Effects of canola oil and antioxidants on performance, serum parameters, carcass traits, and rumen fermentation patterns of Nellore cattle.

Several nutritional strategies have been used in beef cattle production in order to increase animal performance and profitability. However, in the past two decades, the increase of consumer preference for functional foods has driven the investigation for improving food via adding functional substances to animal diets. We evaluated the effect of canola oil supplementation associated with vitamin E and selenium on performance, rumen metabolism, carcass traits, meat tenderness, and serum, liver, and meat status of antioxidants in finishing Nellore males. Animals were fed for 106 days in a feedlot and were randomly distributed in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement: two levels of oil in the diet (no inclusion and 3% canola oil, defined as diet without oil inclusion (NO) and effect of oil (OIL), respectively) and two levels of antioxidants in the diet (no inclusion and 2.5 mg of Se/kg of DM + 500 UI of vitamin E/kg of DM, defined as diet without antioxidant inclusion (NA) and effect of the antioxidants (ANT), respectively). DM intake (kg/day) was evaluated daily; performance and serum were analysed at the beginning of the feedlot and every 28 days. Animals were slaughtered and hot carcass weight (kg) was recorded; ruminal fluid and liver samples were collected. At 24 h postmortem, carcass pH was recorded and the Longissimus thoracis was sampled. There was no significant effect of the OIL*ANT interaction (P > 0.05) for any trait evaluated. Bulls fed OIL presented greater final BW (P < 0.01), average daily gain (kg/day; P < 0.01), feed efficiency (P < 0.01), rump fat thickness (P8RF; P < 0.05), and greater tenderness; the ANT diet increased P8RF (P < 0.05). The levels of selenium and vitamin E in serum, liver, and meat were increased (P < 0.01) with the inclusion of ANT. ANT did not change triiodothyronine (T3, ng/mL) and thyroxine (T4, µg/gL) serum concentrations but decreased serum glucose levels. The treatments did not affect (P > 0.05) ruminal parameters or the protozoa population. Our results showed that the inclusion of 3% canola oil in the diet DM increased performance, feed efficiency, carcass fat deposition, and tenderness, with no effect on rumen fermentation and protozoa population of Nellore cattle in a feedlot system. The inclusion of ANT in the cattle diet did not affect performance or rumen parameters. However, the levels of ANT were increased in the serum, liver, and meat, enriching the final product with these compounds.

Performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of Nellore cattle supplemented with supranutritional doses of sodium selenite or selenium-enriched yeast.

The enrichment of meat with selenium is important to improve the intake of selenium by humans. The effects of supranutritional doses of sodium selenite or selenium-enriched yeast on performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality were evaluated using 63 Nellore cattle in a completely randomized design with two sources (sodium selenite and selenium-enriched yeast), three levels (0.3, 0.9 and 2.7 mg Se/kg DM) and control treatment (without addition of selenium). Final body weight (BW), average daily gain, dry matter intake and gain to feed ratio (G : F) at the end of 84 days of supplementation were not influenced by treatments (P>0.05). Values of pH, ribeye area, back fat thickness and marbling score were also not influenced by treatments ( P>0.05). Dressing percentage was greater (P=0.02) in Nellore cattle supplemented with organic Se (58.70%) compared to animals supplemented with inorganic Se (57.94%). Hot carcass weight increased ( P=0.05) with the increasing of Se levels in the diet. Colour, shear force (SF), cooking and drip loss remained unchanged ( P>0.05); however thiobarbituric acid reactive substances was 15.51% higher with inorganic Se compared with organic Se. The selenium concentration in the meat of animals receiving organic selenium was higher ( P<0.001) than that of animals receiving sodium selenite, at all levels (0.3; 0.9 and 2.7 mg/kg DM). The meat of animals receiving 2.7 mg of organic Se/kg of DM presented concentration of 372.7 µg Se/kg in the L.dorsi muscle, and the intake of 150 g of this meat by humans provides approximately 100% of the recommended Se intake (55 µg Se/day for adults). Therefore, the use of supranutritional doses of 2.7 mg Se/kg of DM, regardless of source, is a way of naturally producing selenium-enriched meat without compromising performance, carcass characteristics and quality of Nellore bovine meat.

