Biomedical subjects

S Yamini

Publications and source records attributed to S Yamini.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Circulating levels of retinol, tocopherol and carotenoid in Nepali pregnant and postpartum women following long-term beta-carotene and vitamin A supplementation.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize circulating carotenoid and tocopherol levels in Nepali women during pregnancy and post-partum and to determine the effects of beta-carotene and vitamin A supplementation on their concentration in serum. DESIGN: Randomized community supplementation trial. SETTING: The study was carried out from 1994 to 1997 in the Southern, rural plains District of Sarlahi, Nepal. SUBJECTS: A total of 1431 married women had an ascertained pregnancy, of whom 1186 (83%) provided an analyzable serum sample during pregnancy; 1098 (77%) provided an analyzable 3-4 months post-partum serum sample. INTERVENTIONS: Women received a weekly dose of vitamin A (7000 microg RE), beta-carotene (42 mg) or placebo before, during and after pregnancy. Serum was analyzed for retinol, alpha-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lycopene, lutein + zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptoxanthin concentrations during mid-pregnancy and at approximately 3 months post-partum. RESULTS: Compared to placebo, serum retinol, beta-carotene, gamma-tocopherol, beta-cryptoxanthin and lutein + zeaxanthin concentrations were higher among beta-carotene recipients during pregnancy and, except for beta-cryptoxanthin, at postpartum. In the vitamin A group, serum retinol and beta-cryptoxanthin were higher during pregnancy, and retinol and gamma-tocopherol higher at postpartum. Lutein + zeaxanthin was the dominant carotenoid, regardless of treatment group, followed by serum beta-carotene. Serum lycopene level was lowest, and very low compared to the US population. Serum retinol was higher, and carotenoid and alpha-tocopherol lower, at postpartum than during pregnancy in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant and lactating Nepali women have lower serum carotenoid and tocopherol levels than well-nourished populations. beta-carotene supplementation appeared to increase levels of tocopherol and other carotenoids in this population.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Zinc supplementation might potentiate the effect of vitamin A in restoring night vision in pregnant Nepalese women.

BACKGROUND: Zinc deficiency may result in abnormal dark adaptation or night blindness, a symptom primarily of vitamin A deficiency. During a placebo-controlled trial in Nepal, weekly vitamin A supplementation of women reduced but failed to eliminate the incidence of night blindness during pregnancy, suggesting a role for zinc. OBJECTIVE: The study examined the efficacy of daily zinc supplementation in restoring night vision of pregnant women who developed night blindness while routinely receiving either vitamin A, beta-carotene, or placebo in a field trial. DESIGN: Women (n = 202) who reported to be night blind during pregnancy were randomly assigned in a double-blind manner, stratified on vitamin A, beta-carotene, or placebo receipt, to receive 25 mg Zn or placebo daily for 3 wk. Thus, the 6 groups studied were as follows: beta-carotene + zinc, beta-carotene alone, vitamin A + zinc, vitamin A alone (vitamin A + placebo), zinc alone (zinc + placebo), and placebo (2 placebos: one for the vitamin A or beta-carotene study and one for the zinc study). Women underwent a clinic-based assessment that included pupillary threshold testing and phlebotomy before and after supplementation. Supplement use and daily history of night blindness were obtained at home twice every week. RESULTS: Zinc treatment increased serum zinc concentrations, but alone (zinc alone group), failed to restore night vision or to improve dark adaptation. However, women in the vitamin A + zinc group who had baseline serum zinc concentrations <9.9 micromol/L were 4 times more likely to have their night vision restored (95% CI: 1.1, 17.3) than were women in the placebo group and tended to have a small improvement in pupillary threshold scores (by 0.21 log candela/m2; P = 0.09). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that zinc potentiated the effect of vitamin A in restoring night vision among night-blind pregnant women with low initial serum zinc concentrations.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Retinol analysis in dried blood spots by HPLC.

