Biological Status and Dietary Intakes of Iron,Zinc and Vitamin A among Women and Preschool Children in Rural Burkina Faso

Background

Food-based approaches such as biofortification are meant to sustainably address micronutrient deficiencies in poor settings. Knowing more about micronutrient intakes and deficiencies is a prerequisite to designing and evaluating interventions.

Objective

The objectives of the study were to assess biological status and dietary intakes of iron, zinc and vitamin A among women and children aged 36–59 months in rural Burkina Faso and to study relationships between intake and status to better inform future food-based interventions.

Design

A cross-sectional survey was carried out in two rural provinces of Burkina Faso on a random cluster sample of 480 mother-child pairs. Dietary data was obtained by 24-hour recalls repeated on a random sub-selection of 37.5% of subjects to allow calculation of nutrient’s probability of adequacy (PA). Biomarkers were measured on a sub-sample of 180 mother-child pairs. Blood samples were analyzed for hemoglobin, serum ferritin, soluble transferrin receptors (sTfR), C-reactive protein, alpha-1-glycoprotein, serum zinc concentration (SZnC) and retinol. For each micronutrient the relationship between biomarker and dietary intake was investigated by multiple linear regression models accounting for inflammatory biomarkers.

Results

Mean PA for iron, zinc and vitamin A was 0.49, 0.87 and 0.21 among women and 0.61, 0.95 and 0.33 among children, respectively. Prevalence of anemia, corrected low serum ferritin and high sTfR was 37.6%, 4.0% and 77.5% among women and 72.1%, 1.5% and 87.6% among children, respectively. Prevalence of low SZnC and corrected low serum retinol was 39.4% and 12.0% among women and 63.7% and 24.8% among children, respectively. There was a tendency for a positive relationship between vitamin A intakes and serum retinol among women (β = 0.0003, P = 0.06). Otherwise, no link was found between micronutrients biomarkers and intakes.

Conclusion

Our study depicted different images of micronutrient deficiencies when based on dietary intakes or biomarkers results, thus highlighting the need for more suitable biomarkers and more precise measures of absorbable micronutrient intakes at the individual level. It thus points to challenges in the design and evaluation of future biofortification or other food-based interventions in rural areas of Burkina Faso.     

NADPH oxidase 5 (NOX5) interacts with and is regulated by calmodulin

Superoxide generation by NADPH oxidase 5 (NOX5) is regulated by Ca(2+) through intramolecular activation of the C-terminal catalytic domain by the EF-hand-containing N-terminal regulatory domain. The C terminus contains a consensus calmodulin-binding domain (CaMBD), which, however, is not the binding site of the N-terminal regulatory domain. Here we show by pull down, cross-linking, fluorimetry and by enzymatic assays, that calmodulin binds to this CaMBD in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner, changes its conformation and increases the Ca(2+) sensitivity of the N terminus-regulated enzymatic activity. This mechanism represents an additional sophistication in the regulation of superoxide production by NOX5.     

60-kDa heat shock protein of Chlamydia pneumoniae promotes a T helper type 1 immune response through IL-12/IL-23 production in monocyte-derived dendritic cells

Infection, in particular by Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cp), has been associated with atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Immune reactions to heat shock proteins (HSPs) have been advocated to link infection to atherosclerosis and its acute sequelae based on molecular mimicry with host HSPs. We have here evaluated the role played by recombinant Cp-HSP60 and Cp-HSP10 for their ability to induce maturation of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDC) and T cell polarization. Cp-HSP60, but not Cp-HSP10, induced a strong MDCC maturation, as assessed by the expression of co-stimulatory molecules and other markers. Secretion of regulatory cytokines and enhancement of antigen presenting ability of mature (m)MDDC toward a clear T helper (Th) 1 pattern were also induced by Cp-HSP60. An analysis of the IL-12 cytokine family demonstrated that Cp-HSP60-matured MDDC were able to express p35 and p40 mRNA subunits to form IL-12, and p19 and p40 subunits to form IL-23. Thus, preferential Th1 polarization of immune response induced by Cp-HSP60-matured MDDC appears to be due to the concomitant expression of IL-12 and IL-23. Our data suggest that Cp-HSP60-matured DC may contribute to T-cell mediated immunopathology of atherosclerosis via a chronic stimulation of Th1 immune responses.     

The effect of different solvents on the ATP/ADP content and growth properties of HeLa cells

Testing of the effects of xenobiotics in cultured cells often requires the use of organic solvents to effect suspension of the test agents in cell culture media. However, the toxic effects of the solvents themselves may introduce artifacts, which obscure interpretation of the experimental results. In this article, the toxicity of different solvents commonly used for solvation of a variety of xenobiotic agents was studied. We show that ethanol, acetone, isooctane, methanol, and hexane were considerably less toxic than the more commonly used solvent, DMSO, when ATP content and growth rates of HeLa cells exposed to these solvents was measured. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biochem Toxicol 13: 11–15, 1999     

Crucial aminoacids in the FO sector of the F1FO-ATP synthase address H+ across the inner mitochondrial membrane: molecular implications in mitochondrial dysfunctions

Amino Acids - The eukaryotic F1FO-ATP synthase/hydrolase activity is coupled to H+ translocation through the inner mitochondrial membrane. According to a recent model, two asymmetric H+...     

Transgene transmission in South American catfish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhamdia quelen</Emphasis>) larvae by sperm-mediated gene transfer

The silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen) is an endemic American fish species. The sperm of each species has its own peculiarities and biological characteristics, which influence the success of mass DNA transfer methods. Our objective in this study was to evaluate different sperm-mediated gene transfer (SMGT) methods to obtain transgenic silver catfish. Different treatments for the incorporation of a foreign pEGFP plasmid group were used: (1) dehydrated/rehydrated (DR), (2) dehydrated/rehydrated/electroporated (DRE), (3) electroporated (E), (4) incubated with seminal plasma (INC); and (5) incubated in the absence of seminal plasma (INCSP). Sperm motility, time of activity duration (TAD), fertilization rate (FR), hatching rate (HR) and sperm morphology were also evaluated. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positivity rates for the presence of the transgene were: DRE 60%; DR 40%; E 25%; INC 5% and INCSP 25%. The rates of embryo EGFP expression were: DRE 63%; DR 44%; E 34%; INC 8% and INCSP 38%. The fertilization rate in the control and DRE treatments groups were higher than in the DR group, but the E, INC and INCSP treatment groups had the lowest rate. The hatching rates of the DRE, DR and control groups were higher than in the INCSP, INC and E treatment groups (P>0.05). There were no differences among the DRE and DR, E and DR, E and INCSP groups in expression and PCR positivity rates of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in embryos. Scanning electron microscopy also did not show any change in sperm morphology among treatment groups. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on transgene transmission of exogenous DNA into silver catfish larvae through SMGT technology.