• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.372-380
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between inflammatory cytokines and chronic disease status in Korean elderly. The subjects were 248 elderly people aged over 65 years recruited from Health Center in Seoul. The subjects were classified into 3 groups based on their disease (diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia) status: subjects with one diagnosed disease of diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia fall into singular group (n=89), subjects with more than 2 disease into multiple group (n=39), and those with free of the diseases into normal (n=122). Anthropometric and biochemical characteristics, and dietary intakes were assessed. Dietary intakes were surveyed by 24-recall method. The means of IL-2, IL-6, MCP-1 and C3 were not differ among 3 groups. However, when subjects classified into tertiles of IL-6, MCP-1, TNF-$\alpha$ and C3 and frequencies of each fertile were compared, the multiple group showed significantly lower frequencies in lowest fertile than normal group (p<0.05), suggesting higher tendency of inflammatory responses. For hematological values, blood pressure, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose levels were highest in multiple group (p<0.05) compared to other 2 groups. BMI, body fat(kg), and triceps skinfold thickness were also significantly higher in multiple group than in 2 other groups(p<0.05). Moreover, the concentrations of IL-2, IL-6 and C3 were significantly correlated with hematologic values of fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides or obesity factors such as triceps skinfold thickness, BMI, and body fat(%). Among singular and multiple group, the subjects with higher intakes for vitamins A, C, and E showed the higher level of IL-2 and the lower level of MCP-1, and C3. In conclusion, blood concentrations of triglycerides and proinflammatory cytokines, blood pressure, obesity parameters (BMI, body fat, triceps skinfold thickness) were higher in multiple group than in normal, but this result strongly suggest that the increasement of the vitamin A, C, and E intakes would modify the cytokine levels to reduce the inflammatory response in the elderly people with chronic diseases.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.278-286
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• 2003

Alcohol is well known agent which can damage the human tissues such as liver via stimulating lipid peroxidation. On the other hand, carotenoids in addition to vitamins A, C and I play important roles in protecting these oxidative damages as well as preventing the production of free radicals. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of dietary vitamin A on lipid peroxidation and antioxidants status in ethanol-treated rats. In the experiment, male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 160~180 g were given a liquid diet containing 36% of total calories as ethanol for 7 weeks. The pair-fed control rats received an isocaloric amount of diet containing sucrose instead of ethanol on the following day Additionally, the liquid diet contained adequate amount of $\beta$-carotene, retinyl acetate or 13-sis-reinoic acid except vitamin A-deficient diet. The results obtained are as follows. The levels of plasma and hepatic lipid peroxide were increased after chronic ethanol feeding in rats. Retinyl acetate supplementation significantly reduced lipid peroxidation induced by ethanol feeding Glucose 6-phosphatase activity was significantly reduced in rats fed vitamin A-deficient diet with ethanol and alkaline phosphatase activity was significantly induced in rats fed 13-cis-reinoic acid diet with ethanol. Catalase and alcohol dehydrogenase activities did not show a consistent tendency in experiment groups. The hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities did not significantly changed by chronic ethanol feeding groups. The striking decrease in conversion of $\beta$-carotene to retinol was observed in rats fed a $\beta$-carotene diet with ethanol feeding The level of retinol and retinoic acid in plasma and liver was decreased after chronic ethanol administration Based on this result, these data suggest that ethanol feeding enhances oxidative stress especially in those fed a vitamin A-deficient diet, and vitamin A supplementation, especially, retinyl acetate intake can prevent enhanced lipid peroxidation and related damage to some extent.