Efficacy of porcine placental extract on wrinkle widths below the eye in climacteric women.

OBJECTIVE: Injections of human placental extract, which is known to play a role in skin regulation, have long been used for the treatment of skin wrinkles and non-healing wounds. Porcine placental extract (PPE), an oral supplement, was recently developed for this purpose. The aim of this study was to assess whether PPE has a positive effect on the improvement of fine wrinkles below the eye in climacteric women. METHODS: We first non-invasively measured wrinkle widths with a skin analyzer in a cross-section of 185 healthy adult Japanese women. Next, 44 climacteric women with mild or few climacteric symptoms were enrolled into an open-label, randomized, controlled study of the effect of PPE on wrinkle widths. A retrospective comparison of wrinkle widths in 123 climacteric women with climacteric symptoms with or without PPE treatment was also performed. RESULTS: Wrinkle widths below the eye in women ≥ 30 years of age were significantly higher than in women 20-29 years of age. Treatment with three capsules of PPE per day was significantly (p < 0.05) effective in reducing wrinkle widths at 24 weeks compared with control subjects. Retrospective analysis showed that subjects treated with three (p < 0.05) and six (p < 0.01) capsules of PPE per day observed a significant reduction in wrinkle widths compared with untreated subjects. CONCLUSION: Oral PPE treatment is a possible option for improving the appearance of fine wrinkles below the eye in climacteric women.

Efficacy of porcine placental extract on climacteric symptoms in peri- and postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVES: Injections of human placental extract have long been used to treat menopausal symptoms. Recently, porcine placental extract (PPE), an oral supplement, has been developed for this purpose. The aim of this study was to assess whether PPE has an impact on climacteric symptoms in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. METHODS: Seventy-six women with climacteric symptoms were enrolled into this open-label, randomized, controlled study. The control group (n = 38) underwent 24 weeks of open treatment with Toki-shakuyaku-san (TJ23), an oral herbal remedy used to alleviate climacteric symptoms. The PPE group (n = 38) received three capsules of PPE/day orally for the initial 12 weeks and six capsules/day for the next 12 weeks. Climacteric symptoms were evaluated in both groups using the Simplified Menopausal Index (SMI) score, Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZSDS) and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) before commencing treatment, after 12 weeks of treatment and on completion of treatment. RESULTS: Treatment with PPE was significantly (p < 0.01) more effective in reducing the SMI, ZSDS and STAI measures at 12 and 24 weeks than TJ23 treatment alone. Treatment with PPE was also significantly effective (p < 0.01) in reducing the subscale scores of the SMI for items such as hot flushes, insomnia, irritability, depression, fatigue and joint pain. PPE treatment had no significant adverse effects. CONCLUSION: Oral PPE treatment is another possible option for treating perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with climacteric symptoms.

Efficacy of porcine placental extract on shoulder stiffness in climacteric women.

OBJECTIVES: Some of the most common climacteric symptoms are somatic symptoms, such as muscle and joint pain, which cause limitations in performing daily tasks. This study aimed to assess whether oral porcine placental extract (PPE) affects patients with shoulder stiffness, one of the most common types of muscle-tendon stiffness, in climacteric women and postmenopausal women with hormone therapy (HT). METHODS: Sixty-six climacteric women (33 each in the control and study groups) with shoulder stiffness and 54 postmenopausal women (27 each in the control and study groups) with HT-resistant shoulder stiffness were enrolled into this open-label, randomized, controlled study. The control subjects received Toki-shakuyaku-san (TJ23; 7.5 g/day, daily per os), an oral herbal remedy used to alleviate climacteric symptoms, and study subjects received PPE orally for 24 weeks in climacteric women and for 12 weeks in postmenopausal women with HT. Changes in the degree of shoulder stiffness were evaluated by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). RESULTS: Treatment with PPE was significantly effective in reducing the VAS score for shoulder stiffness during the study period compared with the control group in both climacteric and postmenopausal women with HT. The VAS score at the end of treatment was significantly reduced (p < 0.01 vs. baseline) by 76.4% for climacteric women and 64.8% for postmenopausal women with HT compared with baseline. CONCLUSIONS: PPE is useful as an oral supplement for shoulder stiffness in climacteric women without HT or in postmenopausal women with HT-resistant, long-term shoulder stiffness.

