Meihong Xu

Oral administration of marine collagen peptides prepared from chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) improves wound healing following cesarean section in rats

Background The goal of the present study was to investigate the wound-healing potential of marine collagen peptides (MCPs) from chum salmon skin administered to rats following cesarean section (CS). Methods Ninety-six pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: a vehicle group and three MCP groups. After CS, rats were intragastrically given MCPs at doses of 0, 0.13, 0.38, 1.15 g/kg*bw, respectively. On postoperative days 7, 14, and 21, the uterine bursting pressure, skin tensile strength, hydroxyproline (Hyp) concentrations, and histological and immunohistochemical characteristics of the scar tissue were examined. Results In the MCP groups, the skin tensile strength, uterine bursting pressure, and Hyp were significantly higher than those in the vehicle group at all three time points (p<0.05). The formation of capillary, fibroblast, and collagen fiber, the expression of platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1, basic fibroblast growth factor, and transforming growth factor beta-1 were increased in the MCP groups (p<0.05). Conclusion MCPs could accelerate the process of wounding healing in rats after CS.

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Wholegrain Oat Intake on Weight Management and Glucolipid Metabolism in Overweight Type-2 Diabetics: A Randomized Control Trial.

Glycemic control and weight reduction are primary goals for the management of overweight and obese type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Effective management cannot be achieved without an appropriate diet. Our study aimed to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of oat intake and develop a reasonable dietary plan for overweight T2DM patients. A randomized control trial, registered under ClinicalTrials.gov (Identification code: NCT01495052), was carried out among adult T2DM patients. A subgroup of 298 overweight subjects was selected and received a 30-day centralized intervention and 1-year free-living follow-up. Participants were randomly allocated to one of the following four groups. The usual care group (n = 60) received no intervention; the healthy diet group (n = 79) received a low-fat and high-fiber diet (“healthy diet”); the 50 g-oats group (n = 80) and 100 g-oats group (n = 79) received the “healthy diet” with the same amount of cereals replaced by 50 g and 100 g oats respectively. Anthropometric, blood glycemic and lipid variables were measured. For the 30-day intervention, significant differences in the changes of FPG (fasting plasma glucose), PPG (postprandial plasma glucose), HbA1c (glycosylated hemoglobin), HOMA-IR (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance), TC (total cholesterol), TG (total triglycerides), and LDL-c (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) were observed among the four groups. Compared to the healthy diet group, the 50 g-oats group had a bigger reduction in PPG (mean difference (MD): −1.04 mmol/L; 95% CI: −2.03, −0.05) and TC (MD: −0.24 mmol/L; 95% CI: −0.47, −0.01); the 100 g-oats group had a bigger reduction in PPG (MD: −1.48 mmol/L; 95% CI: −2.57, −0.39), HOMA-IR (MD: −1.77 mU·mol/L2; 95% CI: −3.49, −0.05), TC (MD: −0.33 mmol/L; 95% CI: −0.56, −0.10) and LDL-c (MD: −0.22 mmol/L; 95% CI: −0.41, −0.03). In the 1-year follow-up, greater effects in reducing weight (MD: −0.89 kg; 95% CI: −1.56, −0.22), HbA1c (MD: −0.64%; 95% CI: −1.19, −0.09) and TG (MD: −0.70 mmol/L; 95% CI: −1.11, −0.29) were observed in the 100 g-oats group. In conclusion, short- and long-term oat intake had significant effects on controlling hyperglycemia, lowering blood lipid and reducing weight. Our study provided some supportive evidence for recommending oat as a good whole grain selection for overweight diabetics.

Effect of dietary nucleotides on immune function in Balb/C mice.

This study investigated the effect of dietary nucleotides (NTs) on immune function in female Balb/C mice, which randomly distributed into six groups: one control group, one NF-free (NF) control group and four NT groups. NTs ranged from 0.0025% to 0.64%. Compared with the control group, the NF could significantly weaken the activity of T lymphocytes and macrophages, as well as decreased the activity of B lymphocytes and NK cell. NF significantly decreased the ratio of CD4(+)/CD8(+), whereas, it increased Tr percentage. In comparison with the NF group, the concentration of serum IL-2 and IL-4 showed an increase trend. Meanwhile, the granular cell macrophages colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) increased significantly in the 0.04% NT group. The ratio of Th1/Th2 also showed an increasing trend after the supplements of NTs. There were no significant differences between the control and 0.04% NT group. Nevertheless, no significant differences in weight gain and lymphoid organ indices were observed in our study. These results indicate that NT supplements can prevent hypoimmunity which result from NF diet. 0.04% NTs is the healthy optimal supply proportion in mice diet.

