Nutrition
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Infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a serious public health problem worldwide. In clinical studies, weight loss has been reported in 11% to 29% of patients treated with pegylated interferon-α-2a/2b. Few reports have tried to explain such a weight loss. The aim of this study was to evaluate nutritional status, body composition, and resting energy expenditure (REE) in patients with chronic hepatitis C before and during treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. ⋯ Our study of patients with hepatitis C treatment showed that these patients had significant weight loss and this was not associated with changes in energy expenditure. However, we observed a significant decrease in energy intake, pointing to a possible need for intervention measures to decrease the damage.
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This study investigated the role of L-arginine supplementation to undernourished and Cryptosporidium parvum-infected suckling mice. ⋯ These findings show a protective role of L-arginine during C. parvum infection in undernourished mice, with involvement of arginase I and nitric oxide synthase enzymatic actions.
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Oxidative stress contributes to myonecrosis in the dystrophin-deficient fibers of mdx mice and in Duchenne's muscular dystrophy. We examined the effects of ascorbic acid (AA), an antioxidant and free radical scavenger, on the dystrophic diaphragm muscle. ⋯ The present results suggest that AA plays a protective role in dystrophic muscle degeneration, possibly by decreasing reactive oxygen species, and support further investigations of AA as a potential therapy for dystrophinopathies.
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To investigate the effects of diabetes and/or hypercholesterolemia on skin development during in utero life at 15, 17 & 19 days old. ⋯ These findings showed that maternal diabetes and/or hypercholesterolemia increased average deformation of hair follicles, vacuolation, and degeneration of epidermal cell layers. The observed findings resulted from altered protein expression and increased DNA fragmentation, which, in turn, disrupt epidermal cell differentiation.