METABOLIC EVENTS IN INFANTS OF DIABETIC MOTHERS DURING FIRST 24 HOURS AFTER BIRTH II.

ABSTRACT. Changes in plasma glycerol (FG), free fatty acids (FFA) and triglyceride (TG) were studied in 24 normo- and 8 hypoglycemic infants of diabetic mothers (IDM). In both groups a normal rise in plasma FG 2 hours after birth was found indicating unimpaired lipolysis. The rise in plasma FFA, however, was only about 50% of normal in normoglycemic IDM and about 25% of normal in hypoglycemic IDM. The rise in plasma TG was normal in normoglycemic and about 70% of normal in hypoglycemic IDM. The 2 hour rise in plasma FFA correlated with the 2 hour concentration of insulin and glucose, whereas the rise in plasma FG and TG did not. Maternal plasma FFA correlated with fetal FFA retention (unbilical vein minus artery (V-A) FFA concentrations). No correlations were found between maternal plasma FFA values and birth-weights nor between umbilical V-A FFA concentrations and birth-weights.     

METABOLIC EVENTS IN INFANTS OF DIABETIC MOTHERS DURING FIRST 24 HOURS AFTER BIRTH III.

ABSTRACT. Plasma amino acid concentrations (AAC) were studied in 31 diabetic mothers (10 of White class A, 10 of B-C and 11 of D-F) and their 32 infants during the first 24 hours after birth. Only minor differences between the 3 groups were found at birth and 2 hours, and none at 12 and 24 hours after birth. The individual AAC in umbilical vein plasma did not correlate with birthweight. All AAC except aspartic acid, aspargine, cystine and glutamic acid were higher in umbilical venous plasma than in maternal plasma. Umbilical venousarterial differences of amino acids did not correlate with maternal or umbilical vein insulin concentrations except for threonine and valine. In general essential amino acids decreased after birth. In 8 infants with hypoglycemia and hyperinsulinism at 2 hours of age several plasma amino acids were lower than in the normoglycemic infants.     

Successful treatment of severe carbamyl phosphate synthetase I deficiency

We describe a girl with neonatal hyperammonaemia due to carbamyl phosphate synthetase I deficiency. Treatment consisted of protein restriction from the second day of life. Sodium benzoate was given for three weeks after birth and again from 7 months of age together with sodium phenylacetate to improve protein tolerance. Growth and development are normal at 15 months of age.     

Binding characteristics of anti-Rh0(D) antibodies to Rh0(D)-positive and Du red cells

The relation of human erythrocyte Rh0(D) to Du sites is an important unresolved question in the field of immunohematology. To compare the immunological reactivity of Rh0(D)-positive and Du erythrocytes, the binding characteristics of two anti-Rh0(D) antisera to human Rh0(D)- positive and Du ("low-grade") erythrocytes were studied. 14C-Protein A and direct antibody-labeled techniques were used to generate binding curves and to derive double-reciprocal plots. The results show that the number of antigen sites differ by a factor of 10 to 15 between the Rh0(D)-positive and Du red cells, but that the dissociation constants between anti-Rh0(D) and the Rh0(D) and Du antigens are indistinguishable when studied by the two labeling methods and two different anti-Rh0(D) antibodies. The extent of binding to 112 different Du samples showed a normal distribution and was independent of apparent phenotype. These data suggest immunologic identity of Rh0(D) and Du ("low-grade") sites and that the difference between the antigens of Rh0(D) and Du cells is quantitative only. The data are incompatible with the "missing mosaic" and gene interaction theories of mechanism.     

Calcification of the ductus venosus: a cause of right upper quadrant calcification in the newborn

The authors report three cases of ductus venosus calcification as an additional cause of vascular liver calcification in the newborn. All three infants had umbilical venous catheters. The calcification may be caused by extravasated fluids given through the catheter or by local trauma due to catheter insertion. An obliquely oriented, paravertebral "tram-track" calcification in the right upper quadrant, particularly in a premature infant with a history of umbilical venous catheterization, should suggest the diagnosis of calcified ductus venosus.     

含L-4-氧代赖氨酸寡肽的合成及其抗白念珠菌活性

本文运用“违法传送”概念,根据白念珠菌对寡肽的传送特点,设计并合成了十个含L-4-氧代赖氨酸(以下称I-677)的寡肽,以提高I-677的抗白念珠菌活性。体外抗白念珠菌试验表明:I-677-肽(I-677-X₁,I-677-X₁-X₂和I-677-X₁-X₂-Gly,其中X₁,X₂=Met,Leu,Ile,Ala,β-Ala,Gly)较I-677单体摩尔活性提高了2.1～28倍,其摩尔最低抑菌浓度为8.7×10^-8～9.3×10^-9mol/ml,传送肽和赖氨酸分别逆转I-677-肽抗菌活性的实验结果证实了I-677的“违法传送”途径。     

Analysis of cellular and biochemical constituents of induced sputum after allergen challenge: A method for studying allergic airway inflammation

To determine whether analysis of the constituents of induced sputum permits detection of changes provoked by aerosolized antigen challenge, we performed sputum induction (20-minute inhalation of aerosolized 3% saline solution) before and after aerosolized allergen challenge in eight subjects with asthma. Total cell counts and cell differentials of nonsquamous cells in induced sputum samples were determined after the samples were homogenized in dithiothreitol. Centrifugation of the entire homogenized sputum sample yielded supernatant that could be analyzed for biochemical constituents. We found that the median percentage of eosinophils and neutrophils in induced sputum samples was significantly higher 4 hours after allergen challenge than at baseline (12% vs 0.5%, p < 0.05; 30.5% vs 7.5%, p < 0.05) and remained high 24 hours after challenge. Median levels of eosinophil cationic protein and histamine in induced sputum supernatants were significantly higher 4 hours after challenge than at baseline (151.3 vs 39.8 ng/ml, p < 0.05; 19.4 vs 8.8 μg, p < 0.05) and remained significantly higher 24 hours after challenge. Tryptase was detectable in sputum from seven of the subjects, and in these subjects, we found a trend toward an increase in median tryptase levels 4 hours after allergen challenge (4.4 vs 2.2 U/L, p = 0.09). We conclude that analysis of induced sputum after aerosolized allergen challenge reveals changes in inflammatory cells and markers similar to those reported in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and that sputum induction is a useful noninvasive method for studying allergic airway inflammation in asthma. (J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUNOL 1994;93:1031-9.)