scholarly journals Lysozyme activity in plasma and leucocytes in malnourished children

1974 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 313-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Mohanram ◽  
Vinodini Reddy ◽  
S. Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Enzyme Activity ◽  
Vitamin A ◽  
Vitamin A Deficiency ◽  
Lysozyme Activity ◽  
Normal Children ◽  
Control Value ◽  
Malnourished Children ◽  
Resistance To Infection ◽  
Ocular Signs

1. Lysozyme activity was estimated in plasma and leucocytes of twelve children suffering from kwashiorkor, thirteen children with ocular signs of vitamin A deficiency and ten apparently normal children acting as controls.2. The results showed that the activity of lysozyme in leucocytes was significantly reduced in children with kwashiorkor and in vitamin A-deficient children. Following therapy, the levels of the enzyme in leucocytes were restored to normal.3. The initial enzyme activity in the plasma of both groups of children did not differ significantly from the control value, and was not significantly changed after treatment.4. It is suggested that the decreased activity of lysozyme is one of the factors responsible for diminished resistance to infection generally observed in malnourished children.

Vitamin A in pregnancy and breastfeeding

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sir Peter Gluckman ◽  
Mark Hanson ◽  
Chong Yap Seng ◽  
Anne Bardsley
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin A ◽  
Vitamin A Deficiency ◽  
Reproductive Function ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Multiple Organ ◽  
Nutritional Risk ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Organ Systems ◽  
Resistance To Infection ◽  
In Pregnancy

Vitamin A is critical for visual and reproductive function, supports resistance to infection, and is required for the development of multiple organ systems. including the heart, lungs, kidneys, and skeleton. Both excess and deficiency of vitamin A in pregnancy are associated with birth defects. High intakes of vitamin A, either in the form of supplements or in concentrated food sources such as liver, should be avoided in pregnancy, particularly between day 15 and day 60 post conception. However, in areas with endemic vitamin A deficiency, supplementation in late pregnancy is recommended to prevent night blindness. Most women who are at low nutritional risk can meet their early pregnancy vitamin A requirement from food sources, but should increase their vitamin A intake from food during the third trimester and through lactation.

scholarly journals Absorption of labelled vitamin A in children during infection

1972 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 299-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Sivakumar ◽  
Vinodini Reddy
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin A ◽  
Intestinal Absorption ◽  
Respiratory Infection ◽  
Vitamin A Deficiency ◽  
Retinyl Acetate ◽  
Normal Children ◽  
Poor Communities

1. The intestinal absorption of [11,12 3H2] retinyl acetate was studied in five apparently normal children, eight children with respiratory infection and three with gastroenteritis.2. The absorption of vitamin A was significantly lower in children with respiratory infection or gastroenteritis than in normal children.3. In the light of these observations, it is suggested that repeated attacks of infections may significantly contribute to the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in children of poor communities.

scholarly journals Vitamin A Supplementation Coverage and Ocular Signs among Children Aged 6–59 Months in Aleta Chuko Woreda, Sidama Zone, Southern Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Temesgen Nigusse ◽  
Achamyelesh Gebretsadik
Keyword(s):  
Health Education ◽  
Vitamin A ◽  
Vitamin A Deficiency ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Southern Ethiopia ◽  
Wealth Status ◽  
Health Development ◽  
Vitamin A Supplementation ◽  
Ocular Signs

Background. Periodic vitamin A supplementation to children is a cost-effective strategy to avert vitamin A deficiency. However, few pieces of evidence are available about the coverage of vitamin A supplementation at the community level in the study area. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess vitamin A supplementation coverage and prevalence of ocular signs of vitamin A deficiency among children aged 6–59 months. Methods. Community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted using a two-stage stratified random sampling method. Data were collected from mothers with children aged 6–59 months using a structured pretested questionnaire. A total of 665 children aged 6 to 59 months were examined for clinical signs and symptoms of vitamin A deficiency by trained clinical health professionals. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were done. Result. Vitamin A supplementation coverage in the study area was 36.2% (95% CI: 32.6–39.9). Overall, the prevalence of xerophthalmia was 2.7%. Age group 6–23 months (AOR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.4–2.9), good maternal knowledge (AOR: 1.5, 95% CI: 1.2–2.1), children with high wealth status (AOR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.4–3.8), precampaign health education on vitamin A (AOR: 3.4,95% CI: 2.1–5.6), member of Health Development Army (AOR: 2.7, 95% CI: 1.7–4.2), and access to health facility within <30 minutes (AOR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.6–3.8) were significantly associated with the receipt of vitamin A capsule. Conclusion. Vitamin A supplementation coverage of the study area was low as compared to the UNICEF threshold of 70%. Vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem in the study area. Increasing maternal level of knowledge, precampaign health education on vitamin A supplementation, and strengthening Health Development Army are recommended to increase the vitamin A supplementation coverage.