Efficacy of porcine placental extracts with hormone therapy for postmenopausal women with knee pain.

OBJECTIVES: Knee pain related to osteoarthritis increases with age and is more common in middle-aged women. Although hormone replacement therapy (HRT) improves knee pain, women unresponsive to HRT need an effective adjunctive therapy. The aim of this study was to assess whether oral porcine placental extracts (PPE) have an impact on patients with knee pain as an adjunctive therapy combined with HRT. METHODS: Forty-eight postmenopausal women with knee pain receiving HRT were enrolled into this open-label, randomized, controlled study. Subjects were randomized into Group 1 (n= 24) or Group 2 (n=24). Subjects in Group 1 were given 3 months open treatment with calcium (260 mg/day) as adjunctive therapy combined with HRT. Group 2 received PPE (9 capsules/day) as adjunctive therapy combined with HRT. Changes in the degree of knee pain were evaluated by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). RESULTS: Treatment with PPE was significantly effective in reducing the VAS score for knee pain at 4 weeks (p < 0.05), at 8 weeks (p< 0.01) and at 12 weeks (p<0.01), compared with the control group. Interestingly, the effects continued for 4 weeks after cessation of treatment in the PPE group (p< 0.01) compared with the control group. The PPE treatment had no significant adverse effects on blood biochemical and metabolic profiles, especially related to the risk factors for cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSION: PPE is a possible option as an adjunctive oral supplement in the case of HRT-resistant, long-lasting knee pain.

Biodisponibilidade de fontes orgânicas e inorgânicas de zinco em ovinos / Bioavailability of organic and inorganic zinc sources in sheep

Compararam-se os efeitos de diferentes fontes e doses de zinco na dieta de ovinos Santa Inês sobre os níveis de zinco plasmático e de fosfatase alcalina. Foram utilizados 40 cordeiros, recém-desmamados, com média de peso de 18,4kg, distribuídos em 10 tratamentos: 1- dieta basal sem suplementação de zinco; 2- dieta basal + 200mg de Zn/kg de MS na forma de óxido de zinco; 3- dieta basal + 400mg de Zn/kg de MS na forma de óxido de zinco; 4- dieta basal + 600mg de Zn/kg de MS na forma de óxido de zinco; 5- dieta basal + 200mg de Zn/kg de MS na forma de zinco aminoácido; 6- dieta basal + 400mg de Zn/kg de MS na forma de zinco aminoácido; 7- dieta basal + 600mg de Zn/kg de MS na forma de zinco aminoácido; 8- dieta basal + 200mg de Zn/kg de MS na forma de zinco proteinato; 9- dieta basal + 400mg de Zn/kg de MS na forma de zinco proteinato; 10- dieta basal + 600mg de Zn/kg de MS na forma de zinco proteinato. A cada 28 dias, os animais foram pesados e tiveram seu sangue colhido para análise de zinco (Zn), análise de fosfatase alcalina e análises de imunoglobulinas G (IgG) e M (IgM). No final do experimento, foram coletadas amostras de fígado para estudo dos níveis de zinco hepático. Não houve diferença entre tratamentos nos níveis de fosfatase alcalina e de zinco hepático, e no ganho de peso (P>0,05), mas houve diferença (P<0,05) nos níveis de Zn plasmático e nos níveis de IgG e IgM. Baseando-se no acúmulo no fígado, a estimativa da biodisponibilidade de zinco, por intermédio das equações de regressão, mostrou que as fontes orgânicas e inorgânicas de zinco não diferiram entre si.

