Effects of virgin coconut oil consumption on metabolic syndrome components and asymmetric dimethylarginine: A randomized controlled clinical trial

Background and aimsThere is some promising evidence regarding the beneficial effect of coconut oil on cardiometabolic risk factors. This study aimed to assess the effects of virgin coconut oil (VCO) consumption on metabolic syndrome (MetS) components, as well as, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) in adults with MetS.Methods and resultsIn this randomized controlled trial, 48 subjects, aged 20–50 years, with MetS were allocated into two groups; the intervention group was given 30 ml of VCO per day to substitute the same amounts of fat in their usual diet for four weeks. The control group was advised to follow their usual diet. VCO consumption significantly reduced serum levels of triglyceride (TG) (P = 0.001), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) (P = 0.001), and fasting blood sugar (FBS) (P = 0.015) compared to the control group. The levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and total cholesterol (TC) were significantly increased in the VCO group when compared to the control group (P = 0.001). Circulatory ADMA also increased in the VCO group compared to the control group (P = 0.003). No significant differences were observed in the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio, anthropometric parameters, and blood pressure measurements between the two groups at the end of the study (P > 0.05).ConclusionVCO consumption increased the values of HDL-C while reduced TG and FBS levels. Blood pressure and waist circumference did not change. However, levels of TC, LDL-C, and ADMA elevated by VCO consumption. Caution is warranted until the results of further studies become available to explain the long-term effects of VCO consumption.Registration numberIRCT20131125015536N11.     

普罗布考和抗氧化维生素不影响体外实验条件下内皮细胞的白细胞粘附

为探讨预防动脉粥样硬化的药物普罗布考,维生素C和维生素E是否抑制内皮细胞表面粘附分子表达和白细胞一内皮细胞的粘附,以及这种抑制是否通过影响核因子－kB的活性来实现的,在液体流动小室中进行细胞粘附实验。用ELISA方法测定内皮细胞粘附分子E－选择素的表达;用电泳迁移率分析测定内皮细胞核因子－kB的活性,经肿瘤坏死因子α刺激的内皮细胞核因子－B活性增加,粘附分子E－选择素的表达上调（是基础水平的3．5倍）,其表面HL60细胞的粘附增加（是基础水平的4－26倍）,而抗氧化剂PDTC使所有这些变化都受到抑制。PDTC浓度为18umol/L时对粘附分子E－选择素的表达呈最大半抑制;PDTC浓度为52umol/L时对内皮细胞表面HL60细胞的粘附呈最大半抑制,普罗布考,维生素C和维生素E对肿瘤坏死因子α诱导的粘附分子表达和HL60细胞与内皮细胞的粘附没有作用,对核因子－kB的活性没有影响,临床上常用的这三种抗氧化剂并未影响作为动脉粥样硬化始动机制之一的E－选择素介导的白细胞－内皮细胞粘附水平。     

The systemic inflammatory response syndrome as a predictor of bacteraemia and outcome from sepsis

Criteria defining the <it>systemic inflammatory response syndrome</it> (SIRS) were used to assess prospectively 270 clinical episodes in which blood cultures were taken from patients in general medicine. SIRS, severe sepsis and septic shock occurred in 149 (55%), 13 (5%) and 9 (3%) episodes, respectively. However, evidence of organ hypoperfusion indicating severe sepsis was recorded as sought in only 26% of episodes of SIRS. Crude mortality at 28 days increased sequentially as more SIRS criteria were met, rising from 12% in non-SIRS blood culture episodes, to 36% when all four criteria were met. Mortality from severe sepsis and septic shock was 38% and 56%, respectively. In 61/64 (95%) episodes of clinically important bacteraemia, patients fulfilled SIRS criteria when the blood culture was taken. However, the positive predictive value of SIRS for predicting bacteraemia was only 7%. Patients who did not fulfill SIRS criteria when blood cultures were taken were at low risk of bacteraemia and comprised 45% (121/270) of the study population. Three patients in this low-risk group had bacteraemia. Mortality in bacteraemic patients with severe sepsis or septic shock who were initially treated with ineffective antibiotics for up to 48 h was 80%, compared to 42% in those always treated appropriately.      

Surgical bacterial infections and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns at Lilongwe Central Hospital

A cross sectional study was done between October 1999 and February 2000 to determine antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of consecutive bacterial isolates of 102 clinical samples among surgical in-patients at Lilongwe Central Hospital (LCH), Malawi. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using comparative disc diffusion techniques. 83 (81.4%) samples were culture positive for bacterial growth while 19 (18.6%) grew nothing. Of the 93 culture positive specimens, Staphylococcus aureus was the predominant organism 43(51.8%) followed by Proteus species 8(9.6%) and E. coli 7(8.4%). Overall, 98.6% of all isolates tested against ciprofloxacin were susceptible, and against gentamicin and flucloxacin were 84.8% and 66.7% respectively. 59.3% of isolates tested against chloramphenicol were resistant. We recommend a review on the use of chloramphenicol as first-line antimicrobial therapy among surgical in-patients at Lilongwe Central Hospital. We also recommend restricted use of antimicrobials so as to minimise development of drug resistance. Periodic susceptibility studies are necessary to guide judicious use of antibiotics.     

