Thiamine Deficiency Induced Dietary Disparity Promotes Oxidative Stress and Neurodegeneration

The association between dietary vitamin B1 intake and constipation: a population-based study

BACKGROUND

Numerous researches have indicated a correlation between the intake of dietary micronutrients and the occurrence of constipation. Nevertheless, the correlation between constipation and vitamin B1 remains uninvestigated. The main aim of this research was to examine the association between chronic constipation and the consumption of vitamin B1 in the diet among adult participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

METHODS

This study used data from the NHANES, a survey on health and nutrition conducted between 2005 and 2010. The respondents' dietary information was gathered by utilizing the 24-hour dietary records. Various statistical analyses, such as multiple logistic regression, subgroup analysis, and curve-fitting analysis, were employed to investigate the correlation between dietary intake of vitamin B1 and chronic constipation.

RESULTS

In the trial, there were 10,371 participants, out of which 1,123 individuals (10.8%) were identified as having chronic constipation. Fully adjusted multiple logistic regression analyses showed that increasing dietary intake of vitamin B1 (OR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.77-0.99) was significantly associated with a reduced risk of constipation. Following adjustment for multiple variables in Model 3, the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the third tertile, in comparison to the first tertile (reference group), was 0.80 (0.65, 0.99). In addition, subgroup analyses and interaction tests showed a significant inverse association between vitamin B1 intake and the prevalence of constipation, especially among men, non-hypertensive, and non-diabetic individuals (all P-values less than 0.05).

CONCLUSION

This research uncovered an inverse correlation between the consumption of vitamin B1 in the diet and the occurrence of chronic constipation. One potential explanation for this phenomenon is that the consumption of vitamin B1 in one's diet is linked to the softening of stools and an augmented occurrence of colonic peristalsis. Additional extensive prospective research is required to thoroughly examine the significance of thiamine in long-term constipation.

The role of dietary antioxidants in type 2 diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders: An assessment of the benefit profile

Healthy diet is vital to cellular health. The human body succumbs to numerous diseases which afflict severe economic and psychological burdens on the patient and family. Oxidative stress is a possible crucial regulator of various pathologies, including type 2 diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. It generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) that trigger the dysregulation of essential cellular functions, ultimately affecting cellular health and homeostasis. However, lower levels of ROS can be advantageous and are implicated in a variety of signaling pathways. Due to this dichotomy, the terms oxidative "eustress," which refers to a good oxidative event, and "distress," which can be hazardous, have developed. ROS affects multiple signaling pathways, leading to compromised insulin secretion, insulin resistance, and β-cell dysfunction in diabetes. ROS is also associated with increased mitochondrial dysfunction and neuroinflammation, aggravating neurodegenerative conditions in the body, particularly with age. Treatment includes drugs/therapies often associated with dependence, side effects including non-selectivity, and possible toxicity, particularly in the long run. It is imperative to explore alternative medicines as an adjunct therapy, utilizing natural remedies/resources to avoid all the possible harms. Antioxidants are vital components of our body that fight disease by reducing oxidative stress or nullifying the excess toxic free radicals produced under various pathological conditions. In this review, we focus on the antioxidant effects of components of dietary foods such as tea, coffee, wine, oils, and honey and the role and mechanism of action of these antioxidants in alleviating type 2 diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders. We aim to provide information about possible alternatives to drug treatments used alone or combined to reduce drug intake and encourage the consumption of natural ingredients at doses adequate to promote health and combat pathologies while reducing unwanted risks and side effects.

Protective effects of thiamine on Wickerhamomyces anomalus against ethanol stress

Wickerhamomyces anomalus (W. anomalus) is widely reported in the brewing industry and has positive effects on the aromatic profiles of wines because of its unique physiological characteristics and metabolic features. However, the accumulation of ethanol during fermentation inhibits the growth of W. anomalus. Thiamine is involved in the response against various abiotic stresses in microorganisms. Therefore, we used transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to study the effect of thiamine on ethanol-stressed W. anomalus. The results indicate that thiamine could alleviate the inhibitory effect of ethanol stress on the survival of W. anomalus. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) caused by the thiamine intervention were identified as oxidative phosphorylation through integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses. In addition, ethanol treatment decreased the content of intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP), while thiamine partially alleviated this phenomenon. The present comprehensive transcriptional overview and metabolomic analysis provide insights about the mechanisms of thiamine protection on W. anomalus under ethanol stress and promote the potential applications of W. anomalus in the fermentation industry.

