Plasma Ratios of Tryptophan and Tyrosine to Other Large Neutral Amino Acids in Manic-Depressive Patients

Abstract: The plasma ratio of each neutral amino acid (tryptophan (TRP), tyrosine (TYR), valine, isoleucine, leucine (LEU) or phenylalanine) to the sum of the other neutral amino acids was measured in 16 : manic and 14 : depressed patients. In the manics, there was a correlation between the psychomotor activity and the plasma TRP and LEU ratios. In the depressives, the depressed mood, retardation and global severity were correlated with the TRP ratio. The zotepine responders showed an increase in the TRP ratio after treatment. In the mianserin responders, the TYR ratio, which was high before the treatment, decreased to the normal range after the treatment. But, the plasma amino acid ratios remained unchanged in the patients treated with lithium carbonate or amitriptyhe. These results suggest that, in manic-depressive illness, there might be abnormalities in the metabolism of neutral amino acids, mainly of TRP and TYR, and that the plasma TRP and TYR ratios might be important indicators for determining the efflcacy of some drugs.     

Plasma volume estimation using indocyanine green with biexponential regression analysis of the decay curves

We studied seven analytical methods of estimating the plasma volume from the decay curves of indocyanine green. Fifteen volunteers received 1.0 mgkg⁻¹ of the dye by intravenous injection and the plasma concentration was measured continuously using spectrophotometry. Plasma volumes were calculated using three single-regression methods (1-a, 1-b, 1-c) and four biexponential regression methods (2-a, 2-b, 2-c, 2-d). The means (SD) of 1-a, 1-b and 1-c were 39 (5.0), 44 (5.7) and 54 (11.5) mlkg⁻¹, respectively, and these were significantly different from each other (p < 0.05). The values for methods 2-b, 2-c and 2-d were similar to each other: 39 (4.6), 40 (4.1) and 40 (4.0) mlkg⁻¹, respectively. These required more than 3 min circulation or mixing time. When the time allowed for mixing was less than 3 min (method 2-a) the plasma volume was underestimated. We conclude that plasma volume estimation using indocyanine green and spectrophotometry is most accurate when the mixing time is adequate (3–5 min) and the decay curves are analysed using biexponential regression.     

The spermatozoal volume as indicative of the plasma membrane integrity (modification of the hypoosmotic swelling test). I. Methods

Summary. The aim of the present study was to establish a more differentiating indicator of plasma membrane integrity of spermatozoa than the classic version of the hypoosmotic swelling test according to Jeyendraan. Spermatozoa were prepared by density gradient centrifugation (90% Percoll) to select 'fertilization competent' spermatozoa only. After a second washing procedure sufficiently pure sperm cell suspensions were obtained. The volume distributions of these sperm cells were measured with a Coulter Counter at 25 °C after adaptation in 300 mosmolar NaCl solution resp. 150 mosmolar NaCl solution for 5 min. These volume distributions showed significantly different patterns for the isotonic and hypotonic stress situation in the simple salt solution. Moreover, the comparison of the response to hypoosmotic stress showed more than four reproducible characteristic patterns, promising well differentiated results for different sperm populations. The new method for the detection of hypoosmotic swelling effect might be a real and valuable functional parameter.     

高频等离子体化学气相淀积法制备TiO2超细粒子

利用ＴｉＣｌ４＋Ｏ２体系，在高频等离子体化学气相淀积反应器中合成了纯度高、粒度细的ＴｉＯ２粒子。考察了工艺条件对ＴｉＯ２粒子物性的影响；探讨了ＴｉＯ２粒子晶型控制的方法，金红石型质量分数可通过工艺条件控制；探讨了ＴｉＯ２粒子晶型控制的方法。金红石型质量分数可通过工艺条件控制，减少ＴｉＯ２单体浓度可提高金红石型质量分数；也可通过在原料ＴｉＣｌ４中添加ＡｌＣｌ３等晶型转化剂，使可转化为单一金红石型Ｔｉ     

An Analysis of Chromosome on Sterility Caused by Azoospermia or Oligospermia

ＡｎＡｎａｌｙｓｉｓｏｆＣｈｒｏｍｏｓｏｍｅｏｎＳｔｅｒｉｌｉｔｙＣａｕｓｅｄｂｙＡｚｏｏｓｐｅｒｍｉａｏｒＯｌｉｇｏｓｐｅｒｍｉａ￥ＷｕＭｅｉｈｅｎｇ；ＴａｎｇＷｉｎｇｎｕｏ．（ＡＣＴＡＡＣＡＤＥＭＩＡＥＭＥＤＩＣＩＮＡＥＮＡＮＪＩＮＧ，１９９５（...     

Prenatal Stress Increases the Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Response in Young and Adult Rats

Prenatal stress is considered as an early epigenetic factor able to induce long-lasting alterations in brain structures and functions. It is still unclear whether prenatal stress can induce long-lasting modifications in the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis. To test this possibility the effects of restraint stress in pregnant rats during the third week of gestation were investigated in the functional properties of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis and hippocampal type I and type II corticosteroid receptors in the male offspring at 3, 21 and 90 days of age. Plasma corticosterone was significantly elevated in prenatally-stressed rats at 3 and 21 days after exposure to novelty. At 90 days of age, prenatally-stressed rats showed a longer duration of corticosterone secretion after exposure to novelty. No change was observed for type I and type II receptor densities 3 days after birth, but both receptor subtypes were decreased in the hippocampus of prenatally-stressed offspring at 21 and 90 days of life. These findings suggest that prenatal stress produces long term changes in the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in the offspring.     

