Vitamin Research Articles

Leg health and growth performance of broiler chickens supplemented with grape seed extract

Background: Active bone remodeling processes can be altered by the presence of reactive oxygen species and, therefore, cause leg problems in broiler chickens. The antioxidant activity present in grape seed extract (GSE) could be a viable alternative to high inclusion levels of vitamin E (VE) as a nutritional strategy to improve the antioxidant capacity of birds and, thus, prevent leg abnormalities. Objective: To evaluate the effect of partial substitution of VE with grape GSE on leg health and performance of broiler chickens. Methods: Four hundred and twenty newly-hatched Ross 308 male broiler chickens were distributed into three treatments: 1) Control-AL, a diet containing 40 IU/kg of VE and fed ad libitum (CAL); 2) Control-FR, the CAL diet but offered through a feed restriction program (CFR); and 3) grape seed extract-AL, a diet containing 10 mg/kg of GSE + 10 IU/kg of VE fed ad libitum (GSE-AL). The trial was conducted for 47 days. Feed intake and body weight of the chickens were recorded weekly to evaluate performance. At day 43, gait score (GS), valgus/varus angulation (AngV), foot burn (FB), and hock burn (HB) lesions were evaluated. At day 47, tibia-breaking strength (TBS) and gastrocnemius tendon-breaking strength (GTBS) were evaluated. Results: Birds in the GSE-AL treatment showed reduced (p≤0.05) GS compared to the other treatments. No statistical differences (p>0.05) were found in AngV, HB, FB, TBS, TGBS, and growth performance among treatments. Conclusions: These results suggest that GSE may partially replace VE in broiler diets without negative effects on growth performance or leg health. Further research is required to evaluate the potential of grape seed extract to replace VE or other ingredients with antioxidant activity under different rearing conditions and feeding programs.

The political economy offinancing traditional vaccines andvitamin A supplements insix African countries.

Vaccines and vitamin A supplementation (VAS) are financed by donors in several countries, indicating that challenges remain with achieving sustainable government financing of these critical health commodities. This qualitative study aimed to explore political economy variables of actors' interests, roles, power and commitment to ensure government financing of vaccines and VAS. A total of 77 interviews were conducted in Burundi, Comoros, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Governments and development partners had similar interests. Donor commitment to vaccines and VAS was sometimes dependent on the priorities and political situation of the donor country. Governments' commitment to financing vaccines was demonstrated through policy measures, such as enactment of immunization laws. Explicit government financial commitment to VAS was absent in all six countries. Some development partners were able to influence governments directly via allocation of health funding while others influenced indirectly through coordination, consolidation and networks. Government power was exercised through multiple systemic and individual processes, including hierarchy, bureaucracy in governance and budgetary process, proactiveness of Ministry of Health officials in engaging with Ministry of Finance, and control over resources. Enablers that were likely to increase government commitment to financing vaccines and VAS included emerging reforms, attention to the voice of citizens and improvements in the domestic economy that in turn increased government revenues. Barriers identified were political instability, health sector inefficiencies, overly complicated bureaucracy, frequent changes of health sector leadership and non-health competing needs. Country governments were aware of their role in financing vaccines, but only a few had made tangible efforts to increase government financing. Discussions on government financing of VAS were absent. Development partners continue to influence government health commodity financing decisions. The political economy environment and contextual factors work together to facilitate or impede domestic financing.

Effects of functional nutrients on chicken intestinal epithelial cells induced with oxidative stress.

