Nutrition and pesticide interactions

In the fields of nutrition and agromedicine have an exciting research, service and training future together. The specific subject of nutritional status and pesticide toxicity is only one research area that demonstrates how fruitful this new partnership can be. Its synergism can do much to assist the social, health and nutritional status of our fellow humans in many parts of the world (AU)

Cord blood serum in newborns of diabetic mothers.

Serum cholesterol, triglycerides and lipoprotein cholesterol were measured in cord bloods from 117 newborns. Group I consisted of 39 infants of diabetic mothers and Group II (control) consisted of 78 newborns of non-diabetic mothers. The most significant difference in serum lipids between the two groups was the higher levels of LDL cholesterol and lower levels of HDL cholesterol in the newborns of diabetic mothers. Cord blood serum cholesterol was slightly, but not significantly, higher in children born of diabetic mothers. Serum triglycerides were also not significantly different between the groups. While it remains to be established whether elevated levels of LDL cholesterol and decreased levels of HDL cholesterol at birth in these infants represent a transient phenomenon, this study suggests that newborns of diabetic mothers may be predisposed early in life to LDL hypercholesterolemia and thus may be at a greater risk of developing coronary heart disease later in life.

Adipose tissue fatty acid composition of adolescents in a U.S.--Greece cross-cultural study of coronary heart disease risk factors.

Adipose tissue fatty acid composition was studied in 139 boys, a subgroup of 1521 subjects aged 8-16 participating in the United States (New York City)--Greece cross-cultural study of coronary heart disease risk factor development. Adipose tissue was obtained by an aspiration technique, followed by transmethylation of fatty acids and gas-liquid chromatographic analysis. Statistically significant differences were found among different cohorts in their adipose tissue content of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. All United States cohorts had significantly higher (p less than 0.0001) levels of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and significantly lower (p less than 0.0001) monounsaturated fatty acids compared to the Greece cohorts. These relationships held for all three types of fatty acids whether the non-Greek cohort from New York City or the cohorts of adolescents of Greek descent who reside in New York City alone, were compared to the cohorts residing in Greece. The differences in the adipose tissue fatty acids between the cohorts may be an important expression of the biochemical milieu which contributes to the development of relatively low coronary heart disease rates in Greece compared to those in the United States.

Influence of vitamin C restriction on guinea pig adrenal calcium and plasma corticosteroids.

Some aspects of adrenocortical function were investigated in young male guinea pigs fed an ascorbic acid (AsA)-deficient diet for 7 days, followed by 0.1 mg AsA/100 g body weight/day for 4 days; pair-fed guinea pigs served as controls. Ninety minutes prior to killine, all guinea pigs received either an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) or saline injection, and 30 minutes prior to killing, all were injected with 20 muCi 45Ca/100 g body weight intraperitoneally. AsA restriction alone caused an 89% reduction in adrenal AsA concentration, but growth rate, adrenal weight and plasma ACTH were not different from those of pair-fed controls. Adrenal radiocalcium uptake, adrenal calcium content and plasma corticosteroids were similar in saline-treated guinea pigs restricted in AsA and the ACTH-treated controls, all of which were significantly higher than the values observed in saline-injected controls. Similar responses of the ACTH-treated controls and the saline-treated mildly deficient guinea pigs indicated that, at the adrenal AsA levels achieved (4.45 to 7.02 mg/100 g tissue), adrenal calcium and plasma corticosteroids increased significantly without the mediation of ACTH.

Effects of riboflavin repletion during different developmental phases on behavioral patterns, brain nucleic acid and protein contents, and erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity of male rats.

Effects of riboflavin repletion of rats at various stages of development were evaluated by biochemical and behavioral parameters. One group of dams received diets containing a suboptimal level of riboflavin, approximately 15 mug, and another group, control, received approximately 40 mug of the vitamin daily 2 weeks before mating. Rats fed the control diet received approximately 120 mug riboflavin daily during pregnancy and lactation; suboptimals received approximately 15 mug daily. Some rats fed the control diet were pair-fed to rats fed the suboptimal ration. A group of dams fed the suboptimal diet was switched to control after parturition. At weaning, male offspring were fed the same riboflavin levels their respective dams received before mating except one group, whose dams were fed the suboptimal diet, received the control diet. Male progeny of dams pair-fed the control diet to suboptimal rats were either pair-fed to offspring of suboptimal dams or to offspring riboflavin-repleted at weaning. Rats that always received the suboptimal diet had significantly higher general activity scores at 60 days of age than the scores of other animals. Brains from rats always fed the suboptimal diet and those receiving riboflavin repletion at weaning had lower, sometimes significantly, DNA, RNA, and protein contents than those from other animals. Riboflavin restriction during gestation and lactation, but not gestation alone, appeared to produce permanent alterations in general activity scores and brain nucleic acid and protein contents of male rat progeny.