B Vitamins Supplementation Can Improve Cognitive Functions and May Relate to the Enhancement of Transketolase Activity in A Rat Model of Cognitive Impairment Associated with High-fat Diets

Objective:To determine whether B vitamin treatment was sufficient to reduce cognitive impairment associated with high-fat diets in rats and to modulate transketolase(TK)expression and activity.Methods:To test this,we separated 50 rats into five groups that were either fed a standard chow diet(controls)or a high-fat diet(experimental groups HO,HI,H2,and H3).HO group animals received no additional dietary supplementation,while H1 group animals were administered 100 mg/kg body weight(BW)thiamine,100 mg/kg BW riboflavin,and 250 mg/kg BW niacin each day,and group H2 animals received daily doses of 100 mg/kg BW pyridoxine,100 mg/kg BW cobalamin,and 5 mg/kg BW folate.Animals in the H3 group received the B vitamin regimens administered to both H1 and H2 each day.Results:Over time,group HO exhibited greater increases in BW and fat mass relative to other groups.When spatial and memory capabilities in these animals were evaluated via conditioned taste aversion(CTA)and Morris Water Maze(MWM),we found B vitamin treatment was associated with significant improvements relative to untreated HO controls.Similarly,B vitamin supplementation was associated with elevated TK expression in erythrocytes and hypothalamus of treated animals relative to those in HO(P<0.05).Conclusion:Together,these findings suggest B vitamin can modulate hypothalamic TK activity to reduce the severity of cognitive deficits in a rat model of obesity.As such,B vitamin supplementation may be a beneficial method for reducing cognitive dysfunction in clinical settings associated with high-fat diets.

Enhancement of vitamin A combined vitamin D supplementation on immune response to Bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccine revaccinated in Chinese infants

Objective:To investigate whether there is an association between diameter of bacille CalmetteGuerin(BCG)sears and effect of purified protein derivative(PPD)reaction anil to determine whether vitamin A(VA)combined vitamin I)(VD)supplementation influences the immune response to BCG revueeinated in Chinese infants.Methods:A cross-section and 3-month community-randomised trial was conducted.A total of 5 629 infants at 3,6 and 12 months of age in Junan County of China were examined for BCG scar fonnation.Then,597 revuccinated infants were randomly assigned to supplementation(n=307)and control(n=290)groups.The supplementation group were daily assigned to 1 500 IU VA and 500 IU VD for 3 months.Then all infants were subjected to skin test with PPD.Results:The diameter of BCG sears was positively con-elated with diameter of skin indurations of PPD(r=0.17,P<0.05)in the 5 629 infants.The rate of positive response to PP1)was higher in the supplementation group than in the control group(96.1%versus 89.7%,P<0.05,prevalence ratio 1.07.95%CI 1.02-1.12).The prevalence ralio of PPD response for the supplementation group compared with that for the control group was 1.07(95%CI 1.01-1.13)for the males and 1.08(95%CI 1.00-1.17)for the females.For the supplementation group,the males got larger tuberculin induration than the females[(0.73±0.2l)cm versus(0.67±0.20)cm.P<0.05)after intervention.Conclusions:The diameter of BCG scars was effectively correlated with PPD response,which indicates BCG scar formation may be an useful tool Io evaluate the effect of tuberculosis prevention.VA combined VD supplementation may play an immunoregulatory rale in BCG revuecination.This may contribute to the prevention of childhood tuberculosis.