B Vitamins Can Reduce Body Weight Gain by Increasing Metabolism-related Enzyme Activities in Rats Fed on a High-Fat Diet.

B vitamins are enzyme cofactors that play an important role in energy metabolism. The aim of this study was to elucidate whether B vitamin administration can reduce body weight (BW) gain by improving energy metabolism-related enzyme activities in rats fed on a highfat diet. Fifty rats were randomly assigned to one of the following five groups: control group (C), including rats fed on standard rat chow; four treatment groups (HO, HI, H2, and H3), in which rats were fed on a high-fat diet. Rats in the HI group were treated daily with 100 mg/kg BW thiamine (VB1), 100 mg/kg BW riboflavin (VB2), and 250 mg/kg BW niacin (VPP); rats in the H2 group were treated daily with 100 mg/kg BW pyridoxine (VB6), 100 mg/kg BW cobalamin (VB12), and 5 mg/kg BW folate (FA); and rats in the H3 group were treated daily with all of the B vitamins administered to the HI and H2 groups. After 12 weeks, the BW gains from the initial value were 154.5±58.4 g and 159.1±53.0 g in the HI and C groups, respectively, which were significantly less than the changes in the HO group (285.2±14.8 g, P<0.05). In the HO group, the plasma total cholesterol (CHO) and triglyceride (TG) levels were 1.59±0.30 mmol/L and 1,55±0.40 mmol/L, respectively, which were significantly greater than those in the HI group (1.19±0.18 mmol/L and 0.76±0.34 mmol/L, respectively, P<0.05). The activities of transketolase (TK), glutathione reductase, and Na+/K+ adenosine triphosphatase were significantly increased in the B vitamin-treated groups and were significantly greater than those in the HO group (P<0.05). Furthermore, the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, pyruvic acid kinase, and succinate dehydrogenase activities also were increased after treatment with B vitamins. Supplementation with B vitamins could effectively reduce BW gain and plasma levels of lipids by improving energy metabolism-related enzyme activities in rats, thus possibly providing potential benefits to humans.

Enhancement of vitamin A combined vitamin D supplementation on immune response to Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine revaccinated in Chinese infants.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether there is an association between diameter of bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) scars and effect of purified protein derivative (PPD) reaction and to determine whether vitamin A (VA) combined vitamin D (VD) supplementation influences the immune response to BCG revaccinated in Chinese infants. METHODS: A cross-section and 3-month community-randomised trial was conducted. A total of 5 629 infants at 3, 6 and 12 months of age in Junan County of China were examined for BCG scar formation. Then, 597 revaccinated infants were randomly assigned to supplementation (n=307) and control (n=290) groups. The supplementation group were daily assigned to 1 500 IU VA and 500 IU VD for 3 months. Then all infants were subjected to skin test with PPD. RESULTS: The diameter of BCG scars was positively correlated with diameter of skin indurations of PPD (r=0.17, P<0.05) in the 5 629 infants. The rate of positive response to PPD was higher in the supplementation group than in the control group (96.1% versus 89.7%, P<0.05, prevalence ratio 1.07, 95% CI 1.02-1.12). The prevalence ratio of PPD response for the supplementation group compared with that for the control group was 1.07 (95% CI 1.01-1.13) for the males and 1.08 (95% CI 1.00-1.17) for the females. For the supplementation group, the males got larger tuberculin induration than the females [(0.73±0.21) cm versus (0.67±0.20) cm, P<0.05) after intervention. CONCLUSIONS: The diameter of BCG scars was effectively correlated with PPD response, which indicates BCG scar formation may be an useful tool to evaluate the effect of tuberculosis prevention. VA combined VD supplementation may play an immuno-regulatory role in BCG revaccination. This may contribute to the prevention of childhood tuberculosis.

