The association between human milk fatty acid composition in mothers with an elevated body mass index and infant growth changes.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Few studies have investigated alternations in human milk polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) composition in the context of maternal obesity and its effects on infant growth trajectories. This study explored whether maternal weight status and breastfeeding type influence human milk FA composition and infant anthropometry during the first six months of life. METHODS: Mother-infant dyads were enrolled from the Prediction of Allergies in Taiwanese Children birth cohort study. Data concerning maternal pre-pregnancy weight, infants' breastfeeding practices, and anthropometric data were obtained regularly. We identified and compared between the composition of 30 FAs in the colostrum and 2-month milk, respectively, in obese/overweight (OB/OW) and normal-weight (NW) mothers. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to determine the association between PUFA composition at different lactation stages and infant anthropometric parameter changes and to identify the independent variables for body mass index (BMI) z-scores by six months of age. RESULTS: We included 338 mother-infant dyads (OB/OW mothers, 16.9 %). OB/OW mothers exhibited lower total n-3 PUFAs (P = 0.035), higher ratios of arachidonic acid (C20:4n-6)/eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n-3) + docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n-3), and n-6/n-3 PUFA in colostrum (P = 0.037 and 0.011, respectively), and their offspring had higher body weight and BMI z-scores. Nevertheless, no PUFA composition or n-6/n-3 PUFA ratios in colostrum and 2-month milk were associated with anthropometric parameter changes by age 6 months. Infant birth weight z-scores were independently associated with BMI outcomes at age 6 months (adjusted ß = 0.16, 95 % confidence interval (0.05-0.35), P = 0.010) CONCLUSION: Neither n-3 nor n-6 PUFA profiles nor n-6/n-3 PUFA ratios at different lactation stages were found to be associated with anthropometric changes by age 6 months, suggesting that human milk PUFA composition may not be an important determinant of early infant growth trajectories.

Precise determination of major and trace elements in micrometer-scale ilmenite lamellae in titanomagnetite using LA-ICP-MS technique: application of regression analysis to time-resolved signals.

Laser ablation ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS) is a powerful microbeam technique capable of rapid and precise determination for a large spectrum of trace elements at ppm or sub-ppm levels. Micrometer-scale minerals and inclusions are very common in geological materials, for which direct measurement is restricted by the spot size using LA-ICP-MS (generally 20-50 µm). In this study, ilmenite lamellae intergrown with magnetite were selected as an example to describe a practical algorithm that applies regression analysis to extract the chemical compositions of binary phases from mixed LA-ICP-MS signals. The method accuracy is confirmed by the agreement between the regressed value for various trace elements in ilmenite exsolutions and their reference values (direct analyses using EPMA and LA-ICP-MS). Results were obtained for most detectable components (Mg, Mn, V, Nb, Ta, Sc, Zr, Hf, Sn, et c.) and their relative deviations are within ±10%, even for those <10 ppm (such as Hf and W). Relative standard errors on the regressed value were calculated to evaluate the precision of the method, which is mostly within 10%, and the worst up to 25%. Therefore, the algorithm described in this contribution provides a solution for precise determination of trace element compositions for micrometer-scale ilmenite lamellae in titanomagnetite using LA-ICP-MS, and is potentially practical for other geological materials.

Niacin skin flush and membrane polyunsaturated fatty acids in schizophrenia from the acute state to partial remission: a dynamic relationship.

Despite the consistent finding of an attenuated niacin-induced flush response in schizophrenia, its long-term stability and relationship to the membrane polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels remain unknown. We conducted niacin skin tests and measured the membrane PUFAs using gas chromatography among 46 schizophrenia inpatients and 37 healthy controls at the baseline and the 2-month follow-up. Attenuated flush responses were persistently observed in schizophrenia patients in both acute and partial remission states, whereas an increased flush response was found in the controls. A persistent decrease in both dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid and docosahexaenoic acid and an increased turnover of arachidonic acid (ARA) via endogenous biosynthesis were found in schizophrenia patients. A composite niacin flush score by combining those with a control-to-case ratio of >1.4 (i.e., scores at 5 min of 0.1 M, 0.01 M, and 0.001 M + 10 min of 0.01 M and 0.001 M + 15 min of 0.001 M) at the baseline was correlated positively with ARA levels among controls but not among schizophrenia patients, whereas the flush score at the 2-month follow-up was correlated positively with ARA levels among patients. The 2-month persistence of attenuated niacin-induced flush response in schizophrenia patients implies that the niacin skin test might tap a long-term vulnerability to schizophrenia beyond acute exacerbation.