Erythropoietin kinetics in rats: generation and clearance

Detailed studies to analyze the early events of erythropoietin (Ep) secretion and clearance were performed in a rat model using a double antibody radioimmunoassay. Ep clearance was determined following intravenous injection of 1 mL of Ep-rich plasma, 1,080 mU/mL, obtained from phlebotomized rats. Analysis revealed a disappearance curve that conformed to a two-compartment model with an alpha half-life t1/2 of 3.6 minutes and a beta t1/2 of 86 minutes. The volume of distribution was similar to the calculated plasma volume. In anephric animals, there was no change in the plasma clearance rate or the volume of distribution. Rapid Ep secretion was elicited by a single 15 mL/kg phlebotomy (hematocrit decrement 45% to 30%), so that levels reached 20 to 30 times baseline (524 +/- 76 v 24 +/- 7 mU/mL) at five hours, whereas they plateaued for at least 33 hours. The increase in the rate of secretion was geometric, from 9.9 mU/h baseline secretion to 429 mU/h. These data identify a very sensitive and rapidly responsive system for Ep modulation in the rat.     

Effects of zinc supplementation on diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT: The number of people with diabetes and pre-diabetes are exponentially increasing. Studies on humans have shown the beneficial effects of Zinc supplementation in patients with diabetes. The present study aims to systematically evaluate the literature and meta-analyze the effects of Zinc supplementation on diabetes. A systematic review of published studies reporting the effects of Zinc supplementations on diabetes mellitus was undertaken. The literature search was conducted in the following databases; PubMed, Web of Science and SciVerse Scopus. A meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of Zinc supplementation on clinical and biochemical parameters in patients with diabetes was performed. The total number of articles included in the present review is 25, which included 3 studies on type-1 diabetes and 22 studies on type-2 diabetes. There were 12 studies comparing the effects of Zinc supplementation on fasting blood glucose in patients with type-2 diabetes. The pooled mean difference in fasting blood glucose between Zinc supplemented and placebo groups was 18.13mg/dl (95%CI:33.85,2.41; p<0.05). 2-h post-prandial blood sugar also shows a similar distinct reduction in (34.87mg/dl [95%CI:75.44; 5.69]) the Zinc treated group. The reduction in HbA1c was 0.54% (95%CI:0.86;0.21) in the Zinc treated group. There were 8 studies comparing the effects of Zinc supplementation on lipid parameters in patients with type-2 diabetes. The pooled mean difference for total cholesterol between Zinc supplemented and placebo groups was 32.37mg/dl (95%CI:57.39,7.35; p<0.05). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol also showed a similar distinct reduction in the Zinc treated group, the pooled mean difference from random effects analysis was 11.19mg/dl (95%CI:21.14,1.25; p<0.05). Studies have also shown a significant reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressures after Zinc supplementation. This first comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis on the effects of Zinc supplementation in patients with diabetes demonstrates that Zinc supplementation has beneficial effects on glycaemic control and promotes healthy lipid parameters. Further studies are required to identify the exact biological mechanisms responsible for these results.     

Colony-forming cell proliferation: a rapid and sensitive assay system for murine granulocyte and macrophage colony-stimulating factors

A microculture assay for murine granulocyte-macrophage colony- stimulating factor (GM-CSF) has been developed using fetal liver GM colony-forming cells (CFC) isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. These GM-CFC are free of mature hemopoietic cells, such as granulocytes and macrophages, which may interfere with direct assays for GM-CSF. The assay procedure allows the quantitation of GM-CSF within 48 hr by measuring the number of cells produced from 50 GM-CFC in microcultures (15 microliter). The assay is particularly simple to set up and score and yet, because of the reduced volumes, this assay is still capable of detecting 0.2 pg (i.e., 0.2 U) of GM-CSF within 48 hr, i.e., 100 times less GM-CSF than the conventional soft agar assay. By allowing the microcultures to develop for 7 days, the extra proliferation allows a further tenfold increase in the sensitivity of CSF detection. The time and cost of setting up hundreds of GM-CSF assays for fractions from chromatographic columns, e.g., reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography, is reduced by at least five- fold. Enough GM-CFC can be isolated and stored frozen in one afternoon to provide sufficient cells for the daily assay of 200 samples of GM- CSF for several months. Microassay results for several sources of GM- CSF at different stages of purification are compared to the results obtained from the soft agar assay.