Assessment of nutritional folate status and selected vitamin status of women of childbearing age.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate folate and other selected vitamin status (ascorbic acid, tocopherol, retinol, vitamin B12), haematological indices and total homocysteine concentration of serum in women of childbearing age. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: Warsaw. SUBJECTS: Healthy women aged 18-30 y (n=78) not pregnant presently or previously, and not taking drugs. RESULTS: Haemoglobin and haematocrit values according to WHO criteria for 18 to 30-y-old women were normal. The optimal levels of serum tocopherol, >1.29 mg/dl (>29.9 micromol/l) to preventing civilization diseases, were found in 5.5% and serum retinol >71.6 mcg/dl (>2.5 micromol/l) in 6.4% of all studied persons. The analysis of serum folate concentration showed high-risk deficiency,<3 ng/ml (<6.8 nmol/l), in 6.4%, moderate and low risk together (7.0-14.9 nmol/l) in 61.6% and optimal folate levels (>14.9 nmol/l) in 32.0% of the studied group. Folate body stores were insufficient in almost all women. There was no high or moderate deficiency risk of vitamin B12 or ascorbic acid. None of the women under study had serum total homocysteine (tHcy) concentration >15 micromol/l, indicating hyperhomocysteinaemia. Serum total homocysteine concentrations in the range of 5-15 micromol/l were found in 71.8%, and serum tHcy >10 micromol/l in 7.7% of the studied group of women. SPONSORSHIP: The study was sponsored by the Polish Committee for Scientific Research.

Tobacco smoking and vitamin C concentration in gastric juice in healthy subjects and patients with Helicobacter pylori infection.

Low gastric juice total vitamin C concentration in the presence of Helicobacter pylori infection probably plays a role in gastric carcinogenesis. Vitamin C plays a role in the neutralization of various pathogenic factors connected with H. pylori infection, including the destruction of free radicals, which damage tissues and cell DNA, and inhibition of the formation of N-nitroso compounds, which have a strong carcinogenic activity. The aim of the study was to determine whether tobacco smoking had any effect on gastric juice vitamin C concentration in healthy subjects and in patients infected with H. pylori. Eighty-six patients with dyspeptic symptoms undergoing routine endoscopy entered the study after giving informed consent. In all patients plasma and gastric juice total vitamin C levels were measured by a spectrophotometric method. They were entered into four groups: group I (controls) - H. pylori-negative non-smokers (n = 17), group II - H. pylori-negative smokers (n = 16), group III - non-smokers with H. pylori infection (n = 21), and group IV - H. pylori-infected smokers (n = 32). In the control group (I) the mean gastric juice total vitamin C concentration was 17.1 microg/ml (range 5.3-40.0 microg/ml), which was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than in group II (12.6 microg/ml, range 5.1-21.0 microg/ml), group III (5.8 microg/ml range 2.1-13.7 microg/ml) and group IV (3.9 microg/ml, range 1.1-10.6 microg/ml) (P < 0.001). Statistically significant differences also were noted between groups II and III (P < 0.01) and groups II and IV (P < 0.001) and between groups III and IV (P < 0.05). These results demonstrate that the concentration of vitamin C in gastric juice is significantly lower in smokers than in non-smokers. This was observed in healthy subjects as well as H. pylori-infected patients. This phenomenon may be one of the mechanisms whereby smoking contributes to the production of gastric lesions, impairs healing of peptic ulcers and also increases the recurrence rate of peptic ulcers in cases with H. pylori infection.

Effects of high dose vitamin C treatment on Helicobacter pylori infection and total vitamin C concentration in gastric juice.