scholarly journals The effect of vitamin A and other dietary constituents on the activity of adenosine triphosphate sulphurylase

1968 ◽  
Vol 109 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. Levi ◽  
S. Geller ◽  
D. M. Root ◽  
G. Wolf
Keyword(s):  
Enzyme Activity ◽  
Vitamin A ◽  
Protein Intake ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Vitamin A Deficiency ◽  
Protein Diet ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Liver Protein ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Atp Sulphurylase

1. ATP sulphurylase was assayed in various organs from vitamin A-deficient and pair-fed control rats at different stages of deficiency. Activity decreased slightly in the liver and markedly in the adrenal gland. Striking differences in liver activity were observed between pair-fed control and ad libitum-fed animals. This observation suggested that diet (apart from vitamin A) strongly influenced the activity of ATP sulphurylase. 2. Total starvation caused a severe decrease in activity in liver within 48hr. This was due to a lack of protein intake. 3. By feeding groups of vitamin A-deficient and pair-fed control rats on a diet containing 80% protein, the specific activity of the liver ATP sulphurylase was maintained in the pair-fed control group at the normal level of an ad libitum-fed rat, whereas it decreased by 25% (statistically significant at P<0·01) in the deficient rat. On a 20%-protein diet, there were no significant differences between vitamin A-deficient and pair-fed control rats. These relationships held also for enzyme activity expressed per g. of liver, per total liver and per g. of DNA. There were no differences in liver protein or DNA concentration between vitamin A-deficient and control rats on either protein intake. 4. Control rats on a 20%-protein diet had liver specific enzyme activities about one-half of those in control rats on an 80%-protein diet, as well as lower liver protein concentrations. 5. It is concluded that, when the effect of protein deprivation on ATP sulphurylase is separated from the effect of vitamin A deficiency, a lowering of the enzyme activity caused by the vitamin deficiency is demonstrable.

scholarly journals Prevalence of ocular signs and subclinical vitamin A deficiency and its determinants among rural pre-school children in India

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 568-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Avula Laxmaiah ◽  
Madhavan K Nair ◽  
Nimmathota Arlappa ◽  
Pullakhandam Raghu ◽  
Nagalla Balakrishna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin A ◽  
School Children ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Vitamin A Deficiency ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Dried Blood Spots ◽  
Sampling Procedure ◽  
Serum Retinol ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Ocular Signs

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the magnitude and determinants of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and coverage of vitamin A supplementation (VAS) among pre-school children.DesignA community-based cross-sectional study was carried out by adopting a multistage, stratified, random sampling procedure.SettingRural areas of eight states in India.SubjectsPre-school children and their mothers were covered.ResultsA total of 71 591 pre-school children were clinically examined for ocular signs of VAD. Serum retinol concentrations in dried blood spots were assessed in a sub-sample of 3954 children using HPLC. The prevalence of Bitot spots was 0·8 %. The total ocular signs were significantly higher (P < 0·001) among boys (2·6 %) compared with girls (1·9 %) and in older children (3–4 years) compared (P < 0·001) with younger (1–2 years), and were also high in children of labourers, scheduled castes and illiterate mothers. The odds of having Bitot spots was highest in children of scheduled caste (OR = 3·8; 95 % CI 2·9, 5·0), labourers (OR = 2·9; 95 % CI 2·1, 3·9), illiterate mothers (OR = 2·7; 95 % CI 2·2, 2·3) and households without a sanitary latrine (OR = 5·9; 95 % CI 4·0, 8·7). Subclinical VAD (serum retinol level <20 μg/dl) was observed in 62 % of children. This was also relatively high among scheduled caste and scheduled tribe children. The rate of coverage of VAS was 58 %.ConclusionsThe study revealed that VAD is a major nutritional problem and coverage of VAS was poor. The important determinants of VAD were illiteracy, low socio-economic status, occupation and poor sanitation. Strengthening the existing VAS programme and focused attention on dietary diversification are essential for prevention of VAD.

