32 Leviess 10 me eon Qu K Fesponses were not impaired for miniature min I of aseorbic acid supplements, or a swine fed the low protein diet for 8 weeks or in considerable excess of the Recomme f less; whereas after 12 weeks or longer on. Dietary Allowances, the professional is test, the undernourished pigs were impaired asked, “What harm cin it do?” A few re immunologically with a progressive decrease of adverse effects of large doses of aeg as a function of duration of nutritional insult acid are in the literature, but vitanan (). The metabolic changes associated with generally considered to be inaocusne ove uration of undernutrition would lend cred- gram doses (except, pethaps, for repos ence tothe original design in assessing serum diarthea). I should like to point ont the electrolyte concenttations at specified times tagonistic effect these vitamins may. have during the nutritional insult. the nutritional status of vitamin A. ME. Tumbleson | It is well documented that the utiliza D. P. Hutcheson’ of g-carotene by-rats Is sensitive to the » min E intake. Whereas small. amounts Department of Physiology e-tocopherol enhance carotene utilzat and Pharmacology larger doses. markedly. reduce the:amoun School of Veterinary Medicine vitamin A formed and stored in the liver University of Missouri ity of 2). This effect is seen even when -carot Columbia, Missouri 65201 is given intravenously with a-tocopheral References Evidence for an inhibitory effect of ascorbic acid intake on B-carotené utilizat eee be rere, Fe Bua. B.S. Evans |has also been reported (4). Conceivably, ap D. P. Hurcirsox. Serum electtelytes i ge aE aes underourished SinclaitS-1) miniature swine, ingestion of large doses.of vitamins C o ‘Am. J. Clin Nutr. 25: 476, 1972, could appreciably. reduce an individuals ¥ 2, Stet, R. G. D, sno J. H. Tome, Principles min A status. In view of the evidence tha eh ecedires of States. New York: Me- significant number of people in the Uni raw-Hil, 1960, e States may have low liver reserves of vitan eee er rr ——cc Young SitanS-1) mivatue reine: boty andj tis problem should be viewed ciineenc Stan weighs, Growrh 340, 1370 “These are further examples of the £0 mus. MA AL Pv, Tune | plexity of nutrient foteraction that expe ind op Nan elaive fence of tel Trentaits encounter. Alhiough resulle tion i minintre swine, am. cin, Nu 3 || Fats usually cannot be extrapolated die ion ||to man, past experience suggests caution 5: 9m GY sm ME Tunmctson. Levee of intting excessive consumption ef any nut ain ip in whe mater feo unde Sin) itu shine. J Neue hem. 19.908. 1972 aN John G. Bi hed St 6, Tonttesox, ME, M. F. Busks axo Re R : Bieri Hoos, 2x ‘Serum ‘fotens in undemowribed Laboratory of Nutrition and inclai(S1) minfatre swine" Clin. Bochem rey _ Endocrinology 1. Hook, RR, JR, M. K. Prose ano M.-F, National Tistitute of Arthritis, Tunbizsos. Antibody responses of undernour- Metabolism and Digestive Diseases ished SincairS-1) miniature swine. Clin. Blo National Institutes of Health chem, 5:62, 1972 Bethesda, Maryland 20014 References Effect of excessive vitamins C . —7 and E on vitamin A status } Jonnsox, RM, Axo C. AL Bavanans 1 Dear Sir: farotene by the tat, J. Biol, Chem. 195: 8 1948. @ Swick, ROW. wep C. A, Maunsans, Elect Getlain tcopherols and other antiositants During the current fad of practicing “pr ventive medicine” by the regular use of vitathe ization of bets-caeotene far vitamin, A storage. Arch, Biochem. Biopys. 36: 120, 1984 @)McGiuvaay, W. A, xo N. A, Worker. The eet of tocopherol onthe iat of intra- ‘toovsly adennstered carotene. New Zedland Bert. 1273, 138 EN, HL, ax0 RR. Rosie, The ine nce of s2corie eH! andthe source of Bvt fms on the Uilation of carotene. J. Nutr 3 Jon 956 5. Ruth, Nyt, J. Score, Ts Lowey 4x0 Hl. Stuarauci, Vitamin A concentration ina inucs collected frm fre ares in the. Un Sint im. J Clin Nutr, 25: 291, 1972 Lyophilized bovine colostrum in the treatment of prolonged infantile diarrhea Dear Sir: In 1961, Burges (1) in a communication © the WHO, pointed out that five million fants die annually throughout the world due o gastroenteritis, and that this high mortality seen mainly in the less developed nations. New developments in the area of regional mmunity (2-7) proved that the degree of esistance to the entry of microorganisms in hhe body is more dependent upon the im- aunologic capacity of mucosal surfaces ather than the amount of circulating anti- ouies. The presence of IgA¥in the gastric contents £21 malnourished children= was studied, was found that IgA: was present in only 6 f the 11 children with first and second de- ‘ee malnutrition. No TgA was present in 9 f the 10 children with third degree malnutri- on, whereas one showed only traces of this amunoglobulin, Lyophilized bovine colostrum (LBC). ob- ined from Kasdorf Co., Buenos Aires, was 4d to 12 children with PID who were ad- ed {0 the pediatric ward of the Rawson ospital. OF this group. three were eutrophic id nine were undernourished (five with sec ‘id and four with third degree malnutrition). The chemical composition of this material ‘ percent) is: carbohydrate, 185 protein, 66: d fat, 14 (462 calories) LBC in a concentration of 5% was given five equal feedings; a 10% glucose solution \s added to each, Total feedings were calcu- 383 Tated as 150 ml/kg, ie. a S-kg child received 750 ml, which represents a daily total of 82 g.carbohydrate, 22 g protein, and 6.3 g fat, or 470 keal. Total caloric needs were met for some in- fants with parenteral feedings and for others bby elevating the concentration of the LBC to 7%. In II out of 12 children nourished with colostrum, the diarrhea improved both in number and quality. An increase of weight ranging from 80 to 880°g (average 326 g) was verified in 11 children. The GI symptoms of two children im- proved, but urinary and respiratory ailments became worse. This would seem to indicate that-colostrum. acts. selectively on the GI tract. Bovine colostrum contains immunoglobu- lins in significant concentrations (IgA 440 mg/100, IgG1 7,500 mg/100, IgG2 190 mg/100, IgM 490 mg/100).