1.
Adherence to ketoacids/essential amino acids-supplemented low protein diets and new indications for patients with chronic kidney disease.
Fouque, D, Chen, J, Chen, W, Garneata, L, Hwang, SJ, Kalantar-Zadeh, K, Kopple, JD, Mitch, WE, Piccoli, G, Teplan, V, et al
BMC nephrology. 2016;(1):63
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low protein diets (LPD) have long been prescribed to chronic kidney disease patients with the goals of improving metabolic abnormalities and postpone the start of maintenance dialysis. METHODS We reviewed the recent literature addressing low protein diets supplemented with ketoacids/essential aminoacids prescribed during chronic kidney disease and their effects on metabolic, nutritional and renal parameters since 2013. RESULTS We show new information on how to improve adherence to these diets, on metabolic improvement and delay of the dialysis needs, and preliminary data in chronic kidney disease associated pregnancy. In addition, data on incremental dialysis have been reviewed, as well as potential strategies to reverse protein energy wasting in patients undergoing maintenance dialysis. CONCLUSION These recent data help to better identify the use of low protein diets supplemented with ketoacids/essential aminoacids during chronic kidney disease.
2.
The construction of an amino acid network for understanding protein structure and function.
Yan, W, Zhou, J, Sun, M, Chen, J, Hu, G, Shen, B
Amino acids. 2014;(6):1419-39
Abstract
Amino acid networks (AANs) are undirected networks consisting of amino acid residues and their interactions in three-dimensional protein structures. The analysis of AANs provides novel insight into protein science, and several common amino acid network properties have revealed diverse classes of proteins. In this review, we first summarize methods for the construction and characterization of AANs. We then compare software tools for the construction and analysis of AANs. Finally, we review the application of AANs for understanding protein structure and function, including the identification of functional residues, the prediction of protein folding, analyzing protein stability and protein-protein interactions, and for understanding communication within and between proteins.