Nutrition
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Postprandial adiponectin and gelatinase response to a high-fat versus an isoenergetic low-fat meal in lean, healthy men.
Evidence suggests that an acute systemic inflammatory response is invoked after consumption of a high-energy meal. Postprandial regulation of adiponectin, an adipose tissue-derived, anti-inflammatory hormone, and the gelatinases, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9, endopeptidases implicated in a diverse range of inflammatory processes, remain inconclusive. The aim of this study was to assess the postprandial effect of a high-energy (1212 kcal) meal on plasma adiponectin, MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity, glucose, insulin, triacylglycerols, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and the differential effects on these parameters depending on whether the test meal was high fat (HF; 46 g fat, 1210 kcal) or isoenergetic and low fat (LF; 15 g fat, 1214 kcal energy). ⋯ No differential effects of a HF versus a LF isoenergetic meal were seen on postprandial adiponectin or the gelatinases. Adiponectin increased in response to a high-energy meal independent of treatment, and the gelatinases were lower in response to the HF versus the LF isoenergetic meal, independent of time point. Given the considerable amount of time that humans spend in the postprandial state, additional research is necessary to further understand inflammatory changes in this state.
-
The aim of this study was to assess the roles and importance of phosphatidylserine (PS), an endogenous phospholipid and dietary nutrient, in human brain biochemistry, physiology, and function. ⋯ Phosphatidylserine is required for healthy nerve cell membranes and myelin. Aging of the human brain is associated with biochemical alterations and structural deterioration that impair neurotransmission. Exogenous PS (300-800 mg/d) is absorbed efficiently in humans, crosses the blood-brain barrier, and safely slows, halts, or reverses biochemical alterations and structural deterioration in nerve cells. It supports human cognitive functions, including the formation of short-term memory, the consolidation of long-term memory, the ability to create new memories, the ability to retrieve memories, the ability to learn and recall information, the ability to focus attention and concentrate, the ability to reason and solve problems, language skills, and the ability to communicate. It also supports locomotor functions, especially rapid reactions and reflexes.
-
Case Reports
Niacin metabolism and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activation in malnourished patients with flaky paint dermatosis.
Flaky paint dermatosis, characterized by extensive, often bilateral areas of flaking and pigmentation, mostly in sun unexposed areas is considered a feature of kwashiorkor in both children and adults, and must be differentiated from other dermatosis, including chapped and xerotica skin, and pellagra. In this case series we provide evidence that malnourished patients with flaky paint dermatosis and infection/inflammation shown laboratory data suggestive of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) activation, besides decreased urinary excretion of N1-methylnicotinamide (N1 MN), a marker of pellagra. We study nine adult patients showing flaky paint dermatosis and clinical features of infection or inflammation, and increased serum C-reactive protein, characteristic of the presence of acute phase response syndrome. ⋯ They also showed low serum tryptophan levels (<29 μmol/L) and a serum kynurenine/tryptophan ratio higher than 0.04, suggesting increased IDO expression and increase in the tryptophan oxidation. Findings suggest that some patients with flaky paint dermatosis showed laboratory data suggestive of IDO activation, besides decreased N1 MN urinary excretion. Taken together, the data support the idea that flaky paint dermatosis could be a skin manifestation of niacin deficiency.
-
This cross-sectional study examined the nutritional factors associated with the high levels of stunting in 2- to 5-y-old children in an impoverished South African setting where liver is frequently eaten and vitamin A deficiency known to be absent. ⋯ Inadequate calcium and vitamin D intake, presumably because of low intake of milk after weaning, may have contributed to stunting in this population.