The objective of this study was to investigate the protective effects of functional nutrients including various functional amino acids, vitamins, and minerals on chicken intestinal epithelial cells (cIECs) treated with oxidative stress. The cIECs were isolated from specific pathogen free eggs. Cells were exposed to 0 mM supplement (control), 20 mM threonine (Thr), 0.4 mM tryptophan (Trp), 1 mM glycine (Gly), 10 μM vitamin C (VC), 40 μM vitamin E (VE), 5 μM vitamin A (VA), 34 μM chromium (Cr), 0.42 μM selenium (Se), and 50 μM zinc (Zn) for 24 h with 6 replicates for each treatment. After 24 h, cells were further incubated with fresh culture medium (positive control, PC) or 1 mM H2O2 with different supplements (negative control, NC and each treatment). Oxidative stress was measured by cell proliferation, whereas tight junction barrier function was analyzed by fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran permeability and transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER). Results indicated that cell viability and TEER values were less (p < 0.05) in NC treatments with oxidative stress than in PC treatments. In addition, FITC-dextran values were greater (p < 0.05) in NC treatments with oxidative stress than in PC treatments. The supplementations of Thr, Trp, Gly, VC, and VE in cells treated with H2O2 showed greater (p < 0.05) cell viability than the supplementation of VA, Cr, Se, and Zn. The supplementations of Trp, Gly, VC, and Se in cells treated with H2O2 showed the least (p < 0.05) cellular permeability. In addition, the supplementation of Thr, VE, VA, Cr, and Zn in cells treated with H2O2 decreased (p < 0.05) cellular permeability. At 48 h, the supplementations of Thr, Trp, and Gly in cells treated with H2O2 showed the greatest (p < 0.05) TEER values among all treatments, and the supplementations of VC and VE in cells treated with H2O2 showed greater (p < 0.05) TEER values than the supplementations of VA, Cr, Se, and Zn in cells treated with H2O2. In conclusion, Thr, Trp, Gly, and VC supplements were effective in improving cell viability and intestinal barrier function of cIECs exposed to oxidative stress.

Effects of dietary vitamin E supplementation on growth performance, slaughter performance, antioxidant capacity and meat quality characteristics of finishing bulls

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of vitamin E (VE) on growth performance, slaughter performance, antioxidant capacity and meat quality characteristics of finishing bulls. Twenty Yanbian cattle (bulls) with initial body weight (BW) 485 ± 42 kg were randomly divided into two groups (control and treatment groups) and participated in a100-day finishing trial. The control group (CON) was fed a basal diet (total mixed ration, TMR). The treatment group was fed a basal diet supplemented with VE (provided as α-tocopherol acetate, 700 IU/bull/day). VE supplementation significantly increased the average daily gain (ADG) of finishing bulls, the beef marbling score, meat color parameters (a* [redness]), intramuscular fat content, the concentration of catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), VE and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-13) in the serum and muscle tissue (P < 0.05). VE supplementation significantly decreased drip loss and cooking loss of the beef, the concentration of nitric oxide (NO) in the serum and muscle tissue, the concentration of malondialdehyde in the muscle tissue (P < 0.05), and tended to decrease the feed: gain (P = 0.077) and shear force (P = 0.062) of the beef. In conclusion, VE supplementation can improve the meat quality parameters of finishing bulls, especially the improvement of beef tenderness. The improvement of beef tenderness by VE supplementation may be related to the increase of MMPs concentration, and a potential mechanism for the secretion of MMPs by VE supplementation may be related to its antioxidant capacity.

Study of Making Pear Peel Extract Lotion (Pyrus Bretschneideri) as an Antioxidant

The skin of the pear (pyrus bretschneideri) contains f lavonoid compounds which are efficacious as antioxidants, which are able to inhibit or prevent oxidation of the substrate caused by free radicals. Pear peel extract (pyrus bretschneideri) can be used as a repellent or antioxidant so that it can be developed into an antioxidant lotion. To maintain the stability of pear peel extract (pyrus bretschneideri) in the form of lotions, it is necessary to formulate appropriate lotions. The purpose of this study was to find out the lotion formulation of the active ingredient oleum rosae to find out the results of the evaluation carried out on the pear peel extract lotion. The method used is experimental using 6 lotion formulations with a concentration of pear peel extract (Pyrus bretschneideri) of 3 and 4%, vitamin C variations of 2, 4, and 6%. The results of the lotion from pear peel extract (Pyrus bretschneideri) were evaluated for 1 week. Ephysical quality valuation includes organoleptic test, pH test, vit amin C content test. From the results of the study, lotions with the formulation F4 are the best preparations, namely a slightly viscous dosage form, soft texture, white color, oleum rosae fragrance, homogeneous, stable at pH 6 and dispersion power 5-7 cm. The conclusion of the study is that pear peel extract (Pyrus bretschneideri) can be made lotion preparations with a wide variety of concentration variations. Keywords: lotion, pear peel (Pyrus bretschneideri), physical quality

Dietary intake of preformed vitamin A and provitamin A carotenoids are not associated with serum retinol and carotenoid concentrations among children 36-59months of age in rural Burkina Faso: a cross-sectional study.

