Association between antioxidant nutrients and pregnancy complications: a Mendelian randomization study / 预防医学

Objective@#To investigate the causal relationship between antioxidant nutrients and pregnancy complications, so as to provide the reference for the prevention and treatment of pregnancy complications.@*Methods@#Data of seven antioxidant nutrients including vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, zinc, copper and iron were collected from genome-wide association study (GWAS) Catalog database, and data of four pregnancy complications including gestational diabetes mellitus, pre-eclampsia, spontaneous abortion and preterm birth were collected from the Finland database. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data were collected, and 27 SNPS strongly correlated with seven antioxidant nutrients were selected as instrumental variables. Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were performed using the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method with seven antioxidant nutrients as exposures factors and four pregnancy complications as outcome variables. The heterogeneity was assessed using the Cochran's Q test, the horizontal pleiotropy was assessed using the MR-PRESSO test and MR-Egger regression, and the robustness of the results was verified with the leave-one-out.@*Results@#Cochran's Q test showed heterogeneity of MR results between vitamin C and gestational diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia and preterm birth, between vitamin E and iron and gestational diabetes (all P<0.05), and a random effect model was employed. There was no heterogeneity in other results (all P>0.05), and a fixed effect model was employed. MR analysis results showed that there was no causal association between seven antioxidant nutrients and the risk of four pregnancy complications (all P>0.05). MR-PRESSO test and the MR-Egger regression identified no horizontal pleiotropy of instrumental variables (both P>0.05).@*Conclusion@#This study did not find genetically predicted associations of antioxidant nutrients with pregnancy complications.

The Effect of Antioxidant Nutrition against Fenvalerate Toxicity in Rat Liver (Histological and Immunohistochemical Studies).

Aims: Fenvalerate (FEN) is a type II synthetic pyrethroid that has replaced other groups of insecticides due to its improved insecticidal potency. The objective of this study was to investigate the possible role of antioxidant nutrients as a protective agent against alterations of FEN in liver tissue of male albino rats. Study Design: Histological and immunohistochemical studies. Place and Duration of Study: Zoology Department, College of Science, Alexandria University - Egypt, between May 2010 and February 2013. Methodology: Forty animals were divided into four groups of 10 rats each. The first group served as control which received corn oil , second group received a single dose (20mg FEN/kg) 24hours prior to decapitation , third group received (20 mg fish oil (ώ3) /kg/48h) and (4.1 mg selenium (Se) /kg/48h) for 20 days and fourth group received FEN following the supplementation with ώ3 and Se . Results: Histopathological changes in the FEN group illustrated as degeneration and proliferation of hepatocytes forming acinar and pseudoglandular pattern. The previous changes disappeared from FEN+ (ώ3 and Se) group. The histochemical staining of catalase enzyme revealed increased activity in FEN, FEN+ (ώ3 and Se) groups while activity of glutathione reductase enzyme was decreased in compare with control group. Immunohistochemical staining of Bcl-2 oncoprotein increased in the cytoplasm of periportal and centrilobular hepatocytes in FEN and FEN+ (ώ3 and Se) groups, while it decreased in (ώ3 +Se) group. Conclusion: It was suggested that FEN-induced dysregulation of architecture, antioxidant enzymes and expression of Bcl-2 oncoprotein which might be ameliorated by the effect of antioxidant nutrient.

Antioxidant Nutrient Intakes and Health Behaviors of Rheumatoid Arthritic Patients / 대한지역사회영양학회지

Previous studies have indicated that incidence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is partly related to the damage of antioxidant systems, but etiology of RA is not fully identified. This study was performed to evaluate nutrient intakes including antioxidants, health related behaviors and food habits of RA patients and controls. RA patient group (n = 68) and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 68) were joined in this study. Nutrient intake was estimated using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. As mean age of RA (52.9 +/- 13.8 years) was significantly higher than those of controls (48.7 +/- 5.9 years), data were analyzed by using Student's t-test, adjusted for age. There was no significant difference between two groups in body mass index. Compared with those of controls, frequencies of drinking (p < 0.001) and coffee consumption (p < 0.05) of RA groups were lower. RA groups had lower frequencies of fruit (p < 0.01), vegetable (p < 0.05) and fatty meat (p < 0.05) consumptions and balanced diet (p < 0.01), and higher frequencies of fried dishes (p < 0.01), and salty dishes (p < 0.01), compared to controls. The most nutrient intakes including energy intake of RA were tended to be lower than those of controls. Vitamin A, beta-carotene and vitamin C intakes were significantly lower in RA than controls (p < 0.001). Daily vitamin A, beta-carotene and vitamin C intakes of RA were lower than those of control (vitamin A: RA 360.6 +/- 252.23 microgram RE, control 844.5 +/- 426.2 microgram RE, p < 0.001; beta-carotene: RA 1450.9 +/- 1019.0 microgram, control 3968.8 +/- 2248.21 microgram, p < 0.001; vitamin C; RA 40.6 +/- 21.48 mg,control 84.7 +/- 40.29, p < 0.001) These results suggest sufficient consumption of antioxidant nutrients may prevent and improve RA status.

Inflammatory Cytokines and Dietary Factors in Korean Elderly with Chronic Disease

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between inflammatory cytokines and chronic disease status in Korean elderly. The subjects were 248 elderly people aged over 65 years recruited from Health Center in Seoul. The subjects were classified into 3 groups based on their disease (diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia) status: subjects with one diagnosed disease of diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia fall into singular group (n=89), subjects with more than 2 disease into multiple group (n=39), and those with free of the diseases into normal (n=122). Anthropometric and biochemical characteristics, and dietary intakes were assessed. Dietary intakes were surveyed by 24-recall method. The means of IL-2, IL-6, MCP-1 and C3 were not differ among 3 groups. However, when subjects classified into tertiles of IL-6, MCP-1, TNF-alpha and C3 and frequencies of each tertile were compared, the multiple group showed significantly lower frequencies in lowest tertile than normal group (p < 0.05), suggesting higher tendency of inflammatory responses. For hematological values, blood pressure, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose levels were highest in multiple group (p < 0.05) compared to other 2 groups. BMI, body fat (kg), and triceps skinfold thickness were also significantly higher in multiple group than in 2 other groups (p < 0.05). Moreover, the concentrations of IL-2, IL-6 and C3 were significantly correlated with hematologic values of fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides or obesity factors such as triceps skinfold thickness, BMI, and body fat (%). Among singular and multiple group, the subjects with higher intakes for vitamins A, C, and E showed the higher level of IL-2 and the lower level of MCP-1, and C3. In conclusion, blood concentrations of triglycerides and proinflammatory cytokines, blood pressure, obesity parameters (BMI, body fat, triceps skinfold thickness) were higher in multiple group than in normal, but this result strongly suggest that the increasement of the vitamin A, C, and E intakes would modify the cytokine levels to reduce the inflammatory response in the elderly people with chronic diseases.