ABSTRACT
<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>With recognition of the important roles of Vitamin D (VitD) in various physiological processes, increasing attention has been drawn to the status of VitD in early life. However, the VitD status of young children and the related factors in rural areas of Southwestern China remain unclear. This study aimed to explore VitD status and its seasonal variation in 18-month-old children living in rural Southwestern China. The association of VitD with biochemical and anthropometric variables was also investigated.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 177 18-month-old children in a rural area of Yunnan Province, Southwestern China, were enrolled. Serum concentrations of 25-hydroxy Vitamin D (25(OH)D) were measured through high-performance liquid chromatogram-tandem mass spectrometry. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were measured with a chemiluminescence assay. Serum concentrations of calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were also measured. Anthropometric data and the outdoor activity time of each participant were collected.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The serum 25(OH)D concentration was 26.61 ± 7.26 ng/ml; concentrations lower than 30 ng/ml accounted for 70.6% of the participants and concentrations lower than 20 ng/ml accounted for 16.4%. The level of serum 25(OH)D was not significantly different among four seasons (P >0.05). A positive relationship was found between 25(OH)D concentration and the time of outdoor activities (r = 0.168, P < 0.05). Serum PTH concentration was negatively correlated with 25(OH)D concentration (r = -0.163, P < 0.05). A positive relationship was found between the serum concentrations of 25(OH)D and calcium (r = 0.154, P < 0.05). No significant association was observed between 25(OH)D and ALP, phosphorus, or anthropometric variables.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The prevalence of VitD insufficiency is high among young children in the rural Southwestern China regardless of the seasons. VitD supplementation is still essential to maintain VitD sufficiency for children living in rural area.</p>
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Anthropometry , China , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Cross-Sectional Studies , Dietary Supplements , Parathyroid Hormone , Blood , Vitamin D , Blood , Vitamin D Deficiency , Blood , Drug TherapyABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the effects of enteral nutrition with galactooligosaccharides (GOS) on serum inflammatory cytokines in rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). Methods SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation control group, SAP with enteral nutrition (EN) group and SAP with EN supplemented with GOS (GOS-EN) group, and each group was divided into 4 d and 7 d subgroups according to the time that animals were sacrificed (n=8 in each subgroup). Rat SAP models were established by injection of 38 g/L sodium taurocholate beneath the pancreatic capsule. The serum amylase, inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-2 and IL-10 were detected. Results At each time point, the levels of serum amylase in all SAP groups were significantly higher than those in sham operation control group (P < 0.01), and the levels in GOS-EN group were significantly lower than those in EN group (P < 0.01). The levels of serum TNF-α and IL-10 in all SAP groups were significantly higher than those in sham operation control group (P < 0.01), while the levels of IL-2 in all SAP groups were significantly lower than those in sham operation control group. The levels of TNF-α in GOS-EN group were significantly lower than those in EN group (P <0.05), while the levels of IL-2 and IL-10 and the ratio of IL-10/TNF-α were significantly higher than those in GOS-EN group (P < 0.05). Conclusion Early EN supplemented with GOS could modulate the balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory response.