[Expression of heme oxygenase-1 and inducible nitric oxide synthase in the lungs of hyperoxia-exposed preterm rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the expression and the role of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in preterm rats with hyperoxia-induced lung injuries. METHODS: Sixty-four three-day-old preterm Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to a hyperoxia group (90% oxygen exposure) and a control group (room air exposure), with 32 rats in each group. After 3 days or 7 days of exposure, the lung activity of HO-1 and nitric oxide (NO) contents in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), pulmonary histopathologic changes, and the cellular distribution and expression of HO-1 and iNOS in the lungs were measured. RESULTS: After 3 days and 7 days of exposure, the hyperoxia group showed acute lung injuries characterized by the presence of hyperaemia, red cell extravasation and inflammatory infiltration. The NO contents in BALF and the iNOS expression in the lungs increased significantly in the hyperoxia group compared with those in the control group 3 and 7 days after exposure. The expression of HO-1 in macrophages in the lungs increased significantly in the hyperoxia group compared with that in the control group 3 and 7 days after exposure. The NO contents in BALF and the iNOS and HO-1 expression in the lungs increased significantly 7 days after hyperoxia exposure compared with 3 days after hyperoxia exposure. CONCLUSIONS: iNOS and HO-1 levels in the lungs increase in preterm rats with hyperoxia-induced lung injuries, suggesting that iNOS and HO-1 may play roles in hyperoxia-induced pulmonary injuries.

Micronutrient status in anemic and non-anemic Chinese women in the third trimester of pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Anemia is a major nutrition related problem in China. In addition to iron deficiency this may be due to deficiencies of other micronutrients. OBJECTIVE: To describe the micronutrient status of anemic and non-anemic pregnant women in China. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: 734 clinically normal pregnant women in the third trimester aged 20-35, were randomly recruited from the population of pregnant women regularly receiving pregnant examination in community medical centers. Serum concentrations of vitamins A, B12 and C, iron and zinc status parameters, and vitamin B2 in urine were determined. Subjects were categorized according to the presence or absence of anemia and compared according to micronutrient status. RESULTS: Serum concentrations of iron and micronutrients were significantly lower in anemic women than non-anemic women: serum iron 909 microg/L versus 1109 microg/L, ferritin 13.8 microg/L versus 19.6 microg/L, vitamin C 308.9 microg/L versus 388.1 microg/dL, and retinol 50.0 microg/dL versus 59.3 microg/dL. Zinc concentrations were also lower in anemic women. Subnormal serum iron (<700 microg/L) and iron depletion (ferritin <12 microg/L) were 39.7% and 52.6%, significantly more frequent in anemic than 23.9% and 35.0% in non-anemic subjects, as were subnormal vitamin A and ascorbic acid. Subnormal vitamin B2 and B12 were frequent in both anemic and non-anemic groups. CONCLUSION: Subnormal concentrations of iron and micronutrients in combination may contribute to this situation. Further studies on food-based or supplement-based approaches trying to increase intake of iron and certain vitamins are warranted to decrease anemia in pregnant Chinese women in the third trimester.

[A study on the (CA)n in FVIII gene in Han ethnic group in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region by amplification polymorphisms combined with silver staining].

OBJECTIVE: Hemophilia A is an inherited bleeding disorder caused by defects in factor VIII (FVIII) gene. In the present study, the frequencies of the microsatellite alleles at introns 13 and 22 in the factor VIII gene were analyzed in the group of Han nationality in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to explore their diagnostic value for hemophilia A. These two sites were also used to detect the carriers in 13 hemophilia A families. METHODS: Ninty-one individuals of Han ethnic group in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (135 X chromosomes) and 13 HA families were subjected to molecular studies. First, these two fragments were PCR amplified simultaneously. Then, silver staining was used later to show their polymorphisms. The investigators selected one sample at random to obtain its lengths of the PCR products at these two sites by ABI310 PCR amplifier. After counting its repeated numbers of (CA) according to the documents concerned, the repeated numbers of the other samples could be counted easily. RESULTS: In the 91 individuals, 6 and 4 alleles were detected at these two sites, respectively. At intron 13 the allele frequencies ranged from 0.0002 to 0.5408 and polymorphism information content (PIC) was 0.5899. At intron 22 the allele frequencies ranged from 0.0444 to 0.4963 and its PIC was 0.5359. The actual heterozygosity for intron 13 and intron 22 were 0.6364 (28/44) and 0.5227 (23/44), respectively. In 13 hemophilia A families with positive history, 9 of them were diagnosed by this method and the diagnosis rate was 69%. CONCLUSION: With high PICs, (CA)n at intron 13 and intron 22 were two valuable sites in the diagnosis of hemophilia A in the population of Han ethnic group in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Compared with some other HA restrictive fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP), intron 22 (GT)n (AG)n was more informative.