New identification and significance of Early Cretaceous mafic rocks in the interior South China Block.

Early Cretaceous mafic rocks are first reported in the northern Guangxi region from the western Qin-Hang belt in the interior South China Block. A systematic investigation of zircon U-Pb dating, whole-rock geochemistry, Sm-Nd isotopes and zircon Hf-O isotopes for these mafic rocks reveals their petrogenesis and the mantle composition as well as a new window to reconstruct lithospheric evolution in interior South China Block during Late Mesozoic. Zircon U-Pb dating yielded ages of 131 ± 2 Ma to 136 ± 2 Ma for diabase and gabbro from Baotan area, indicating the first data for Early Cretaceous mafic magmatism in the western Qing-Hang belt. These mafic rocks show calc-alkaline compositions, arc-like trace element distribution patterns, low zircon εHf(t) of - 9.45 to - 6.17 and high δ18O values of + 5.72 to + 8.09‰, as well as low whole-rock εNd(t) values of - 14.27 to - 9.53. These data suggest that the studied mafic rocks are derived from an ancient lithospheric mantle source that was metasomatized during Neoproterozoic subduction. Thus, the occurrence of these mafic rocks indicates a reactivation of Neoproterozoic subducted materials during an extension setting at Late Mesozoic in the western Qin-Hang belt, an old suture zone that amalgamates the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks.

Synergistic effects of electronegative-LDL- and palmitic-acid-triggered IL-1ß production in macrophages via LOX-1- and voltage-gated-potassium-channel-dependent pathways.

Electronegative LDL (LDL(-)) and free fatty acids (FFAs) are circulating risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and have been associated with inflammation. Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß) represents a key cytokine in the development of CVD; however, the initial trigger of IL-1ß in CVD remains to be explored. In this study, we investigated the combined effects of LDL(-) from the plasma of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients or diet-induced hypercholesterolemic rabbits and bovine serum albumin bound palmitic acid (PA-BSA) on IL-1ß production in macrophages. Macrophages derived from THP-1 cells or human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were independently treated with LDL(-), PA-BSA or cotreated with LDL(-) and PA-BSA. The results showed that nLDL and/or PA-BSA had no effect on IL-1ß, and LDL(-) slightly increased IL-1ß; however, cotreatment with LDL(-) and PA-BSA resulted in abundant secretion of IL-1ß in macrophages. Rabbit LDL(-) induced the elevation of cellular pro-IL-1ß and p-Iκ-Bα, but PA-BSA had no effect on pro-IL-1ß or p-Iκ-Bα. In potassium-free buffer, LDL(-)-induced IL-1ß reached a level similar to that induced by cotreatment with LDL(-) and PA-BSA. Moreover, LDL(-) and PA-BSA-induced IL-1ß was inhibited in lectin-type oxidized LDL receptor-1 (LOX-1) knockdown cells and by blockers of voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels. LDL(-) from diet-induced hypercholesterolemic rabbit had a similar effect as STEMI LDL(-) on IL-1ß in macrophages. These results show that PA-BSA cooperates with LDL(-) to trigger IL-1ß production in macrophages via a mechanism involving the LOX-1 and Kv channel pathways, which may play crucial roles in the regulation of inflammation in CVD.

Palmitoleic and Dihomo-γ-Linolenic Acids Are Positively Associated With Abdominal Obesity and Increased Metabolic Risk in Children.

