Nutrition
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We determined incidences of underfeeding and overfeeding in children who were admitted to a multidisciplinary tertiary pediatric intensive care and evaluated the usefulness of the respiratory quotient (RQ) obtained from indirect calorimetry to assess feeding adequacy. ⋯ Children admitted to the intensive care unit receive adequate feeding on only 10% of measurement days during the first 2 wk of admission. The usefulness of RQ to monitor feeding adequacy is limited to identifying (carbohydrate) overfeeding and excluding underfeeding.
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Septic shock leads to derangement of cellular metabolism. Enhanced heat shock protein 70 (HSP-70) can preserve cellular metabolism after other forms of cellular stress. Glutamine (GLN) can enhance lung HSP-70 expression after lethal endotoxemia. However, it is unknown whether GLN can enhance HSP-70 expression and attenuate lung metabolic dysfunction after sublethal endotoxemia. Our aim was to determine whether GLN could upregulate HSP-70 and attenuate metabolic dysfunction in lung tissue after sublethal endotoxemia. ⋯ A single dose of GLN can enhance HSP-70 in pulmonary epithelial cells and macrophages after sublethal endotoxemia. Further, GLN can attenuate endotoxin-induced lung metabolic dysfunction. GLN's beneficial effect on lung tissue after metabolic dysfunction caused by sublethal endotoxemia may be mediated in part by enhanced HSP-70.
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We assessed the effect of germinating Pisum sativum L. variant Arvense cv. Esla for 3 and 6 d in darkness on the chemical composition and nutritive utilization of protein and carbohydrates. ⋯ Germination of pea seeds for 3 d significantly improves palatability of these seeds and the nutritive utilization of protein and carbohydrates.
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Comparative Study
Diet and blood pressure in South Africa: Intake of foods containing sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium in three ethnic groups.
We investigated whether habitual intakes of sodium (Na), potassium, magnesium, and calcium differ across South African ethnic groups, assessed the proportion of Na intake, which is discretionary, and identified which food sources were the major contributors to Na intake. ⋯ White South Africans have higher habitual intakes of Na, but also higher calcium intakes, than their black and mixed ancestry counterparts. All ethnic groups had Na intakes in excess of 6 g/d of salt, whereas potassium intakes in all groups were below the recommended level of 90 mM/d. Dietary differences may contribute to ethnically related differences in blood pressure.