Creatine as an antioxidant.

Creatine monohydrate (Cr), the most diffuse supplement in the sports industry, is receiving greater attention because of its beneficial effects in a wide number of human degenerative diseases and conditions. These effects can be barely explained on the basis of the sole ergogenic role of the Cr/CrP system. Indeed, a wide number of research articles indicate that Cr is capable of exerting multiple, non-energy related, effects on diverse and relevant cellular targets. Among these effects, the antioxidant activity of Cr emerges as an additional mechanism which is likely to play a supportive role in the Cr-cytoprotection paradigm.

Impact of maternal vitamin A supplementation on the mother-infant pair in Brazil.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a major public health problem. The supplementation of lactating women could be an effective strategy to combat it. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of maternal vitamin A supplementation on the mother-infant pair. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This was a double blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical assay in which 33 women received 200 000 IU of vitamin A and 33 women received soy oil between 20th and 30th postpartum days. Maternal blood and milk samples were collected immediately before supplementation and 3 months after delivery, when blood was also collected from the babies. Retinol concentrations 0.70 µmol/l in serum and 1.05 µmol/l in milk were considered to indicate VAD. RESULTS: Increase in serum retinol level was observed in the supplemented group compared with the pre-supplementation levels (1.05 and 1.17 µmol/l, respectively; P=0.026) and to the post-supplementation levels of the control group (1.02 µmol/l; P=0.032). Reduction in breast milk retinol was observed in the control group compared with the pre-supplementation levels (1.93 and 1.34 µmol/l, respectively; P<0.0001) and to the post-supplementation levels of the supplemented group (1.56 µmol/l; P=0.0003). There was significant difference in the prevalence of VAD in breast milk after supplementation, 55.6% (15/27) in the control group and 16.1% (5/31) in the supplemented group (P=0.002). VAD was present in 66.1% (39/59) of infants, with mean serum retinol levels of 0.64±0.30 µmol/l in the control group and of 0.69±0.26 µmol/l in the supplemented group. CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation had a positive impact on maternal vitamin A status. No effect on infant status was detectable 2 months after supplementation with a single dose.

Efficacy of the combination ampicillin plus ceftriaxone in the treatment of a case of enterococcal endocarditis due to Enterococcus faecalis highly resistant to gentamicin: efficacy of the "ex vivo" synergism method.

The case of a patient with highly gentamicin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis endocarditis treated with an ampicillin + ceftriaxone combination is described. We have designed a method to evaluate synergism between the antibacterial activity of patient's serum taken during a given antibiotic regimen (ampicillin) to which another antibiotic (ceftriaxone) is added in vitro. In this patient the two-drug combination was able to stop the bacteremia and prevent the infection of the prosthetic valve.

Detection of vitamin A deficiency in Brazilian preschool children using the serum 30-day dose-response test.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is endemic in Brazil and health professionals have difficulty in recognizing its subclinical form. In addition, serum retinol concentrations do not always represent vitamin A status in the organism. OBJECTIVE: To identify VAD in preschool children by the serum 30-day dose-response test (+S30DR) and to examine its potential as a tool for the assessment of vitamin A status in the community. DESIGN: A prospective transverse study in which blood samples were obtained from 188 preschool children for the determination of serum retinol concentrations and the children were submitted to ocular inspection and anthropometric measurements. Information about the presence of diarrhea and/or fever during the 15 days preceding the study was also obtained. The children received an oral dose of 200,000 IU vitamin A immediately after the first blood collection. A second blood sample was obtained 30-45 days after supplementation in order to determine the +S30DR. RESULTS: In all, 74.5% (140/188; 95% confidence interval: 68.3-80.7%) of the children presented +S30DR values indicative of low hepatic reserves. The mean serum retinol concentration was significantly lower before supplementation (0.92 and 1.65 micromol/l, respectively; P < 0.0001). No child presented xerophthalmia; 3.7% (7/188) of the children were malnourished. The presence of fever and/or diarrhea during the 15 days preceding the first blood collection did not affect the +S30DR value. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of VAD in the study group was elevated. +S30DR proved to be a good indicator of subclinical VAD in children from an underdeveloped country.

[Late effects on the hypothalamo-pituitary function after the treatment of parasellar tumors]. / Efeitos tardios na função hipotálamo-hipófise após tratamento de tumores parasselares.

Long term follow-up of patients submitted to treatment of parasellar tumours region is important for the detection of late therapeutic complications. In this study the authors conducted an evaluation of six patients with craniopharyngioma, one with germinoma, one with meningioma, and one epidermoid cyst. All above tumours were localized at parasellar region. Six out of nine patients had been treated both by surgery and by radiotherapy and the other three surgically only, on an average 3.8 +/- 3.2 years before this observation was carried out. Five patients were female with their ages average 24.3 +/- 18.8 years old. Evaluation consisted: in the first place, an intravenous infusion of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH, 200 micrograms), gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH, 100 micrograms), and insulin tolerance test (0.1 IU/Kg, regular insulin); and secondly, in measurements of pituitary hormones secretion at different time points--0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 minutes. We found both diminished response of growth hormone and cortisol in all the patients. Seven out of nine patients did not have adequate response to follicle-stimulating hormone. Three out of nine responded unsatisfactory to luteinizing hormone. Four out of nine showed inadequate responses to prolactin as well as, two out of eight to thyrotropin. We concluded that: (a) growth hormone and cortisol deficiency are the most frequent finding in these patients; (b) post-radiotherapy lesions can be located in the hypothalamus or pituitary, or even in both; (c) hypophysial and hypothalamic cells sensitivity to irradiation is different, according to their respective hormones; and (d) it is necessary a frequent endocrinologic follow-up of patients to detect late hormonal deficiencies.