This research was done to compare the effects of different zinc sources and doses in the Santa Ines sheep diet. Forty lambs at weaning, with 18,4kg BW were randomly allotted and fed 10 treatments: 1- base diet without zinc supplementation; 2- base diet + 200mg Zn/kg of DM as zinc oxide; 3- base diet + 400mg Zn/kg of DM as zinc oxide; 4- base diet + 600mg Zn/kg of DM as zinc oxide; 5- base diet + 200mg Zn/kg of DM as amino acid zinc; 6- base diet + 400mg Zn/kg of DM as amino acid zinc; 7- base diet + 600mg Zn/kg of DM as amino acid zinc; 8- base diet + 200mg Zn/kg of DM as proteinato zinc; 9- base diet + 400mg Zn/kg of DM as proteinato zinc; 10- base diet + 600mg Zn/kg of DM as proteinato zinc. The animals were weighed and sampled for blood zinc analysis, phosphatase alkaline analysis and immunoglobulins G and M analysis. At the end of the experiment liver samples were collected to study the zinc hepatic levels. There was no difference in phosphatase alkaline levels, hepatic zinc levels and weight gain (P>0,05) but differences (P<0,05) in plasmatic zinc levels and in IgG and IgM levels were observed. Based on liver tissue uptake, estimates of the zinc bioavailability, through the regression equations showed that the organic and inorganic sources of zinc did not differ.

Treatment with low-dose interferon-alpha restores the balance between matrix metalloproteinase-9 and E-cadherin expression in human transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

Tumor invasion and metastasis are regulated by the expression of genes such as E-cadherin, which regulates cell adhesion, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), which alters the integrity of the extracellular matrix. Both up-regulation of MMP-9 and down-regulation of E-cadherin correlate with bladder cancer metastasis. The purpose of this study was first to determine whether an imbalance between MMP-9 and E-cadherin expression correlates with metastasis from human transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder after therapy with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radical cystectomy and then to determine whether treatment of human TCC xenografts growing in nude mice with interferon (IFN)-alpha would restore this balance, thereby limiting tumor invasion and metastasis. We used in situ hybridization to evaluate the expression of several metastasis-related genes, including MMP-9 and E-cadherin, in paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens from 55 patients with muscle-invasive TCC treated with neoadjuvant methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin chemotherapy and radical cystectomy. By multivariate analysis, an MMP-9:E-cadherin ratio of >1.8 was an independent prognostic factor for disease progression. In vitro incubation of an IFN-resistant, highly metastatic human TCC cell line, 253J B-V(R) with noncytostatic concentrations of IFN-alpha down-regulated the activity of MMP-9, up-regulated E-cadherin, and inhibited in vitro invasion. 253J B-V(R) cells were implanted into the bladders of athymic nude mice. Systemic therapy with IFN-alpha (10,000 units s.c. daily) decreased the expression of MMP-9, increased expression of E-cadherin, reduced tumor volume, and inhibited metastasis. The MMP-9:E-cadherin ratio was 4.5 in untreated controls and 1.1 after IFN-alpha treatment. Moreover, systemic low-dose daily IFN-alpha potentiated the efficacy of paclitaxel. These studies indicate that in addition to its antiproliferative and antiangiogenic effects, IFN-alpha limits tumor invasion by restoring the normal balance between MMP-9 and E-cadherin and enhances the activity of systemic chemotherapy.

Paxillin: application of immunohistochemistry to the diagnosis of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma and oncocytoma.

Paxillin is a cytoskeletal protein that was recently identified as a component of focal adhesions and links between F-actin and integrin. In this study, 91 renal tumors--65 conventional renal cell carcinomas (RCCs), 14 papillary RCCs, 6 chromophobe RCCs, 4 collecting duct carcinomas, 2 oncocytomas--were investigated for the immunohistochemical expression of paxillin. In a normal kidney, paxillin was predominantly expressed in the cytoplasm of distal tubules, loops of Henle, collecting ducts, and vascular smooth muscle cells. In all of the chromophobe RCCs and oncocytomas, strong expression of paxillin was observed in the tumor cytoplasm. In contrast to these tumors, conventional RCCs, papillary RCCs, and collecting duct carcinomas showed negative reactions for paxillin except for one case in each subgroup with weak reactivity. An immunoblot analysis confirmed the presence of paxillin in healthy kidney, chromophobe RCC, and oncocytoma. These data suggest that paxillin possibly plays a role in signal transductions as a focal adhesion intervening between tumor cells and the extracellular matrix in renal tumors with collecting duct phenotypes such as chromophobe RCCs and oncocytomas, but not in conventional RCCs. In addition, paxillin may be an available marker in distinguishing chromophobe RCCs from conventional or papillary RCCs.

