Effects of ethanol consumption on the B-group vitamin contents of liver, blood and urine in rats.

Several studies have shown that blood vitamin levels are lower in alcoholic patients than in control subjects. Acute ethanol exposure enhances the release of vitamins from liver cells in vitro. The aim of the present study is to confirm the effects of ethanol consumption on vitamin contents in vivo. We compared the contents of B-group vitamins in the liver, blood and urine between ethanol-fed and control rats fed a diet containing a sufficient- and low-vitamin mixture. The experimental rats were fed a 15 % ethanol solution freely for 28 d, and then 24 h urine samples were collected, after which the animals were killed. The B-group vitamin contents in the liver, blood and urine were measured. No differences in liver, blood and urine contents were observed between the control and ethanol-fed rats fed a diet containing a sufficient-vitamin mixture. On the contrary, in rats fed a diet containing a low-vitamin mixture, consumption of ethanol caused a decrease in the contents of vitamins B1, B2 and pantothenic acid in the liver; however, the contents of the other vitamins did not decrease. In the blood, the contents of vitamins B1, B2, B6 and pantothenic acid were lower in the ethanol-fed rats than in the controls. Urinary excretion of the B-group vitamins, except for niacin, was lower in the ethanol-fed rats. These results show that ethanol consumption affects the absorption, distribution and excretion of each of the vitamins in rats fed a diet containing a low-vitamin mixture.

Advanced glycation end-products accumulation compromises embryonic development and achievement of pregnancy by assisted reproductive technology.

BACKGROUND: Advanced glycation end-products (AGE) are pivotal in aging and diabetes. Aging and polycystic ovary syndrome, a diabetes-associated disease, often cause infertility. We examined how AGE accumulation affects assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes. METHODS: In this retrospective analysis, toxic AGE (TAGE), pentosidine (Pent) and carboxymethyl lysine (CML) in blood and follicular fluid (FF) were measured in 157 ART-patients. We analyzed associations of AGE with ART outcomes and pre-ART clinical factors. RESULTS: TAGE, Pent and CML in FF and TAGE in serum, showed significant negative correlations with estradiol and numbers of follicles larger than 12 mm in diameter, retrieved oocytes, fertilized oocytes and embryos. AGE, Pent in FF and TAGE in serum showed significant negative correlations with ongoing pregnancy. Areas under receiver-operating characteristic curves for AGE (0.709), Pent in FF (0.686) and TAGE in serum (0.667) were significantly larger than for the reference (0.5). Women with serum TAGE above 7.24 U/ml showed decreased oocyte numbers and ongoing pregnancy rates, even with younger age or lower Day-3 FSH. Serum TAGE correlated positively with leptin (R = 0.51), BMI, low-density lipoprotein, triglyceride, glucose, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance and insulin. CONCLUSIONS: Serum TAGE and FF Pent accumulations correlated highly with poor follicular and embryonic development and with a lower likelihood of ongoing pregnancy. Serum TAGE predicts poor ART outcomes independent of age and Day-3 FSH.

Decrease in serum levels of advanced glycation end-products by short-term lifestyle modification in non-diabetic middle-aged females.

BACKGROUND: Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) play an important role in development of atherosclerosis in diabetes and uremic diseases. However, there is currently little information available on the effects of lifestyle modification on circulating AGEs in subjects without these diseases. MATERIAL/METHODS: Serum levels of Nepsilon-(carboxymethyl) lysine (CML), pentosidine, derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs), adipokines, and renal function were determined in forty-seven middle-aged females. Among them, seventeen participated in a 12-week lifestyle modification (LM) program and twelve age-matched subjects were assigned to a control group. The LM program consisted of an initial educational session and encouragement. RESULTS: At baseline, serum HDL-cholesterol was correlated with CML level (P=0.003), whereas body fat mass (P=0.012) and fat consumption (P=0.007) were correlated with pentosidine levels. After intervention, significant reductions were observed in the LM group in body fat, serum HDL-cholesterol, CML, and pentosidine. Of note, in the LM group, average number of steps in daily walking was significantly correlated with decrease in CML level (P=0.044). Decrease in pentosidine level exhibited significant positive correlations with reduction in body weight (P=0.007) and body fat mass (P=0.038). CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest lifestyle modification as a promising approach to reducing circulating AGE levels even in healthy middle-aged females with neither overt diabetes nor renal dysfunction.

Rapid identification of Streptococcus intermedius by PCR with the ily gene as a species marker gene.

Streptococcus intermedius belongs to the anginosus group of streptococci (AGS) and is associated with endogenous infections leading to abscesses in the oral cavity and at deepseated sites, such as the brain and liver. Two other species, S. anginosus and S. constellatus, and some presently unnamed taxa, are also classified as AGS. Recently, S. constellatus subsp. pharyngis, a new subspecies with biochemical characteristics similar to S. intermedius, was described with the potential for causing confusion when trying to identify isolates of these two species routinely with commercial identification kits, such as Rapid ID32 Strep and Fluo-Card Milleri. To correctly identify S. intermedius, this study attempted to develop an accurate PCR identification system with the ily gene as a species marker. This approach relies on amplification of an 819-bp fragment of the ily gene and its 3'-flanking region and is shown here to be specific for S. intermedius strains among all other streptococcal species. Moreover, this PCR system was applicable in direct rapid PCR with whole bacterial cells and TaKaRa Z-Taq (TaKaRa), a highly efficient DNA polymerase, as the template and DNA amplification enzyme, respectively.