Background: The impact of abdominal obesity (AO) on plasma fatty acid changes and cardiometabolic risk in children who are obese and overweight has rarely been investigated. This study determined whether plasma fatty acid composition differed between children with AO and those without AO and its relationship with metabolic risk, particularly in the obese and overweight groups. Methods: A total of 181 schoolchildren (aged 7-18 years) were included. Anthropometric and biochemical data and plasma fatty acid profiles were analyzed, and the indices of desaturase activity were estimated. Children were categorized based on their body weight and AO status. A continuous metabolic risk score was calculated using the sum of the z-scores of metabolic variables. A one-way analysis of variance test was used to compare the composition ratio of fatty acids between children with and without AO in the obese and overweight groups and normal-weight controls. Pearson analysis was also used to explore significant fatty acid and desaturase indicators associated with metabolic abnormalities. Results: Children who were obese and overweight (N = 126) displayed higher dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (20:3n-6) and γ-linolenic acid (18:3n-6) proportions than normal-weight controls (N = 55), but lower heptadecanoic acid (17:0) proportion, regardless of the AO status of each individual. Obese and overweight children with AO (N = 89), but not their non-AO counterparts (N = 37), exhibited a significantly higher proportion of palmitoleic acid (16:1n-7) than the remaining study groups. Pearson analysis showed that high proportions of palmitoleic acid and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid, as well as increased stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase-1(16) and delta-6 desaturase and decreased delta-5 desaturase activities, are strongly correlated with weight-height ratio, homeostasis model of assessment values for insulin resistance, hypertriglyceridemia, and continuous metabolic risk scores. Conclusion: Higher palmitoleic acid and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid proportions, as well as increased stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase-1(16) and delta-6 desaturase and decreased delta-5 desaturase activities are associated with AO and increased metabolic risk in children who are obese and overweight.

Deficiency or activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α reduces the tissue concentrations of endogenously synthesized docosahexaenoic acid in C57BL/6J mice.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA), is acquired by dietary intake or the in vivo conversion of α-linolenic acid. Many enzymes participating in LCPUFA synthesis are regulated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα). Therefore, it was hypothesized that the tissue accretion of endogenously synthesized DHA could be modified by PPARα. MATERIALS/METHODS: The tissue DHA concentrations and mRNA levels of genes participating in DHA biosynthesis were compared among PPARα homozygous (KO), heterozygous (HZ), and wild type (WT) mice (Exp I), and between WT mice treated with clofibrate (PPARα agonist) or those not treated (Exp II). In ExpII, the expression levels of the proteins associated with DHA function in the brain cortex and retina were also measured. An n3-PUFA depleted/replenished regimen was applied to mitigate the confounding effects of maternal DHA. RESULTS: PPARα ablation reduced the hepatic Acox, Fads1, and Fads2 mRNA levels, as well as the DHA concentration in the liver, but not in the brain cortex. In contrast, PPARα activation increased hepatic Acox, Fads1, Fads2 and Elovl5 mRNA levels, but reduced the DHA concentrations in the liver, retina, and phospholipid of brain cortex, and decreased mRNA and protein levels of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor in brain cortex. CONCLUSIONS: LCPUFA enzyme expression was altered by PPARα. Either PPARα deficiency or activation-decreased tissue DHA concentration is a stimulus for further studies to determine the functional significance.

Association between Postpartum Nutritional Status and Postpartum Depression Symptoms.

Taiwanese women may practice traditional confinement after childbirth, and no study has investigated the nutritional status and the effects of postpartum depression on such women. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between nutritional status and postpartum depression at 6-8 weeks postpartum. A cross-sectional study was conducted on postpartum women who returned to the obstetrics and gynecology clinic for routine examination from January 2016 to September 2017. A total of 344 women received assessments based on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). An EPDS score of ≥10 indicated the presence of postpartum depressive symptoms (PPDS). A total of 97 women without such symptoms and 23 with PPDS completed nutritional parameter analyses and questionnaires. The results showed that the prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) was 8.4%. The proportion was 70% for those who practiced confinement at home, significantly higher than for those in the non-PPDS group (45%). The overall psychological stress score was significantly higher and the postpartum care satisfaction score was significantly lower in those with PPDS compared to those without. In terms of nutritional biomarkers, the plasma riboflavin levels in the PPDS group were significantly lower than those in their symptomless counterparts (13.9%). The vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency rates in the non-PPD and PPDS groups were 35%, 41%, 48%, 26%, respectively. However, compared with those in the non-PPDS group, those with PPDS had significantly higher ratios of Σn-6/Σn-3, C20:3n-6/C18:3n-6, and C20:4n-6/(C20:5n-3 + C22:6n-3) (by 8.2%, 79.7%, and 8.8%, respectively), whereas they had lower ratios of C22:6n-3/C22:5n-6 (by 15.5%). Higher plasma riboflavin and erythrocyte C16:1n-9, C24:1n-9, C18:3n-6, and C20:5n-3 levels and lower Σn-6 fatty acid and C22:5n-6 levels decreased the risk of PPD after type of confinement, overall mental stress scores, and postpartum care satisfaction scores were adjusted for the logistic regression analysis. In conclusion, the plasma riboflavin level and erythrocyte fatty acid composition are potentially major contributors to PPD development.

