Effect of adding B-vitamins to vitamin D and calcium supplementation on CpG methylation of epigenetic aging markers

Background and aim

B-vitamins may influence DNA methylation. We studied the effects of vitamin D + Ca + B versus D + Ca on epigenetic age markers and biological age.

Antioxidants: Role the in prevention and treatment of bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is one of the major causes of chronic respiratory diseases among infants. Both pharmacological and nonpharmacological approaches have been proposed for its management. Since oxidative stress is known to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of BPD, it is reasonable to consider the potential of antioxidant strategies in the prevention and treatment of this condition. Indeed, antioxidants can prevent or inhibit substrate oxidation. Some studies have evaluated the efficacy of the exogenous administration of vitamins and micronutrients in reducing the propagation of free radicals through their scavenging capacity. Nonetheless, encouraging preclinical results did not translate into effective preventive and/or therapeutic interventions. This narrative review evaluates the current evidence about the antioxidants that are potentially useful for preventing and treating BPD and explores the most relevant issues affecting their implementation in clinical practice, as well as their associated evidence gaps and research limitations.     

HPLC法测定五维赖氨酸口服溶液中维生素C、维生素B6、烟酰胺的含量

目的建立HPLC法测定五维赖氨酸口服溶液中维生素C、维生素B6、烟酰胺的含量方法。方法采用AlltimaTMC18色谱柱,流动相:0.03mol·L-1磷酸氢二铵溶液(加入0.05%庚烷磺酸钠和0.2%三乙胺,用磷酸调节pH至3.0)-甲醇,梯度洗脱,检测波长:277nm,流速:1.0 mL·min-1,柱温:30℃。结果维生素C、维生素B6、烟酰胺分别在2.587~20.670μg(r=0.9999)、0.123~0.980μg(r=1.0000)、1.126~9.007μg(r=1.0000)范围内线性关系良好,平均回收率分别为100.00%(RSD=0.10%)、99.06%(RSD=0.28%)、99.67(RSD=0.31%)(n=9)。结论本法简便、准确、可靠,可用于五维赖氨酸口服溶液中维生素C、维生素B6、烟酰胺的质量控制。     

Stability of vitamins C and E in topical microemulsions for combined antioxidant therapy

An interesting strategy for protecting skin from excessive exposure to free radicals is to support the skin endogenous antioxidant system. As the balance between different skin antioxidants is very important, a combined therapy using at least two antioxidants is desirable. In the present work, o/w, w/o, and gel-like microemulsions (ME), all composed of the same ingredients, were selected as carrier systems for dermal delivery of vitamins C and E. Gel-like ME was found to offer the best protection for both vitamins, although other ME also significantly increased their stability compared with that solution. In the presence of vitamin C no decrease in vitamin E content occurred. To obtain ME appropriate for dermal use, their viscosity was increased by adding thickening agents. On the basis of visual examination of viscosity and physical stability of thickened systems, several thickeners were selected. The addition of thickener significantly increased the viscosity of ME and changed the behavior of systems from ideal Newtonian to thixotropic. Finally, the stability of both vitamins was examined as a function of thickening agent and of the location of vitamins in the ME. The addition of thickeners changed the stability of at least one vitamin, but the systems generally still protected vitamins better than solutions. It is likely that the changes in internal organization of ME resulting from the addition of thickener, confirmed by thermal analysis and changes in solubility of oxygen in the outer phase, were the most important factors that influenced the stability of vitamins in thickened systems.     

Vitamins and sleep: an exploratory study

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We analyzed archival data from an epidemiology study to test the association between vitamin use and sleep. DESIGN: Random digit dialing was used to recruit 772 people ranging in age from 20 to 98 for a study of people's sleep experience. These individuals completed a set of questionnaires about their sleep, health, and daytime functioning. Five hundred and nineteen of these participants had available vitamin use data. SETTING: Home. PARTICIPANTS: Five hundred and nineteen people participated. Recruitment applied minimal screening criteria and no attempt was made to favor people with or without sleep disturbance. INTERVENTIONS: This survey included no intervention. Participants completed 2 weeks of sleep diaries and a set of questionnaires. Of particular salience to the present study, participants reported their vitamin use in listing all medications and nutritional supplements being used currently. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: For those individuals taking a multivitamin or multiple single vitamins, sleep diaries revealed poorer sleep compared to non-vitamin users in the number and duration of awakenings during the night. After controlling for age, ethnicity, and sex the difference in number of awakenings was still marginally significant. The rate of insomnia, conservatively defined, and consumption of sleep medication were also marginally significantly higher among individuals taking multi-/multiple vitamins compared to those not taking vitamins. CONCLUSIONS: Disturbed sleep maintenance was associated with multi-/multiple vitamin use. Five equally plausible explanations were advanced to explain this association including vitamins cause poor sleep, poor sleepers seek vitamins, and unidentified factors promote both poor sleep and vitamin use. These data are considered preliminary. Methodological characteristics of future studies were described that hold the promise of more clearly illuminating the association between vitamins and sleep.     

Valproate-induced biochemical abnormalities in pregnancy corrected by vitamins: a case report

PURPOSE: Valproate (VPA) is a teratogenic anticonvulsant (AED), but vitamin supplementation has been suggested to limit the effect of VPA on the fetus. Maternal urinary metabolites were monitored to assess the metabolic effects of VPA before and after vitamin supplementation. METHODS: A pregnant woman with epilepsy receiving VPA and ethosuximide (ESM) was given high-dose multivitamins from 13 to 28 weeks' gestation. Maternal urinary metabolites were measured throughout the pregnancy by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Before multivitamin supplementation began, the patient had significantly increased excretion rates of alpha-ketoglutarate, beta-lactate, pyruvate, lactate, methylmalonate, and other metabolites compared with normal pregnant women. During multivitamin supplementation, many previously increased excretion rates decreased significantly. Fetal head growth was normal up to 30 weeks, but then lagged. Bitemporal narrowing was noted at birth. CONCLUSIONS: VPA may cause metabolic abnormalities in pregnancy. Many biochemical abnormalities attributable to VPA in this patient were corrected with high-dose multivitamin supplementation. The specific relation between biochemical abnormalities and VPA teratogenesis remains to be determined.     