scholarly journals Vitamin A deficiency induces morphometric changes and decreased functionality in chicken small intestine

1998 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 401-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zehava Uni ◽  
Gidi Zaiger ◽  
Ram Reifen
Keyword(s):  
Enzyme Activity ◽  
Small Intestine ◽  
Vitamin A ◽  
Vitamin A Deficiency ◽  
Control Diet ◽  
Normal Activity ◽  
Cellular Hypertrophy ◽  
Mucosal Morphology ◽  
Mucosal Protein ◽  
Rats And Mice

The effect of vitamin A on chicken intestinal mucosal morphology and functionality was tested in relation to severe and mild vitamin A deficiency and vitamin A repletion. Compared with rats and mice, chickens have a very quick response to a deficient dietary intake. Severe vitamin A deficiency altered the small intestine of chickens at both the biochemical and the morphological levels. It caused the loss of mucosal protein, reduced villus height and crypt depth and diminished activities of disaccharidases, transpeptidase and alkaline phosphate (EC 3.1.3.1). The ratios RNA-.DNA, RNA:protein and protein:DNA, and the DNA concentrations in 1 g intestinal tissue, together with morphological measurements, provided knowledge about the pattern of lesion. The results indicated that (1) lack of vitamin A influenced cellular hyperplasia as it caused an increase in DNA content and in the number of enterocytes per villus; (2) lack of vitamin A influenced cellular hypertrophy as it decreased the protein:DNA ratio. There was no difference in mucosal enzyme activity between the two deficient groups. The repletion group exhibited a remarkable increase in mucosal enzyme activity only 4 d after switching to the control diet. The evidence presented in our paper suggests that the low vitamin A supply interferes with the normal activity of chicken intestinal mucosa as it influences the processes of proliferation and maturation of enterocytes.

scholarly journals Effect of vitamin A deprivation on the cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme activity of testes and ovaries of rats (Short Communication)

1973 ◽  
Vol 136 (1) ◽  
pp. 221-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Jayaram ◽  
S. K. Murthy ◽  
J. Ganguly
Keyword(s):  
Enzyme Activity ◽  
Vitamin A ◽  
Short Communication ◽  
Normal Values ◽  
Vitamin A Deficiency ◽  
Side Chain ◽  
Retinyl Acetate ◽  
Side Chain Cleavage ◽  
Chain Cleavage ◽  
Cleavage Enzyme

The cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme activity is decreased considerably at the mild stage of vitamin A deficiency in rat testes and ovaries and the decrease in activity becomes more pronounced with progress of deficiency. Supplementation of the deficient rats with retinyl acetate, but not retinoic acid, restores the enzyme activity to normal values. The cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme of adrenals is not affected by any of the above treatments.

scholarly journals Vitamin A Deficiency Disorders in Children and Women

2003 ◽  
Vol 24 (4_suppl_1) ◽  
pp. S78-S90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith P. West
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin A ◽  
Vitamin A Deficiency ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
Large Trial ◽  
Vitamin A Supplementation ◽  
Lactating Women ◽  
Risk Of Mortality ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Resistance To Infection ◽  
Nutrition Problem

Vitamin A deficiency is an endemic nutrition problem throughout much of the developing world, especially affecting the health and survival of infants, young children, and pregnant and lactating women. These age and life-stage groups represent periods when both nutrition stress is high and diet likely to be chronically deficient in vitamin A. Approximately 127 million preschool-aged children and 7 million pregnant women are vitamin A deficient. Health consequences of vitamin A deficiency include mild to severe systemic effects on innate and acquired mechanisms of host resistance to infection and growth, increased burden of infectious morbidity, mild to severe (blinding) stages of xerophthalmia, and increased risk of mortality. These consequences are defined as vitamin A deficiency disorders (VADD). Globally, 4.4 million preschool children have xerophthalmia and 6 million mothers suffer night blindness during pregnancy. Both conditions are associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality. While reductions of child mortality of 19–54% following vitamin A treatment have been widely reported, more recent work suggests that dosing newborns with vitamin A may, in some settings, lower infant mortality. Among women, one large trial has so far reported a ≥ 40% reduction in mortality related to pregnancy with weekly, low-dose vitamin A supplementation. Epidemiologic data on vitamin A deficiency disorders can be useful in planning, designing, and targeting interventions.

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