This study aimed to assess the association between dietary intake of preformed vitamin A (VA) and pro-VA carotenoids and serum retinol and carotenoid concentrations among 36-59-month-old children in a rural area in Burkina Faso. Two community-based cross-sectional studies were conducted in a rural area of Burkina Faso and included 115 children aged 36-59months. Dietary intake of preformed VA and pro-VA was assessed directly by 24-h dietary recall. Serum retinol and carotenoid (α- and β-carotene, and β-cryptoxanthin) concentrations were measured. The associations between serum retinol and carotenoid concentrations and their respective dietary intake were assessed by multiple linear regression. Geometric mean [95% CI] adjusted serum retinol concentration in children was 0.86 [0.81; 0.92] µmol/L. The prevalence of low adjusted serum retinol concentration (< 0.7µmol/L) was 26.8%. Geometric mean [95% CI] serum carotenoid concentrations were: α-carotene (0.03 [0.02; 0.03] µmol/L), β-carotene (0.14 [0.12; 0.16] µmol/L), and β-cryptoxanthin (0.17 [0.15; 0.21] µmol/L). Dietary intakes of α- and β-carotene and adjusted serum retinol and α-carotene concentrations were significantly higher during the rainy season. In multiple linear regressions, no associations were found between dietary intakes of preformed VA and pro-VA carotenoids and serum retinol and carotenoid concentrations in children aged 36-59months in Burkina Faso. There was no effect of season on the associations between preformed VA and pro-VA carotenoids intake and serum retinol and carotenoid concentrations. This study shows that dietary intakes of preformed VA and pro-VA carotenoids based on 24-h dietary recall method cannot be used as proxy of serum retinol and carotenoid concentrations in this population. The study was registered retrospectively (22 March 2018) as a clinical trial with the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (Cochrane South Africa; PACTR201803002999356).

Can vitamin E ester derivatives be excellent alternatives of vitamin E: state of art.

Vitamin E (VE) is a natural antioxidant which is widely used in the food fields, while the shortcomings of easy oxidative inactivation and poor water solubility limit its application. Vitamin E esters' (VEEs) derivatives, such as vitamin E acetate (VEA), are more stable and easier to be absorbed while have similar biological activities and physiological functions compared with VE. In this systematic review, the digestion, absorption and physiological function of VEEs were summarized. To promote their further industrial applications, the synthesis strategies of VEEs were also summarized in-depth. In particular, as a new generation of green solvents, ionic liquids (ILs) have been widely used in enzymatic reactions due to the stabilization and activation of enzymes. Their applications in enzymatic synthesis of VEEs were summarized and discussed. Finally, several future perspectives for developing more efficiency strategies of VEEs synthesis, such as enzyme engineering and design of novel ILs, were also discussed.

Vitamin A regulates dermal papilla cell proliferation and apoptosis under heat stress via IGF1 and Wnt10b signaling

Heat stress (HS) negatively affects the development of hair follicles. The present study investigated the effect of vitamin A (VA) on the development of rabbit dermal papilla cells (DPCs) under HS and the underlying regulatory mechanisms. Addition of 0.4 mg/L VA to the culture medium significantly enhanced cell proliferation (P < 0.001) and inhibited the apoptosis of DPCs (P < 0.01). VA decreased the proportion of DPCs in G0/G1 stage of the cell cycle under HS along with the expression of caspase 3, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), and microRNA 195 (miR-195) (P < 0.05). VA also activated the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) and Wnt10b/β-catenin signaling pathways. The results of the dual luciferase reporter assay showed that IGF1 expression was modulated by miR-195–5p. Over-expression of miR-195–5p in DPCs with HS+VA treatment significantly reduced cell viability and IGF1 signaling (P < 0.01) and increased apoptosis (P < 0.01) compared with the HS+VA group. The positive effects of VA on proliferation and apoptosis of DPCs under HS were significantly attenu-ated by blocking Wnt10b and β-catenin signaling with IWP-2 and XAV-939, respectively. These results demonstrate that VA can promote hair follicle development following HS via modulation of miR-195/IGF1 and Wnt10b/β-catenin signaling pathways.

