Previous studies demonstrated that choline supply is directly linked to high-fat-diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance in mice. The aim of this study was to evaluate if choline supply could also modulate obesity and insulin resistance caused by a genetic defect. Eight-week-old male ob/ob mice were fed for two months with either choline-deficient or choline-supplemented diet. Tissue weight...

Deficiency of the transcription factor Cited2 in mice results in cardiac malformation, adrenal agenesis, neural tube, placental defects and partially penetrant cardiopulmonary laterality defects resulting from an abnormal Nodal->Pitx2c pathway. Here we show that a maternal high-fat diet more than doubles the penetrance of laterality defects and, surprisingly, induces palatal clefting in Cited2-...

Galactose in serum and galactose-1-phosphate in erythrocytes were measured in six transferase deficient children to determine if these metabolites could be used in detecting transferase deficient galactosemia. In all six children the galactose levels were normal and the galactose-1-phosphate elevated. The galactose level depends on diet and the rate of metabolism to galactose-1-phosphate and, t...

We have previously shown that dietary copper deficiency augments neutrophil accumulation in the lung microvasculature. The current study was designed to determine whether a diet deficient in copper promotes neutrophil chemoattraction within the lung vasculature or if it alters the mechanical properties of the neutrophil, thus restricting passage through the microvessels. Sprague-Dawley rats wer...

Tumor-promoting activity caused by the short-term administration of p-hydroxybenzenediazonium (PDQ) has been assayed in rats fed on a Mg-deficient diet as a reference model versus rats fed on a standard diet as controls. For 5 weeks groups of 20 rats, fed either on the Mg-deficient or standard diet, were treated simultaneously with PDQ. A group of 10 Mg-deficient rats remained untreated. Topica...

Vitamin deficiencies are common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Homocysteine (Hcys) is a thrombogenic amino acid produced from methionine (Met), and its increase in patients with IBD indicates a disruption of Met metabolism; however, the role of Hcys and Met metabolism in IBD is not well understood. We hypothesized that disrupted Met metabolism from a B-vitamin-deficient diet...

Insufficient availability of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) during pre- and neonatal development decreases accretion of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) in the developing brain. Low tissue levels of DHA are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this study, 1st- and 2nd-litter male Long-Evans rats were raised from co...

I. Studies were made with pair-fed vitamin Blz-deficient and vitamin B12-treated or cobalt-treated ewes fed a Co-deficient diet in cages. Measurements were made of body-weight changes and some observations were made of energy and nitrogen metabolism. The effects of oral Co on energy and nitrogen metabolism were examined in sheep fed the Co-deficient diet, but not yet deficient of vitamin B,, in...

Choline and C1 metabolism pathways intersect at the formation of methionine from homocysteine. Hepatic S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) concentrations are decreased in animals ingesting diets deficient in choline, and it has been suggested that this occurs because the availability of methionine limits AdoMet synthesis. If the above hypothesis is correct, changes in hepatic AdoMet concentrations sh...

The apical small conductance (SK) channel plays a key role in K secretion in the cortical collecting duct (CCD). A high-K intake stimulates renal K secretion and involves a significant increase in the number of SK channels in the apical membrane of the CCD. We used the patch-clamp technique to examine the role of protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) in regulating the activity of SK channels in the CCD...