Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) mRNA, immunoreactivity, and activity were examined as a reflection of dopamine expression in juxtaglomerular neurons intrinsic to the olfactory bulbs of young (6-month-old), middle aged (18-month-old), and aged (25- to 29-month-old) rats and mice. TH expression was maintained at levels observed in young animals in the olfactory bulbs of aged animals from two mouse strains, C57Bl/6JNia and C57Bl/6NNia, and one rat strain, an F1 hybrid between F344 and Brown Norway strains. The parental F344 rat strain exhibited reductions in TH expression of about 20% in 26- to 29-month-old animals as compared to 6- and 18 month-old rats. However, there was significant inter-animal variability. Some aged F344 rats had TH levels that were similar and others had activity levels that were 50% of those in young and middle aged animals. Neither the general condition of the animals nor the presence of adrenal tumors predicted the individuals with reduced TH expression. Olfactory bulb size, estimated from protein content, did not differ between rats and mice of different ages. In addition, expression of olfactory marker protein, a protein found primarily in mature olfactory receptor neurons, also was unchanged indicating the maintenance of afferent innervation. These data suggest that, in contrast to other brain dopamine systems, the expression of the dopamine phenotype is maintained in the aging olfactory bulb.

Aging↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Some microbiologic prospects for discerning vitamin interrelationships.

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Eukaryota↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Distribution of vitamin B12 between plasma and cells.

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Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Lack of effect of 1 year intake of a high-dose vitamin and mineral supplement on cognitive function of elderly women.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if long-term, high-vitamin supplementation could reverse cognitive malfunction in old people. METHODS: We performed a longitudinal study relating the 12-month outcome to baseline values. Twenty non-vitamin-deficient elderly females with a Folstein mini mental state examination score indicating cognitive malfunctions were recruited to ascertain if feeding a high-dose vitamin-mineral supplement for 1 year could, by mass vitamin action, reverse some existing cognitive malfunctions. Ten females were fed a high-dose vitamin-mineral supplement pill with each of three daily meals for 1 year; the other 10 did not receive this supplementation. Twelve blood vitamin analyses and a Folstein mini mental state examination were performed for each of the 20 subjects before and after 1 year; each subject served as its own control. RESULTS: No improvement in cognitive malfunction was noted despite elevation of blood vitamins. CONCLUSION: Feeding of a high-dose vitamin and mineral supplement for 1 year did not improve cognitive malfunction in non-vitamin-deficient elderly in this study.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Blood vitamin levels of long-term adult home total parenteral nutrition patients: the efficacy of the AMA-FDA parenteral multivitamin formulation.

Although the AMA-FDA parenteral adult multivitamin formula is now widely used, there are no published data on the efficacy of this formulation in maintaining adequate vitamin nutriture in patients on long-term parenteral nutrition. Blood levels of its constituent nutrients were determined in 16 clinically stable home total parenteral nutrition patients with severe gastrointestinal dysfunction, the majority of whom had been on home total parenteral nutrition for 1 to 9 yr and most of whom were ingesting some food orally. The daily formula (MVI-12) was added to the basic total parenteral nutrition formula in 2-day batches; the vitamins were thus infused approximately 3 hr after preparation on day 1 and after 27 hr on day 2. The duration of infusions was from 8 to 16 hr. Blood was drawn approximately 36 hr after completion of the last vitamin infusion. Plasma, trichloroacetic acid-treated plasma, and whole blood were frozen until analyzed for the vitamins by microbiologic or chemical methods. All vitamin levels, except for vitamin D metabolites, were measured four times in each patient between the 4th and 36th wk while receiving daily MVI-12. Single determinations of 25-OH and 1:25 (OH)2 vitamin D were made in eight of the 16 patients between the 61st and 84th wk while on MVI-12. Repeat values during this extended period were also made on five of the patients for vitamins A and E. These values were compared with serum vitamin levels obtained on an earlier formulation (MVI concentrate, Berocca C, and folate each given twice weekly and B12 given once weekly). The AMA-FDA formula given daily maintained blood levels above the lower normal limits for most of its constituent vitamins and vitamin D metabolites for the great majority of stable home total parenteral nutrition adults with unexplained occasional exceptions. However, almost half of the vitamin A levels and some of the pantothenate and biotin values were above the normal range; these tended to be associated with the presence of renal disease. Ascorbic acid and thiamin levels tended to be clustered in the lower normal range. Because of evidence for loss of ascorbic acid standing in total parenteral nutrition solutions for 24 hr prior to infusion, it is recommended that the vitamin formulation be added to the total parenteral nutrition solution just prior to infusion.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Vitamin plasma levels in long-term enteral feeding patients.