Abstract P1083: Retinoid Regulation Of Cardiac Inflammation

Survivors of acute cardiac events (e.g., myocardial infarction, MI) often recover poorly due to pathological remodeling and progressive heart failure. Cell-based therapies hold potential to improve recovery but have had limited success. Our lab has found that infusion of highly proliferative cardiac cell clones from patient biopsies can improve recovery from MI in mice, but with variable efficacy stemming from unknown factors. Because Vitamin A (VA) stores are known to be mobilized to the heart in response to MI, we investigated the effect of VA on patient-derived cardiac cells. Clones were cultured and treated with 500 nanomolar retinoic acid (RA, bioactive metabolite of VA) for 48 hours. Protein was extracted and digested for proteomic analysis using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. To investigate interaction of RA with pro-regenerative epidermal growth factor (EGF) family receptor signaling, cells were treated with 50ng/ml recombinant neuregulin (NRG1) alone or in co-treatment with RA. Treatment with RA caused significant increase in protein expression of inflammatory mediators including IL1A/B, ICAM1, prostaglandin synthase, and NFkB2, and less studied targets including differentiation factor latexin (LXN) and orphan G-protein coupled receptor GPRC5A. Expression was validated at the transcript level. NRG1 treatment significantly modulated expression of metabolic regulators carnitine-palmitoyl transferase, phosphofructokinase, and dipeptidyl peptidase but was inhibited by co-treatment with RA. Our data suggest that RA may induce a pro-inflammatory phenotype in proliferative cardiac cells and that RA inhibits pro-regenerative NRG1/EGF receptor signaling, perhaps as part of an emergency inflammatory response to injury. While the biology underlying limited successes of cell therapies to treat heart disease is incompletely understood, managing inflammation is one strategy that has shown benefits in treatment of heart failure and reprogramming cells to therapeutic ends. Further experiments are called for to investigate an inflammatory role of VA during MI in vivo, and to determine how the interaction of VA and NRG1 may regulate proliferative cardiac cell fate and function after injury.

Network pharmacology-based approach for exploring the biotargets and mechanisms of vitamin A for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers

Abstract Background In some developing countries, people have little knowledge about the causes of diabetic foot ulcers. Therefore, public health education for patients on these conditions is a prerequisite for effective pharmacological treatment. Diabetic foot ulcers are a complex symptom of diabetes and are hard to cure due to the lack of efficacious medicine and alternative treatment approaches. Vitamin A (VA) is known to have potent biological functions, including skin repair and immunoregulation. However, the potential pharmacological effects and molecular mechanisms of VA on foot ulcers are still to be discovered. Methods By using bioinformatic/computational analyses, including network pharmacology, gene ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis, we aimed to identify and reveal the pharmacological targets, molecular mechanisms, biological functions, and signaling pathways of VA in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. Results A total of 66 intersection genes were identified as candidate targets of VA, which are related to diabetic foot ulcers. Therein, 18 core genes/targets, namely JUN, MAPK1, THRB, MAPK14, MTNR1B, CXCR3, ESR1, AR, HDAC1, IL-10, CNR1, DRD2, EGFR, ADRA2A, CCND1, RXRB, RARA, and RXRA, were further identified. Furthermore, the biological processes, cell components, and molecular functions which may underlie the effects of VA against diabetic foot ulcers were characterized. Conclusion Based on our findings, we concluded that the pharmacological effects of VA on diabetic foot ulcers primarily involve the promotion of cellular regeneration and proliferation and the inhibition of inflammatory response. The core genes/targets may potentially serve as promising biomarkers for the diagnosis of diabetic foot ulcers.