Development of vitamin loaded topical liposomal formulation using factorial design approach: drug deposition and stability

Long-term exposure of the skin to UV light causes degenerative effects, which can be minimized by using antioxidant formulations. The major challenge in this regard is that a significant amount of antioxidant should reach at the site for effective photoprotection. However, barrier properties of the skin limit their use. In the present study, Vitamin E acetate was encapsulated into liposome for improving its topical delivery. However preparation of liposomes is very difficult due to number of formulation variables involved therein. In the present work systematic statistical study for the formulation of liposomes for topical delivery of Vitamin E using the factorial design approach was undertaken. Amount of phospholipid (PL) and cholesterol (CH) were taken at three different levels and liposomes were prepared using ethanol injection method. Liposomes were characterized for encapsulation efficiency, vesicle size, zeta potential, and drug deposition in the rat skin. Gels containing liposomal dispersion (batch with higher skin deposition of VE) were prepared in Carbopol^® 980 NF and were characterized for gel strength, viscosity and drug deposition in the rat skin. Stability of liposome dispersion and gel formulation was studied at 30 °C/65% RH for 3 months. Results of regression analysis revealed that vesicle size and drug deposition in the rat skin were dependant on the lipid concentration and lipid:drug ratio. Drug deposition in rat skin had an inverse relationship with respect to PL and CH concentration. Prepared liposomal dispersion (50 mg PL:6 mg CH) showed seven-fold increase in drug deposition compared to control (plain drug dispersion). Gel formulation demonstrated six-fold and four-fold increase in drug deposition compared to control gel and marketed cream, respectively. Liposome dispersion and gel formulation were found to be stable for 3 months. Factorial design was found to be well suited to identify the key variables affecting drug deposition. Improved drug deposition from liposomal preparations demonstrates its potential for dermal delivery.     

Good foods gone bad: 'infamous' nutrients diminish perceived vitamin and mineral content of foods

The addition of disreputable ingredients (e.g. fat) can reduce the perceived health value of foods and cause the foods to take on negative qualities (e.g. promoters of obesity). However, are foods that contain disreputable ingredients perceived to lack positive components (e.g. vitamins and minerals)? In the present study, college students were asked to rate the vitamin and mineral levels of a group of primary foods (e.g. apple) as well as their counterparts, i.e. a second group of similar foods (e.g. caramel apple) that contained disreputable ingredients. The results strongly suggest that college students believe that fat, sugar, and salt deplete foods of vitamins and minerals. Perhaps as much as anything these results indicate that more care and caution should be used when disseminating nutritional information.     

A new method for the determination of vitamin D3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in meat

The total vitamin D content in meat, i.e., vitamin D₃ and 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃, was determined by HPLC after alkaline hydrolysation, solid-phase extraction and semi-preparative HPLC. For detection, a DAD detector between 220 and 320 nm was used and quantification was performed at 265 nm. Vitamin D₂ was used as internal standard for vitamin D₃ as well as for 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃. Precision for vitamin D₃ was determined in lean meat and lard to 9.1% and 7.1%, respectively. The corresponding values for 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ were 8.9% and 9.9%. Accuracy was determined in spiked samples, which showed a recovery of 94.7% and 99.0% for vitamin D₃ and 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃, respectively. The method is applicable for establishing data for food composition tables.     

药物及饮食补充叶酸、B族维生素治疗心血管神经官能症的临床研究

目的观察药物及饮食补充叶酸、B族维生素(维生素B6、维生素B12)治疗心血管神经官能症的临床疗效。方法将213例心血管神经官能症患者随机分为3组。治疗组71例予叶酸片0.4 mg,每日1次口服;维生素B12片25μg,每日2次口服,同时以合理配伍、品种全面、适当烹饪为原则补充富含维生素B6、维生素B12和叶酸的食物;对照1组71例予叶酸片0.4 mg,每日1次口服;维生素B12片25μg,每日2次口服;对照2组71例予谷维素片20 mg,每日3次口服。3组均以30 d为1个疗程。观察3组症状、血压、心率、心电图非特异性ST-T改变及期前收缩、血浆同型半胱氨酸(Hcy)及血清C-反应蛋白(CRP)、空腹血糖(FPG)、胆固醇(TC)变化,同时回顾性对比参归养血片口服治疗43例的临床疗效。结果 3组治愈率、总有效率比较差异均有统计学意义(P0.05),治疗组疗效优于对照1组,对照1组疗效优于对照2组;3组治疗后Hcy、收缩压、心率、心电图非特异性ST-T改变及期前收缩发生率与本组治疗前比较差异均有统计学意义(P0.05),治疗组Hcy改善优于对照1组及对照2组;治疗组、对照1组心率改善优于对照2组;期前收缩发生率改善治疗组优于对照1组,对照1组优于对照2组;心电图非特异性ST-T改变发生率改善治疗组优于对照1组和对照2组;回顾性比较治疗组治愈率明显高于参归养血片(P0.05)。结论药物及饮食补充叶酸、B族维生素(维生素B6、维生素B12)治疗心血管神经官能症疗效确切,机制可能与改善Hcy水平有关。