Body Composition Characteristics of a Load-Capacity Model: Age-Dependent and Sex-Specific Percentiles in 5- To 17-Year-Old Children

Introduction: Body composition assessment is superior to the use of body mass index (BMI) to characterize the nutritional status in pediatric populations. For data interpretation, suitable reference data are needed; hence, we aimed to generate age-dependent and sex-specific body composition reference data in a larger population of children and adolescents in Germany. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study on a representative group of 15,392 5- to 17-year-old children and adolescents. Body composition was assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis using a population-specific algorithm validated against air displacement plethysmography. Age- and sex-specific percentiles for BMI, fat mass index (FMI), fat-free mass index (FFMI), and a “load-capacity model” (characterized by the ratios of fat mass [FM]/ fatt-free mass [FFM] and FM/FFM2) were modeled using the LMS method. Results: BMI, FMI, FFMI, FM/FFM, and FM/FFM2 curves showed similar shapes between boys and girls with steady increases in BMI, FMI, and FFMI, while FM/FFM2-centiles decreased during early childhood and adolescence. Sex differences were observed in FMI and FM/FFM percentiles with increases in FMI up to age 9 years followed by a steady decrease in FM/FFM during and after puberty with a fast-growing FFMI up to age 17 in boys. The prevalence of low FFM relative to FM reached more than 60% in overweight children and adolescents. Conclusion: These pediatric body composition reference data enable physicians and public health scientists to monitor body composition during growth and development and to interpret individual data. The data point out to an early risk of sarcopenia in overweight children and adolescents

Riboflavin carrier protein-targeted fluorescent USPIO for the assessment of vascular metabolism in tumors

Abstract Riboflavin (Rf) and its metabolic analogs flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) are essential for normal cellular growth and function. Their intracellular transport is regulated by the riboflavin carrier protein (RCP), which has been shown to be over-expressed by metabolically active cancer cells. Therefore, FAD-decorated ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (FAD USPIO) were developed as the first carrier-protein-targeted molecular MR agents for visualizing tumor metabolism. FAD USPIO were synthesized using an adsorptive, fluorescent and non-polymeric coating method, and their physicochemical properties were characterized using TEM, SEM, FTIR, MRI and fluorescence spectroscopy. In vitro analyses showed the biocompatibility of FAD USPIO, and confirmed that they were strongly and specifically taken up by cancer (LnCap) and endothelial (HUVEC) cells. In vivo molecular MRI together with subsequent histological validation finally demonstrated that FAD USPIO efficiently accumulate in tumors and tumor blood vessels, indicating that RCP-targeted diagnostic nanoparticles are interesting new materials for the assessment of vascular metabolism in tumors

pH-Dependent Structures of the Manganese Binding Sites in Oxalate Decarboxylase as Revealed by High-Field Electron Paramagnetic Resonance

A high-field electron paramagnetic resonance (HFEPR) study of oxalate decarboxylase (OxdC) is reported. OxdC breaks down oxalate to carbon dioxide and formate and possesses two distinct manganese(II) binding sites, referred to as site−1 and −2. The Mn(II) zero-field interaction was used to probe the electronic state of the metal ion and to examine chemical/mechanistic roles of each of the Mn(II) centers. High magnetic-fields were exploited not only to resolve the two sites, but also to measure accurately the Mn(II) zero-field parameters of each of the sites. The spectra exhibited surprisingly complex behavior as a function of pH. Six different species were identified based on their zero-field interactions, two corresponding to site-1 and four states to site-2. The assignments were verified using a mutant that only affected site-1. The speciation data determined from the HFEPR spectra for site −2 was consistent with a simple triprotic equilibrium model, while the pH dependence of site-1 could be described by a single pKa. This pH dependence was independent of the presence of the His-tag and of whether the preparations contained 1.2 or 1.6 Mn per subunit. Possible structures of the six species are proposed based on spectroscopic data from model complexes and existing protein crystallographic structures obtained at pH 8 are discussed. Although site-1 has been identified as the active site and no role has been assigned to site-2, the pronounced changes in the electronic structure of the latter and its pH behavior, which also matches the pH-dependent activity of this enzyme, suggests that even if the conversion of oxalate to formate is carried out at site-1, site-2 likely plays a catalytically relevant role