Vinculin: its possible use as a marker of normal collecting ducts and renal neoplasms with collecting duct system phenotype.

Vinculin is a cytoskeletal protein associated with membrane actin-filament-attachment sites of cell-cell and cell-matrix adherens-type junctions. In this article, we examine the expression of vinculin to elucidate its role in human renal neoplasms. We reviewed surgically resected specimens and selected available tissue from 79 renal tumors in 78 patients. There were 55 men and 23 women. Their mean age was 61 years and the mean size of the renal tumors was 6.1 cm. All renal tumors were examined by immunohistochemistry using a monoclonal antibody against vinculin. Overall, 17 (21.5%) renal tumor samples reacted with vinculin. The positive ratio in various types of renal tumors was as follows: conventional-type (clear cell), 0/54; papillary-type, 5/12; chromophobe-type, 5/5; sarcomatoid-type, 3/4; collecting duct carcinoma, 3/3; and oncocytoma, 1/1. The positive rate of conventional-type renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) is significantly different from that of other renal tumors (P < .01). Normal kidney, conventional, and papillary-type RCCs exhibited positive signals in Western blot analysis. These results suggest that vinculin may serve as a useful marker of renal neoplasms with collecting duct system phenotype such as chromophobe-type RCC.

Numerical chromosomal changes in metastatic prostate cancer following anti-androgen therapy: fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis of 5 Japanese cases.

We used fluorescence in situ hybridization with centromere-specific probes for chromosomes 7, 8, 10, and Y to determine the copy number of these chromosomes in metastatic prostate cancers of five Japanese cases. Freshly prepared samples were obtained from prostate needle biopsies at different phases of clinical treatment; pretreatment, 1 week, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks post-treatment (PT), and clinical relapse. Gain of chromosomes 7 and 8, as noted in pretreatment samples; however, in post-treatment specimens (four of five cases), a remarkable reduction in the number of cells with extra copies of these chromosomes was detected. This decrease in the number of cells with additional chromosome 7 and 8 signals was correlated with the clinicohistopathological findings until 4 weeks PT. Chromosomes Y and 10 did not show numerical aberrations before treatment or changes in cells with aneusomy after treatment in all five cases. Our results suggest that gains of chromosomes 7 and 8 correlate with high grade and stage, and that changes in the cell number with aneusomy of chromosomes 7 and 8 reflect the clinical effects of anti-androgen therapy at an early phase, which may also indicate the androgen dependency of prostate cancer cells.

The prognostic value of angiogenesis factor expression for predicting recurrence and metastasis of bladder cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radical cystectomy.

To determine the prognostic value of angiogenesis factor expression for patients with muscle-invasive transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder treated with neoadjuvant methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (M-VAC) chemotherapy and radical cystectomy, we evaluated the expression of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and interleukin 8 (IL-8) by in situ hybridization, and we determined microvessel density (MVD) by immunohistochemistry. These factors were evaluated in 55 biopsy specimens prior to therapy and in the cystectomy specimens of 51 patients after completion of therapy. By univariate analysis, VEGF expression and MVD in the biopsy specimens were significant predictors of disease recurrence. By multivariate analysis, only VEGF expression was an independent prognostic factor. Pathological stage, bFGF expression, and MVD in the cystectomy specimens after therapy were all independent prognostic factors for disease recurrence. The results of this exploratory study indicate that the expression levels of VEGF and bFGF as indicated by in situ hybridization and MVD as indicated by immunohistochemistry identify patients with muscle-invasive TCC who are at high risk of developing metastasis after aggressive therapy with systemic M-VAC chemotherapy and radical cystectomy.

Overexpression of c-met proto-oncogene associated with chromophilic renal cell carcinoma with papillary growth.