Vitamin E Ameliorates Impaired Ovarian Development, Oxidative Stress, and Disrupted Lipid Metabolism in Oreochromis niloticus Fed with a Diet Containing Olive Oil Instead of Fish Oil.

Aquaculture feed containing olive oil (OO) instead of fish oil (FO) can cause oxidative stress and impair gonad development in fish. We determined the effect of dietary OO-induced oxidative stress on ovarian development, and explored whether vitamin E (VE) could mitigate negative effects. Female Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) were fed for 10 weeks with four diets: 5% OO + 70 mg/kg VE, 5% OO + 200 mg/kg VE, 5% FO + 70 mg/kg VE, or 5% FO + 200 mg/kg VE. Dietary OO reduced the specific growth rate and gonadosomatic index, inhibited superoxide dismutase and catalase, delayed ovarian development, decreased serum sex hormone levels, and reduced ovarian triglyceride and n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acid contents. The transcript levels of genes encoding sex hormone receptors (erα, fshr, lhr) and components of the lipid metabolism pathway (pparα, pparγ, hsl, accα, elovl6), the nrf2 signaling pathway (nrf2, keap1), and the nf-κb signaling pathway (nf-κb, tnfα, infγ, il1β) differed between the 70VE/OO and 70VE/FO groups. Supplementation with 200 mg/kg VE mitigated the adverse effects of OO by improving antioxidant capacity and alleviating inflammation and abnormal lipid metabolism. This may be because VE is an antioxidant and it can regulate the nrf2-nf-κb signaling pathway.

Knowledge Attitudes and Practices Regarding Vitamin A Supplementation among Caregivers of Children Aged from Six to Fifty-Nine Months in Vihiga County, Kenya

Vitamin A is an essential micronutrient needed in small amounts for, among other uses, the normal functioning of the visual and immune systems. The deficiency of this vital nutrient, therefore, compromises a children's ability to fight diseases and increases their risk of getting sick. The World Health Organization recommends Vitamin A Supplementation (VAS) as a strategy to combat the effects of vitamin A deficiency, but unfortunately, the coverage is low (64% in priority countries and 59% in East and Southern Africa, as reported in UNICEF global nutrition database 2000-2021). The study area recorded low coverage at 26% in 2019 and 54.9% in the year 2020. This study employed a descriptive cross-sectional study design to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practices among caregivers of children 6-59 months regarding vitamin A supplementation in Vihiga County, Kenya, and the influencing factors. In total, 393 caregivers out of the sample size of 400 (98.3%) were recruited into the study. Binary logistic regression was used to determine associations between variables and a p-value &lt;0.05 was considered significant. High VAS awareness was reported in this study, with 90.6% of caregivers having heard of VAS. The main sources of VAS information were health workers (74.3%) and Community Health volunteers (53.2%). Other sources were Radio &amp; TV (6.9%), Social gatherings (7.1%). There was, however, low knowledge of the benefits of VAS (30%) and the problems associated with vitamin A deficiency (30.3%). Sadly, a quarter of caregivers (24.6%) did not know any VAS benefit. A significant proportion of caregivers (77.6% p=&lt;0.001) had adequate knowledge of VAS, scoring more than half of the 10 knowledge questions. In addition, caregivers displayed a highly positive attitude towards VAS, scoring between 88.3% and 92.6% on attitude questions. There was low VAS uptake, with only 59.5% of children having taken the supplement during the semester preceding the survey, mainly sourced from health facilities (68.4%), outreach (15.8%), CHV (10.7%) and the ECDE centres (5.1%). For children who missed VAS in the semester of reference, 38% of caregivers indicated they had no reason for missing, 20% said there was no need since the child had completed immunization, while others just forgot (9%). The key drivers of VAS uptake were knowledge (p=&lt;0.001), availability of services at health facilities (p=0.001) and services by community health volunteers) p=0.028). Although more than three-quarters (77.6%) of caregivers demonstrated good knowledge, it did not correspond to the VAS uptake recorded in this study, pointing to a knowledge-practice gap. The VAS knowledge was shallow in terms of specific areas like benefits. The caregivers, however, had very positive attitudes towards VAS. Further, this study concludes that better knowledge is an important ingredient for VAS uptake and recommends implementing programmes to improve caregiver knowledge and optimization of the various service delivery platforms to increase both knowledge and uptake.

