PMID: 

Vitam Horm. 2011 ;86:217-37. PMID: 21419273

Abstract Title: 

Vitamin D effects on lung immunity and respiratory diseases.

Abstract: 

Our understanding of vitamin D metabolism and biological effects has grown exponentially in recent years and it has become clear that vitamin D has extensive immunomodulatory effects. The active vitamin D generating enzyme, 1α-hydroxylase, is expressed by the airway epithelium, alveolar macrophages, dendritic cells, and lymphocytes indicating that active vitamin D can be produced locally within the lungs. Vitamin D generated in tissues is responsible for many of the immunomodulatory actions of vitamin D. The effects ofvitamin D within the lungs include increased secretion of the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin, decreased chemokine production, inhibition of dendritic cell activation, and alteration of T-cell activation. These cellular effects are important for host responses against infection and the development of allergic lung diseases like asthma. Epidemiological studies do suggest that vitamin D deficiency predisposes to viral respiratory tract infections and mycobacterial infections and that vitamin D may play a role in the development and treatment of asthma. Randomized, placebo-controlled trials are lacking but ongoing.

read more

PMID: 

Diabetol Metab Syndr. 2020 ;12:29. Epub 2020 Apr 7. PMID: 32292493

Abstract Title: 

A pro-inflammatory diet increases the likelihood of obesity and overweight in adolescent boys: a case-control study.

Abstract: 

Background: Obesity and Overweight at an early age can contribute with many chronic diseases such as cancers, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Diet-related inflammation is one of the most important underlying mechanisms that may has a key role in obesity and overweight. This paper aimed to compare the dietary inflammatory index (DII) in normal weight and overweight adolescent boys.Methods: A total of 535 adolescent boys (214 cases were overweight and obese and 321 controls with normal weight) participated in this study from two schools in Tehran, Iran. The student's weight and body composition were measured using a Bio-Impedance Analyzer (BIA) scale. A validated semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess dietary inflammatory index.Results: Results obtained from modeling DIIas a continuous variable identified a positive association between DIIand obesity (OR = 1.08, CI 1.01-1.16). After multivariable adjustment, subjects with DII > 0.02 had at 1.5 times higher odds of obesity and overweight compared to subjects with DII ≤ 0.02 (OR = 1.52; CI 1.04-2.22).Conclusion: Our study indicated the importance of dietary-induced inflammation in the obesity and overweight during adolescence. Therefore, advising adolescent to consume diet with lower DIIwith more fruits and vegetables, rich sources of fiber, flavonoids, zinc, magnesium and selenium and avoiding the consumption of saturated fatty acids (SFA), trans-fatty acids, and cholesterol may support a healthy weight.

read more

PMID: 

Carbohydr Polym. 2020 May 1 ;235:115977. Epub 2020 Feb 11. PMID: 32122508

Abstract Title: 

Structural characterization and immunomodulatory activity of an exopolysaccharide produced by Lactobacillus helveticus LZ-R-5.

Abstract: 

Exopolysaccharide (R-5-EPS) was isolated from the fermented milk of Lactobacillus helveticus LZ-R-5 and purified by DEAE-52 cellulose anion-exchange column, and characterization of the structure was conducted. Results showed that R-5-EPS was a heteropolysaccharide containing linear repeating units of→6)-β-D-Galp-(1→3)-β-D-Glcp-(1→3)-β-D-Glcp-(1→3)-β-D-Glcp-(1→3)-β-D-Glcp-(1→ with an average Mw of 5.41 × 10Da. Furthermore, at a cellular level, R-5-EPS showed immunostimulatory activity due to its strong effect on increasing proliferation of RAW264.7 macrophages and enhancing phagocytosis, acid phosphatase activity, nitric oxide production and cytokines production in macrophages. These results suggest that R-5-EPS have a potent immunostimulatory activity and may be explored as a potential immunomodulatory agent.

read more

PMID: 

Lipids Health Dis. 2020 Apr 7 ;19(1):65. Epub 2020 Apr 7. PMID: 32264876

Abstract Title: 

The intake assessment of diverse dietary patterns on childhood hypertension: alleviating the blood pressure and lipidemic factors with low-sodium seafood rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Abstract: 