Low gastric juice total vitamin C concentration in the presence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection probably plays a role in gastric carcinogenesis. In vitro vitamin C has been shown to inhibit the growth of H. pylori. The aims of this study were to determine the effect of high dose vitamin C administration on H. pylori infection and on gastric juice total vitamin C concentration in patients with H. pylori related chronic gastritis. Sixty patients with dyspeptic symptoms and proven chronic gastritis and H. pylori infection, who were undergoing routine endoscopy, entered the study after giving informed consent. They were randomly coded into two treatment groups. Group 1 (controls, n = 28) were treated with antacids for 4 weeks and Group 2 (n = 32) received vitamin C 5g daily also for 4 weeks. Nine patients did not complete the study and were excluded. Plasma and gastric juice total vitamin C levels were measured at baseline, at the end of 4 weeks treatment and again 4 weeks after treatment cessation. In the control group H. pylori infection remained unchanged in all 24 patients throughout as did the mean gastric juice total vitamin C concentration. However, in the vitamin C treated group eight of 27 patients (30%) who completed the treatment course the H. pylori infection was eradicated (P = 0.01). In these patients the mean gastric juice total vitamin C concentration rose significantly from 7.2 +/- 1.6 micrograms/ml after 4 weeks treatment (P < M 0.001) and 19.8 micrograms/ml 4 weeks after treatment was discontinued (P < 0.001). In the remaining 19 patients with persistent H. pylori infection, the mean gastric juice total vitamin C concentration rose less than in those with successful H. pylori eradication; 6.3 +/- 1.7 micrograms/ml before treatment, 10.8 +/- 1.5 micrograms/ml after 4 weeks treatment (P < 0.05) and a return to pre-treatment levels (7.1 +/- 2.7 micrograms/ml) 4 weeks after vitamin C intake stopped. There were no side effects of vitamin C treatment. This study has shown that 4 weeks daily high dose vitamin C treatment in H. pylori infected patients with chronic gastritis resulted in apparent H. pylori eradication in 30% of those treated. In those patients there was also a highly significant rise in gastric juice total vitamin C concentration which persisted for at least 4 weeks after the treatment ceased. A significant, though less marked, gastric juice total vitamin C concentration increase was observed during vitamin C treatment even in subjects with persistent H. pylori infection, though this was not maintained after treatment ended. The mechanism whereby vitamin C treatment appeared to result in H. pylori eradication is unclear. Further confirmatory studies are indicated.

Supplementation with vitamins C and E suppresses leukocyte oxygen free radical production in patients with myocardial infarction.

Clinical studies suggest that neutrophil activation during acute myocardial infarction (MI) aggravates tissue injury. Activated neutrophils are an important source of oxygen free radicals (OFR), the injurious effects of which are counteracted by endogenous antioxidants. We have previously shown in healthy subjects that supplementation with antioxidant vitamins C and E suppresses OFR production by isolated neutrophils assayed by chemiluminescence (CL). The present study, performed in patients with acute MI aimed (1) to investigate the effect of vitamin C and E supplementation upon neutrophil OFR production and serum lipid peroxides, (2) to evaluate serum levels of vitamins C and E in the course of MI. Forty-five patients with acute MI were randomized to receive either conventional treatment only (control, n=22). All measurements were performed on the 1st and 14th day. Neutrophil OFR production assayed by CL decreased significantly in VIT patients (Wilcoxon test for paired data P<0.01, Chi square test P<0.01). In the control group, changes in OFR production were not significant. Serum lipid peroxides (measured as TBARS) increased in controls (P<0.05), but remained stable in VIT patients. Mean (+/-SE) serum ascorbic acid and tocopherol on the 1st day were 0.43 +/- 0.18% and 3.25 +/- 1.32 microM.M(-1) cholesterol, respectively, in all patients. On the 14th day in non-supplemented patients mean tocopherol was unchanged, whereas ascorbic acid increased significantly (0.63 +/- 0.24 mg%, P<0.01) suggesting that a low basal level was associated at least in part with the acute phase of the disease. An expected increase in serum vitamin levels occurred in VIT patients. In conclusion, supplementation with vitamins C and E suppresses neutrophil OFR production and lowers the marker of lipid peroxidation in patients with MI.

Inhibitory effect of vitamins C and E on the oxygen free radical production in human polymorphonuclear leucocytes.

Beneficial effects of dietary supplementation with antioxidant vitamins are attributed mainly to the influence upon lipid metabolism, endothelial and vascular functions. Their effect upon leucocyte oxygen free radical producing capacity has not been investigated. In 13 healthy volunteers we examined the influence of oral supplementation with vitamins C and E (aa 600 mg per day for 14 days) upon leucocyte oxygen free radical production estimated by lucigenin-amplified chemiluminescence in isolated leucocytes stimulated with arachidonic acid. After supplementation with vitamins, significant increase in serum content of ascorbic acid and tocopherol was concomitant with significant (P < 0.001) decrease of leucocyte chemiluminescent response (mean 63.2 + 23.0 SD, % of initial values) and lowering of serum lipid peroxides (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that suppression of leucocyte capacity to produce oxygen free radicals as shown in this study, may contribute to vasoprotective action of vitamins C and E.

Blood vitamin and lipid levels in overweight and obese women.

