Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism最新文献

Tocotrienols, isomers of vitamin E, may provide an effective nutritional strategy to mitigate common cardiovascular risks such as dyslipidemia, inflammation, and oxidative stress in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial aimed to evaluate the effects of a tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) supplementation (300 mg/day) on oxidative stress and inflammatory markers, including transcription factors in nondialysis (ND) and hemodialysis (HD) CKD patients for three months. Interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (IL-6 and TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP), lipid peroxidation, biochemical parameters, and transcription factors such as NRF2 and NF-κB mRNA expression were evaluated. Seventeen HD patients (9 in the placebo group, 8 in the TRF group) and 16 ND CKD patients (8 in the placebo group and 8 in the TRF group) completed the study. In HD patients, significant reductions were observed in LDL cholesterol (p=0.04) and total plasma cholesterol levels (p=0.01) after TRF intervention. CRP serum levels decreased significantly in ND CKD patients (p=0.05) after TRF supplementation. Transcription factors NRF2 and NF-κB mRNA expressions remained unaltered in both groups. This study suggests that TRF supplementation may mitigate dyslipidemia and inflammation, factors involved with increased cardiovascular risk, in CKD patients, with variations in efficacy between HD and ND patients. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04900532.

A rise in body temperature caused by physical work, including exercise, in a hot climate can lead to heat-related illnesses such as exertional heat exhaustion and stroke. Individuals who work physically demanding occupations in hot environments are at heightened risk of heat injury. The mechanisms that contribute to heat illness resulting from physical work in the heat are complex and include dehydration, tissue ischemia and damage, oxidative stress, and inflammatory events. Therefore, it is important to develop strategies that address these mechanistic underpinnings to prevent exacerbation to heat illness. Glutamine is an amino acid that has been considered conditionally essential during situations of biological stress (e.g., tissue burn, exercise, sepsis) due to high rates of tissue consumption. Evidence suggests that glutamine may serve as an important nutrient during heat stress and when combined with other preventative measures (e.g., cooling techniques, work/rest ratios, clothing) may help to mitigate heat illness among individuals working in extreme climates. The aim of this review is to examine the current literature on the role of glutamine during heat stress.

The objective of this research was to investigate the calcium bioavailability and the influence of substituting synthetic calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) with grouper bone nano-calcium (GBN), and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) with long-chain triglyceride (LCT) in the diet of ovariectomized rats maintained for 8 weeks. Twenty rats were randomly divided into four distinct groups: (1) The OX-C group: AIN-93M standard + synthetic CaCO₃; (2) the OX-D group: AIN-93M standard + no calcium; (3) the OX-1 group: AIN-93M standard + GBN; and (4) the OX-2 group: AIN-93M with MCT as lipid source + GBN. The test parameters conducted encompassed the evaluation of the rat's body weight, levels of calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase in rat blood serum, examination of the microstructure of rat tibiae by histomorphometry and femora bones by means of 3D micro-CT image analysis, and assessment of the strength of rat femora bones by the three-point bending. The results indicated that the GBN calcium diet groups (OX-1 and OX-2) were successful substitutes for synthetic CaCO₃ of the OX-C group. GBN calcium diet groups have shown superiority in terms of trabeculae thickness (Tb.Th), bone volume (BV/TV), bone mineral density (BMD), and particularly in bone strength evaluations. The GBN calcium diet groups exhibited serum calcium, serum phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase levels that were comparable to those of synthetic CaCO₃ calcium. As the calcium-deficient group, OX-D revealed a much lower and distinct performance than other groups. This research demonstrated that MCT exhibit comparable performance to LCT; however, it did not establish that substituting LCT for MCT was superior.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess match time courses on hydration, wellness, and sleep as well as the interrelationship between these variables in youth national soccer players. Materials and Methods: Under-17 and under-19 youth national soccer players (age range: 16.96 ± 1.17 years) completed a perceptual wellness questionnaire, self-reported their sleep, and carried out hydration assessments each morning during a period of competitive match play. Results: Players reported having significantly more sleep leading into the day of a match (MD) compared to both the evening after a match (MD-2; p < 0.001; CI = 7.972 and 8.212) and the evening before a match (MD-1; p < 0.001; CI = 7.996 and 8.174). Furthermore, players reported better health and wellbeing scores on MD compared to both MD-1 (p < 0.001; CI = 19.231 and 19.692) and MD-2 (p < 0.001; CI = 18.911 and 19.489). When self-reported sleep was correlated with the individual components of health and wellbeing, it was highlighted that there were significant effects for fatigue (r = 0.304, p < 0.001; CI = 0.250 and 0.383), mood (r = 0.170, p < 0.001; CI = 0.112 and 0.243), general muscle soreness (r = 0.225, p < 0.001; CI = 0.162 and 0.306), and stress (r = 0.203, p < 0.001; CI = 0.147 and 0.274). Conclusion: It is important to consider sleep strategies to mitigate the potential impact of lack of sleep following match play. Self-reported sleep seems to be appropriate for estimating individual components of health and wellbeing, and therefore may be a suitable replacement for perceptual wellness questionnaires.