(8), secretory piece, lactoferrine, lysozyme, low content of lactose (1.8 to 2.5%), and high protein con- tent (20 g/100-mb (F. E. Schmidl, personal communication). ‘Our results show the influence of matnutri- tion on the immunologic protection of the GT tract and the need for offering secretory immunoglobulins and other protecting factors to the lumen of the GI tract. As there seems to be sufficient IgA in the blood of these dren (9) but an insufficient amount in the GI tract, the parenteral route is not recom- ‘mended. Our preliminary results in 12 infants with diarrhea seem to show a significant therapeu- tic value of LBC in PID, especially in the malnourished patient. L. Bustos Fernandez J. Averbach M. 1. Ledesma de Paolo M. E. Delledone E. Gonzalez Departamento de Tnvestigaciones Biotégicas “Dr. Jorge-Perez Companc” U.C.A.. - Servicio de Pediatria Hospital Rawson Buenos Aires, Argentina References 1. Burots. RC. Protein malnutrition from. the WHO Viewpoint, In: Protein Needs of InfantsGineiicie eta eae 2 £-CK @ xernmnos nevrews Fas Vo 3 sugars of thé Iymphodyte are necessary for the posteapillary venule endothelial cells to recognize the lymphocyte and remove it from the eireulation, his concept is strengthened by several other studies. Sux face sugars are the site of attachment of influenza virus to red blood cells (F. M Burnet, Physiol. Rev. 31, 131 (1951); 3. Gottschalk, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 28, 645 (1957), Surface sugars also may play a role in bacterial mating (P. H. A. Sneath and-J. Lederberg, Proc. Nat, Acad. Sei. 47, 86 (1961)), and in the aggregation of mam: malian eels in eulture (A. Moscona, in Biological Interactions in Normal and Neo ‘The fat soluble vitamins have been studied extensively for many years, yet our knowledge about their intermediary metab- olism is relatively meager. For example, weknow that vitamin A is necessary for the formation of visual purple, and for the in- tegrity of many epithelial structures, Ex- cessive amounts of vitamin A are toxie both to man and experimental animals. genital deformities of mice ean result from na J. War- the hypervitaminosis A (H. Kalter Kany, Am: J: Path, 38, 1 (1961)}. Bu enzymatie-or other means whereby th effects are accomplished remain obscure. Similarly, the tocopherols are known to be necessary for a great many biological processes, Absenee of them re paired fertility, myopathy, and encephalo- malacia in animals. A useful test for vita- min E deficioney involves homolysis of exythrooytes by dilute hydrogen peroside or by dialurie acid (C'S. Rose and P. Gydrgy, Am. J. Physiol. 168, 414 (1952) autioxidant which, among other actions Large doscs of vitamin-A deplete hepatic and serum alphastocophe ct Vitamin A deficiency in chicks alters protein metaboliant Bi yet ihn? tion of amino acide into protein, unless large amounts of vitamin E ere fed. Theie ‘effete may result from altered membrane permeability We know that this vitamin is a powerful [quantities of vit | domonsteat plastic Growth, M. J. Besrxan and WoL. Simpson, Editors. Litite, Broun and Com- pany, Boston, 1982; 1., Weiss, im The Str ture and Function of Menbranes anit Sur faces of Cells. Bioctimival Society Symposium No. 22, D. J. Bell and JK. Grant, Editors. Canticiize University Press, London, 1983). ‘This ficld of investigerion into the forees which hold cells together in organs, or which determine th ¥ complex in- teractions one.with-anorter, should be an exciting one with the impetus these findings that 3 to be the specific fac involved, INTERRELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN VITAMINS A AND FE in rate \eorpora= protects easily oxidizable substances such as unsaturated fatty acid and vitamin A. Recent reports su than a casual relation: ween vitamin A and alpha-tocopherol: W. J. -Pudelkie- wiez, L. Webster, and LD. Matterson J. Nutrition 4, 113 (1975+) studied there vitamins in chicks made deficient in vita- min A. At the.age of.wo weeks these bird: were giverr Varying amounts of vitamin A acetate in their diet (0.5, 5. 50, 300, or 5,000 ing, per kg, of diet) for five, ten, or 20 day's befdre they w ; i there is more wat large quanti- © a detrimentat olism as previe ing and 0. E. Nutrition 9, 30 198 (1958)). Trv= he protective ties of vitamin A might effect upon tocopherol mi: ously reported by J. T. Bund (Brit, J. (1955) ; Irving, Ibid. 12, ing's group had found fect of vitamin E on the dental-health of rats could be abolished min, hat th feeding large ‘and they al