The study was carried out on 102 obese and overweight women, average age 41.5 years, and 33 control non-obese women matched for age. Fasting venous blood vitamins (ascorbic acid, tocopherol, retinol, carotenes, thiamin, riboflavin, folic acid, pyridoxine), lipids (total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, total lipids) and haematological indices were determined. Significantly lower serum antioxidant vitamin levels and a higher prevalence of vitamin deficiency were found in the study group. The study confirmed the high risk of dyslipoproteinaemia and the high frequency of elevated blood pressure in obese women. A correlation between ascorbic acid status, degree of obesity and the incidence of elevated blood pressure was demonstrated.

Effect of exogenous ascorbic acid on experimental hypertension and mineral balance in rats fed low- and high-fat diets.

The effects of exogenous ascorbic acid on the development of experimental hypertension and on calcium, sodium, and potassium metabolism have been studied. The investigation was carried out in 90 4-mo-old male Wistar rats fed high- and low-fat diets. Hypertension was induced by administering a 1.5% solution of NaCl orally. Some rats received 0.1% ascorbic acid in distilled water orally for the first 7 wk of the experiment, then 0.3% for the next 5 wk. The results showed that the amount of fat, NaCl, and ascorbate in the diet may play a role in the etiopathogenesis of hypertension. A high-fat high-NaCl diet increased blood pressure more than a low-fat high-NaCl diet. Additional intake of 0.3% ascorbate solution reduced experimentally induced hypertension by 4% with a low-fat diet and by 14% with a high-fat diet. Also, 0.3% ascorbate solution had a blood-pressure-lowering effect in rats fed a high-fat diet without NaCl. Supplementation with ascorbate diminished urine calcium output with a high-fat diet and increased the urine PGE2/PGF2 ratio with both low- and high-fat diets.

The effect of vitamin E on granulocyte function in patients with recurrent infections.

The influence of vit. E treatment on metabolic and bactericidal granulocyte activity in patients with recurrent infections was studied by chemiluminescence and phagocytosis assays. Vit. E serum level was significantly diminished before therapy. Six weeks supplementation with 200-300 mg/day of vit. E resulted in improvement of clinical status and normalisation of alpha-tocopherol serum level. Bactericidal activity of granulocytes was lower in patients than in the respective controls and it slightly rose after vit. E therapy. Before, therapy, patients granulocytes showed metabolic activity above or within the control range. Vit. E treatment increased, had no effect or decreased granulocyte metabolic activity, but never below the control range.

Ascorbic acid and tocopherol levels in the organs and serum of guinea pigs with experimentally induced atherosclerosis.

A 7-month experiment was carried out on guinea pigs to elucidate the effect of height-cholesterol diet containing various fats on the levels of ascorbic acid and to tocopherol in the organism. In the guinea pigs with experimentally induced atherosclerosis the retention of ascorbic acid and tocopherol was found to be greater than that in the control animals.

Effect of ageing process on the content of certain vitamins in rat serum and liver.

The contents of various vitamins were determined in rat liver and serum in animals at different age kept on a standard diet. The amounts of these vitamins in 1 g of liver tissue decreased with age and the levels of ascorbic acid, folacin and vitamin B6 were lower in rats aged two years than in those aged 10 weeks.

The effect of alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid on the serum lipid peroxide level in elderly people.

The aim of this work was to study the relationship between the state of saturation of the organism with vitamin E and vitamin C and the serum level of lipid peroxides in elderly people. The determinations were carried out in 100 subjects, mainly women, aged 60-100 years living in old people's homes, who were given daily vitamin E, 200 mg, or vitamin C, 400 mg, or both vitamins during 1 year. A correlation was found between the degree of saturation of the organism with vitamin E and the level of lipid peroxides. The daily intake of vitamin E for 4 months decreased the serum peroxide level by a mean value of 14%; a similar intake of vitamin C decreased it by 8%, and both vitamins decreased it by 20% compared with the initial level. After 1 year, these levels were decreased by 26% (vitamin E), 13% (vitamin C) and 25% (both vitamins).

Effects of ethanol and various dietary fats on the levels of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and folacin in the liver.

The experiment was designed to study the effect of ethanol and different fats on content in the liver of some vitamins of B group. The Wistar rats, during 6 months and 12 months were kept on fully sufficient isocaloric diets containing 30% kcal from sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, liquid fish fat, hardened fish fat and mixed fat, that is lard, butter and sunflower oil. Some animals obtained daily in drinking water increasing doses of ethanol from 2.5% to 25%. It was found that the amount of thiamin and niacin was similar in the livers of rats fed different fats in relation of rats fed mixed fats, while the level of folacin was higher in rats on sunflower oil. The chronic ethanol administration decreased the level of studied vitamins in the livers in different degree dependently on the kind of fat and period of time. It was concluded that the effect of ethanol on vitamin status depended on the kind of fat in animals diets.