Biochemical profile of amniotic fluid for the assessment of fetal and renal development

Creatinine plays a key role in the function and maturation of fetal kidneys throughout pregnancy. It is important to identify other markers that may help in the diagnosis of renal dysfunction. Our aim was to determine the profile of and the correlation between biochemical markers to be used to assess renal function and maturation of the fetus in the amniotic fluid during pregnancy and to determine the distribution of normal values for creatinine, N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), ß2-microglobulin, glucose, urea, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, uric acid, albumin, and osmolality in three gestational age groups. This was a cross-section study that assessed 115 samples of amniotic fluid during three different periods of pregnancy, i.e., 13 to 20, 27 to 34, and 36 to 42 weeks. Concentrations of creatinine, NAG, urea, potassium and uric acid increased during pregnancy (P<0.05). ß2-Microglobulin, glucose, sodium, phosphorus, calcium, and albumin concentration and osmolality decreased (P<0.05), whereas ß2-microglobulin, glucose and uric acid presented significant correlations with gestational age and creatinine, respectively (r>0.6, P<0.05). Urea, potassium and phosphorus showed mild correlations with both (r>0.5, P<0.05). NAG, sodium, albumin and osmolality did not show significant correlations (r<0.5, P<0.05). These tests confirmed the important role of creatinine in terms of correlation with gestational age. ß2-Microglobulin, glucose and uric acid were significant as markers of function and maturation of fetal kidneys, whereas NAG did not demonstrate a useful role for the assessment of renal maturation.

Normal HC11 and ras-transformed mouse mammary cells are resistant to the antiproliferative effects of retinoic acid

The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of retinoic acid on the growth of the mouse mammary cells HC11 and HC11ras, which are a model for in vitro breast cancer progression. The expression of the two classes (RARs and RXRs) of retinoic acid receptor mRNAs was determined by Northern blot analysis. Receptor functional integrity was determined by testing whether RAR ß mRNA could be induced by retinoic acid. The effects of a 72-h exposure to 50 µM 13-cis retinoic acid on HC11 and HC11ras cell proliferation and HC11 cell differentiation were investigated by flow cytometric cell cycle analysis, and by determination of ß-casein mRNA expression, respectively. The possibility that retinoic acid would induce the expression of the vitamin D receptor and synergize with vitamin D, a known inhibitor of HC11 cell growth, was also investigated. HC11 cells expressed higher mRNA levels of both RAR a and RAR g when compared to HC11ras cells. In contrast, RAR ß, as well as RXR a, ß and g expression was low in both HC11 and HC11ras cells. In addition, RAR ß mRNA was induced by retinoic acid treatment in both cells. In spite of these observations, no effects were seen on cell proliferation or differentiation upon exposure to retinoic acid. Neither vitamin D receptor induction nor synergy with vitamin D on growth inhibition was observed. We conclude that the RAR expression profile could be related to the transformed state in HC11ras cells and that the retinoic acid resistance observed merits further investigation.

Glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies are indicators of the course, but not of the onset, of diabetes in middle-aged adults: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

To efficiently examine the association of glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody (GADA) positivity with the onset and progression of diabetes in middle-aged adults, we performed a case-cohort study representing the ~9-year experience of 10,275 Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study participants, initially aged 45-64 years. Antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65) were measured by radioimmunoassay in 580 incident diabetes cases and 544 non-cases. The overall weighted prevalence of GADA positivity (³1 U/mL) was 7.3%. Baseline risk factors, with the exception of smoking and interleukin-6 (P £ 0.02), were generally similar between GADA-positive and -negative individuals. GADA positivity did not predict incident diabetes in multiply adjusted (HR = 1.04; 95%CI = 0.55, 1.96) proportional hazard analyses. However, a small non-significant adjusted risk (HR = 1.29; 95%CI = 0.58, 2.88) was seen for those in the highest tertile (³2.38 U/mL) of positivity. GADA-positive and GADA-negative non-diabetic individuals had similar risk profiles for diabetes, with central obesity and elevated inflammation markers, aside from glucose, being the main predictors. Among diabetes cases at study's end, progression to insulin treatment increased monotonically as a function of baseline GADA level. Overall, being GADA positive increased risk of progression to insulin use almost 10 times (HR = 9.9; 95%CI = 3.4, 28.5). In conclusion, in initially non-diabetic middle-aged adults, GADA positivity did not increase diabetes risk, and the overall baseline profile of risk factors was similar for positive and negative individuals. Among middle-aged adults, with the possible exception of those with the highest GADA levels, autoimmune pathophysiology reflected by GADA may become clinically relevant only after diabetes onset.