Different Effect of Vitamin E or Hydroxytyrosol Supplementation to Sow's Diet on Oxidative Status and Performances of Weaned Piglets.

Different feeding strategies are being applied to sows in order to obtain homogeneous piglets' weights and improved health status. This study evaluated how the dietary supplementation of vitamin E (VE) (100 mg/kg), hydroxytyrosol (HXT) (1.5 mg/kg) or the combined administration (VE + HXT) given to Iberian sows from day 85 of gestation affected the growth pattern of the piglets and their oxidative status; and quantified what these effects were due to. Dietary VE and HXT improved the oxidative status of sows and piglets. Both VE and HXT modified the growth pattern at birth and performances of the piglets in a different way according to the growing period. Piglets' performances were positively correlated with plasma VE and negatively with plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) of the sow. However, the highest variation in growth patterns was explained by the colostrum composition. Significant linear equations were observed between piglets' performances and colostrum saturated (SAT), n-7 monounsaturated fatty acids (C16:1n-7 and C18:1n-7) and different desaturases indices. This study would confirm that VE supplementation to the sow diet could be more adequate than HXT for the improved development during the first weeks of a piglet's life. The combined administration of both antioxidants would not produce additional positive effects compared to the individual supplementation.

Formulation and evaluation of retinyl palmitate and vitamin E nanoemulsion for skin care

Background: Improving and maintaining the skin integrity and health are the most essential targets in long-term care. The aim of this study is to formulate a serum of retinyl palmitate (RP) and vitamin E (VE) as nanoemulsion (NE) for achieving healthy skin. Methods: The solubility of RP and VE was studied in different oils. The NEs were prepared using oil, water, and different surfactant-co-surfactant mixtures, and then the medicated nanoemulsion was prepared by addition of 0.5% RP and VE to the oil phase, and vitamin C as an antioxidant to the aqueous phase with different preservatives. The prepared NE was characterized in terms of particle size, charge, rheology, diffusion, and irritation to the skin. Results and conclusion: The data showed that the highest solubility of both RP and VE was in safflower oil. Tween 20, Ceteareth 20 with ethanol, PEG 200, and cremophor RH40. This combination was able to produce NE with good integrity and acceptable particle size. The prepared formulations gave particle size of 60–70 nm and showed Newtonian flow. Irritation tests on rats showed that the formula was safe to be applied on the skin with no signs of irritation up to 72 hours. A preliminary stability study at room temperature showed good stability up to 6 weeks. In conclusion, RP and VE could be formulated successfully as NE with good stability and physical characteristics.

COVID-19 concerns among caregivers and vitamin A supplementation coverage among children aged 6-59 months in four countries in Western sub-Saharan Africa.

To assess child vitamin A supplementation (VAS) coverage in 2019 and 2020 and explore key factors, including COVID-19 concerns, that influenced VAS status in four sub-Saharan African countries. Data from eight representative household surveys were used to assess VAS coverage. Multivariable logistic regression models examined the effect of rural/urban residence, child sex and age, caregiver education, COVID-19 concern and household wealth on VAS status. Nine (2019) and 12 (2020) districts in Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea and Mali. 28 283 caregivers of children aged 6-59 months. Between 2019 and 2020, VAS coverage increased in Burkina Faso (82·2-93·1 %), Côte d'Ivoire (90·3-93·3 %) and Mali (76·1-79·3 %) and decreased in Guinea (86·0 % to 81·7 %). Rural children had a higher likelihood of VAS uptake compared with urban children in Burkina Faso (adjusted OR (aOR) = 4·22; 95 % CI: 3·11, 5·72), Côte d'Ivoire (aOR = 5·19; 95 % CI: 3·10, 8·70) and Mali (aOR = 1·41; 95 % CI: 1·15, 1·74). Children aged 12-59 months had a higher likelihood of VAS uptake compared with children aged 6-11 months in Côte d'Ivoire (aOR = 1·67; 95 % CI: 1·12, 2·48) and Mali (aOR = 1·74; 95 % CI: 1·34, 2·26). Moderate-to-high COVID-19 concern was associated with a lower likelihood of VAS uptake in Côte d'Ivoire (aOR = 0·55; 95 % CI: 0·37, 0·80). The increase in VAS coverage from 2019 to 2020 suggests that COVID-19 concerns may not have limited VAS uptake in some African countries, though geographic inequities should be considered.

