Is the Association between Vitamin D and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Confounded by Obesity? Evidence from the Andhra Pradesh Children and Parents Study (APCAPS)

Background

Evidence of an association between serum vitamin D and cardiovascular disease risk is inconsistent and comes predominantly from studies in high-income settings. We assessed the association between serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ (25(OH)D) and cardiovascular disease risk factors in a population of young Indian adults.

Methods

Cross-sectional analyses of data from APCAPS (Andhra Pradesh Children and Parents Study); a prospective birth cohort study in rural south India. Participants were 1038 (40.3% females) adults aged 18-24 years. Main outcome measures were blood pressures, fasting serum lipids (cholesterols and triglycerides), fasting glucose, insulin, measures of arterial stiffness (aortic augmentation index and aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV)), carotid intima-media thickness, body mass index (BMI) and body fat (dual X-ray absorptiometry).

Results

Vitamin D deficiency (≤20ng/ml) was observed in 41.1% of this lean (mean BMI: 19.5) and active (mean minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity per day: 186) population. Vitamin D deficiency was associated with higher median body fat in both males (15.9% body fat in vitamin D deficient males vs. 14.6% in non-deficient males, p<0.05) and females (29.1% body fat in vitamin D deficient females vs. 27.8% in non-deficient females, p<0.05) but no associations were observed between vitamin D deficiency and mean BMI or median fat mass index (FMI). Except a weak inverse association with fasting insulin in males, there was no clear association between serum vitamin D levels and cardiovascular disease risk factors in fully adjusted models.

Conclusions

We did not find clear evidence for an association between serum vitamin D levels and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Our results, consistent with the limited evidence from randomised trials of vitamin D supplementation and Mendelian randomisation experiments, suggest that the postulated link between serum vitamin D and cardiovascular disease may be non-causal. Instead, it may be attributable to confounding by lifestyle factors such as obesity and physical inactivity which may provide more fruitful targets for cardiovascular disease prevention.     

Candidate Gene Identification with SNP Marker-Based Fine Mapping of Anthracnose Resistance Gene Co-4 in Common Bean

Anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, is an important fungal disease of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). Alleles at the Co–4 locus confer resistance to a number of races of C. lindemuthianum. A population of 94 F_4:5 recombinant inbred lines of a cross between resistant black bean genotype B09197 and susceptible navy bean cultivar Nautica was used to identify markers associated with resistance in bean chromosome 8 (Pv08) where Co–4 is localized. Three SCAR markers with known linkage to Co–4 and a panel of single nucleotide markers were used for genotyping. A refined physical region on Pv08 with significant association with anthracnose resistance identified by markers was used in BLAST searches with the genomic sequence of common bean accession G19833. Thirty two unique annotated candidate genes were identified that spanned a physical region of 936.46 kb. A majority of the annotated genes identified had functional similarity to leucine rich repeats/receptor like kinase domains. Three annotated genes had similarity to 1, 3-β-glucanase domains. There were sequence similarities between some of the annotated genes found in the study and the genes associated with phosphoinositide-specific phosphilipases C associated with Co-x and the COK–4 loci found in previous studies. It is possible that the Co–4 locus is structured as a group of genes with functional domains dominated by protein tyrosine kinase along with leucine rich repeats/nucleotide binding site, phosphilipases C as well as β-glucanases.     

Laribacter hongkongensis: an emerging pathogen of infectious diarrhea

Laribacter hongkongensis is relatively a new name in the list of bacterial pathogens for gastroenteritis and travelers’ diarrhea. Addition of another name increases burden on the enteric infections as a whole. L. hongkongensis belongs to Neisseriaceae family of β subclass Proteobacteria. L. hongkongensis was initially isolated in Hong Kong from blood and empyema of an alcoholic cirrhotic patient in 2001, followed by reports from Korea and China, representing a total of 38 articles in PubMed until April 2013. As of now, there is no report from Indian subcontinent where infectious diarrhea is very much prevalent and a major burden. This review provides information about the microbiological characteristics, consideration of an emerging pathogen, relative pathogenicity, genome and proteome content, resistance toward multiple antibiotics, adaptability to different stress, and other features since its time of discovery. Investigation for this bacterium may avoid misidentification as other microbial flora. Further studies like the geographical distribution, type of infection, disease burden, pathogenicity, or genomic exploration of this bacterium will be useful in characterizing them properly. This bacterium may possibly be the emerging threat to public health.     

