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Objective To investigate the levels of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and E in children with obesity and their influencing factors. Methods A total of 273 children with obesity who attended the Department of Clinical Nutrition, Xi'an Children's Hospital, from January 2019 to April 2021 were enrolled as the obesity group. A total of 226 children with normal body weight who underwent physical examination during the same period were enrolled as the control group. Anthropometric parameters and body composition were measured for both groups, and the serum concentrations of vitamins A, D, and E were also measured. Results Compared with the control group, the obesity group had significantly higher serum levels of vitamin A [(1.32±0.21) μmol/L vs (1.16±0.21) μmol/L, P<0.001] and vitamin E [(9.3±1.4) mg/L vs (8.3±1.2) mg/L, P<0.001] and a significant reduction in the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [(49±22) nmol/L vs (62±24) nmol/L, P<0.001]. In the obesity group, the prevalence rates of marginal vitamin A deficiency, vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency, and vitamin E insufficiency were 5.5% (15/273), 56.8% (155/273), and 4.0% (11/273), respectively. After adjustment for body mass index Z-score and waist-to-height ratio, serum vitamin A level was positively correlated with age (P<0.001), while vitamins E and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were negatively correlated with age in children with obesity (P<0.001). After adjustment for age, the serum levels of vitamin A, vitamin E and 25-hydroxyvitamin D were not correlated with degree of obesity, percentage of body fat, and duration of obesity in children with obesity, while the serum levels of vitamins A and E were positively correlated with waist-to-height ratio (P< 0.001). Conclusions There are higher serum levels of vitamins A and E in children with obesity, especially in those with abdominal obesity, while serum vitamin D nutritional status is poor and worsens with age. Therefore, vitamin D nutritional status should be taken seriously for children with obesity, and vitamin D supplementation should be performed when necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT MYC2, a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor, is a key regulator in the activation of jasmonate (JA) response. However, the molecular details of MYC2 involving in methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-induced chilling tolerance of fruit remain largely unclear. In the present work, two MYC2 genes, MaMYC2a and MaMYC2b, and one homolog of the inducer of the C-repeat-binding factor (CBF) gene, MaICE1 were isolated and characterized from banana fruit. MaMYC2s and MaICE1 were found to be all localized in the nucleus. In addition, the proline-rich domain (PRD) and the acidic domain (AD) in the N-terminus were important for the transcriptional activation of MaMYC2 in yeast cells. Unlike MaICE1's constitutive expression, MaMYC2a and MaMYC2b were induced rapidly following MeJA treatment during cold storage. Moreover, protein-protein interaction analysis confirmed that MaMYC2s interacted with MaICE1. The expression of ICE-CBF cold-responsive pathway genes including MaCBF1, MaCBF2, MaCOR1, MaKIN2, MaRD2 and MaRD5 was also significantly induced by MeJA. Taken together, our work provides strong evidence that MaMYC2 is involved in MeJA-induced chilling tolerance in banana fruit through physically interacting and likely functionally coordinating with MaICE1, revealing a novel mechanism for ICE1 in response to cold stress as well as during development of induced chilling tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the levels of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and E in children with obesity and their influencing factors., Methods: A total of 273 children with obesity who attended the Department of Clinical Nutrition, Xi'an Children's Hospital, from January 2019 to April 2021 were enrolled as the obesity group. A total of 226 children with normal body weight who underwent physical examination during the same period were enrolled as the control group. Anthropometric parameters and body composition were measured for both groups, and the serum concentrations of vitamins A, D, and E were also measured., Results: Compared with the control group, the obesity group had significantly higher serum levels of vitamin A [(1.32±0.21) μmol/L vs (1.16±0.21) μmol/L, P <0.001] and vitamin E [(9.3±1.4) mg/L vs (8.3±1.2) mg/L, P <0.001] and a significant reduction in the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [(49±22) nmol/L vs (62±24) nmol/L, P <0.001]. In the obesity group, the prevalence rates of marginal vitamin A deficiency, vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency, and vitamin E insufficiency were 5.5% (15/273), 56.8% (155/273), and 4.0% (11/273), respectively. After adjustment for body mass index Z-score and waist-to-height ratio, serum vitamin A level was positively correlated with age ( P <0.001), while vitamins E and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were negatively correlated with age in children with obesity ( P <0.001). After adjustment for age, the serum levels of vitamin A, vitamin E and 25-hydroxyvitamin D were not correlated with degree of obesity, percentage of body fat, and duration of obesity in children with obesity, while the serum levels of vitamins A and E were positively correlated with waist-to-height ratio ( P <0.001)., Conclusions: There are higher serum levels of vitamins A and E in children with obesity, especially in those with abdominal obesity, while serum vitamin D nutritional status is poor and worsens with age. Therefore, vitamin D nutritional status should be taken seriously for children with obesity, and vitamin D supplementation should be performed when necessary.