Knockdown of FUT11 inhibits the progression of gastric cancer via the PI3K/AKT pathway

Gastric cancer (GC) is a common and highly malignant tumor of the digestive tract. Members of the focused fucosyltransferase (FUT) family participate in the advancement of various types of cancer. However, research of FUT family members in the progression of GC known to be limited. The purpose of the research was to determine the function of important affiliates of the FUT family in GC and to explore its impacts on the proliferation and migration of GC cells and molecular mechanisms. For the study, fucosyltransferase11 (FUT11) was confirmed to be the only affiliate of the FUT family that was upmodulated in GC tissues and linked to poor survival according to GEPIA data. Furthermore, compared with adjacent noncancerous tissues, the expression of FUT11 was increased in GC tissues. The elevated FUT11 expression suggested that the overall survival (OS) rate of GC is low. Inhibition of FUT11 significantly reduced the proliferation and migration and suppressed the PI3K/AKT pathway by down-regulated collagen type VI alpha 3 chain (COL6A3) in GC cells. The present study has demonstrated that reinstating the expression of COL6A3 in gastric cancer (GC) cells can counteract the inhibitory impact of FUT11 knockdown on the proliferation and migration of GC cells. In conclusion, FUT11 may serve as a novel biomarker for GC, as it modulates GC cell proliferation and migration through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

A D-π-A-π-D type structure-based fluorescent probe for revealing the fluctuations of the ER polarity during ferroptosis

Ferroptosis is a novel Fe(II)-mediated oxidative cell death form, and is closely related with endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Exploring the fluctuation of ER polarity during ferroptosis is highly important for the in-depth study of the biological roles of ER in ferroptosis. Herein, we present a ratiometric probe (BNS) for revealing the changes of the ER polarity in the living cells experiencing ferroptosis. BNS employed a D-π-A-π-D type structure as the polarity-sensitive fluorophore, and selected p-toluenesulfonamide as the ER-targeting unit. Theoretical calculations suggested that the response mechanism of BNS to polarity was based on ICT, and two ICT processes appeared when BNS was at excited state. Cell imaging results demonstrated that BNS possessed desirable ER-targeting capability, and erastin-induced ferroptosis could increase the ER polarity of the living cells. Moreover, similarly to vitamin E (VE) and deferoxamine (DFO), dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) could inhibit the changes of the ER polarity during erastin-induced ferroptosis. We expect that the probe could provide a convenient method to rapidly monitor ferroptosis and design novel drugs for the treatment of ferroptosis-relevant diseases.

Use of Theoretical Subjects to Develop a Method for Assessing Equivalence of Dietary Vitamin A in a Mixed Diet

BackgroundAlthough the vitamin A (VA) equivalency of provitamin A carotenoids from single foods or capsules has been studied using several approaches, there is currently no reliable method to determine VA equivalency for mixed diets. ObjectivesTo reach the objective of identifying a method to determine the VA equivalency of provitamin A carotenoids in mixed diets, we tested a new approach using preformed VA as proxy for provitamin A. MethodsWe studied 6 theoretical subjects who were assigned physiologically plausible values for dietary VA intake, retinol kinetic parameters, plasma retinol pool size, and VA total body stores. Using features in the Simulation, Analysis and Modeling software, we specified that subjects ingested a tracer dose of stable isotope-labeled VA on day 0 followed by 0-μg supplemental VA or 200, 400, 800, 1200, 1600, and 2000 μg VA daily from day 14 to day 28; we assigned VA absorption to be 75%. For each supplement level, we simulated plasma retinol specific activity (SAp) over time and calculated the mean decrease in SAp relative to 0 μg. Group mean data were fitted to a regression equation to calculate predicted VA equivalency at each supplement level on day 28. ResultsFor each subject, higher VA supplement loads resulted in lower SAp, with the magnitude of the decrease differing among subjects. The mean predicted amount of absorbed VA was within 25% of individual subjects’ assigned amount for 4 of the 6 subjects, and the mean ratio of predicted to assigned amount of absorbed VA over all supplement loads ranged from 0.60 to 1.50, with an overall mean ratio of 1.0. ConclusionsResults for preformed VA suggest that this protocol may be useful for determining VA equivalency of provitamin A carotenoids in free-living subjects if mixed diets with known provitamin A content were substituted for the VA supplements.