Dietary nucleotides extend the life span in Sprague-Dawley rats

Background: ObjectiveTo observe the effect of prolonged feeding of dietary nucleotides (NTs), and to clarify the effect of NTs on life extension of Sprague-Dawley rats.MethodsThere were 50 Sprague-Dawley rats in each group (male:female ratio=1:1), which were fed diets supplemented with NTs at concentrations of 0%, 0.01%, 0.04%, 0.16% and 0.64% (wt/wt) from the age of 4 weeks until natural death. We investigated the moribundity and mortality, survival time, spontaneous tumor incidence, and serum oxidative status.ResultsNTs have significantly influence body weight of first 3 month old and food consumption of male rats throughout the life span; it did dose-dependently inhibit the age-related decrease in the activities of antioxidant enzymes and the age-related increase in the levels of lipid peroxidation product in both sexes. NTs notably increased the mean life span, and the maximal life span. Compared to the control group, the incidence of death from tumors was decreased in NTs groups of both sexes.ConclusionsLong-term feeding of NTs could dose-dependently increase life span in Sprague-Dawley rats, especially, the tumor-bearing ones. Moreover, the antioxidative property of NTs may be responsible for the increased life span.

Dietary Nucleotides Supplementation and Liver Injury in Alcohol-Treated Rats: A Metabolomics Investigation

Background: Previous studies suggested that nucleotides were beneficial for liver function, lipid metabolism and so on. The present study aimed to investigate the metabolic response of dietary nucleotides supplementation in alcohol-induced liver injury rats. Methods: Five groups of male Wistar rats were used: normal control group (basal diet, equivalent distilled water), alcohol control group (basal diet, 50% alcohol (v/v)), dextrose control group (basal diet, isocaloric amount of dextrose), and 0.04% and 0.16% nucleotides groups (basal diet supplemented with 0.4 g and 1.6 g nucleotides kg−1 respectively, 50% alcohol (v/v)). The liver injury was measured through traditional liver enzymes, expression of oxidative stress markers and histopathological examination. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole-time-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was applied to identify liver metabolite profiles. Results: Nucleotides supplementation prevented the progression of hepatocyte steatosis. The levels of total proteins, globulin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total cholesterol triglyceride, as well as the oxidative stress markers altered by alcohol, were improved by nucleotides supplementation. Elevated levels of liver bile acids (glycocholic acid, chenodeoxyglycocholic acid, and taurodeoxycholic acid), as well as lipids (stearic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, phosphatidylcholine, and lysophosphatidylethanolamine) in alcohol-treated rats were reversed by nucleotides supplementation. In addition, supplementation with nucleotides could increase the levels of amino acids, including valyl-Leucine, l-leucine, alanyl-leucine and l-phenylalanine. Conclusion: These data indicate potential biomarkers and confirm the benefit of dietary nucleotides on alcoholic liver injury.

Effects of goat milk-based formula on development in weaned rats.

Objective The aim of this article is to study the effect of goat milk–based formula (GMF) on development in weaned rats. Methods One hundred Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: control, 20% cow milk–based formula (CMF), and 5%-GMF, 10%-GMF, and 20%-GMF groups. Results GMF did play an active role in accelerating body and femur length, but not body weight growth. Compared with the control, GMF had better cognitive, space, and locomotor activity. The level of IFN was increased in GMF groups, as well as the level of IL-2 and TNF was decreased in GMF groups. Conclusion These results indicate that GMF has an effect on development and immunity improvability in weaned rats.

The Effects of Intensive Nutrition Education on Late Middle-Aged Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

Objective: Many patients with type 2 diabetes find it difficult to maintain good glycemic control. Undesirable glycemic control occurs greatly due to deficiencies of nutritional knowledge and difficulty in obtaining dietary prescriptions. The late middle-aged and elder individuals are the main populations that are affected by type 2 diabetes. The main purpose of this study was to investigate whether intensive nutrition education would make benefits for late middle-aged patients with type 2 diabetes. Method: 196 patients between 50 to 65 years old meeting type 2 diabetes criteria and eligible for the program were included in a single-blinded, 30-day centralized management of an education program in China. Participants in the program were randomly divided into a usual nutrition education group or an intensive nutrition education group. The usual nutrition education group was used as a control group and received only basic health advice and principles of diabetic diets at the beginning and the end of the study. Participants in the intensive nutrition education group were arranged to receive intensive nutritional lectures about diabetes for 30 days. The primary outcomes were the changes in weight, body mass index (BMI), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2-h postprandial plasma glucose (PG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total glycerin (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c). Results: After 30 days of intervention, FPG, PG, and HbA1c in the treatment group decreased significantly than the control group (p < 0.05). HbA1c reduced significantly by 0.6% in the intervention group. No significant differences in the change of blood lipids were observed between groups. However, TG, TC, and HDL-c made improvements compared with the baseline in the experimental group. Both groups had a reduction in weight and BMI within groups, especially in intensive nutrition education group. However, there was no statistical significance between groups. Conclusions: Intensive nutrition education has significant effects on blood glucose control in late middle-aged adults with type 2 diabetes. Intensive education can cultivate good diet habits and increase physical activity, which are important for diabetes patients in the short and long terms. These findings may contribute to improving education methodology and nutrition therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Comparison of growth and nutritional status in infants receiving goat milk–based formula and cow milk–based formula: a randomized, double-blind study