Association of maternal allergy with human milk soluble CD14 and fatty acids, and early childhood atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate whether maternal allergy is associated with soluble CD14 (sCD14) and fatty acid composition in different stages of lactation and the onset of atopic dermatitis (AD) in early childhood. METHODS: In total, 443 mother-child groups (445 children) were enrolled in the Prediction of Allergies in Taiwanese Children birth cohort study. Colostrum and mature milk at 2 months postpartum (2-month HM) were collected from lactating mothers. Information regarding parental allergy histories and physician-diagnosed atopic diseases was obtained using age-specific questionnaires (0-2 years). We compared sCD14 levels and the composition of 30 fatty acids in the colostrum and 2-month HM, respectively, between allergic and non-allergic mothers and between children with and without AD by the age of 2 years. RESULTS: In total, 185 (41.8%) mothers presented with allergies, and 154 (34.6%) children had physician-diagnosed AD by the age of 2 years. Both in the colostrum and 2-month HM of 289 lactating mothers, sCD14 levels were significantly lower in allergic mothers whose children presented with AD compared with children who did not (P = 0.015 and 0.044, respectively). Among the children with AD who were born to non-allergic mothers, sCD14 levels were lower. However, the result was not statistically significant (P = 0.376 and 0.264, respectively). Our data revealed the lack of associations between fatty acid composition and AD (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Decreased sCD14 levels in the colostrum and 2-month HM were associated with AD at 2 years of age, particularly among children born to mothers with allergies.

Docosahexaenoic acid reduces sterol regulatory element binding protein-1 and fatty acid synthase expression and inhibits cell proliferation by inhibiting pAkt signaling in a human breast cancer MCF-7 cell line.

BACKGROUND: Fatty acid synthase (FASN), the major enzyme in de novo fatty acid synthesis, is highly expressed in breast cancer and its expression is reduced by polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in liver. We previously found a positive association between rat mammary tumor levels of the n-6 PUFA arachidonic acid (AA) and tumor weight. We examined the roles of the major n-3 PUFA, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3), and the major n-6 PUFA, AA, in FASN expression in, and proliferation of, human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. METHODS: The cells were treated for 48 h with BSA or 60 µM BSA-bound DHA, AA, or oleic acid (OA, 18:1n-9), then were incubated with or without estradiol or insulin. Western blot and 3H-thymidine incorporation assay were used to determine the role of DHA on FASN regulation and MCF-7 cell proliferation. RESULTS: DHA, but neither AA nor OA, inhibits estradiol-induced and insulin-induced expression of the precursor of sterol regulatory element binding protein-1 (p-SREBP-1), its mature form (m-SREBP-1), and FASN. Estradiol or insulin stimulation increased the pAkt/Akt and pS6/S6 ratios, expression of p-SREBP-1, m-SREBP-1, and FASN, and cell proliferation, and these effects were decreased by DHA. The DHA-induced decrease in FASN expression resulted from reduced pAkt/Akt signaling and not pERK1/2/ERK1/2 signaling. In addition, DHA enhanced the inhibitory effect of LY294002 on pAkt signaling and expression of p-SREBP-1, m-SREBP-1, and FASN. However, addition of rapamycin, an inhibitor of the mTOR signaling pathways, 1 h before addition of estradiol or insulin increased the pAkt/Akt ratio and FASN expression, and this effect was inhibited by addition of DHA 48 h before rapamycin. CONCLUSION: We conclude that, in MCF-7 cells, DHA inhibits pAKT signaling and thus expression of p-SREBP-1, m-SREBP-1, and FASN and cell proliferation.

