Plasma zinc and copper concentrations in rheumatoid arthritis: influence of dietary factors and disease activity

Article Abstract:

Zinc and copper are trace elements that play important roles in protecting cells from oxidative damage, and zinc is important for maintaining the proper function of the immune system. Several studies have reported that during tissue inflammation the amount of zinc in the blood decreases and the amount of copper in the blood increases. These studies formed the basis for therapeutic trials with zinc supplements in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and were based on the assumption that zinc deficiency occurs in patients with RA. One study reported that blood zinc levels decrease in RA because of malnutrition. In an attempt to clarify the relationship between diet, RA and blood levels of zinc and copper, 40 patient with RA were studied. The amount of copper and zinc consumed in the diet was estimated from the foods consumed in a one-week period, and was compared with the amount of dietary copper and zinc consumed by individuals without RA. When this was done it was found that the regular diet of the patients with RA provided the same amount of zinc and copper as a typical diet consumed by people without RA. The regular diets of the RA patients provided the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of zinc and copper. The amount of zinc and copper in the blood of patients with RA was more greatly influenced by the severity of the disease than by dietary factors. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Health aspects, Evaluation, Rheumatoid arthritis, Food habits, Zinc in the body, Zinc (Nutrient), Copper in the body, Copper (Nutrient)

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Fructose-induced in vivo insulin resistance and elevated plasma triglyceride levels in rats

Article Abstract:

The effects of glucose (a simple sugar) and fructose (a sugar found in fruit) on insulin action were studied in rats. (Insulin is secreted into the blood by the pancreas to help convert carbohydrates, including sugars, to energy). Rats fed fructose required smaller doses of glucose to maintain a healthy level of glucose in the blood. This effect was partly caused by reduced insulin action in the liver and partly by a reduction in the disposal of glucose in a range of tissues. Rats fed glucose and those fed fructose had similar rates of glucose turnover, energy expenditure, and blood glucose levels after eating. Their bodies also released the same amounts of insulin into the blood in response to food consumption. The fructose-fed rats had an increase in fasting levels of triglycerides (types of fat) by the second week of the diet. Fasting triglyceride levels correlated positively with glucose disposal rates and negatively with liver glucose output. Thus a fructose diet caused impaired insulin action in both the liver and peripheral tissue. These effects may be related to blood triglyceride levels before the diet.

Research, Rats as laboratory animals, Laboratory rats, Fructose metabolism

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The relation between insulin sensitivity and the fatty-acid composition of skeletal-muscle phospholipids

Article Abstract:

Insulin sensitivity may be related to the concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the phospholipids of skeletal-muscle cell membranes. Skeletal muscle is the primary site of insulin action and is the most insulin-sensitive tissue. Fatty acid composition within the phospholipids greatly influences the cell membranes' properties and may determine their hormonal sensitivity. Muscle samples were taken from 27 patients undergoing heart surgery and the relationship between the phospholipid fatty acid composition and the level of serum insulin, which reflects insulin resistance, was determined. Reduced levels of polyunsaturated fatty acid levels were associated with reduced insulin sensitivity. Muscle sample analysis and insulin levels measured in 13 healthy men also indicated that concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids and insulin sensitivity are directly correlated.

Physiological aspects, Lipid membranes, Unsaturated fatty acids, Bilayer lipid membranes

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