Retinoic acid and cAMP inhibit rat hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation and enhance cell differentiation

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third highest cause of cancer death worldwide. In general, the disease is diagnosed at an advanced stage when potentially curative therapies are no longer feasible. For this reason, it is very important to develop new therapeutic approaches. Retinoic acid (RA) is a natural derivative of vitamin A that regulates important biological processes including cell proliferation and differentiation. In vitro studies have shown that RA is effective in inhibiting growth of HCC cells; however, responsiveness to treatment varies among different HCC cell lines. The objective of the present study was to determine if the combined use of RA (0.1 µM) and cAMP (1 mM), an important second messenger, improves the responsiveness of HCC cells to RA treatment. We evaluated the proliferative behavior of an HCC cell line (HTC) and the expression profile of genes related to cancer signaling pathway (ERK and GSK-3β) and liver differentiation (E-cadherin, connexin 26 (Cx26), and Cx32). RA and cAMP were effective in inhibiting the proliferation of HTC cells independently of combined use. However, when a mixture of RA and cAMP was used, the signals concerning the degree of cell differentiation were increased. As demonstrated by Western blot, the treatment increased E-cadherin, Cx26, Cx32 and Ser9-GSK-3β (inactive form) expression while the expression of Cx43, Tyr216-GSK-3β (active form) and phosphorylated ERK decreased. Furthermore, telomerase activity was inhibited along treatment. Taken together, the results showed that the combined use of RA and cAMP is more effective in inducing differentiation of HTC cells.

Evaluation of thermotolerant capacity of lactic acid bacteria isolated from commercial sausages and the effects of their addition on the quality of cooked sausages

The thermotolerant capacity of several lactic acid bacteria strains isolated from cooked commercial sausages was determined. Four strains were positively identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus curvatus, Pediococcus pentosaceus and Pediococcus acidilacti, after surviving thermal treatment (70 °C during 60 minutes). Thermotolerant strains were inoculated in sausage batters before cooking in order to determine their effect on color, texture, acceptance and inhibition of Enterobacteria during 12 days at 8 °C. No significant effect of the inoculated strains was detected on color parameters. Textural profile parameters, cohesiveness and resilience, were not affected by the inoculation of thermotolerant lactic acid bacteria, but L. curvatus sausages resulted softer than the rest of the treatments. Samples inoculated with L. curvatus also obtained the lowest scores for the sensory attributes evaluated, with the remaining treatments causing no unfavorable effects on sausage acceptance. There was a reduction in enterobacterial counts after 12 days of cold storage in inoculated samples. The performance of inoculated lactic acid bacteria strains can be explained in a similar way as that of starter cultures in dry-fermented sausages, where the growth in nests impairs other pathogenic microorganisms present in the rest of the sausage, since environmental conditions and the early inoculation of these thermotolerant strains favor them to become the dominant flora.

Volatile profile of the headspace fraction of "assa-peixe" (Vernonia sp.) honeys

The volatile compounds were isolated from the headspace fraction of "assa-peixe" honeys by adsorptive column chromatography, eluted with acetone and analysed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Volatile compounds were separated using a polar phase column. Low- and medium-boiling point volatile compounds predominated in the headspace. A large proportion of 3-penten-2-one (80.5 ± 13.9 µg.kg-1) and benzaldehyde (25.9 ± 4.2 µg.kg-1) was found in the headspace fraction, while 2-penten-1-ol, 3-hexenyl butanoate, octadecane and hexanoic acid (<0.01 µg.kg-1) were by far the less abundant volatile compounds. A total of 12 volatile compounds were identified and, among them, 5 compounds were reported as "assa-peixe" honey constituents for the first time. Of the 5 new volatile compounds reported, 3-penten-2-one, dodecane, tridecane and benzaldehyde were definitively identified in the headspace fraction of Brazilian "assa-peixe" honeys.

Volatile compounds profile of fresh-cut peki fruit stored under different temperatures

The objective of this work was to identify and verify the influence of time and temperature on the volatile compounds profile of fresh cut peki. Peki fruits were washed, sanitized, their kernels were extracted, and they were packaged and stored for 15 days at 0, 5, and 10 °C and 6 days at 22 °C. The volatiles compounds were analyzed by GC - MS. Ethyl hexanoate and ethyl octanoate were found in higher percentages, 63 and 16.3%, respectively. The determined volatiles were not influenced by the storage period. Hexanoic acid, ethyl 2-octenoate and ethyl decanoate were not influenced by the different temperatures. The temperatures 0, 5, and 10 °C did not influence ethyl hexanoate, ethyl 2-hexenoate and ethyl octanoate either. In addition, the temperatures 5, 10, and 22 °C did not influence ethyl hexanoate, cis-β-ocimene and ethyl octanoate. The temperature of 22 °C determined higher percentages of ethyl hexanoate and lower percentages of ethyl octanoate, in comparison to the temperature of 0 °C, and higher percentages of ethyl 2-hexenoate in comparison to the temperatures of 0, 5, and 10 °C. The temperature of 5 °C determined higher percentage of cis-β-ocimene when compared with the temperature of 0 °C. The storage temperatures of 0 and 5 °C were the most appropriate for the conservation.

