Low protein

About: Low protein is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 8139 publications have been published within this topic receiving 213225 citations.

Pollen specialization by solitary bees in an urban landscape.

Abstract: Many polylectic bee species are known to specialize locally on one or a few pollen types to increase foraging efficiency. What is relatively unknown is how different landscapes influence foraging decisions, and whether habitat alteration, such as that resulting from urbanization, influences broad-scale foraging activities of bees. This study evaluates the type and diversity of pollen collected by two solitary bees that are common in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the native Osmia pumila and the exotic O. caerulescens, sampled in trap nests set up in urban parks and gardens. We found that the dominant pollen in every successful brood cell was either of one widespread, cosmopolitan lawn-invasive plant species (Trifolium repens) or one of two wind-pollinated tree genera (Quercus spp. and Betula spp.). In combination, these three represented more than 90 % of all pollen collected by each bee species. Despite considerable overlap in the dominant pollen types collected by each bee species, the exotic O. caerulescens was significantly more specialized than the native O. pumila. Brood cells with Betula as the dominant pollen type were more pollen species-rich than those cells having Trifolium or Quercus as dominant, perhaps a result of the comparatively low protein content in Betula pollen.

Impact of dietary protein on lipid metabolism-related gene expression in porcine adipose tissue.

Abstract: High dietary protein can reduce fat deposition in animal subcutaneous adipose tissue, but little is known about the mechanism. Sixty Wujin pigs of about 15 kg weight were fed either high protein (HP: 18%) or low protein (LP: 14%) diets, and slaughtered at body weights of 30, 60 or 100 kg. Bloods were collected to measure serum parameters. Subcutaneous adipose tissues were sampled for determination of adipocyte size, protein content, lipid metabolism-related gene expression, and enzyme activities. HP significantly reduced adipocyte size, fat meat percentage and backfat thickness, but significantly increased daily gain, lean meat percentage and loin eye area at 60 and 100 kg. Serum free fatty acid and triglyceride concentrations in the HP group were significantly higher than in the LP group. Serum glucose and insulin concentrations were not significantly affected by dietary protein at any body weight. HP significantly reduced gene expression of acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC), fatty acid synthase (FAS) and sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c) at 60 kg and 100 kg; however, the mRNA level and enzyme activity of FAS were increased at 30 kg. HP promoted gene and protein expression and enzyme activities of lipoprotein lipase (LPL), carmitine palmtoyltransferase-1B (CPT-1B), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and adipocyte-fatty acid binding proteins (A-FABP) at 60 kg, but reduced their expression at 100 kg. Gene expression and enzyme activity of hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) was reduced markedly at 60 kg but increased at 100 kg by the high dietary protein. Levels of mRNA, enzyme activities and protein expression of ACC, FAS, SREBP-1c and PPARγ in both LP and HP groups increased with increasing body weight. However, gene and protein expression levels/enzyme activities of LPL, CPT-1B, A-FABP and HSL in both groups were higher at 60 kg than at 30 and 100 kg. Fat deposition in Wujin pigs fed high dietary protein for 25 weeks was reduced mainly by depression of lipogenic gene expression. The mechanism of lipid transport, lipolysis and oxidation in adipose tissue regulated by dietary protein appeared to be different at 60 kg and 100 kg body weights.

Protein Z in ischaemic stroke

Abstract: Many risk factors associated with ischaemic stroke are known, including high levels of fibrinogen or factor VII Protein Z is a vitamin K-dependent coagulation factor, which was found to promote the assembly of thrombin with phospholipid vesicles that might promote coagulation Indeed, a low protein Z level may be associated with a varying bleeding tendency Therefore, we hypothesized that high protein Z levels could induce a hypercoagulable state and performed a case-control study to investigate a potential association between high protein Z plasma levels and ischaemic stroke We measured protein Z in plasma samples from 157 patients with stroke of unknown aetiology and 192 control subjects All patients had survived an ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) for at least 2 months We found an increased relative risk of ischaemic stroke with increasing protein Z levels, with an odds ratio of 43 [95% confidence interval (CI): 17--11] for protein Z plasma levels > or = 160% Excluding patients with a history of venous thromboembolism from the analysis, the same result was obtained (odds ratio 42; 95% CI: 16--112) Using a logistic regression model, this association also remained significant (P = 004) after adjustment for established risk factors Our data indicated that a high plasma level of protein Z is an independent risk factor for ischaemic stroke

Protein Calorie Malnutrition in Liver Cirrhosis

Abstract: Malnutrition is prevalent in all forms of liver diseases. Protein calorie malnutrition (PCM) is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality in patients with cirrhosis and occurs in 50% 90% of these patients. Although the pathogenesis of PCM is multifactorial, alterations in protein metabolism plays an important role. This article is based on a selective literature review of protein calorie malnutrition in liver cirrhosis. Malnutrition is prevalent in liver cirrhosis due to the presence of ascites, nausea, vomiting, insufficient food intake, malabsorption and metabolic disorders, poor dietary intake, malabsorption, increased intestinal protein losses, low protein synthesis, and hyper metabolism.