Nutrition
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Nucleotides play a significant role in many physiologic functions, ranging from the encoding of genetic information to signal transduction. Accumulating evidence from recent animal and clinical studies supports the original notion that nucleotides are semi-essential dietary nutrients. ⋯ Infant studies confirm these findings and are presented in this review. Regulatory agencies are currently using this information collectively to support the rationale for the supplementation of infant formulas with higher amounts of nucleotides.
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Comparative Study
Effect of chromium on apolipoprotein A-I expression in HepG2 cells.
Chromium is a key micronutrient required for lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. Some but not all clinical trials have associated use of chromium supplements with improved insulin sensitivity and lipid profile including increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. ⋯ Supraphysiologic concentrations of chromium and other minerals with known insulin-sensitizing activity may reduce apoA-I promoter activity in cultured cells. Whether similar changes may occur in vivo remains to be shown. However, these observations do not support the use of pharmacologic amounts of chromium supplementation to enhance the cardioprotective lipid profile.
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The objective of this study was to measure the relation between menstrual cycle length disorders and degree of obesity. ⋯ Higher obesity grades were associated with higher probabilities of menstrual cycle disturbances such as amenorrhea and oligomenorrhea in this group of Mexican women.
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In this prospective study, we assessed nutritional and immunologic risk factors for infectious complications and deaths related to infection in elderly patients undergoing major elective surgery. ⋯ In patients with a good cardiac index (Goldman I and II) who underwent major elective surgery, prealbumin protein, retinol-binding protein, and transferrin levels below normal values represented a significant risk for postoperative infectious complications. Lymphocyte counts lower than 1500/m(3) and abnormal prealbumin values were associated with postoperative mortality secondary to infection. The anthropometric variables evaluated did not predict postoperative infectious complications and mortality.
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We examined the role of selenium (Se) status in psoriasis and its relation to the severity and duration of the disease. ⋯ Se status is depressed and related to the severity of the disease only in patients with psoriasis lasting more than 3 y.