thyroxine coocentratioos were decreased.Plasma urea concentration and liver triacylglycerol were uoaffected. No interaction of growth retardation with infection with respect to blood biochemical variables was found, apart from plasma NEFA in week 2 pi. N retention was not significantly affected by treatments. In conclusion, minor indications were found for an interaction between growth retardation, as applied in the present study, and trypaommiasis infection in West Africao Dwarf goats with respect to energy and N metabolism.