BACKGROUND: Childhood hypertension (CH) is related to the dietary intake and diversity of children. The study aimed to assess the critical role of dietary diversity, and seafood long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFAs) in reducing CH among the Iranian community.METHODS: A cross-sectional two-phase study with 7-12-year-old Iranian students was designed. In the initial phase, the socio-demographic characteristics, and blood pressure status (normal, pre-hypertension, and hypertension) based on systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure data were assessed. The 24-h dietary recall questionnaire was used to generate the dietary diversity score (DDS, count of consumed food groups) and dietary variety score (DVS, the cumulative number of daily consumed food items). In the second phase, the association between CH reduction and changes in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides (TG) levels of schoolchildren intervened by a seafood diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids were assessed using the regression analyses.RESULTS: The pre-hypertension and hypertension prevalence rates were 7.8 and 9.15%, respectively. CH was significantly associated with age, gender, and DDS. A significant inverse association was found between the high intake of seafood and CH (P = 0.032). The gas-chromatography analysis showed the high presence of α-linolenic (ALA, 6.72%), eicosapentaenoic (EPA, 7.62%), docosapentaenoic (DPA, 5.88%), and docosahexaenoic (DHA, 18.52%) acids in the seafood-based diet (p 

read more

PMID: 

Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2020 Apr 14:1-9. Epub 2020 Apr 14. PMID: 32283946

Abstract Title: 

Vitamin B and vitamin D as modulators of gut microbiota in overweight individuals.

Abstract: 

Growing evidence indicates that vitamin B (VB) and vitamin D (VD) are associated with the development of obesity. The effects of supplemental dietary VB and VD on the gut microbiota of obese individuals are still largely unknown. In the present study, 997 normoweight (NW) and 773 overweight (OW) samples were screened from the American Gut Project. The microbialα-diversity was not affected by VB, VD or VB combined with VD (VBD) supplementation in the normoweight population or the overweigh population. VD significantly modulated 20 gut microbial metabolic pathways in NW. Moreover, VBD supplementation significantly affected 3 phyla and 3 families and 22 pathways in the OW gut microbiota. In summary, our results highlight that VD and VBD might be necessary for reshaping the gut microbiota in NW and OW, respectively.

read more

PMID: 

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2020 ;11:171. Epub 2020 Mar 31. PMID: 32296394

Abstract Title: 

Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated With Metabolic Risk Factors in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study in Shaanxi China.

Abstract: 

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder in women at reproductive age, which is characterized by obesity, hyperandrogenemia, and insulin resistance (IR). This study aimed to investigate the vitamin D status, and analyze the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and metabolic risk factors in PCOS women in Shaanxi China.A cross-sectional study included 169 women diagnosed with PCOS and 114 control women without PCOS. The serum 25(OH)D and metabolic markers were measured. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as serum 25(OH)D concentration less than 20 ng/mL. The primary outcome was the difference in vitamin D status between the PCOS and control groups, the secondary outcomes were correlations between serum 25(OH)D concentration and metabolic risk factors in women with PCOS.The serum 25(OH)D concentration was significantly lower in women with PCOS than in controls (

read more

PMID: 

Obes Rev. 2015 Apr ;16(4):341-9. Epub 2015 Feb 17. PMID: 25688659

Abstract Title: 

Obesity and vitamin D deficiency: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract: 

Over the past decade, there have been an increasing number of studies on the association between vitamin D deficiency and anthropometric state. However, we did not identify any meta-analyses of the relationship between obesity and vitamin D deficiency in different age groups. Thus, we evaluated the association between obesity and vitamin D deficiency. We searched for observational studies published up to April 2014 in PubMed/Medline, Web of Science and Scopus databases. We performed a meta-analysis in accordance with the random-effects model to obtain the summary measurement (prevalence ratio, PR). Among the 29,882 articles identified, 23 met the inclusion criteria. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 35% higher in obese subjects compared to the eutrophic group (PR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.21-1.50) and 24% higher than in the overweight group (PR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.14-1.34). These results indicate that the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was more elevated in obese subjects. The vitamin D deficiency was associated with obesity irrespective of age, latitude, cut-offs to define vitamin D deficiency and the Human Development Index of the study location.

read more

PMID: 

FEBS Lett. 1997 Jan 20 ;401(2-3):167-70. PMID: 9013880

Abstract Title: 

Ozone depletes tocopherols and tocotrienols topically applied to murine skin.

