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Triggering of gastro-intestinal bitter taste receptors might have implications for appetite and food intake, but the evidence in humans is mixed and limited to acute studies. We previously reported that 15-days consumption of drinks with purified Hoodia gordonii extract and its taste-matched control both produced similar, significant energy intake (EI) reductions in females in an in-patient setting, with no significant differences between treatments. In that study the control was matched to Hoodia flavour and bitterness using Raisin Flavour (RF), Sucrose Octa Acetate (SOA) and Quassia Extract (QE). As triggering of gastrointestinal bitter receptors might have produced shared effects on EI, our objective here was to assess the effects of sustained exposure to capsules containing the same bitter RF + SOA + QE mix itself on EI, compared to a non-bitter placebo. In this randomized, double-blind study, sixty slightly overweight women in parallel groups consumed twice-daily capsules without (placebo) or with the tastant mixture (0.88 mg SOA, 0.088 mg QE, 0.22 mg RF) on days 1-14. On day 0 all subjects received placebo capsules at 0800 and 1600, ad libitum meals at 0900, 1300, 1700, and snacks after 1900. On day 14 these test procedures were repeated. Changes in EI on days 14 versus 0 between treatment groups were assessed using ANCOVA. Total EI differences on days 14 versus 0 were not significant (mean active-placebo treatment difference -109 kcal, SE 71, P = 0.13), nor was this significant when analyzed separately for each meal within the test day. Body weight changes were negligible. In conclusion, sustained exposure to these encapsulated bitter tastants did not significantly affect EI in overweight females., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Compared with nonaerated, isocaloric controls, aerated foods can reduce appetite throughout an entire dieting day. Increased gastric volumes and delayed emptying are possible but unexplored mechanisms., Objective: We tested the hypothesis that aerated drinks (foams) of differing gastric stability would increase gastric distension and reduce appetite compared with a control drink., Design: In a randomized, balanced, crossover trial, 18 healthy male participants consumed the following 3 skimmed-milk-based test products (all 110 kcal): 2 drinks aerated to foams by whipping (to 490 mL), one drink that was stable in the stomach [stable foam (SF)], and one drink that was less stable in the stomach [less-stable foam (LSF)], and a nonaerated drink [liquid control (LC); 140 mL]. Over 4 h, stomach contents (foam, air, and liquid) were imaged using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and self-reported appetite ratings were collected and quantified by the area under the curve or time to return to baseline (TTRTB)., Results: Compared with the LC, both foams caused significantly increased gastric volumes and reduced hunger (all P < 0.001). Compared with the LSF, SF further produced a significantly slower decrease in the total gastric content (P < 0.05) and foam volume (P < 0.0001) and a longer TTRTB (197 compared with 248 min, respectively; P < 0.05), although the hunger AUC was not statistically different. Results for other appetite scales were similar., Conclusions: With this MRI trial, we provide novel insights on the gastrointestinal behavior of aerated drinks by measuring separate volumes of foam, liquid, and air layers in the stomach. Appetite suppression induced by foams could largely be explained by effects on gastric volumes and emptying, which may be further enhanced by foam stability. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01690182., (© 2015 American Society for Nutrition.)

Thirty-eight neodymium yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd-YAG) laser sessions have been performed in 26 patients under local anaesthesia. The majority of patients had recurrences of inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer after radiotherapy. At evaluation, a subjective improvement of dyspnoea was noticed in 70% (18/26) of the patients, and in 54% (14/26) of the cases, a greater than 50% improvement of the airway lumen diameter was assessed at bronchoscopy. Haemoptysis subsided in 4 out of the 5 patients. On 2 occasions, the rigid scope was introduced to provide optimal control of minor bleeding during the laser performance. Neither respiratory failure, nor any treatment-related death has occurred. In our hands, Nd-YAG treatment under local anaesthesia was a feasible, effective and safe procedure.