Methionine limitation results in increased hepatic FAS activity, higher liver 18:1 to 18:0 fatty acid ratio and hepatic TAG accumulation in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar

The current experiment aimed to study whether interactions with lipid metabolism possibly might explain the relative increased liver weight obtained in fish fed sub-optimal methionine levels. A basal diet based on a blend of plant proteins which is low in methionine (1.6 g Met/16 g N) was compared to a methionine adequate diet (2.2 g Met/16 g N) prepared by adding dl-methionine (2.4 g/kg) to the basal diet in the expense of wheat grain. Fish oil was used as the lipid source. The diets were balanced in all nutrients except methionine. The diets were fed to Atlantic salmon (500 g BW) for a period of 3 months. Feed intake did not differ, rendering the intake of all nutrients except methionine equal. Fish fed the low methionine diet had an increased liver size relative to body weight, indicating fat deposition in the liver. Fish given the sub-optimal methionine diet showed about six times higher fatty acid synthase (FAS) activity as compared to the fish fed the adequate methionine diet, indicating a higher de novo lipogenesis. A significant rise in the liver 18:1 to 18:0 fatty acid ratios also supported storage of lipids over fatty acid oxidation. Indeed, methionine limitation resulted in significantly higher TAG concentrations in the liver. Sub-optimal dietary methionine also resulted in lower hepatic taurine concentrations and the total bile acids concentrations were reduced in faeces and tended to be reduced in plasma. Taken together, our data show that salmon fed sub-optimal methionine levels had increased relative liver weight and developed signs commonly described in the early stage of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rodent models (increased FAS activity, changed fatty acid ratios and TAG accumulation).     

Screening of marine actinobacteria for amylase enzymes inhibitors

Amylase inhibitor producing actinobacteria were isolated and characterized from terrestrial environment and there is no much report found from marine environment, hence in the present study, 17 strains isolated from the rhizosphere sediments of mangroves were tested for their amylase inhibition ability. Seawater requirement test for the growth of actinobacteria found that the strains SSR-3, SSR-12 and SSR-16 requires at least 50% and SSR-6 requires at least 25% seawater for their growth. The inhibition activity of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic amylase was tested by using Bacillus subtilis and Aspergillus niger. The maximum amylase activity (40mm) produced by the A. niger was taken as positive control, when the test actinobacteria strains grown in the medium they inhibited amylase activity and was evidenced by the reduction in inhibition zone (14–37 mm) similarly the amylase produced by the Bacillus subtilis was also recorded maximum (35 mm) amylase activity and was taken as positive control, and the test atinobacterial strains reduced enzyme action(12–33 mm) it varied levals. This indicates that the actinobacteria strains were controlled amylase enzyme activity in both the cases. The strain SSR-10 was highly effective and SSR-8 was less effective in inhibiting eukaryotic amylase produced by A. niger. The strain SSR-2 was effective and SSR-6 showed very less effect in inhibiting the prokaryotic amylase produced by the B subtilis.     

A potential tocopherol acetate loaded palm oil esters-in-water nanoemulsions for nanocosmeceuticals

Background  

Cosmeceuticals are cosmetic-pharmaceutical hybrids intended to enhance health and beauty of the skin. Nanocosmeceuticals use nano-sized system for the delivery of active ingredients to the targeted cells for better penetration. In this work, nanoemulsion from palm oil esters was developed as a delivery system to produce nanocosmeceuticals. The stability of the resulting formulation was tested using various methods. In addition, the effect of components i.e. Vitamin E and Pluronic F-68 on the formulation was also studied.     

Clinical,Biological and Genetic Analysis of Prepubertal Isolated Ovarian Cyst in 11 Girls

Background

The cause of isolated gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty (PP) with an ovarian cyst is unknown in the majority of cases. Here, we describe 11 new cases of peripheral PP and, based on phenotypes observed in mouse models, we tested the hypothesis that mutations in the GNAS1, NR5A1, LHCGR, FSHR, NR5A1, StAR, DMRT4 and NOBOX may be associated with this phenotype.