Abstract: 

To evaluate ozone damage to hairless mouse skin, two parameters of oxidative damage, vitamin E depletion and malondialdehyde (MDA) production, were measured in vitamin E-enriched and in control skin from mice exposed to ozone (10 ppm). A 5% vitamin E solution (tocotrienol-rich fraction, TRF) in polyethylene glycol (PEG) was applied to 2 sites on the back of hairless mice, PEG to 2 sites. After 2 h, the sites were washed, one of each pair of sites covered and the mice exposed ozone for 2 h. Ozone exposure (compared with covered sites) increased epidermal MDA in PEG-treated sites, while vitamin E was unchanged. In contrast, ozone exposure significantly depleted vitamin E in TRF-treated sites, while significant MDA accumulation was prevented. This is the first demonstration that ozone exposure causes damage to cutaneous lipids, an effect which can be attenuated by vitamin E application.

read more

PMID: 

Free Radic Biol Med. 2003 Jan 15 ;34(2):170-6. PMID: 12521598

Abstract Title: 

Topical alpha-tocotrienol supplementation inhibits lipid peroxidation but fails to mitigate increased transepidermal water loss after benzoyl peroxide treatment of human skin.

Abstract: 

Benzoyl peroxide (BPO) is a commonly used drug in the treatment of acne vulgaris, but it induces unwanted side effects related to stratum corneum (SC) function. Since it has been recently shown to oxidize SC antioxidants, it was hypothesized that antioxidant supplementation may mitigate the BPO-induced SC changes. To test this, 11 subjects were selected to be topically supplemented with alpha-tocotrienol (5% w/vol) for 7 d on defined regions of the upper back, while the contralateral region was used for vehicle-only controls. Starting on day 8, all test sites were also treated with BPO (10%) for 7 d; the alpha-tocotrienol supplementation was continued throughout the study. A single dose of BPO depleted 93.2% of the total vitamin E. While continuing the BPO exposure for 7 d further depleted vitamin E in both vehicle-only and alpha-tocotrienol-treated sites, significantly more vitamin E remained in the alpha-tocotrienol-treated areas. Seven BPO applications increased lipid peroxidation. Alpha-tocotrienol supplementation significantly mitigated the BPO-induced lipid peroxidation. The transepidermal water loss was increased 1.9-fold by seven BPO applications, while there was no difference between alpha-tocotrienol treatment and controls. The data suggest that alpha-tocotrienol supplementation counteracts the lipid peroxidation but not the barrier perturbation in the SC induced by 10% BPO.

read more

PMID: 

Drug Deliv. 2016 Jun ;23(5):1514-24. Epub 2014 Oct 8. PMID: 25293973

Abstract Title: 

Enhanced effectiveness of tocotrienol-based nano-emulsified system for topical delivery against skin carcinomas.

Abstract: 

The potent anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic actions of tocotrienols (T3) against cancer, but not normal tissues, have been hampered by their limited systemic bioavailabilty. Recent expansive development of diverse nanoemulsion (NE) vehicles emphasized their vast potential to improve the effective dosing of different clinical and experimental drugs of lipophilic nature, such as T3. The emphasis of the present work is to develop a pharmaceutically scalable, low-energy nano-emulsification approach for optimized incorporation of T3-rich palm oil (Tocomin®), possessing anticancer activity as a potential cutaneous delivery platform for adjunctive therapy of skin carcinomas, either alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents. Different Tocomin®-NEs, obtained with different homogenization strategies, were screened based on physicochemical uniformity (droplet size, charge and polydispersity) and subjected to stress physical stability testing, along with chemical content analysis (≥90% Tocomin® – incorporation efficiency). Adopted hybrid nano-emulsification of Tocomin®, correlated with highest preservation of DPPH-radical scavenging capacity of active T3 in prototype formulation, Tocomin®-NE, which effectively permeated diffusion cell membranes 4-folds higher than propyleneglycol (PG)-admixed Tocomin® control. Against two different cell models of human cutaneous carcinoma, Tocomin®-hybrid NE demonstrated significantlystronger cytotoxic profiles (p ≤ 0.01), visible in both concentration- and time- dependent manners, with at least 5-folds lower IC50 values, compared to those estimated for the closest Tocomin®-control. The proposed hybrid nano-emulsified formulation of Tocomin® provides simple and stable delivery platform, for effective topical application against keratinocyte tumors.

read more