血液胆碱酯酶活力测定方法的进一步研究Ⅰ．红细胞／全血胆碱酯酶活力比例及红细胞计数校正酶活力值的研究

应用硫代乙酰胆碱－联硫代双硝基苯甲酸（ＡＳＣｈ－ＤＴＮＢ）比色测定法，测定了４０名健康者及５名贫血者血样的全血胆碱酯酶（ｂｌ－ＣｈＥ）活力值、红细胞胆碱酯酶（ｅ－ＣｈＥ）活力值及血浆胆碱酯酶（ｐ－ＣｈＥ）活力值，探讨它们之间的比例关系并用红细胞计数值（ＲＢＣ）校正酶活力。结果表明：ｅ－ＣｈＥ与ｂ１－ＣｈＥ之间关系密切（ｒ＝０．９４８，Ｐ＜０．００１），ｅ－ＣｈＥ稳定地占ｂｌ－ＣｈＥ的８４．９７％，在质和量两方面验证了以ｂｌ－ＣｈＥ值表示ｅ－ＣｈＥ值的可靠性和可信程度，血液胆碱酯酶（ｂ１ＣｈＥ）活力主要取决于ｅ－ＣｈＥ活力，ＲＢＣ值的离散对ｅ－ＣｈＥ值有极大影响，故用ＲＢＣ值校正ｅ－ＣｈＥ活力，这样可缩小人群测定值的变异度，得到较难确的群体均值；消除男女之间测定值的差异，建立更合理和通用的临界参比值，极大地方便了使用，使血液胆碱酯酶（ＣＨＥ）活力测定法在防治有机磷农药中毒中的应用，更为敏感和特异。     

In-vivo studies on Haemaccel-fibronectin interaction in man

An enzyme-linked immunoassay has been recently set up for direct measurement of the binding capacity of plasma fibronectin to gelatin. This binding capacity could be completely inhibited in vitro by an eight-fold excess of gelatin, of Haemaccel, but not of Geloplasma. On the contrary, the levels of immunoreactive fibronectin measured by laser nephelometry did not change, in presence of 10 to 1000 micrograms ml-1 of gelatin, of Haemaccel or of Geloplasma. When infused into normal volunteers, Haemaccel provoked a strong and immediate inhibition of the plasma fibronectin binding capacity to gelatin. This inhibition was dose-dependent and maximal after infusion of 500 ml of Haemaccel. Twenty-four hours after this infusion, there was a progressive recovery of the gelatin-binding capacity, which was almost completely achieved 96 h later. The formation of complexes between Haemaccel and fibronectin was demonstrated by gel filtration chromatography and by affinity chromatography. Immunoreactive plasma fibronectin levels remained unchanged up to 24 h after infusion of 500 ml of Haemaccel. A transient decline to 50% of its initial value then occurred the second day after the infusion. Therefore, a delay existed between the formation of fibronectin-Haemaccel complexes and their elimination from the bloodstream. This delay decreased when smaller volumes of Haemaccel were infused, which strongly suggests that plasma fibronectin is cleared by means of Haemaccel and does not seem to play a role of opsonin in these conditions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effects of zymosan-activated plasma and phorbol myristate acetate on isolated, perfused rabbit lungs

The effects of complement activation on pulmonary vascular permeability are disputed. In rabbit lungs perfused with autologous blood, zymosan activated plasma (ZAP) induced a moderate increase in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), but did not detectably change the vascular permeability within 2 h. The stronger neutrophil granulocyte (PMN) activator, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), usually gave larger PVR increases and also increased pulmonary vascular permeability. Lungs from neutropenic animals, similarly perfused and given PMA, showed unchanged PVR reactions but had no apparent increase in vascular permeability. Lungs perfused with cell-free medium and given PMA displayed modest PVR increases, and no measurable permeability change. The lung preparatory procedure itself markedly influenced leukocyte circulation. Exsanguination of lung donors decreased the concentration of circulating PMN significantly, and they virtually disappeared from the perfusate within minutes after start of lung perfusion. PMN-mediated effects must therefore have been caused by cells already sequestered in the lungs. We conclude that ZAP does not induce an increased pulmonary vascular permeability in isolated, perfused rabbit lungs, in contrast to PMA. The permeability effects of PMA appear to be PMN dependent.     

Primary Aldosteronism

ABSTRACT A follow-up examination was performed one month to 20 years after adrenalectomy in 28 cases with surgically treated primary aldosteronism due to adrenal adenoma. The mean age at diagnosis was 45, and the mean duration of hypertension seven years. Severe hypertension with a diastolic blood pressure of 130 mmHg or more was observed in 35%. Postoperatively cerebrovascular catastrophe developed in two cases, both of which belonged to the group of patients with severe hypertension. Normalization of blood pressure was observed in 70% and in the remaining subjects the blood pressure was lower than at diagnosis. The blood pressure response to adrenalectomy appeared unpredictable in view of such parameters as the initial blood pressure, age at diagnosis, and duration of the hypertensive state. Toxicosis during pregnancy and metrorrhagia was observed with unexpectedly high frequency in this study population. Low ambulatory plasma renin activity was recorded at the follow-up in 15 out of 18 subjects studied in the absence of evidence of hyperaldosteronism.