High Lipid Content of Prey Fish and n−3 PUFA Peroxidation Impair the Thiamine Status of Feeding-Migrating Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) and Is Reflected in Hepatic Biochemical Indices

Signs of impaired thiamine (vitamin B1) status in feeding-migrating Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were studied in three Baltic Sea areas, which differ in the proportion and nutritional composition of prey fish sprat (Sprattus sprattus) and herring (Clupea harengus). The concentration of n−3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n−3 PUFAs) increased in salmon with dietary lipids and n−3 PUFAs, and the hepatic peroxidation product malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration increased exponentially with increasing n−3 PUFA and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n−3) concentration, whereas hepatic total thiamine concentration, a sensitive indicator of thiamine status, decreased with the increase in both body lipid and n−3 PUFA or DHA concentration. The hepatic glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was suppressed by high dietary lipids. In salmon muscle and in prey fish, the proportion of thiamine pyrophosphate increased, and that of free thiamine decreased, with increasing body lipid content or PUFAs, or merely DHA. The thiamine status of salmon was impaired mainly due to the peroxidation of n−3 PUFAs, whereas lipids as a source of metabolic energy had less effect. Organochlorines or general oxidative stress did not affect the thiamine status. The amount of lipids, and, specifically, their long-chain n−3 PUFAs, are thus responsible for generating thiamine deficiency, and not a prey fish species per se.

Clinical Characteristics of Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathy, Lactic Acidosis, and Stroke-Like Episodes

Mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) syndrome, a maternally inherited mitochondrial disorder, is characterized by its genetic, biochemical and clinical complexity. The most common mutation associated with MELAS syndrome is the mtDNA A3243G mutation in the MT-TL1 gene encoding the mitochondrial tRNA-leu(UUR), which results in impaired mitochondrial translation and protein synthesis involving the mitochondrial electron transport chain complex subunits, leading to impaired mitochondrial energy production. Angiopathy, either alone or in combination with nitric oxide (NO) deficiency, further contributes to multi-organ involvement in MELAS syndrome. Management for MELAS syndrome is amostly symptomatic multidisciplinary approach. In this article, we review the clinical presentations, pathogenic mechanisms and options for management of MELAS syndrome.

Protective Role of Vitamin B1 in Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity in Rats: Focus on Hemodynamic, Redox, and Apoptotic Markers in Heart

Up until now, the specific mechanisms involved in doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity have not been fully elucidated. Since thiamine deficiency is associated with myocardial dysfunction and it may lead to cardiomyopathy, we aimed to investigate whether thiamine (Vitamin B₁) treatment provides cardioprotection and modulates DOX mediated subchronic cardiotoxicity as well as to determine possible mechanisms of its effects. The study involved 48 Wistar albino rats divided into four groups: healthy non-treated rats and healthy rats treated with thiamine and DOX rats without treatment and DOX rats treated with thiamine. DOX was applied as a single i.p.injection (15mg/kg), while thiamine treatment lasted 7days (25mg/kg/dayi.p.). Before and after the treatment hemodynamic changes were monitored in vivo by echocardiography. When the protocol was completed, animals were sacrificed and rat hearts were isolated in order to evaluate parameters of cardiac oxidative stress [superoxide anion radical-O₂ ^-, hydrogen peroxide-H₂O₂, nitric oxide-NO^-, index of lipid peroxidation-thiobarbituric acid (TBA) reactive substances (TBARS), superoxide dismutase - SOD, catalase (CAT), and reduced glutathione-GSH] and apoptosis (Bax, Bcl-2, caspases). DOX treatment significantly reduced the ejection fraction, while thiamine treatment led to its minor increase in the DOX-treated group. In that sense, heart oxidative stress markers were significantly increased in DOX-treated rats, while therapeutic dose of thiamine decreased the levels of free radicals. Our study demonstrated the promising ameliorative effects of thiamine against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity through modulation of oxidative stress, suppression of apoptosis, and possibility to improve myocardial performance and morphometric structure of rats` hearts.

Hiding in Plain Sight: Modern Thiamine Deficiency

Thiamine or vitamin B1 is an essential, water-soluble vitamin required for mitochondrial energetics—the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). It is a critical and rate-limiting cofactor to multiple enzymes involved in this process, including those at the entry points and at critical junctures for the glucose, fatty acid, and amino acid pathways. It has a very short half-life, limited storage capacity, and is susceptible to degradation and depletion by a number of products that epitomize modern life, including environmental and pharmaceutical chemicals. The RDA for thiamine is 1.1–1.2 mg for adult females and males, respectively. With an average diet, even a poor one, it is not difficult to meet that daily requirement, and yet, measurable thiamine deficiency has been observed across multiple patient populations with incidence rates ranging from 20% to over 90% depending upon the study. This suggests that the RDA requirement may be insufficient to meet the demands of modern living. Inasmuch as thiamine deficiency syndromes pose great risk of chronic morbidity, and if left untreated, mortality, a more comprehensive understanding thiamine chemistry, relative to energy production, modern living, and disease, may prove useful.