Alternation of plasma fatty acids composition and desaturase activities in children with liver steatosis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate changes in plasma fatty acids proportions and estimated desaturase activities for variable grading of liver steatosis in children. METHODS: In total, 111 schoolchildren (aged 8-18 years) were included in the analysis from March 2015 to August 2016. Anthropometric evaluation, liver ultrasound examination and scoring for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD score = 0-6), and biochemical and plasma fatty acids analysis were performed. We compared the composition ratio of fatty acids between children with high-grade liver steatosis (NAFLD score = 4-6), low-grade liver steatosis (NAFLD score = 1-3), and healthy controls (NAFLD score = 0). In addition, correlation coefficients (r) between NAFLD score, metabolic variables, and estimated activity of desaturase indices (stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase-1 (SCD1), delta-5 and delta-6 desaturase) were calculated. RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls, children with liver steatosis showed a higher proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids (21.16 ± 2.81% vs. 19.68 ± 2.71%, p = 0.024). In addition, children with high- grade liver steatosis exhibited higher proportions of palmitic acid (C16:0), palmitoleic acid (C16:1n-7), dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (C20:3n-6), adrenic acid (C22:4n-6), and docosapentaenoic acid (C22:5n-6); and lower proportions of eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n-3) (P< 0.05). In all subjects, the NAFLD score was positively correlated with body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2) (r = 0.696), homeostasis model of assessment ratio-index (HOMA-IR) (r = 0.510), SCD1(16) (r = 0.273), and the delta-6 index (r = 0.494); and inversely associated with the delta-5 index (r = -0.443). CONCLUSION: Our current data suggested that children with liver steatosis was highly associated with obesity, and insulin resistance. In addition, increased endogenous lipogenesis through altered desaturase activity may contribute to the progression of liver steatosis in children.

Partial Melting of Subducted Sediments Produced Early Mesozoic Calc-alkaline Lamprophyres from Northern Guangxi Province, South China.

There is growing agreement that subducted sediments recycled into the deep mantle could make a significant contribution to the generation of various mantle-derived rocks. However, solid evidence and examples to support this view are few, and whether or not the subducted sediments can act as the dominating material source for the magma is unclear. Here, we report a comprehensive geochemical study that demonstrates that the newly identified Early Mesozoic calc-alkaline lamprophyres in the northern Guangxi Province, southeastern Yangtze Block in South China were likely derived in large part from the partial melting of the subducted terrigenous sediments in the deep mantle. The investigated lamprophyres are SiO2-rich minettes, characterized by moderate TFeO and MgO and high Mg# (>70). The multi-element pattern shows a typical crustal-like signature, such as enrichments in large-ion lithophile elements (LILE) and light rare earth elements (LREE) with troughs in Nb-Ta, Ti and Eu and peaks in Th-U and Pb. These rocks also show sediment-like ratios of Nb/U, Nb/Th and Ce/Pb, together with extremely radiogenic 87Sr/86Sr (0.71499-0.71919), unradiogenic 143Nd/144Nd (0.51188-0.51195) and radiogenic 207Pb/204Pb (15.701-15.718) isotopic compositions.

Roles of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor α in Bitter Melon Seed Oil-Corrected Lipid Disorders and Conversion of α-Eleostearic Acid into Rumenic Acid in C57BL/6J Mice.

We previously reported that bitter melon seed oil (BMSO) was an effective anti-steatosis and antiobesity agent. Since the major fatty acid α-eleostearic acid (α-ESA) in BMSO is a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) activator, the objective was to investigate the role of PPARα in BMSO-modulated lipid disorders and α-ESA metabolism. C57BL/6J wild (WD) and PPARα knockout (KO) mice were fed a high-fat diet containing BMSO (15% soybean oil + 15% BMSO, HB) or not (30% soybean oil, HS) for 5 weeks. The HB diet significantly reduced hepatic triglyceride concentrations and increased acyl-CoA oxidase activity in WD, but not in KO mice. However, regardless of genotype, body fat percentage was lowered along with upregulated protein levels of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and tyrosine hydroxylase, as well as signaling pathway of cAMP-dependent protein kinase and AMP-activated protein kinase in the white adipose tissue of HB-treated groups compared to HS cohorts. In WD-HB and KO-HB groups, white adipose tissue had autophagy, apoptosis, inflammation, and browning characteristics. Without PPARα, in vivo reduction of α-ESA into rumenic acid was slightly but significantly lowered, along with remarkable reduction of hepatic retinol saturase (RetSat) expression. We concluded that BMSO-mediated anti-steatosis depended on PPARα, whereas the anti-adiposity effect was PPARα-independent. In addition, PPARα-dependent enzymes may participate in α-ESA conversion, but only have a minor role.