Plasma levels of vitamins were determined in eight patients who were nourished with long-term enteral feeding using commercial formulas. The type and quantity of the formula were individually tailored to the patients' needs. Caloric intake (mean +/- SEM) amounted to 1564 +/- 97 kcal/day. Vitamins intake from the formulas, expressed as percent of Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA), was as follows: pantothenic acid, 222 +/- 44%; vitamin B12, 206 +/- 34%; vitamin C, 376 +/- 51%; thiamine, 207 +/- 34%; niacin, 207 +/- 34%; riboflavin, 207 +/- 34%; pyridoxine, 222 +/- 17%; biotin, 113 +/- 13%; vitamin A, 93 +/- 4%; and folic acid, 104 +/- 14%. Plasma levels of thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid, folic acid, and vitamin B12 were within normal limits in all patients. Two patients had lower than normal plasma levels of nicotinic acid despite the high intake. Plasma biotin levels were above normal in all patients, with a mean of 931 +/- 140 pg/ml (N: 200-500 pg/ml). Ascorbic acid levels were within or above normal, but no correlation with intake was found. Carotene levels were measured in five patients and found to be below the lower limit of normal, a reflection of lack of intake from the enteral formulas. The plasma vitamin A levels were normal in all patients. It is concluded that feeding with commercial enteral formulas results in normal plasma levels of vitamins in patients maintained on these formulas for over 6 months. The excessive amounts of vitamins in the formulas do not result in elevated plasma levels, except for Biotin.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Expression of growth hormone receptor in human liposarcomas and lipomas.

Our immunohistochemical results clearly demonstrated the occurrence of growth hormone receptors (GH-R) in the tumour cells of lipomas and liposarcomas. In liposarcomas staining intensity in the cytoplasm of tumour cells varied between weak and distinct but could not be correlated to the histological grade of the malignant tumours. These findings were corroborated to some extent by the RT-PCR results. RT-PCR analysis of human lipomas and liposarcomas revealed the amplified cDNA fragment of GH-R in 8 out of 12 lipomas but only in 3 out of 10 liposarcomas. The reduced number of GH-R positive tumours found with PCR may be explained by the extraction method of RNA from paraffin sections. An interesting finding was the distinct immunoreactivity of the endothelium of blood vessels in liposarcomas, which was especially pronounced in the newly forming capillaries. This points to an important role of GH-R in tumour angiogenesis which could significantly contribute to tumour growth in liposarcomas and may open the possibility for therapeutic intervention using antiangiogenic substances.

Endothelium, Vascular↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Immunohistochemical detection of p53 protein expression in breast cancer in young Kuwaiti women.

The mutation of the p53 gene is a common phenomenon in numerous human tumors including breast cancer. It leads to an accumulation of nonfunctioning p53 protein in the cell nuclei, which can be detected by immunohistochemical techniques. In breast cancer overexpression of mutated p53 protein has been correlated to a poor prognosis. Our study is an immunohistochemical analysis of p53 in 82 cases of breast cancer in young (< or = 30 years old) Kuwaiti women, correlating it with histopathological grade, lymph node status, estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR) content, tumor cell proliferation (immunostaining for Ki-67) and expression of c-erbB-2 oncoprotein. p53 immunostaining was found in 47 (57.32%) of the carcinomas. 65% of them displayed positive immunostaining for c-erbB-2. 63.7% of tumors with p53 overexpression were aneuploid. 64.8% of the p53 positive tumors were node positive. 93.5% of the p53 immunopositive carcinomas were ER-negative, and in 95.7% of this subclass of patients no PgR could be detected. The vast majority of p53 positive carcinomas were grade III (76.6%), 21.3% were grade II and 2.1% grade I, but neither tumor grade or tumor size showed a correlation with p53 expression. A significant negative correlation between ER- and PgR-content (p = 0.006) and immunostaining for p53 was observed. Our study provided evidence that the association of negative hormone receptor status and positivity for p53 immunostaining points to a greater tumor aggressiveness.

Adult↗