Differential regulation of cholesterol homeostasis in transgenic mice expressing human cholesterol ester transfer protein.

We investigated whether expression of cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) in mice alters the regulation of cholesterol metabolism. Transgenic mice expressing human CETP (CETP-TG) and nontransgenic littermates (non-TG) were fed either a monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) or a saturated fatty acid (SFA)-rich diet in the presence or absence of cholesterol. Mice fed with MUFA diet had higher CETP activity compared with SFA-fed mice.

Thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, and vitamin C status in premature infants receiving parenteral and enteral nutrition.

Background: There is a paucity of data about water soluble vitamin status in low birthweight infants. Therefore, the authors' objective was to assess current feeding protocols.

Methods: The authors measured serum concentrations for riboflavin, pyridoxine, and vitamin C and functional assays for thiamine and riboflavin longitudinally in 16 premature infants (birthweight, 1,336 +/- 351 g; gestational age, 30 +/- 2.

Eighteen-month follow-up of infants fed evaporated milk formula.

In parts of Canada including Newfoundland and Labrador and among Aboriginal peoples, infants still consume evaporated milk (EM) formulas for cultural and economic reasons. At 3 and 6 months, full-term infants fed EM (n = 30) received low intakes of iron, thiamine, selenium and had higher weight velocity than breastfed (BF, n = 29) infants. EM infants had greater anemia, lowered transketolase activity (thiamine) and lowered glutathione peroxidase (selenium) activity (p < 0.

Molybdenum requirements in low-birth-weight infants receiving parenteral and enteral nutrition.

Background: Molybdenum (Mo) is an essential trace element required by three enzymatic systems, yet there are no reports of Mo deficiency in infants. Low-birth-weight infants (LBW) might be at risk for Mo deficiency because they are born before adequate stores for Mo can be acquired, they have rapid growth requiring increased intakes, and they frequently receive supplemental parenteral nutrition (SPN) and total parenteral nutrition (TPN) unsupplemented with molybdenum.

Methods: To investigate Mo requirements of LBW infants (n = 16; birth weight, 1336+/-351 g; gestational age, 29.

A major factor contributing to the high degree of unexplained variability of some elements concentrations in biological tissue: 27 elements in 5 organs of the mussel Mytilus as a model.

It has long been known that a high degree of "unexplained" residual variability can occur in the concentrations of some elements in some biological tissues. Until now, no reasons have been found for the presence of such high levels of variability. The present study describes a factor which can adequately explain this phenomenon.