A conjugated fatty acid present at high levels in bitter melon seed favorably affects lipid metabolism in hepatocytes by increasing NAD(+)/NADH ratio and activating PPARα, AMPK and SIRT1 signaling pathway.

α-Eleostearic acid (α-ESA), or the cis-9, trans-11, trans-13 isomer of conjugated linolenic acid, is a special fatty acid present at high levels in bitter melon seed oil. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of α-ESA on hepatic lipid metabolism. Using H4IIEC3 hepatoma cell line, we showed that α-ESA significantly lowered intracellular triglyceride accumulation compared to α-linolenic acid (LN), used as a fatty acid control, in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The effects of α-ESA on enzyme activities and mRNA profiles in H4IIEC3 cells suggested that enhanced fatty acid oxidation and lowered lipogenesis were involved in α-ESA-mediated triglyceride lowering effects. In addition, α-ESA triggered AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation without altering sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) protein levels. When cells were treated with vehicle control (VC), LN alone (LN; 100µmol/L) or in combination with α-ESA (LN+α-ESA; 75+25µmol/L) for 24h, acetylation of forkhead box protein O1 was decreased, while the NAD(+)/NADH ratio, mRNA levels of NAMPT and PTGR1 and enzyme activity of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase were increased by LN+α-ESA treatment compared to treatment with LN alone, suggesting that α-ESA activates SIRT1 by increasing NAD(+) synthesis and NAD(P)H consumption. The antisteatosis effect of α-ESA was confirmed in mice treated with a high-sucrose diet supplemented with 1% α-ESA for 5weeks. We conclude that α-ESA favorably affects hepatic lipid metabolism by increasing cellular NAD(+)/NADH ratio and activating PPARα, AMPK and SIRT1 signaling pathways.

[Lactose intolerance in neonates with non-infectious diarrhea].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the development of lactose intolerance in neonates with non-infectious diarrhea and its association with diarrhea, and to evaluate the diagnostic values of fecal pH value and urine galactose determination for neonatal lactase deficiency. METHODS: Seventy hospitalized neonates who developed non-infectious diarrhea between October 2012 and June 2015 were enrolled as the diarrhea group, and 162 hospitalized neonates without non-infectious diarrhea were enrolled as the non-diarrhea group. Test paper was used to determine fecal pH value. The galactose oxidase method was used to detect urine galactose. The neonates with positive galactose oxidase were diagnosed with lactase deficiency, and those with lactase deficiency and diarrhea were diagnosed with lactose intolerance. According to the results of urine galactose detection, 69 neonates in the diarrhea group who underwent urine galactose detection were classified into lactose intolerance group (45 neonates) and lactose tolerance group (24 neonates), and their conditions after treatment were compared between the two groups. The follow-up visits were performed for neonates with diarrhea at 3 months after discharge. RESULTS: Fecal pH value and positive rate of urine galactose (65% vs 54%) showed no significant differences between the diarrhea and non-diarrhea groups (P>0.05). Fecal pH value showed no significant difference between the lactose intolerance and lactose tolerance groups (P>0.05), while the neonates in the lactose intolerance group had a significantly longer time to recovery of defecation than those in the lactose tolerance group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of lactase deficiency is high in neonates, and diarrhea due to lactose intolerance tends to occur. Determination of fecal pH value has no significance in the diagnosis of lactose intolerance in neonates with diarrhea.

A biphasic response pattern of lipid metabolomics in the stage progression of hepatitis B virus X tumorigenesis.

