Elevated choline concentration in neonatal plasma

Plasma choline concentrations were measured in humans, rats, and rabbits within the first few hours of life, before any food was ingested. Neonatal animals and humans had markedly elevated plasma choline levels compared to adult animals or humans. Possible mechanisms responsible for this elevation are discussed and possible consequences for brain function, lung function, and growth are presented.     

Novel methoxy-carotenoids from the burgundy-colored plumage of the Pompadour Cotinga Xipholena punicea

Recent advances in the fields of chromatography, mass spectrometry, and chemical analysis have greatly improved the efficiency with which carotenoids can be extracted and analyzed from avian plumage. Prior to these technological developments, Brush (1968) [1] concluded that the burgundy-colored plumage of the male pompadour Cotinga Xipholena punicea is produced by a combination of blue structural color and red carotenoids, including astaxanthin, canthaxanthin, isozeaxanthin, and a fourth unidentified, polar carotenoid. However, X. punicea does not in fact exhibit any structural coloration. This work aims to elucidate the carotenoid pigments of the burgundy color of X. punicea plumage using advanced analytical methodology. Feathers were collected from two burgundy male specimens and from a third aberrant orange-colored specimen. Pigments were extracted using a previously published technique (McGraw et al. (2005) [2]), separated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and analyzed by UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy, chemical analysis, mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and comparison with direct synthetic products. Our investigation revealed the presence of eight ketocarotenoids, including astaxanthin and canthaxanthin as reported previously by Brush (1968) [1]. Six of the ketocarotenoids contained methoxyl groups, which is rare for naturally-occurring carotenoids and a novel finding in birds. Interestingly, the carotenoid composition was the same in both the burgundy and orange feathers, indicating that feather coloration in X. punicea is determined not only by the presence of carotenoids, but also by interactions between the bound carotenoid pigments and their protein environment in the barb rami and barbules. This paper presents the first evidence of metabolically-derived methoxy-carotenoids in birds.     

Attitudes Toward Weight Gain in Pregnancy

Recently, there has been increased interest in the influence of maternal prenatal nutrition on the course and outcome of pregnancy. Evidence has accumulated that a woman''s weight before pregnancy and the weight gained during pregnancy directly affect infant birth weight, incidence of neonatal mortality, and growth and development of the infant during the first year of life. Although recent recommendations for weight gain in pregnancy have been liberalized, a survey of 195 pregnant women who had prenatal visits in both clinic and private offices showed deficiencies in their understanding of the subject. Some 37 percent of women believed they should gain 20 pounds (9 kg) or less during pregnancy. Eight percent admitted to dieting before at least one antenatal visit and 54 percent thought their doctor would not be concerned about too little weight gained during pregnancy. This suggests that many women and some doctors are still ignorant of current concepts of proper nutrition during pregnancy. Apparently, increased lay and professional educational efforts are needed.     

Cuticle sclerotization by the American cockroach: Differential incorporation of leucine and tyrosine during post-ecdysis

The incorporation of U-¹⁴C-leucine into the cuticle occurs within the first 2 hr after ecdysis whereas U-¹⁴C-tyrosine is incorporated at a steady rate for approximately 8 hr. These data suggest that most of the cuticle protein is synthesized and laid down within a short time after ecdysis. On the other hand, tyrosine and/or metabolites (such as N-acetyl-dopamine) are translocated into the cuticle for several hours. This indicates that the sclerotization process may take place over an extended period.     

Clinical Utility of Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 and 2; Determination by High Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Measurement of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I) has utility for the diagnosis and management of growth disorders, but inter-assay comparison of results has been complicated by a multitude of reference standards, antibodies, detection methods, and pre-analytical preparation strategies. We developed a quantitative LC-MS method for intact IGF-I, which has advantages in throughput and complexity when compared to mass spectrometric approaches that rely on stable isotope dilution analysis of tryptic peptides. Since the method makes use of full-scan data, the assay was easily extended to provide quantitative measurement of IGF-II using the same assay protocol. The validated LC-MS assay for IGF-I and IGF-II provides accurate results across the pediatric and adult reference range and is suitable for clinical use.