Nutrition
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Citrulline possesses a highly specific metabolism that bypasses splanchnic extraction because it is not used by the intestine or taken up by the liver. The administration of citrulline may be used to deliver available nitrogen for protein homeostasis in peripheral tissues and as an arginine precursor synthesized de novo in the kidneys and endothelial and immune cells. ⋯ Oral citrulline could be used to deliver arginine to the systemic circulation or as a protein anabolic agent in specific clinical situations, because recent data have suggested that citrulline, although not a component of proteins, stimulates protein synthesis in skeletal muscle through the mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway. Hence, citrulline could play a pivotal role in maintaining protein homeostasis and is a promising pharmaconutrient in nutritional support strategies for malnourished patients, especially in aging and sarcopenia.
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Obesity is a complex condition that is influenced by genetic and environmental factors and is associated with an increased risk for diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is well characterized in the control of blood pressure. This study investigated whether the ACE insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism affects obesity in relation to sodium intake in children. ⋯ These findings demonstrate that the association between the ACE I/D polymorphism and obesity in relation to sodium intake is gender dependent in children.
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Comparative Study
Mild zinc deficiency in male and female rats: early postnatal alterations in renal nitric oxide system and morphology.
Fetal and postnatal zinc deficiencies induce an increase in arterial blood pressure and impair renal function in male adult rats. We therefore hypothesized that these renal alterations are present in early stages of life and that there are sexual differences in the adaptations to this nutritional injury. The aim was to study the effects of moderate zinc deficiency during fetal life and lactation on renal morphology, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and the nitric oxide system in male and female rats at 21 d of life. ⋯ Zinc deficiency during fetal life and lactation induces an early decrease in renal functional units, associated with a decrease in nitric oxide activity and an increase in oxidative stress, which would contribute to increased arterial blood pressure and renal dysfunction in adulthood. The sexual differences observed in this model may explain the dissimilar development of hypertension and renal diseases in adult life.
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To assess whether monosodium glutamate (MSG) intake is associated with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). ⋯ The intake of MSG may increase the risk of SDB in Chinese adults with a normal body weight.
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To determine the association of in-hospital mortality in patients with enteral feeding to their glycemic status (normoglycemia, new hyperglycemia, or diabetes) and their levels of serum albumin. ⋯ The results of this study showed that newly diagnosed hyperglycemia can be considered an independent prognostic factor of in-hospital mortality in patients with enteral feeding and that there is no interaction between newly diagnosed hyperglycemia and serum albumin levels.