Glutathione Reductase Activation Coefficient Research Articles

Thiamin and riboflavin status with related enzyme activities in pulmonary tuberculosis with diabetes mellitus in Shandong province of China.

Poor nutritional status is a common finding in pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), thiamin (VB-1) and riboflavin (VB-2) are coenzymes important for the activation of many enzymes involved in improving nutritional status. We aimed to investigate enzymatic activities and the associations between VB-1 and VB-2, and their relations to nutritional status in TB and TB+T2DM patients. This was a cross-sectional study that prospectively enrolled TB 40 patients with or without T2DM respectively from the Chest Hospital of Qingdao and 76 healthy controls with similar age and gender distributions were recruited from the medical center of the affiliated hospital of Qingdao Medical College. The erythrocyte transketolase activation coefficient (ETKac, for VB-1 deficiency), the glutathione reductase activation coefficient (EGRac, for VB-2 deficiency), and metabolic enzyme activities were analyzed. VB-1 and VB-2 deficiency rates were higher, and enzyme activities were lower in TB and TB+T2DM relative to control group. ETKac and EGRac were negatively correlated with enzyme activities, either with body mass index (BMI), while enzyme activities were positively associated with BMI. VB-1 and VB-2 concentrations were lower in TB patients with or without T2DM relative to controls, with concomitant reductions in the activity levels of key metabolic enzymes. Significant correlations were observed between VB-1 and VB-2 concentrations and the activity of these metabolic enzymes, they all correlated with nutrition status. VB-1 and VB-2 concentrations may thus impact metabolic enzyme activity and thereby influence nutritional status.

The association between the whole blood riboflavin level and the occurrence, development and prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Objective: To investigate the association between the whole blood riboflavin level and the occurrence, development and prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in China. Methods: From March 2014 to September 2018, ESCC patients from three hospitals (the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Shantou University, Shantou Central Hospital in Southern Chaoshan area and First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in Northern Taihang Mountain) were selected as a case group; non-esophageal patients who had a physical examination were selected as a control group. The case and control group were paired by age (±5 years) and a 1:1 ration. A total of 1 528 subjects were enrolled including 764 patients in the case group and 764 patients in the control group. About 3-5 ml venous blood samples were collected, and the erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity coefficient (GRAC) was measured to assess the whole blood riboflavin level. A multivariate conditional logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between the GRAC and the risk of ESCC. The association between the GRAC and the prognosis of ESCC was analyzed by using Cox proportional risk regression model based on 288 patients with complete survival data. They were divided into two groups, the high GRAC group (GRAC≥7.87) group and the low GRAC group (GRAC<7.87) according to the strongest correlation between the total survival time, survival outcome and GRAC (GRAC=7.87). Results: Among the 1 528 patients, 958 patients were from Southern Chaoshan area, including 479 patients in the case group with an average age about (59.90±9.34) years and 479 patients in the control group with an average age about (59.55±8.77) years. Other 570 patients were from Northern Taihang Mountain area, including 285 patients in the case group with an average age (58.39±5.19) years and 285 patients in the control group with an average age about (58.74±4.57) years. The multivariate conditional logistic regression showed that the OR (95%CI) of the GRAC and the risk of ESCC was 1.009 (0.998-1.019). The Cox proportional hazard regression model analysis showed that the HR (95%CI) of the high GRAC group was 1.712 (1.034-2.824) compared with the low GRAC group in the 50-70 years group. Conclusion: The whole blood riboflavin level might not be associated with the occurrence of ESCC. The high whole blood riboflavin level would be more beneficial to the prognosis of ESCC patients aged 50-70 years.

Co-occurrence of Anemia, Marginal Vitamin B6, and Folate Status and Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults

Although nutrient deficiencies are thought to play roles in the development of depression, observational studies have yielded inconsistent results. This study aimed to investigate whether multiple marginal nutrient deficiencies are associated with symptoms of depression in community-dwelling older Taiwanese. Data from 1371 elderly adults recruited from the Elderly Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan was used in this study. Depressive symptom scores on depressed mood and emotions affecting daily life were derived from the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36). Hemoglobin, serum ferritin, plasma vitamins B(6), B(12), and folate concentration, and erythrocyte transketolase and glutathione reductase activation coefficients were measured. After adjusting for age, gender, cognitive function, physical activity, disease history, and medication in the multivariate analysis, anemia, and marginal B(6) deficiency were significantly associated with the presence of depression symptoms, respectively. In addition, co-occurrence of vitamin B(6) with low folate level and co-occurrence of anemia either with low vitamin B(6) or with folate level were all associated with the depressive mood and with depressive emotions defined by SF-36 (odds ratios [OR] in the range of 2.32-7.13, all P values ≤.05). The magnitude of the ORs is larger when the number of deficiencies increased. Elderly people with coexisting marginal deficiencies of nutrients involved in the S-adenosylmethionine and hemoglobin production were more likely to experience depressed mood and emotion that affect daily activity. Examining status of these nutrients is worthy of consideration for older adults with depressed symptoms.