There are many advantages to measuring vitamin A in dried blood spots (DBS) from a finger prick as compared to plasma collected by venipuncture. The advantages include easier collection, transport and storage; accessibility to younger and more remote populations; and decreased risk of disease transmission. We describe a method for the extraction of retinol from DBS for analysis by HPLC and initial comparison to plasma retinol. The effects of various buffers, detergents, antioxidants and chelators were evaluated to establish the most effective approach to elute the retinol: retinol binding protein (holo-RBP) complex from the blood collection cards. The process involves ultrasonic agitation to elute holo-RBP into a phosphate buffer containing an antioxidant and metal chelator. The holo-RBP complex was denatured by the addition of ethanol containing additional antioxidants permitting the extraction of free retinol into hexane. Following solvent evaporation, the extract was dissolved in methanol for HPLC analysis. The initial measured retinol levels in freshly collected DBS declined for 6-10 d whether stored at 25, 4 or -20 degrees C, but remained consistent thereafter (homeostatic). By incorporating a "recovery/volume adjustment" factor, measured retinol values in homeostatic DBS were adjusted to the equivalent of plasma retinol. For 17 normal adults, the correlation coefficient was 0.90 between plasma retinol and adjusted DBS retinol in samples that had been stored at -70 degrees C for < 9 mo. The use of this new sample matrix for vitamin A assessment will allow access to previously unavailable populations.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Distribution of a stable isotope of chromium (53Cr) in serum, urine, and breast milk in lactating women.

To determine the fate and distribution of chromium during lactation, six lactating women (25-38 y old) were given three doses of the tracer 53Cr (7.55 micromol/d, or 400 microg/d) on days 1, 2, and 3 of the study. Diet records, blood samples taken while subjects were fasting, and 24-h composite milk and urine samples were collected from day 0 to day 6. Fasting blood samples, morning milk samples, and 24-h urine samples were also collected on days 8, 10, 15, 30, 60, and 90. 53Cr and natural and total chromium concentrations in biological fluids were measured with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and total urinary chromium was measured with atomic-absorption spectrometry. 53Cr was detectable in serum 2 h after dosing and continued to be detected from day 30 to day 60. Changes in total serum chromium concentration in response to the oral dose suggested that chromium concentrations in blood were not tightly regulated. 53Cr was not detected in breast milk and no significant changes in natural chromium concentration in milk were observed in response to the oral doses, suggesting that breast-milk chromium concentrations are independent of intake. The estimated chromium intake of exclusively breast-fed infants was 2.5 nmol/d (0.13 microg/d), below the lower end of the range of estimated safe and adequate daily dietary intakes (10-40 microg/d) for infants 0-6 mo of age. The baseline chromium concentration in urine and the minimum 53Cr absorption in lactating women were comparable with values for nonpregnant, nonlactating subjects. Chromium losses in breast milk do not appear to be compensated for via increased absorption or decreased excretion.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed1995

Adolescent parricide: an integration of social cognitive theory and clinical views of projective-introjective cycling.

Case histories of parricide by adolescents frequently reveal a history of abuse on the part of the victim and acute depression and suicidal ideation by the adolescent. This paper seeks to integrate an established concept of suicide as escape from "aversive self-awareness" through cognitive deconstruction with clinical observations of "projective-introjective cycling" of aggressive impulses, as a means of better understanding and preventing violence toward intimate others.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Adaptation in enzyme (metabolic) pathways to obesity, carbohydrate diet and to the occurrence of NIDDM in male and female SHR/N-cp rats.

Twenty-four male (12 obese and 12 lean) and 21 female (11 obese and 10 lean) SHR/N-cp rats were fed a diet containing either 54% sucrose or starch for periods of 3-4 months. Rats were killed after a 14-16 h fast and liver enzyme activities were determined in both sex groups. Liver glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH), malic enzyme (ME), phosphofructokinase (PFK), glucokinase (GK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (per total liver capacity) were significantly affected by phenotype (obese > lean). Arginase and ornithine transcarbamylase levels were analysed only in male rats and were found to be elevated in obese rats as compared to lean littermates. Some of the above changes in enzyme levels were exaggerated by sucrose feeding but not the changes in FBPase, PEPCK, ME and GK (in both sexes) plus AST, arginase and arginine synthase activities in male rats and ALT levels in female rats. Results from SHR/N-cp rats published in this paper were compared to results obtained from LA/N-cp rats published previously. Comparison of the non-diabetic obese LA/N-cp with the diabetic obese SHR/N-cp male shows a greater excess in lipogenic capacity of the liver in the LA/N-cp male rat. The SHR/N-cp obese female also shows a greater liver lipogenic capacity as compared with the obese male SHR/N-cp rat. The results suggest that an adaptation of excessive lipogenesis in the liver of obese rats may be an anti-diabetogenic adaptation resulting in increased glucose conversion to lipids, thus reducing blood glucose levels.