Methodology/Principal Findings

11 girls with gonadotropin-independent PP were included in this study. Three girls were seen for a history of prenatal ovarian cyst, 6 girls for breast development, and 2 girls for vaginal bleeding. With one exception, all girls were seen before 8 years of age. In 8 cases, an ovarian cyst was detected, and in one case, suspected. One other case has polycystic ovaries, and the remaining case was referred for vaginal bleeding. Four patients had a familial history of ovarian anomalies and/or infertility. Mutations in the coding sequences of the candidate genes GNAS1, NR5A1, LHCGR, FSHR, NR5A1, StAR, DMRT4 and NOBOX were not observed.

Conclusions/Significance

Ovarian PP shows markedly different clinical features from central PP. Our data suggest that mutations in the GNAS1, NR5A1, LHCGR, FSHR StAR, DMRT4 and NOBOX genes are not responsible for ovarian PP. Further research, including the identification of familial cases, is needed to understand the etiology of ovarian PP.     

Natural Abundance Isotopic Fractionation in the Fermentation Reaction: Influence of the Nature of the Yeast

Site-specific natural isotope fractionation studied by nuclear magnetic resonance (SNIF-NMR) provides isotopic criteria that characterize a biochemical transformation such as fermentation and enable isotopic ratios measured in end products to be correlated with those of their precursors. In principle, a given set of transfer coefficients applies only to bioconversions performed under strictly identical conditions, a situation that is hardly fulfilled in most usual fermentation processes. In particular, natural raw materials such as fruits frequently involve complex mixtures of various yeast strains present at different concentrations. Series of experiments performed with different yeasts, different concentrations of car- bohydrates, and different yields of the transformation have shown that, although glycolysis is associated with overall hydrogen fractionation effects that may exceed 40 ppm, the range of variation in the isotopic ratios of the fermentation products, ethanol and water, does not exceed a few parts per million. Provided that the yield in ethanol reaches values higher than 70%, the nature of the yeast strain has minimal influence on the isotopic ratio of the methyl site of ethanol (D/H)_I. In contrast, the isotope ratio of the methylene site, (D/H)_II, may exhibit significant enhancements, in particular when ethanol is left in contact for a long time with poorly alcohologenic yeasts. These behaviors are consistent with hydrogen transfers from the aqueous medium to the methylene site, and partly to the methyl site, occurring with relatively high kinetic isotope effects. Since water acts as an open pool of hydrogens, however, only small isotopic variations are produced in the course of the fermentation reaction. Moreover, the partial connection between hydrogens from the methyl site of ethanol and hydrogens from glucose operates with relatively small secondary isotopic effects. No significant changes in the percentages of intra- and inter-molecular transfers of hydrogen to the methyl site are observed as a function of the nature of the yeast. These results support the use of the methyl isotopic ratio of ethanol as a probe of the isotopic behavior of carbohydrate precursors, whatever the yeast strains present in natural fermentation media.     

Fungal biodiversity in aquatic habitats

Fungal biodiversity in freshwater, brackish and marine habitats was estimated based on reports in the literature. The taxonomic groups treated were those with species commonly found on submerged substrates in aquatic habitats: Ascomycetes (exclusive of yeasts), Basidiomycetes, Chytridiomycetes, and the non-fungal Saprolegniales in the Class Oomycetes. Based on presence/absence data for a large number and variety of aquatic habitats, about 3,000 fungal species and 138 saprolegnialean species have been reported from aquatic habitats. The greatest number of taxa comprise the Ascomycetes, including mitosporic taxa, and Chytridiomycetes. Taxa of Basidiomycetes are, for the most part, excluded from aquatic habitats. The greatest biodiversity for all groups occurs in temperate areas, followed by Asian tropical areas. This pattern may be an artifact of the location of most of the sampling effort. The least sampled geographic areas include Africa, Australia, China, South America and boreal and tropical regions worldwide. Some species overlap occurs among terrestrial and freshwater taxa but little species overlap occurs among freshwater and marine taxa. We predict that many species remain to be discovered in aquatic habitats given the few taxonomic specialists studying these fungi, the few substrate types studied intensively, and the vast geographical area not yet sampled.