Comparison of Blood Levels of Riboflavin and Folate With Dietary Correlates Estimated From a Semi-Quantitative Food-Frequency Questionnaire in Older Persons in Portugal

Since information regarding biochemical parameters of riboflavin and folate status is limited in some populations of older adults, a food-frequency questionnaire is often used to estimate riboflavin and folate status. However, the performance of this type of questionnaire among this age group has not been comprehensively evaluated. Thus, we sought to assess riboflavin and folate status in older adults living in Portugal and to validate findings from a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ), by comparison to these blood measures. We used a cross-sectional study to investigate riboflavin in red blood cells (as Glutathione Reductase Activity Coefficient; EGRAC) and folate in the serum of 88 older persons (66.7% female), aged between 60 and 94 years, recruited from seven adult day care community centers in Porto, Portugal. Forty-six subjects had low EGRAC levels (<1.2), with a group mean concentration of 1.17 and median of 1.10 (range 1.00–2.10). For daily riboflavin dietary intakes from FFQ, the mean was 3.34 mg, the median 3.37 mg, and range 0.66–4.81 mg. The Spearman correlation between these two measures was r = 0.073, (P = 0.497) and Pearson correlation, after adjustment for energy, was r = 0.263, P = 0.013. All participants were above the 7 nmol/L serum folate cut-off for adequacy. Spearman correlation coefficient between serum and FFQ measures was r = −0.10, (P = 0.359), and the Pearson correlation, after adjustment for energy and following loge transformation, was r = −0.58, (P = 0.593). Thus riboflavin and folate intakes estimated by FFQ correlated poorly with EGRAC and folate serum values.

Estimation of the Dietary Riboflavin Required to Maximize Tissue Riboflavin Concentration in Juvenile Shrimp (Penaeus monodon)

The riboflavin requirements of marine shrimp (Penaeus monodon) were evaluated in a 15-wk feeding trial. Juvenile shrimp (initial mean weight, 0.13 ± 0.05 g) were fed purified diets containing seven levels (0, 8, 12, 16, 20, 40 and 80 mg/kg diet) of supplemental riboflavin. There were no significant differences in weight gains, feed efficiency ratios and survival of shrimp over the dietary riboflavin range. The riboflavin concentrations in shrimp bodies increased with the increasing vitamin supplementation. Hemolymph (blood) glutathione reductase activity coefficient was not a sensitive and specific indicator of riboflavin status of the shrimp. The dietary riboflavin level required forP. monodon was found to be 22.3 mg/kg diet, based on the broken-line model analysis of body riboflavin concentrations. Shrimp fed unsupplemented diet (riboflavin concentration of 0.48 mg/kg diet) for 15 wk showed signs of deficiency: light coloration, irritability, protuberant cuticle at intersomites and short-head dwarfism.

Physical training and fasting erythrocyte activities of free radical scavenging enzyme systems in sedentary men.

Effects of 10 weeks of physical training on free radical scavenging enzyme systems in erythrocytes were investigated in 7 sedentary healthy male students. The training consisted of running over 5 km, 6 times/week. Their maximum oxygen uptake and 12 min walk-run performance increased significantly after training. Of the antioxidant enzyme systems examined in the erythrocytes, both catalase activity and concentration and total glutathione reductase (GR) activity also showed significant increases following the training. The erythrocyte GR activity coefficient also increased significantly. These results suggest that chronic aerobic exercise increases riboflavin requirements and has some positive effects on antioxidative processes.

Riboflavin status in a Saudi population--a study in Riyadh.

Riboflavin is essential for several metabolic processes taking place in the human body. A deficiency of riboflavin has been reported to occur at a high prevalence in several populations, particularly in children and adolescents from low-socioeconomic groups. We investigated the riboflavin status in 502 Saudi males and 213 Saudi females using a determination of red-cell glutathione reductase activity in the presence and absence of flavin adenine dinucleotide. The population was grouped according to age and the glutathione reductase activity coefficient (AC) was calculated in each of the groups. An AC value of 1.3 or above was recorded in 38% of the females and 17% of the males. In the female group the lowest percentage was in girls less than 12 years of age, and the highest in the age group 21-30 years, while among males boys of less than 12 years and men over 30 years of age had the highest percentage. In this paper we report and discuss the riboflavin status, as indicated by the glutathione reductase AC, in the Saudi male and female population in the Riyadh area.

Depressed erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity in sickle cell disease

In a group of 27 sickle cell disease patients ranging in age from 2 yr 3 months to 43 yr, 13 (48%) were found to have depressed erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity suggesting riboflavin deficiency. Glutathione reductase activity coefficients did not correlate with riboflavin intakes which were calculated from 3-day diet records returned by 16 patients. Other causes of riboflavin deficiency including decreased absorption, altered metabolism, or increased excretion of the vitamin must be considered. The potential effect of depressed erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity in the sickle cell disease process is discussed.