Objective To compare the growth and nutritional status of infants fed goat milk–based formula (GMF) and cow milk–based formula (CMF). Methods The study was conducted in Beijing, China. It was a double-blind randomized controlled trial. A total of 79 infants aged 0–3 months old were recruited and randomized in GMF or CMF group. The infants were fed the allocated formula to 6 months. The weight, length, and head circumference were measured at the enrolment, 3 and 6 months. The start time and types of solid food were recorded. Blood elements, urinal, and fecal parameters were also tested. Results The average weight of infants in the GMF group (mean±SD) was 4.67±0.99 kg and in the CMF group 4.73±1.10 kg at enrolment, and 8.75±0.98 kg (GMF) and 8.92±0.88 kg (CMF) at 6 months. There were no differences in the adjusted intention-to-treat analyses of weight, length, head circumference, and BMI z-scores between the two formula-fed groups over the 6-month study. Similarly, there were no remarkable differences in the timing and types of solid food, blood elements, urinal, and feces parameters, between the GMF and CMF group. No group differences have been shown in bowel motion consistency, duration of crying, ease of settling, or frequency of adverse events. Conclusions GMF-provided growth and nutritional outcomes did not differ from those provided by CMF.

Naked oat combined with a structured dietary intervention affects oxidative stress but not inflammation in diabetic dyslipidemia.

The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01495052. Systemic inflammation and oxidative stress have been demonstrated to be associated with the process of metabolic disorders including diabetes and dyslipidemia, and are believed to be partly responsible for the increased cardiovascular diseases among diabetic and dyslipidemic patients [1,2]. Oat has been found to be a protective factor against inflammatory and oxidative tissue injury in many in vitro experiment and animal models [3e5], while studies demonstrating such effects in humans are limited [6,7]. In addition, previous studies mostly focused on specific oat extracts or oat components such as b-glucans, tocols, or avenanthramides. Studies on whole oats with respect to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities are still lacking. Therefore, we assessed the antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of a whole oat groats intake of 50 or 100 g/day in a group of 286 patients (mean aged 59.1 5.9 years) with diabetic dyslipidemia from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) study (Registration number: NCT01495052). Markers of oxidation (superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px)) and markers of inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP)) were quantified by using the respective enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit (Nanjing Jiancheng Bioengineering Institute, Nanjing, China). The daily intake of energy and major nutrients was estimated by the participants’ 30-day diet record during the study (Table S1). The control group had lower fiber consumption (18.7 5.6 g/day) and a higher energy intake (2404 151.3 kcal/day) than the other groups. The diets among the other three groups (diet group, 50-g-oat group, 100-g-oat group) were mainly identical in energy content, differing only in the amount of dietary fiber. The fiber intake was 3 or 6 g higher in the 50gor 100-g-oat plus diet group than in the diet group, respectively (P < 0.01). Compliance with consumption of both the control and intervention food was good. Products were well tolerated with no reported difficulty.

Anti-fatigue effects of dietary nucleotides in mice

ABSTRACT As the building blocks of nucleic acids, nucleotides are conditionally essential nutrients that exhibit multifaceted activities. The present study aimed to evaluate the anti-fatigue effects of dietary nucleotides (NTs) on mice and explore the possible underlying mechanism. Mice were randomly divided into four experimental sets to detect different indicators. Each set of mice was then divided into four groups: (i) one control group and (ii) three NTs groups, which were fed diets supplemented with NTs at concentrations of 0%, 0.04%, 0.16%, and 0.64% (wt/wt). NTs could significantly increase the forced swimming time, enhance lactate dehydrogenase activity and hepatic glycogen levels, as well as delay the accumulation of blood urea nitrogen and blood lactic acid in mice after 30 days of treatment. NTs also markedly improved fatigue-induced alterations in oxidative stress biomarkers and antioxidant enzymes. Notably, NTs increased the mitochondrial energy metabolic enzyme activities in the skeletal muscles of mice. These results suggest that NTs exert anti-fatigue effects, which may be attributed to the inhibition of oxidative stress and the improvement of mitochondrial function in skeletal muscles. NTs could be used as a novel natural agent for relieving exercise fatigue. Abbreviations: ATP: adenosine triphosphate; BLA: blood lactic acid; GSH-Px: glutathione peroxidase; LDH: lactate dehydrogenase; MDA: malondialdehyde; NTs: dietary nucleotides; SDH: succinate dehydrogenase; SOD: superoxide dismutase; BUN: blood urea nitrogen