Licorice is a therapeutic herb in traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Licorice is considered as an anti-inflammatory agent due to its suppression and inhibition of inflammatory pathways. Licorice has many bioactive compounds such as glycyrrhetinic acid, glycyrrhizin, liquiritigenin, and isoliquirtigenin which are principally accountable for its therapeutic benefits. These bioactive components reduce inflammation by preventing the activation of important inflammatory pathways including mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB). As a result of this tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are among the proinflammatory cytokines whose production is inhibited. Components present in licorice inhibit the activation by suppressing the IκBα phosphorylation and degradation. Moreover, licorice compounds also attenuate the MAPK signaling cascades by inhibiting the MAPK kinase phosphorylation and downstream MAPKs such as extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38 MAPK, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). The present review focuses on the current understanding of licorice effect on the NF-κB and MAPK inflammatory cell signaling pathways at molecular level. Furthermore, emerging evidence suggested that licorice-derived bioactive compounds may attenuate the molecular mechanism which is associated with inflammation, providing the additional insights into the therapeutic potential. Further studies explained the precise molecular mechanism at the cellular level underlying the licorice anti-inflammatory effect and potential application in managing inflammatory disorders. In conclusion, licorice has a complex mode of action and is a valuable natural anti-inflammatory. Its natural origin and effectiveness in clinical applications make it an intriguing topic for additional study. As licorice becomes more widely used in medicine, future research should focus on refining its formulations to optimize therapeutic advantages.

The ketogenic diet (KD) is a special high-fat, very low-carbohydrate diet with the amount of protein adjusted to one's requirements. By lowering the supply of carbohydrates, this diet induces a considerable change in metabolism (of protein and fat) and increases the production of ketone bodies. The purpose of this article is to review the diversity of composition, mechanism of action, clinical application and risk associated with the KD. In the last decade, more and more results of the diet's effects on obesity, diabetes and neurological disorders, among other examples have appeared. The beneficial effects of the KD on neurological diseases are related to the reconstruction of myelin sheaths of neurons, reduction of neuron inflammation, decreased production of reactive oxygen species, support of dopamine production, repair of damaged mitochondria and formation of new ones. Minimizing the intake of carbohydrates results in the reduced absorption of simple sugars, thereby decreasing blood glucose levels and fluctuations of glycaemia in diabetes. Studies on obesity indicate an advantage of the KD over other diets in terms of weight loss. This may be due to the upregulation of the biological activity of appetite-controlling hormones, or to decreased lipogenesis, intensified lipolysis and increased metabolic costs of gluconeogenesis. However, it is important to be aware of the side effects of the KD. These include disorders of the digestive system as well as headaches, irritability, fatigue, the occurrence of vitamin and mineral deficiencies and worsened lipid profile. Further studies aimed to determine long-term effects of the KD are required.

The main objective of this pilot study was to compare the effects of short-term supplementation with a mixture containing creatine and guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) versus creatine alone on body composition indices in men and women. Twenty-three apparently healthy young adults (mean age: 21.4 ± 0.6 years; 10 females) were randomly assigned to receive either a mixture (consisting of 2 g of creatine monohydrate and 2 g of GAA) or an equimolar amount of creatine monohydrate in a pretest-posttest control group experimental crossover design. After the intervention period, participants entered a 2-week washout phase to minimize any residual effects of the treatment. Body composition was assessed using a multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis at baseline (preadministration) and at the 7-day follow-up (postadministration). A significant interaction effect was found for extracellular mass (p=0.009), with creatine-GAA outperforming creatine in augmenting extracellular mass across the whole sample. In the male subsample, creatine was superior to the mixture in increasing intracellular water (p=0.049), whereas the mixture increased extracellular mass, contrasting with the reduction observed with creatine alone (p=0.008). No significant differences between interventions were reported in the female subsample (p > 0.05), indicating that adding GAA to creatine may produce unique, sex-specific effects on body composition. Further studies are needed to validate our findings across different demographic cohorts and various interventional regimens.

Introduction: Dietary supplements with vitamin and calcium are recommended to nursing home residents in Denmark, but adherence to the recommendation is low. In a previous part of this study, we reported improved adherence by means of The Model for Improvement leading to increased awareness and change of workflows at two nursing homes. However, potential effects of this improved adherence are unknown.

Objective: The objective of this substudy was to investigate if the improved adherence to the recommendation affected vitamin D status, muscle strength, and physical functioning of the residents.

Methods: This was a 20-week quasiexperimental study involving 40 residents from two Danish nursing homes. Baseline and endpoint measurements took place in October 2021 and March 2022, respectively. Outcomes were number of residents taking vitamin D and calcium supplements; vitamin D status; handgrip strength; and physical functioning with timed-up-and-go test and 30-second chair stand test.