Vitamin A-modified ZIF-8 lipid nanoparticles for the therapy of liver fibrosis

Liver fibrosis (LF) is one of the major diseases that threaten human health. Until now, no effective drugs have been approved for clinical anti-liver fibrosis treatment. In this study, zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) lipid nanoparticles loaded with pirfenidone (PFD) and modified with vitamin A (VA) were constructed (VA-PFD@ZIF-8@DMPC NPs). PFD was embedded in ZIF-8 by the “one-pot” method, and the prepared ZIF-8 had a small particle size (84.3 nm) and high drug loading (54.46%). Moreover, the inherent pH sensitivity of ZIF-8 makes it stable in a normal physiological environment and collapsed in an acidic environment, thus controlling drug release and preventing drug leakage. Besides, the phospholipid layer makes the nano-drug delivery system dispersible and improves its biocompatibility. More importantly, VA is modified on the surface of nanoparticles (NPs), which can target the highly expressed retinol-binding protein receptor (RBPR) on the surface of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), thereby accurately increasing the local drug concentration at the site of LF. In vivo experiments showed that VA-PFD@ZIF-8@DMPC NPs can reduce liver injury, improve the degree of LF, and exert specific therapeutic effects on LF. In conclusion, this nano-delivery system may become a novel and effective anti-liver fibrosis treatment.

Inadequate Niacin Intake Disrupts Growth and Retinol Homeostasis Resulting in Higher Liver and Lower Serum Retinol Concentrations in Male Rats

BackgroundNiacin-derived nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is an essential cofactor for many dehydrogenase enzymes involved in vitamin A (VA) metabolism. Several countries with high prevalence of VA deficiency rely on maize, a poor source of available niacin, as a dietary staple. ObjectivesThis study evaluated the interaction of dietary niacin on VA homeostasis using male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 21 d (baseline body weight 88.3 ± 6.6 g). MethodsAfter 1 wk of acclimation, baseline samples were collected (n = 4). Remaining rats (n = 54) were split into 9 groups to receive low tryptophan, VA-deficient feed with 3 different amounts of niacin (0, 15, or 30 mg/kg) and 3 different oral VA doses (50, 350, or 3500 nmol/d) in a 3 × 3 design. After 4 wk, the study was terminated. Serum, livers, and small intestine were analyzed for retinoids using high-performance liquid chromatography. Niacin and metabolites were evaluated with nuclear magnetic resonance. Plasma pyridoxal-P (PLP) was measured with high-performance liquid chromatography. ResultsNiacin intake correlated with serum retinol concentrations (r = 0.853, P < 0.001). For rats receiving the highest VA dose, liver retinol concentrations were lower in the 30-mg/kg niacin group (5.39 ± 0.27 μmol/g) than those in the 0-mg/kg and 15-mg/kg groups (9.18 ± 0.62 and 8.75 ± 0.07 μmol/g, respectively; P ≤ 0.05 for both). This phenomenon also occurred in the lower VA doses (P ≤ 0.05 for all). Growth and tissue weight at endline were associated with niacin intake (P ≤ 0.001 for all). Plasma PLP correlated with estimated niacin intake (r = 0.814, P < 0.001). ConclusionsOptimal niacin intake is associated with lower liver VA and higher serum retinol and plasma PLP concentrations. The extent to which vitamin B intake affects VA homeostasis requires further investigation to determine if the effects are maintained in humans.