[Thiamine deficiency in infants: a case report].

Thiamine deficiency is recognized in varied parts of the world. In Asia, it remains an important public health problem where highly polished rice is the major staple food and where other primary dietary sources of thiamine are in short supply. Beriberi, or clinically apparent thiamine deficiency, may present a variety of syndromes including myocardial dysfunction or wet beriberi, dry beriberi with neurological symptoms, and the more severe form Shoshin beriberi with cardiac failure and lactic acidosis.

Positive impact of long-term lifestyle change on erythrocyte fatty acid profile after acute coronary syndromes.

Background: The outcome of coronary diseases is influenced by lifestyle and diet. Among dietary factors, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids reduce mortality from cardiovascular diseases.

Aims: To evaluate the impact of dietary and lifestyle advice by calculation of scores and analysis of plasmatic lipids and the fatty acid composition of erythrocyte membrane phospholipids after 1 year of patient education in 66 patients with acute coronary syndromes.

[Orange skin and xanthomas associated with lycopenaemia in a setting of type III dyslipoproteinemia].

Background: Type III hyperlipoproteinaemia (HLP) is a rare form of dyslipidaemia characterized by skin lesions such as palmar crease xanthoma and tuberous xanthomas. To our knowledge, there have been no previous reports of yellow-orange discoloration of the skin and xanthomas associated with this disease.

Case Report: A 61-year-old woman consulted for palmar crease xanthoma and tuberous xanthomas of the elbows with odd yellow-orange discoloration.

Evaluation of whole antioxidant defenses of human mononuclear cells by a new in vitro biological test: lack of correlation between erythrocyte and mononuclear cell resistance to oxidative stress.

Objectives: This work aims to evaluate the resistance of mononuclear cells to oxidative stress using a "KRL" test, formerly utilized to evaluate the resistance of erythrocyte to free radicals.

Methods: The "KRL" test evaluates the resistance to lysis of cells treated by free radicals generated under standardized conditions.

Results: We defined new analytical parameters (level of radical production, time course, number of cells) to obtain an accurate assay determining the resistance to oxidative stress of mononuclear cells, in comparison to that of erythrocytes.

Hypercalcemia and 13-cis-retinoic acid in post-consolidation therapy of neuroblastoma.

We report 19 episodes of hypercalcemia in three children treated with 13-cis-retinoic acid (13-cis-RA) as a post-consolidation therapy for high-risk neuroblastoma. There was no concomitant overload in 13-cis-RA blood levels. Blood calcium fell after arrest of 13-cis-RA intake.

Liposomal retinoic acids modulate asthma manifestations in mice.

Signaling of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) through nuclear retinoid acid (RA) receptors regulates several biological functions in airway epithelial cells, eosinophils, and immune cells, yet its impact on different in vivo aspects of pulmonary allergic reaction remains elusive. We compared the effect of a treatment with liposomally encapsulated ATRA (Lipo-ATRA) in a mouse model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced T helper (Th) 2-type responses and airway remodeling. Daily intraperitoneal injections of 10 mg/kg Lipo-ATRA, at the time of each of the 2 systemic sensitizing injections, increased OVA-induced Immunoglobulin E synthesis, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) eosinophilia, and accumulation of IL-5, transforming-growth factor beta1, fibronectin, eotaxin/chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 11 (eotaxin/CCL11) and regulated upon activation, normal T expressed and secreted chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 5.

Site specific changes of redox metabolism in adipose tissue of obese Zucker rats.

Adipose tissues are differently involved in lipid metabolism and obesity according to their type and location. Increasing reports stress on the impact of redox metabolism on obesity and metabolic syndrome. The aim of this work is to investigate the site-specific redox metabolism in three different adipose tissues and its changes occurring in obesity.

Weight-dependent changes of immune system in adipose tissue: importance of leptin.

Ancestral lymphoid cells reside in adipose tissues, and their numbers are highly altered in obesity. Leptin, production of which is correlated to fat mass, is strongly involved in the relationships between adipose tissues and immune system. We investigated in epididymal (EPI) and inguinal (ING) fat pads to determine whether 1) lymphocyte phenotypes were correlated to the tissue weight and 2) leptin was involved in such relationships.

Adipose tissue proadipogenic redox changes in obesity.

The role of inflammation and oxidative stress in the development of obesity and associated metabolic disorders is under debate. We investigated the redox metabolism in a non-diabetic obesity model, i.e.

Reference range for micronutrients and nutritional marker proteins in cord blood of neonates appropriated for gestational ages.

Background: Reference values of numerous micronutrients at different gestational ages (GA) have not been yet reported based on large series.

Aims: This study aimed to establish the reference range for zinc, copper, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin E, retinol binding protein, transthyretin, albumin, transferrin and ceruloplasmin in neonates and to give the profiles according to gestational age.

Study Design: A total of 510 infants appropriate for gestational age were included in the study.

Biological validation of coenzyme Q redox state by HPLC-EC measurement: relationship between coenzyme Q redox state and coenzyme Q content in rat tissues.

The properties of coenzymes Q (CoQ9 and CoQ10) are closely linked to their redox state (CoQox/total CoQ) x 100. In this work, CoQ redox state was biologically validated by high performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical measurement after modulation of mitochondrial electron flow of cultured cells by molecules increasing (rotenone, carbonyl cyanide chlorophenylhydrazone) or decreasing (antimycin) CoQ oxidation. The tissue specificity of CoQ redox state and content were investigated in control and hypoxic rats.

Total parenteral nutrition decreases liver oxidative metabolism and antioxidant defenses in healthy rats: comparative effect of dietary olive and soybean oil.