Alanine Transaminase↗

PubMed1991

Effect of dietary carbohydrate on liver and kidney enzyme activities and plasma amino acids in the LA/N-cp rat.

Twenty obese and 20 lean LA/N-cp male rats and 20 male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a diet containing either 54 percent sucrose or starch for six weeks. After a 14-16 hour fast, rats were killed. Liver and kidney enzyme activities were determined in the LA/N-cp rats while plasma urea and selected amino acids were determined in all rats. Liver glucose-6-phosphatase (G6PASE), fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPASE), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH), malic enzyme (ME), glucokinase (GK), pyruvate kinase (PK), phosphofructokinase (PFK), glutamic-oxaloacetic-transaminase (GOT), glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT), arginase (ARGASE), arginine-synthase (ARG-SYN) and ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) levels were significantly affected by phenotype (obese greater than lean). All the above changes in enzyme levels were exaggerated by sucrose-feeding with the exception of PK, PFK, GOT, GPT, ARGASE and ARG-SYN. Kidney cortex G6PASE, PEPCK and ARGASE activities were higher in the obese rats as compared to the lean littermates. Sucrose feeding resulted in higher cortex G6PASE, FBPASE and PEPCK as compared to starch-fed rats. A phenotype effect was noted with plasma glutamate, urea, leucine, isoleucine and valine (obese greater than lean) and a diet effect was seen with aspartate, phenylalanine, leucine and valine (sucrose greater than starch) concentration. Sprague-Dawley rats had higher plasma urea and lower alanine than lean LA/N-cp males. Metabolic obesity in the LA/N-cp rat appears to involve an elevated capacity for pathways of glycolysis, gluconeogensis, lipogenesis and amino acid catabolism in the liver.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed1990

Estrous cycle irregularities in overfed rats.

Hypothalamic and genetic obesities in rodents are usually associated with reproductive impairments, but the underlying etiology of the latter is not clear because of concomitant metabolic abnormalities in these animal models. In the present study metabolically intact rats were used and obesity was developed by offering the rats a cafeteria-type diet. Purina chow-fed animals were used as control. Cafeteria feeding was associated with hyperphagia and an increased brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis, in association with long estrous cycles (p less than 0.01). The latter was accounted for by a long diestrous phase (p less than 0.02). Replacement of the cafeteria diet with purina rat chow corrected the estrous cycle irregularities, as caloric consumption and body weight were reduced. We propose, as a working hypothesis, that reproductive functions are finely tuned with body temperature, and that an excess feeding-induced BAT thermogenesis may underlie the disruption in estrous cycle observed during overfeeding.

Adipose Tissue, Brown↗

PubMed1990

Arterial blood gas and expiratory pressure monitoring in infants with pneumothorax: prognostic predictability.

Infants presenting with pneumothorax within the first 24 hours of life were studied in an attempt to produce a reliable index of the severity of the disease. Of these 54 patients, 46 infants required intubation and ventilator support; 18 (39%) survived and 28 (61%) died. Overall mortality in this series was 52%. We have been able to define clearly the two groups (survivors and nonsurvivors) based on their response to ventilatory parameters. The nonsurvivor group displayed CO2 retention associated with pneumopericardium and pulmonary interstitial emphysema. This group was unresponsive to high fraction of inspired oxygen and high positive end expiratory pressure. The survivor group responded well to a fraction of inspired oxygen of less than 70% and a positive end expiratory pressure of 6 cm or less. Arterial CO2, pneumopericardium, pulmonary interstitial emphysema, pneumomediastinum, and birthweight are useful in predicting the severity of the respiratory distress in these infants and in evaluating the nonsurvivors from the survivors.

Acute Disease↗