Physicochemical evaluation and fatty acids profile of broiler chicken fed broiler diets containing barley brewer (Hordeum vulgare)

The aim of this study was to analyze the chemical composition and the fatty acids (FA) profile of broiler chicken (breast and thigh/on-thigh) fed diets containing 10 and 20% of barley and a control diet. The FAs were evaluated by gas chromatography. There was not a significant difference (p > 0.05) in the breast chemical composition. In the thigh/on-thigh cut, the ration containing 20% of barley reduced the ashes (p < 0.05). Regarding the saturated FA composition, only the breast myristic acid treated with 10% of barley was reduced (p < 0.05). None of the diets influenced the polyunsaturated (PUFA) and monounsaturated (MUFA) FA's content (p > 0.05). As for the ω6/ω3 ratio, the highest one was observed in the 20% barley fed animals, in both cuts, being considered the worst quality. It can be concluded that the 20% barley ration was worse than the others and the 10% barley ration was better than the control ration, especially when considering the saturated FA quantity that was reduced.

Serum lipid profile and hepatic evaluation in mice fed diet containing pequi nut or pulp (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.)

Caryocar brasiliense (popular name pequi) is widely consumed by the population of Brazilian Savannah. This fruit has a high concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids that can influence positively the lipid profile. In addition, pequi also has an important concentration of saturated fatty acids which, in turn, is associated with atherosclerosis risk. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a pequi-supplemented diet on blood lipid and glucose levels and hepatic histology. Female Albino swiss mice were divided into three groups and fed a standard chow diet (control group), chow diet supplemented with 33% pequi nut (nut group), and chow diet supplemented with 33% pequi pulp (pulp group). After 6 weeks, following an overnight fast, blood and liver were collected for posterior analyses. Serum total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were significantly higher in mice fed pequi-rich diets compared to the control group. Nevertheless, there was no modification in blood triglycerides, atherogenic fraction, and glucose levels. In addition, there was development of liver microvesicular steatosis related to pequi intake. In conclusion, the diets supplemented with pequi nut or pulp reduced the atherogenic risk by increasing the anti-atherogenic lipoproteins without changing the pro-atherogenic fraction in mice.

Physicochemical and sensory profile of rice bran roasted in microwave

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physical, chemical, and sensory changes in bran from three rice cultivars according to microwave roasting time. This study analyzed three rice cultivars, BRS Sertaneja (S), BRS Primavera (P), and IRGA 417 (I) determining the color parameters (L*, a*, and b *) at 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 minutes of roasting time. After applying the difference from control test, the rice brans with different characteristics aroma and flavor were selected: S and P roasted for 9 and 15 minutes and IRGA 417 roasted for 9, 12, and 15 minutes. These samples were characterized by Free-Choice Profile descriptive sensory analysis, and their chemical composition was also determined. The longer the roasting process, the higher the roasted flavor intensity and aroma. The IRG 417 cultivar roasted for 12 minutes showed a sweeter flavor and aroma. After roasting, the brans remained rich in protein and lipid and presented higher fiber content and lower reducing sugar and phytic acid content. Microwave roasting for 12 minutes can be a viable option for improving the sensory functional and nutritional characteristics of the rice bran considering its use in food products.

Incorporation and profile of fatty acids in tilapia fillets (Oreochromis niloticus) fed with tung oil

The acceptance of tung oil enriched diet and the incorporation of conjugated linolenic acid - CLnA into fillets of Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) were investigated. The diet was well accepted, and after 10 days CLnA was incorporated into the fillets with a 1.02% content of total fatty acids (FA). In addition, biosynthesis of the conjugated linoleic acid isomers - CLA (0.31% of fillet total FA content) from CLnA, and the presence of alpha-linolenic acid - LNA (1.08% of fillet total FA content), eicosapentaenoic acid - EPA (2.85% of fillet total FA content) and docosahexaenoic acid - DHA (3.08% of fillet total FA content) were observed. Therefore, the consumption of this fish can increase the intake of different FA (CLnA, CLA, LNA, EPA and DHA), which play an important role in human metabolism.

Fresh meat quality of pigs fed diets with different fatty acid profiles and supplemented with red wine solids

Abstract Three groups of pigs were fed three different diets, namely a diet rich in saturated fatty acids (palm oil-based, PO), a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-rich diet (corn oil-based, CO), and a PUFA-rich diet (corn oil-based) supplemented with red wine solids (RWS), which was added to the diet (CO+RWS) in order to assess the protective effect on the oxidative status of the pork meat. The addition of corn oil favourably modulates the FAs profile of the backfat, and to a lesser extent of the intramuscular fat of semimembranosus muscle, without causing adverse effects on the meat quality or on its oxidative stability. Moreover, these parameters were not affected by the addition of the RWS in the CO+RWS diet.