Background: Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is used for critically ill patients undergoing surgery, after trauma, or during disease conditions that favor oxidative stress. We studied the effect of TPN on liver oxidative metabolism and antioxidant defenses in rats, and we compared the effect of soybean oil- and olive oil-based diets.

Methods: Seven-week-old rats (n = 28) were divided into four groups.

Hepatic hyper-vitaminosis A: importance of retinyl ester level determination.

We report the case of a 32-year-old man with portal hypertension without cirrhosis due to chronic vitamin A intoxication. Portal hypertension revealed by oesophageal varice rupture progressively worsened and ascites occurred 5 years after the patient stopped vitamin A intake. Initially, serum retinyl palmitate concentration was increased whereas serum retinol concentration was normal.

Decreases in retinol and retinol-binding protein during total parenteral nutrition in rats are not due to a vitamin A deficiency.

Perfusion feeding in rats induced a decrease in circulating retinol despite an adequate supply of vitamin A. We studied the effect of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) on the retinol specific carrier in rat, analyzing holo-RBP (bound to retinol) and apo-RBP (without retinol) in serum and in liver. Vitamin A-sufficient (A+) and -deficient (A-) rats were characterized in terms of vitamin A and RBP status and then perfused (TPN-A+ and TPN-A-) or orally pair-fed (O-A+ and O-A-) with vitamin A.

Dietary essential fatty acid deficiency differentially affects tissues of rats.

Quantitative variations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were studied in various tissues: red blood cells (RBC), hepatic microsomes, kidney, skeletal muscle and heart of young rats fed either a control diet (n = 7) or an essential fatty acid (EFA)-deficient diet (n = 7). After 4 wk, the EFA-[deficient rats had significantly lower proportions of (n-6) and (n-3) fatty acids in RBC, hepatic microsomes and kidney than the control group. Paradoxically, normal proportions of arachidonic acid [20:4(n-6)] and 5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid [20:5(n-3)] were retained in heart and skeletal muscle despite generally lower proportions of the precursors, 18:2(n-6) and 18:3(n-3).

Plasma and hepatic antioxidant control and vitamin A nutritional status.

Twenty-seven rats were divided into three groups and fed on diets containing 0.3, 6 or 60 RE (retinol equivalent) retinyl palmitate/g food. After 7 weeks, hepatic vitamin A uptake was found to be more efficient in vitamin A-deficient rats than in rats given adequate vitamin A.

alpha-Tocopherol and trolox block the early intracellular events (TBARS and calcium rises) elicited by oxidized low density lipoproteins in cultured endothelial cells.

Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), treated by UV-C radiations under conditions permitting mildly oxidized LDL (6 +/- 2 nmol TBARS/mg apoB, without major structural or functional alteration of apoB), have been used for studying their cytotoxicity to cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells and the cytoprotective effect of various analogs of alpha-tocopherol. Toxic doses of oxidized LDL evoked intracellular events, such as cellular thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and a sustained peak of [Ca2+]i (cytosolic calcium). The sustained [Ca2+]i peak seems to be directly involved in the genesis of cell injury leading to cell death in contrast to cellular TBARS, which seems to be either an earlier step of signal transduction or a side effect, as shown by inhibiting the [Ca2+]i rise by ethylene glycol-O,O'-bis(amino ethyl)-N1N1N'1N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) added just before the time of the [Ca2+]i peak.

Micronutrient levels in HIV-1-infected children.

Objective: Micronutrients (zinc, copper, selenium, vitamin A, E, and carotenoids) are essential for the integrity of host defences. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of abnormalities of the micronutrient levels in HIV-1-seropositive children.

Design: Prospective study.

A randomised controlled trial to test equivalence between retinyl palmitate and beta carotene for vitamin A deficiency.

Objectives: To determine whether beta carotene is therapeutically equivalent to retinyl palmitate in the formulation currently recommended by the World Health Organisation.

Design: Randomised blind equivalence trial.

Setting: Rural area in Senegal.

Assessment of vitamin A deficiency in a rural area in Mali. Estimation of sample size for the impression cytology test.

The prevalence of vitamin A deficiency among two to ten years old children in a rural area of Mali was assessed by ophthalmic examination, determination of plasma retinol levels and impression cytology with transfer tests. A Public Health problem of vitamin A deficiency was identified in this rural area by: the prevalence of nightblindness significantly (p < 0.001) above the cut-off (1%) defined by the World Health Organization (WHO); the prevalence of corneal scarring significantly (p < 0.

Increased concentrations of endogenous 13-cis- and all-trans-retinoic acids in diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, as demonstrated by HPLC.

Endogenous 13-cis- and all-trans-retinoic acids have been quantitated in human serum using a solvent extraction procedure followed by isocratic reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography and UV detection. In healthy adults, after an overnight fasting period, the concentrations of 13-cis- and all-trans-retinoic acids yielded 5.3 +/- 2.

Retinol storage in the rat liver after daily intramuscular administration of physiological doses of a vitamin A oil emulsion.

We have recently shown the kinetic behavior of liver retinyl esters in rats with adequate vitamin A levels receiving oral vitamin supplementation. In the present work we have studied the effects of intramuscular administration of a vitamin A preparation on the metabolism of vitamin A in the rat. Retinol administered intramuscularly to rats in the form of an emulsion brought about a significant increase in the serum and liver concentration of vitamin A; this increase was slightly less than in orally treated rats.

Fatty acid composition and kinetic behaviour of liver retinyl esters in vitamin A sufficient and deficient rats.

Weanling rats were fed vitamin A deficient diets (-A) or diets supplemented with vitamin A (+A) (4.4 mg retinol equivalents/kg diet) for a period of 7 or 6 wk, respectively. In liver tissues of these two groups of animals both the subcellular localization as well as the fatty acid composition of the retinyl esters was studied.