The influence of long chain polyunsaturate supplementation on docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid in baboon neonate central nervous system

BACKGROUND: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) are major components of the cerebral cortex and visual system, where they play a critical role in neural development. We quantitatively mapped fatty acids in 26 regions of the four-week-old breastfed baboon CNS, and studied the influence of dietary DHA and ARA supplementation and prematurity on CNS DHA and ARA concentrations. METHODS: Baboons were randomized into a breastfed (B) and four formula-fed groups: term, no DHA/ARA (T-); term, DHA/ARA supplemented (T+); preterm, no DHA/ARA (P-); preterm and DHA/ARA supplemented (P+). At four weeks adjusted age, brains were dissected and total fatty acids analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. RESULTS: DHA and ARA are rich in many more structures than previously reported. They are most concentrated in structures local to the brain stem and diencephalon, particularly the basal ganglia, limbic regions, thalamus and midbrain, and comparatively lower in white matter. Dietary supplementation increased DHA in all structures but had little influence on ARA concentrations. Supplementation restored DHA concentrations to levels of breastfed neonates in all regions except the cerebral cortex and cerebellum. Prematurity per se did not exert a strong influence on DHA or ARA concentrations. CONCLUSION: 1) DHA and ARA are found in high concentration throughout the primate CNS, particularly in gray matter such as basal ganglia; 2) DHA concentrations drop across most CNS structures in neonates consuming formulas with no DHA, but ARA levels are relatively immune to ARA in the diet; 3) supplementation of infant formula is effective at restoring DHA concentration in structures other than the cerebral cortex. These results will be useful as a guide to future investigations of CNS function in the absence of dietary DHA and ARA

Lessening hepatic injury in cholestatic liver by optimal dietary docosahexaenoic acid supplementation in rats

Background: Dietary adjuvant management for the cholestatic liver disease before/after surgery is an important clinical issue. This study investigated the possibility for the dietary supplementation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to treat cholestasis liver through the bile duct ligation (BDL) rat model. Materials and Methods: Thirty-six male Wistar rats were divided into four groups (N: no BDL; BL, 1P, 5P: received BDL) and consumed either a regular diet (N, BL) or of DHA-enriched diet (1P: at 1% and 5P: at 5% weight percentage) for 4 weeks. The liver fatty acids (FAs) profiles, serum aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, interleukin-2 (IL-2), interferon γ (INF-γ), and pathological examination with H and E, Masson, CD56 (natural killer cell), CD68 (macrophage) were examined. Results: The DHA dietary supplement increased liver DHA after BDL. Liver DHA N 8.09 ± 0.60% and BL 8.41 ± 0.55% were the lowest than the supplemented groups 1P 12.57 ± 1.16%, 5P 18.36 ± 2.00% (P = 0.000). However, liver arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) 1P 23.13 ± 2.19% was the highest than N 18.86 ± 4.31%, BL 17.13 ± 3.07%, 5P 18.78 ± 1.76% (P = 0.001). The serum AST (U/L) in N 147.4 ± 28.2 and 1P 155.9 ± 35.1 were lower than B 317.1 ± 195.8, 5P 326.9 ± 141. 8 (P = 0.006). The serum alkaline phosphatase (U/L) showed the same trend N 49.8 ± 5.4, 1P 67.6 ± 21.1 were lower than the BL 172.2 ± 108.1, 5P 171.1 ± 149.1 (P = 0.017). Pathological examination with H and E, Masson revealed the fibrosis was prominent in BL, 5P. However, there were no significant differences in serum ALT, total bilirubin, IL-2, INF-γ, and immunohistochemical stain for the CD56, CD68. Conclusions: The results suggested that optimal dietary supplementing of DHA (1P) had less destruction and liver enzymes released after the BDL. However, higher enriched DHA (5P) could not benefit from this dietary treatment. The body weight did not increase even with this enriched high FAs diet after BDL for 4 weeks

Analysis of surgical manpower for the past 20 years in Taiwan

Background: The Taiwan Surgical Association (TSA) has been in operation for more than 50 years since its establishment. We checked the data of the members recently to have a full understandings and mastery of the human resources of TSA. Materials and Methods: All the data were collected from the basic data pool of the member maintained by the TSA. The annual membership, new memberships, deaths and withdrawals, age distribution, gender, surgical subspecialty, geographic distribution, and new major surgical specialist-issued licenses were checked. Results: The results were total membership increased lineally and doubled from 3020 to 6154; new members increased 124–197 per year, death and withdrawal were 4–53 annually; highest age range was 51–60, mean age 52.99 and median age 53; ratio of male and female increased from 0.8% to 4.4%; great majority of surgical specialist was gastroenterological surgery 29%, orthopedics 14%, urology 13%, thoracic and cardiovascular surgery 13%, and plastic surgery 11%; members were higher in metropolitan, Taipei 21.7%, New Taipei City 8.2%, Taichung 14%, and Kaohsiung 14.8%; and number of surgical-related subspecialty increased recently. Conclusions: There are still a lot of areas for the TSA members to explore. The data suggest that the government officials could provide more beneficial acts to the development of surgical society in Taiwan. For example, they might be able to guide a reasonable work shift hour limit, maximal care surgical patients' number, adequate nurse practitioners, setup legal surgical assistants in the operation room, well-training sufficient surgical residents program, and balance the number for the surgical subspecialty

Malignant Transformation of a Well-organized Sacrococcygeal Fetiform Teratoma in a Newborn Male

We report herein a case of a male newborn with a sacrococcygeal fetiform teratoma (FT). The baby presented with a large coccygeal teratoma. The preoperative diagnosis of FT was made by plain radiography, ultra- sonography and magnetic resonance imaging. The baby was successfully treated by complete excision and pelvic floor reconstruction. Postoperative follow-up was uneventful until the teratoma recurred 11 months later as a malignancy. After undergoing a second operative procedure accompanied by chemotherapy, he has been doing well for 18 months