Thiamine deficiency in rats affects thiamine metabolism possibly through the formation of oxidized thiamine pyrophosphate

BACKGROUND

Thiamine deficiency (TD) has a number of features in common with the neurodegenerative diseases development and close relationship between TD and oxidative stress (OS) has been repeatedly reported in the literature. The aim of this study is to understand how alimentary TD, accompanied by OS, affects the expression and level of two thiamine metabolism proteins in rat brain, namely, thiamine transporter 1 (THTR1) and thiamine pyrophosphokinase (TPK1), and what factors are responsible for the observed changes.

METHODS

The effects of OS caused by TD on the THTR1and TPK1 expression in rat cortex, cerebellum and hippocampus were examined. The levels of active and oxidized forms of ThDP (enzymatically measured) in the blood and brain, ROS and SH-groups in the brain were also analyzed.

RESULTS

TD increased the expression of THTR1 and protein level in all studied regions. In contrast, expression of TPK1 was depressed. TD-induced OS led to the accumulation of ThDP oxidized inactive form (ThDP_ox) in the blood and brain. In vitro reduction of ThDP_ox by dithiothreitol regenerates active ThDP suggesting that ThDP_ox is in disulfide form. A single high-dose thiamine administration to TD animals had no effect on THTR1 expression, partly raised TPK1 mRNA and protein levels, but is unable to normalize TPK1 enzyme activity. Brain and blood ThDP levels were increased in these conditions, but ThDP_ox was not decreased.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

It is likely, that the accumulation of ThDP_ox in tissue could be seen as a potential marker of neurocellular dysfunction and thiamine metabolic state.

Supplemental thiamine as a practical, potential way to prevent Alzheimer's disease from commencing

It is better to attempt stopping Alzheimer's disease (AD) before it starts than trying to cure it after it has developed. A cerebral scan showing deposition of either amyloid or tau identifies those elderly persons whose cognition is currently normal but who are at risk of subsequent cognitive loss that may develop into AD. Synaptic hypometabolism is usually present in such at-risk persons. Although inadequate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) may cause synaptic hypometabolism, that may not be the entire cause because, in fact, measurements in some of the at-risk persons have shown normal ATP levels. Thiamine deficiency is often seen in elderly, ambulatory persons in whom thiamine levels correlate with Mini-Mental State Examination scores. Thiamine deficiency has many consequences including hypometabolism, mitochondrial depression, oxidative stress, lactic acidosis and cerebral acidosis, amyloid deposition, tau deposition, synaptic dysfunction and abnormal neuro-transmission, astrocyte function, and blood brain barrier integrity, all of which are features of AD. Although the clinical benefits of administering supplementary thiamine to patients with AD or mild cognitive impairment have been mixed, it is more likely to succeed at preventing the onset of cognitive loss if administered at an earlier time, when the number of aberrant biochemical pathways is far fewer. Providing a thiamine supplement to elderly persons who still have normal cognition but who have deposition of either amyloid or tau, may prevent subsequent cognitive loss and eventual dementia. A clinical trial is needed to validate that possibility.

Konzo risk factors, determinants and etiopathogenesis: What is new? A systematic review

Konzo is a toxico-nutritional upper motor neuron disease causing a spastic paraparesis in schoolchildren and childbearing women in some African countries. Almost a century since the first description of konzo, its underlying etiopathogenic mechanisms and causative agent remain unknown. This paper aims at refreshing the current knowledge of konzo determinants and pathogenesis in order to enlighten potential new research and management perspectives. Literature research was performed in PubMed and Web of Science databases according to the PRISMA methodology. Available data show that cassava-derived cyanide poisoning and protein malnutrition constitute two well-documented risk factors of konzo. However, observational studies have failed to demonstrate the causal relationship between konzo and cyanide poisoning. Thiocyanate, the current marker of choice of cyanide exposure, may underestimate the actual level of cyanide poisoning in konzo patients as a larger amount of cyanide is detoxified via other unusual pathways in the context of protein malnutrition characterizing these patients. Furthermore, the appearance of konzo may be the consequence of the interplay of several factors including cyanide metabolites, nutritional deficiencies, psycho-emotional and geo-environmental factors, resulting in pathophysiologic phenomena such as excitotoxicity or oxidative stress, responsible for neuronal damage that takes place at sparse cellular and/or subcellular levels.

