ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Recent research on Vitamin K has shown its importance in maintaining vascular and bone health. Brazilian food composition tables do not show phylloquinone content in national foods. These data are needed to obtain more reliable results in nutritional status assessment studies of individuals in relation to this vitamin as studies have shown a geographical influence in food phylloquinone content. This study aims to determine phylloquinone (Vitamin K1) levels in its most important source: dark green leaved vegetables. Several varieties of vegetables were purchased directly from CEAGESP (General Warehouse Company of São Paulo) at different times. Phylloquinone was extracted using organic solvents and quantified by High Performance Liquid Chromatography - HPLC. Results show the concentrations of phylloquinone in commonly consumed foodstuffs. In general, results showed variations with data from literature on the amount of Vitamin K in the plants analysed.
Subject(s)
Vitamin K 1/pharmacology , Vitamin K/analysis , Food/statistics & numerical data , Brazil , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/instrumentation , Food Composition , Vegetable Products/classificationABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of vitamin K1 on wound healing in the left colon of rats with experimental biliary obstruction. METHODS: Sixteen male rats, divided into four groups of four animals each (L, M, LK, and MK), underwent colostomy followed by bowel suture in the left colon. Seven days before, animals in the L and LK groups had undergone common bile duct ligation. The animals in groups MK and LK received vitamin K1 supplementation. On day 7 after bowel suture, repeat laparotomy was performed for evaluation of colonic healing by burst pressure measurement and collection of samples for histopathological analysis. Changes in body weight were evaluated in the four groups. RESULTS: Weight loss was lower in animals supplemented with vitamin K. No significant differences were observed in burst pressure among the four groups (p>0.05). Histological analysis showed more hemorrhage and congestion in the biliary obstruction groups. Supplemented animals exhibited increased collagen formation and less edema and abscess formation. CONCLUSION: Vitamin K supplementation attenuated weight loss and improved colonic wound healing in rats. .
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Cholestasis, Extrahepatic/surgery , Colon/drug effects , Common Bile Duct/surgery , Dietary Supplements , Vitamin K 1/pharmacology , Wound Healing/drug effects , Anastomosis, Surgical , Bilirubin/blood , Body Weight/drug effects , Colostomy , Colon/pathology , Jaundice, Obstructive , Laparotomy , Ligation , Models, Animal , Random Allocation , Rats, Wistar , Tensile Strength/drug effectsABSTRACT
Two dosages (1 and 2 mg/kg) of vitamin K1 supplementation for 5 and 15 days were given to Indian gerbil T. indica fed on difethialone bait (0.0025%) for one day. The results indicated that the lower dosage could not reverse the anticoagulation process, however the period of mortality was considerably increased from 3-9 days (in control) to 5-14 days (5 days supplementation regime). Subsequently when the vitamin K1 dosage was doubled and given for 15 days, there was 100% reversal of anticoagulation process and all the test gerbils became normal within a month of poisoning with difethialone bait.
Subject(s)
4-Hydroxycoumarins/poisoning , Animal Feed , Animals , Anticoagulants/pharmacology , Dietary Supplements , Gerbillinae , Rodenticides/poisoning , Time Factors , Vitamin K 1/pharmacologyABSTRACT
The liver plays a major role in urea and glutamine metabolism where it maintains ammonia and bicarbonate homeostasis under physiological and pathological conditions. Glutamine assessment in different liver diseases showed deviations from normal serum values. In the present study, glutamine level in serum [serum glutamate values] [SGV] and liver tissue homogenates liver homogenate glutamine values] [LHGV] in patients with schistosomal hepatic fibrosis with and without conventional supportive medical therapy and anti-schistosomal therapy were correlated. LHGV in liver tissue homogenates from cases were higher than those of matched controls. SGV of patients with late hepatic schistosomiasis were greater than those with early stages of the disease. All patients, whether in early or late schistosomal hepatic fibrosis, showed reduction of SGV after treatment. We came to the conclusion that in patients with schistosomal hepatic fibrosis, whether early or late, there is a derangement of glutamine metabolism which could be corrected partially by the conventional supportive medical therapy. Again, estimation of glutamine in serum could be considered an early and reliable parameter for the assessment of liver function in patients