Metabolic syndrome has closely linked to the development of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). By using the hepatitis B virus (HBV) X (HBx) transgenic mouse model, we studied the dynamic evolution of serum and liver profiles of lipids and global cDNA expression at different stages of HBx tumorigenesis. We observed that the lipid (triglycerides, cholesterol, and fatty acids) profiles revealed a biphasic response pattern during the progression of HBx tumorigenesis: a small peak at early phase and a large peak or terminal switch at the tumor phase. By analyzing cDNA microarray data, the early peak correlated to the oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory response, which then resolved at the middle phase and were followed by the terminal metabolic switch in the tumor tissues. Five lipid metabolism-related genes, the arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase, lipoprotein lipase, fatty acid binding protein 4, 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate O-acyltransferase 9, and apolipoprotein A-IV were identified to be significantly activated in HBx transgenic HCCs and further validated in human HBV-related HCCs. Inhibition of these lipid genes could reverse the effect of HBx on lipid biosynthesis and suppress HBx-induced cell proliferation in vitro. Our results support the concept that metabolic syndrome plays an important role in HBV tumorigenesis. The dysregulation of lipid metabolic genes may predict the disease progression to HCC in chronic hepatitis B patients.

Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: The Way Forward in Times of Mixed Evidence.

Almost forty years ago, it was first hypothesized that an increased dietary intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) from fish fat could exert protective effects against several pathologies. Decades of intense preclinical investigation have supported this hypothesis in a variety of model systems. Several clinical cardiovascular studies demonstrated the beneficial health effects of omega-3 PUFA, leading medical institutions worldwide to publish recommendations for their increased intake. However, particularly in recent years, contradictory results have been obtained in human studies focusing on cardiovascular disease and the clinical evidence in other diseases, particularly chronic inflammatory and neoplastic diseases, was never established to a degree that led to clear approval of treatment with omega-3 PUFA. Recent data not in line with the previous findings have sparked a debate on the health efficacy of omega-3 PUFA and the usefulness of increasing their intake for the prevention of a number of pathologies. In this review, we aim to examine the controversies on the possible use of these fatty acids as preventive/curative tools against the development of cardiovascular, metabolic, and inflammatory diseases, as well as several kinds of cancer.

Fucoxanthin Enhances Chain Elongation and Desaturation of Alpha-Linolenic Acid in HepG2 Cells.

Dietary fucoxanthin (FX), a carotenoid compound from brown algae, was found to increase docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) and arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4n-6) in the liver of mice. DHA and ARA are known to be biosynthesized from the respective precursor α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3) and linoleic acid (LNA, 18:2n-6), through desaturation and chain elongation. We examined the effect of FX on the fatty acid metabolism in HepG2 cells (Hepatocellular carcinoma, human). In the first experiment, cells were co-treated with ALA (100 µM) and FX (0-100 µM) or vehicle for 48 h. FX increased eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA, 22:5n-3), DHA at concentrations of ≥ 50 µM. To clarify the change in the metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), in the second experiment, cells were co-treated with universally-[(13)C]-labeled (U-[(13)C]-) ALA (100 µM) and FX (100 µM) for 0.5, 3, 6, 24 and 48 h. [(13)C] labeled-EPA, DPA and DHA content in HepG2 cells were all increased by FX after 48 h treatment. Furthermore, estimated delta-5 desaturase (D5D) but not delta-6 desaturase (D6D) activity index was increased at 48 h. These results suggested that FX may enhance the conversion of ALA to longer chain n-3 PUFA through increasing D5D activity in the liver.

Effect of the counterion on light emission: a displacement strategy to change the emission behaviour from aggregation-caused quenching to aggregation-induced emission and to construct sensitive fluorescent sensors for Hg2+ detection.

In this paper, a simple strategy to change the emission behaviour of luminogenic materials was developed. Tetraphenylethene (TPE)-functionalised benzothiazolium salts with different counteranions (TPEBe-X; X=I(-), ClO(4)(-) and PF(6)(-)) were designed and synthesised. All the luminogens show weak red emission in the solution state that originates from intramolecular charge transfer from TPE to the benzothiazolium unit. Whereas aggregate formation enhances the light emission of TPEBe-ClO(4) and TPEBe-PF(6), that of TPEBe-I is quenched, thus demonstrating the phenomena of aggregation-induced emission and aggregation-caused quenching. TPEBe-I works as a light-up fluorescent sensor for Hg(2+) in aqueous solution with high sensitivity and specificity owing to the elimination of the emission quenching effect of the iodide ion by the formation of HgI(2) as well as the induction in aggregate formation by the complexation of Hg(2+) with the S atom of the benzothiazolium unit of TPEBe-I. A solid film of TPEBe-I was prepared that can monitor the level of Hg(2+) in aqueous solution with a detection limit of 1 µM.