Recovery of brain cholinesterases and effect on parameters of oxidative stres and apoptosis in quails (Coturnix japonica) after chlorpyrifos and vitamin B1 administration

Chlorpyrifos is a extensively used organophosphate pesticide (OP). In this study, we closely looked into neurotoxicity of CPF and effect of vitamin B1, by checking the levels of cholinesterases, determining the activity of parameters of oxidative stress, inflammation and also level of apoptotic regulator. The study was performed on a total of 80 male Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica), (two control and 6 experimental groups, n = 10). Three group of quails were given by gavage chlorpyrifos (CPF) for 7 consecutive days at doses of 1.50 mg/kg b.w., 3.00 mg/kg b.w., and 6.00 mg/kg b.w. Another three groups were treated with 10 mg/kg b.w. of vitamin B1 i.m. 30 min after CPF application (in above mentioned doses). Our study have proved that all doses of CPF significantly inhibited cholinesterases in brain, while vitamin B1 reactivated them. CPF has led to an increase in the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA), and activity of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), while tiamin changed the activity of antioxidant enzymes: CAT, SOD, GST. CPF stimulated apoptosis by decreasing B-cell lymphoma (Bcl-2) in brain, while application of vitamin B1 caused an increase of this parameter. CPF amplified inflammatory effect by elevating levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase (COX-2). Thiamine proved its anti-inflammatory property by decreasing the expression of iNOS and interleukin-1(IL-1) and interleukin-6(IL-6). This study is highly pertinent because there is little defense currently available to humans and animals to prevent toxic effects of pesticides.

Monitoring the Diversity and Metabolic Shift of Gut Microbes during Green Tea Feeding in an In Vitro Human Colonic Model

The human gut microbiome plays an important role in human health, and many factors such as environment, host genetics, age, and diet have been found to influence the microbial composition. Tea, as one of the widely consumed beverages, has been known for centuries to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects. To investigate the impact of green tea polyphenol on the diversity and metabolic functions of human gut microbes, we applied an in vitro human colonic model (HCM) in this study to mimic a short-term green tea ingestion event and investigate its related changes to gut microbial composition and their metabolic functions. The pH, temperature, anaerobic environment, feeding nutrient, and time point in each compartment of the HCM were tightly controlled to simulate the intestinal system, and pooled human fecal samples of two healthy volunteers were used for the colon microbiota inoculation within the colonic model. By adding green tea extract (GTE) to the growth medium, the detailed impacts of GTE polyphenol on gut microbial population/diversity, gut microbial metabolites, metabolic pathways, and their associations were investigated via 16 S ribosomal DNA sequencing and liquid chromatography coupled tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analyses. Our data indicated that the treatment of green tea extract applied to gut microbiota can induce a significant decrease in the abundance of Firmicutes and a slight decrease in the abundance of Bacteroidetes, and these changes result in a decreased Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, which can be an effective indicator for successful GTE intervention, which may generate beneficial health effect to human. Meanwhile, the relative abundances of many detected bacteria genera among three HCM vessels changed through the GTE intervention. The overall effects of GTE on gut microbial beta-diversity were observed by multivariate statistical analyses, and the differences in metabolic profiles from different GTE treatment stages were detected. Moreover, we identified several associations between microbial population and microbial metabolites, which may assist us in establishing new hypotheses for future related studies. In summary, our study suggested that the microbial compositional changes induced by GTE also changed their metabolic functions, and consequentially, may change the host metabolism and impact human health.

Thiamine-Responsive Acute Pulmonary Hypertension of Early Infancy (TRAPHEI)-A Case Series and Clinical Review

Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is a syndrome of high pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) commonly seen all over the world in the immediate newborn period. Several case reports from India have recently described severe pulmonary hypertension among infants in the postneonatal period. These cases typically present with respiratory distress in 1–6-month-old infants, breastfed by mothers on a polished rice-based diet. Predisposing factors include respiratory tract infection such as acute laryngotracheobronchitis with change in voice, leading to pulmonary hypertension, right atrial and ventricular dilation, pulmonary edema and hepatomegaly. Mortality is high without specific therapy. Respiratory support, pulmonary vasodilator therapy, inotropes, diuretics and thiamine infusion have improved the outcome of these infants. This review outlines four typical patients with thiamine-responsive acute pulmonary hypertension of early infancy (TRAPHEI) due to thiamine deficiency and discusses pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnostic criteria and therapeutic options.