Results: Prevalence of vitamin D supplement users increased from 45 to 78% (mean dose 41 μg) and of calcium supplement users from 40 to 72% (mean dose 769 mg) (both P=0.002). Among those having blood sampled at both baseline and endpoint (n = 30), mean vitamin D status increased from 66.6 ± 31.7 nmol/L to 82.8 ± 26.3 nmol/L (P < 0.001), and more residents were vitamin D sufficient at endpoint (90 vs. 63%, P=0.021). Endpoint vitamin D status among supplement users was 88.2 ± 22.2 nmol/L, which was higher compared to nonsupplement users (55.3 ± 30.4 nmol/L, P < 0.01). No effects were seen on muscle strength or physical functioning.

Conclusions: Increased supplementation with vitamin D using The Model for Improvement positively affected vitamin D status and prevalence of vitamin D sufficiency but did not affect muscle strength or physical functioning. Longer-term studies involving more residents are needed to investigate effects of improved adherence on these outcomes. This trial is registered with NCT04956705.

Background: Refeeding syndrome is a complication developed by children being managed for severe acute malnutrition (SAM). It is caused by changes in electrolyte balance once high-caloric feeding is reinitiated. Phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium are the main electrolytes affected when it occurs. However, hypophosphatemia is the hallmark of the diagnosis of refeeding syndrome. WHO recommends inpatient management of patients with complicated SAM with initially F75 which is low in calories and later transitioned to RUTF which is high in calories but also has a higher phosphorus content.

Objective: This study aims to determine the incidence and factors associated with refeeding syndrome in the transition phase when treating children aged 6 to 59 months with severe acute malnutrition at the Mwanamugimu Nutritional Unit, Mulago.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study at the Mwanamugimu Nutritional Unit of Mulago National Referral Hospital. A total of 150 children between 6 and 59 months with SAM were enrolled into the study. We measured serum electrolytes (phosphorus, sodium, and potassium) at admission, initiation of RUTF, and 48 hours after transition. The refeeding syndrome was diagnosed by a drop in serum phosphorus of more than 0.3 mmol from baseline. The data were analyzed using STATA 17.0. Incidence of refeeding syndrome was determined as the proportion of participants whose serum phosphorus declined by more than 0.3 mmol from baseline. For factors associated, a multivariate-modified Poisson regression analysis reporting relative risk was performed with a 0.2 level of significance at bivariate and 0.05 at multivariate analyses.

Results: Of the 150 children recruited, 35 were lost to follow-up and 115 children had their data analyzed. Of the 115 participants in the study, 40 developed refeeding syndrome indicating a cumulative incidence of 34.8% with a 95% CI of 26.5-44%. A low baseline serum sodium (RR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.80-0.99, and P value: 0.038) and having edematous malnutrition (RR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.81-0.99, and P value; 0.042) at admission were found to be significant (P < 0.05) risk factors of refeeding syndrome.

Conclusion: The cumulative incidence of RFS of 34.8% is very high. RFS is found to be associated with low baseline sodium and pedal edema. Children with a low baseline sodium and edema should undergo a cautious transition of feeds.

Background: Benfotiamine, a synthetic analog of thiamine, offers greater bioavailability compared to other thiamine salts and increases thiamine stores upon oral intake. Thiamine is essential for energy metabolism. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of oral benfotiamine supplementation on energy metabolism, particularly the Krebs cycle function, in the muscle of endurance-trained mice, and to assess its impact on endurance performance.

Methods: Twenty-five mice were randomly assigned to four groups: a standard diet with sedentary behavior (Sta-Sed), a benfotiamine-supplemented diet with sedentary behavior (Ben-Sed), a standard diet with swimming training (Sta-Tr), and a benfotiamine-supplemented diet with swimming training (Ben-Tr). The trained groups underwent five weekly swimming sessions for six weeks, followed by an exhaustive test. Thiamine and its esters were measured in erythrocytes and gastrocnemius muscle. Gene expression of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDHa) and alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (OGDH), along with levels of pyruvic, lactic, and hydroxybutyric acids in muscle, was analyzed.

Results: The benfotiamine-supplemented groups had higher thiamine levels in erythrocytes and muscles compared to the standard-diet groups. No differences were observed in PDHa and OGDH gene expression. The Ben-Tr group exhibited increased muscle lactic acid levels and a higher lactic acid to pyruvic acid ratio compared to the sedentary groups. Hydroxybutyric acid levels were also elevated in the Ben-Tr group. No significant differences in exhaustive test duration were found between the groups.

Conclusion: Benfotiamine supplementation increases thiamine levels in erythrocytes and muscle but does not affect the gene expression of thiamine-dependent enzymes. Although it alters energy metabolism in trained muscle, it does not enhance endurance performance in mice.