Various genetic changes are involved in human renal cell carcinomas (RCCs). However, the molecular events related to other cytomorphological subtypes of RCC are not well known, apart from the relationship between the von Hippel-Lindau tumour suppressor gene and clear cell subtype RCC. We examined the overexpression of several growth factor receptors immunohistochemically and analyzed their relationship to the cytomorphological characters in 120 cases of RCCs. These receptors included c-met proto-oncogene product (c-MET), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and transforming growth factor beta receptor II (TGFbetaR). The overexpression of c-MET was detected in all cases (20/20) of the tubulo-papillary growth type and 78.3% (18/23) of chromophilic cell subtype, resulting in a very significant associations between c-MET overexpression and tubulo-papillary growth RCCs (P<0.0001), c-MET and chromophilic subtype RCCs (P<0.0001), and c-MET and EGFR (P<0.0001). EGFR overexpression was significantly associated with the compact growth RCCs (49/89, P<0.0001), clear cell subtype RCCs (P<0.005) and the overexpression of TGFbetaR (P<0.0001). These results strongly suggest a close correlation between the overexpression of c-MET and development of the chromophilic subtype of RCC with papillary growth pattern. EGFR expression is closely related to the pathogenesis of the clear cell subtype of RCC with compact growth pattern. The overexpression of c-MET, EGFR, and TGFbetaR may have roles that are individually significant in the morphogenesis of RCC.

Determination of the prognostic significance of unscheduled cyclin A overexpression in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

The expression of cyclin A protein was retrospectively investigated in 124 patients with human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with immunohistochemical techniques using antibody to cyclin A protein (BF683). Of 124 tumors, 49 (39.5%) exhibited positive staining in cancer cells with this antibody. Staining was observed predominantly but not exclusively in the nucleus. A significantly higher degree of association of immunoreactivity with this antibody was detected for advanced types of tumors (stages I, II, III, and IV) than for early tumors (stage 0; P < 0.05). Patients with cyclin A immunopositivity had a significantly poorer survival rate than did other patients (P < 0.01). These findings provide the first evidence for frequent and unscheduled overexpression of cyclin A protein in human esophageal cancer and suggest the possibility that alteration of cyclin A overexpression is associated with tumor progression and patient prognosis for esophageal cancers.

[Gamma Glutamyltransferase].

Gamma-Glutamyltransferase (GGT), formerly called gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, is predominantly a membrane-bound enzyme. The estimation of enzyme activity in serum is useful in monitoring hepatobiliary complaints. The electrophoresis with surfactant (Triton X-100) developed by the authors demonstrates five distinct bands of enzyme activity in the serum from patients with hepatitis. These bands are called isoenzyme GGT1 to 5 from anode to cathode, respectively. Four isoenzymes GGT2 to 5, except GGT1 are demonstrated in normal adult serum. The affinity electrophoresis is more variable to identify the hepatoma associated isoenzyme, namely HA-GGT. Concanavalin A used in the method has no affinity with HA-GGT and this isoenzyme is separated from GGT2. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for the measurement of HA-GGT were 58% and 83%, respectively.

Test-strip method for measuring lactate in whole blood.

We have developed a dry reagent strip system for measuring lactate in whole blood. The test strip contains lactate oxidase (no EC number assigned), horseradish peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7), and N-ethyl-N-(2-hydroxy-3-sulfopropyl)-m-toluidine. The system is designed to measure with a reflectometer the color that developed in the test strip, although the lactate concentration can be estimated without the reflectometer. The between-run coefficients of variation for controls at three concentrations were 2.9-5.3%. The lactate concentrations in blood samples from healthy subjects before and after exercise correlated well (r = 0.97) with the results measured by the comparison method with the use of lactate oxidase. This dry reagent strip system provides a convenient and rapid test for measuring blood lactate in clinical and sports medicine.

Plasma fructosamine assay in children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Plasma concentrations of fructosamine, an indicator of glycated plasma proteins, were measured in non-diabetic children and children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) to see if they also correlate with glycemic control in children as well as in adults. Non-diabetic children aged less than 4 yr had significantly lower plasma fructosamine than non-diabetic children aged 4 or more. Total plasma protein in these children was slightly lower or close to that of older children. There was no difference in fructosamine between non-diabetic children aged 4 or more and healthy adult subjects. Plasma fructosamine in children with IDDM was twofold that of age-matched controls. In children with IDDM, correlations between fructosamine and HbAI (r = 0.799) or HbAIc (r = 0.841) were high. The measurement of plasma fructosamine, which is practical in children because of the small sample volume needed and no influence of HbF, is useful in the management of children with IDDM.