Comparison of serum levels of iron, zinc and copper in anaemic and non-anaemic pregnant women in China.

Zinc and copper deficiency is associated with anaemia or iron deficiency and affects fetus growth and pregnant women during pregnancy. To examine iron, zinc and copper status of Chinese pregnant women with and without anaemia in the third trimester, 1185 subjects were enrolled for measurements of Hb, ferritin, transferrin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), and serum iron, zinc and copper. The results showed that there were lower levels of ferritin (14.1 microg/L) and transferrin (3.33 g/L) in subjects with Hbor=101 g/L. sTfR levels in subjects with Hbor=120 g/L (38.5 nmol/L vs. 25.04 nmol/L, P<0.001). Serum iron was lower in subjects with Hbor=120 g/L (871 microg/L vs. 990 microg/L, P<0.01). Lower levels of serum iron and zinc were also found in anaemic (Hb<110 g/L) as compared with non-anaemic women (Hb>or=110 g/L). Frequencies of marginal deficiencies in serum iron and zinc were 41.58% and 51.05% respectively higher in anaemic than in non-anaemic subjects. Distribution of serum zinc and iron showed a decreasing trend as Hb decreased. Few anaemic as well as non-anaemic subjects had copper deficiency although copper and Hb levels were found inversely correlated and the ratio of copper/iron was higher in anaemic than in non-anaemic group. In conclusion, a lower level of serum zinc in anaemic pregnant women might be related to anaemia and iron deficiency during pregnancy. Therefore, combined zinc and iron supplementation should be recommended to Chinese pregnant women, especially those with anaemia.

The multiple vitamin status of Chinese pregnant women with anemia and nonanemia in the last trimester.

Iron-deficiency or anemia in pregnancy is a major public health problem in China. This cross-sectional study was carried out to observe the association between iron status and multiple vitamin levels of Chinese pregnant women in the third trimester. We measured iron, ascorbic acid, retinol, folate and vitamin B12 in serum, and riboflavin in urine specimens of 1,163 pregnant women in four sites throughout rural and city areas in China. Based on hemoglobin concentrations (Hb), the subjects were divided into an anemia group with Hb < 110 g/L or Hb < or = 100 g/L as severe anemia group, and nonanemia group with Hb > or = 110 g/L. Results showed that 41.58% of the population with serum iron < 700 microg/L and 51.04% of the population with ferritin < 12 microg/L in the anemia group, percentages that were much higher than those in the nonanemia group. Relationships between five vitamins and hemoglobin concentrations of all subjects were observed. There was a lower level of serum ascorbic acid (291.05 microg/dL) in the Hb < or = 100 g/L group than in the Hb > or = 120 g/L group (487.79 microg/dL) (p < 0.001). Serum levels of vitamin B12 and folate were 445.67 pg/mL and 5.94 ng/mL in the Hb < or = 100 g/L group, whose levels were much lower than the levels of 502.01 pg/mL (p < 0.012) and 8.07 ng/mL (p < 0.010) respectively in the Hb > or = 120 g/L group. Further, cross-sectional analysis showed positive correlations between abnormal hematological results and prevalences of vitamin deficiencies. The subjects with iron-deficiency anemia had much higher rates of vitamin C, folate and vitamin B12 deficiencies than those in the nonanemic subjects, and especially in the deficient rates of ascorbic acid and folate in the anemia (Hb < 110 g/L) group, which reached 64.04% and 22.70% respectively. Moreover, we observed that the decreasing trends of hemoglobin concentrations were accompanied by the decreases of serum levels of vitamin A, ascorbic acid, folate and vitamin B12. In conclusion, multiple vitamin deficiencies, especially ascorbic acid, retinol and folic acid, may be associated with anemia or iron deficiency in pregnant women in the last trimester. The study suggested that anemic pregnant women in China should be supplemented with iron and multiple vitamins simultaneously.