Differences in the response to iron supplementation on oxidative stress, inflammation, and hematological parameters in nonanemic and anemic pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: Iron supplementation is widely recommended for all pregnant women, irrespective of their iron status. But providing excess iron to nonanemic pregnant women can result in iron overload, which may lead to oxidative stress and inflammation. OBJECTIVES: To assess the differential effect of iron supplementation on hematological parameters, oxidative stress, and inflammation in nonanemic and anemic pregnant women. METHODS: Forty nonanemic and forty anemic pregnant women were recruited at 12 weeks of gestation. The study subjects were supplemented with iron (60 mg/day for nonanemic pregnant women and 120 mg/day for anemic pregnant women). Fasting state blood samples were collected at 12 and 28 weeks of gestation. RESULTS: Malondialdehyde (MDA)/total antioxidant status (TAS) ratio (MDA/TAS) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were significantly higher in anemic pregnant women before iron supplementation. Iron supplementation to the anemic pregnant women resulted in significant improvement in the hematological profile and ferritin levels. Further, the iron supplementation caused a significant reduction in hsCRP levels although the MDA/TAS ratio remained unaltered. Iron supplementation to nonanemic pregnant women resulted in a significant increase in the levels of MDA/TAS ratio and hsCRP, but there were no changes in hematological profile and serum ferritin levels. CONCLUSION: Prophylactic iron supplementation in nonanemic pregnant women increased oxidative stress and inflammation. However, in anemic pregnant women, iron supplementation was found to be beneficial as it improved hematological status and decreased inflammation without affecting oxidative stress.

Sarcoidosis and adrenal angiomyolipoma - A rare tumor and a rarer coincidence.

Angiomyolipoma is a benign mesenchymal tumor occurring in about 0.3 % of the general population. Angiomyolipoma of the adrenal gland is a rare entity, and only 5 cases have been reported so far in English literature. Sarcoidosis is a systemic illness of unknown etiology characterized histologically by non-caseating epithelioid granulomas in the affected tissues. Angiomyolipoma of the adrenal occurring in sarcoidosis is an unusual association with no prior published reports. We describe a case of adrenal angiomyolipoma in a 60 year old female with sarcoidosis. (Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis 2017; 34: 81-84).

Soy isoflavones (Glycine max) ameliorate hypertriglyceridemia and hepatic steatosis in high fat-fed ovariectomized Wistar rats (an experimental model of postmenopausal obesity).

Obesity emerged as the major risk factor for metabolic syndrome. Postmenopausal women are more prone to develop obesity than premenopausal women. The absence of safe and effective conventional treatments for postmenopausal obesity has changed the focus to natural products as alternative remedy. We investigated the molecular basis of the effect of soy isoflavones (SIFs) on hypertriglyceridemia and hepatic steatosis in an animal model of postmenopausal obesity. Ovariectomized (OVX) and sham-operated Wistar rats were fed with high-fat diet (HFD) and normal diet for 8 weeks with and without SIF extract (150mg/kg body weight/day). Both OVX and HFD per se and when combined caused hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia and atherogenic lipid profile. Proteomic studies revealed that both OVX and HFD caused overexpression of hepatic lipogenic proteins, such as LXR, SREBP1, PPARγ, ACC and FAS, in association with reduced expression of lipolytic proteins, such as FXR, PPARα, insig2 and SHP. Histological analysis showed fat accumulation and morphological abnormalities in the liver of OVX and HFD rats. All these metabolic derangements were further augmented when OVX was followed by HFD. In conclusion, these findings suggest that there was a synergism in the development of deranged lipid metabolism with the coexistence of postmenopausal state and the intake of fat-rich diet. SIF extract markedly alleviated the derangement of lipid metabolism suggesting the use of this natural phytoestrogen as a strategy for relieving dyslipidemia and hepatic steatosis associated with the postmenopausal women.