Influence of polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation and membrane fluidity on ozone and nitrogen dioxide sensitivity of rat alveolar macrophages

The phospholipid polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content and the membrane fluidity of rat alveolar macrophages were modified dose-dependently and in different ways. This was done to study the importance of both membrane characteristics for the cellular sensitivity toward ozone and nitrogen dioxide. Cells preincubated with arachidonic acid (20:4) complexed to bovine serum albumin (BSA) demonstrated an increased in vitro sensitivity versus ozone and nitrogen dioxide. The phenomenon was only observed at the highest 20:4 concentrations tested, whereas the membrane fluidity of the 20:4-treated cells already showed a maximum increase at lower preincubation concentrations. Hence it could be concluded that the increased ozone and nitrogen dioxide sensitivity of PUFA-enriched cells is not caused by their increased membrane fluidity, resulting in an increased accessibility of sensitive cellular fatty acid moieties or amino acid residues. This conclusion receives further support from other observations. These results strongly support the involvement of lipid oxidation in the mechanism(s) of toxic action of both ozone and nitrogen dioxide in an intact cell system.     

Early life and later determinants of adult disease: a 50 year follow-up study of the Newcastle Thousand Families cohort

The relative contribution of socioeconomic, behavioural and biological factors operating in fetal and infant life, childhood and adulthood to risk for cardiovascular disease, respiratory diseases and non-insulin-dependent diabetes in middle age has become an important research issue. All 1142 babies born in Newcastle upon Tyne in May and June 1947 were recruited into a prospective cohort study of child health (the ‘Thousand Families’ study) and followed in great detail to the age of 15 y, with a brief further follow up at age 22 y. Children from poorer families were at greatest risk of severe respiratory tract infection in infancy. Children from professional and managerial families were on average taller and heavier throughout childhood than those from semi- and unskilled manual social classes. Repeated infections in early childhood greatly increased the risk of developing chronic respiratory disease by age 15 y. This paper outlines a new investigation designed to trace surviving members of this cohort and to chart the relationships between their socioeconomic circumstances, lifestyles, experiences and health from birth through to the present day. Existing data on socioeconomic circumstances and infections in infancy and childhood, infant nutrition, birthweight and physical development to age 22 y will be linked to information gained from a new study. This comprises a postal questionnaire survey of study members' adult health, socioeconomic circumstances and lifestyle, and a hospital based clinical examination including heart and lung function, glucose tolerance, blood lipids and anthropometric measurements at age 49–51 y. Out of a target sample of 979 people for whom sufficient data are available on the first year of life, 866 (88%) have been traced and 649 are still resident in the North of England. Those study members who have been traced are highly representative of the original cohort. The Thousand Families cohort provides a unique opportunity for detailed epidemiological study because of the wealth of data available on infant and childhood socioeconomic and family circumstances, all of which was collected prospectively. In addition, there has been comparatively little loss to follow-up since 1948.     

Mechanisms of ozone toxicity in cultured cells. I. Reduced clonogenic ability of polyunsaturated fatty acid-supplemented fibroblasts. Effect of vitamin E

The direct action of ozone on viability and survival of normal and modified mouse lung fibroblasts has been studied. By cell manipulation of fibroblasts in culture, the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the phospholipids was increased from about 6% to about 40%. The cellular content of alpha-tocopherol (alpha-T) (vitamin E) could be drastically enhanced. Vitamin E supplementation to the cell did not influence the PUFA manipulation. Normal, PUFA, and PUFA(alpha-T) fibroblasts were exposed to ozone by bubbling 10 ppm through the cell suspensions for different periods of time (0-6 h). No significant effects of the ozone exposure could be established when normal fibroblasts were used. The PUFA fibroblasts, however, were very vulnerable to ozone toxicity, both in terms of dye uptake (Trypan blue) and cell death (clonogenic ability). When alpha-tocopherol was present in the cell (200 ng/10(6) cells), a clear protection against ozone toxicity was found. It is concluded that ozone toxicity might be higher under conditions of a relative high amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the membrane phospholipids of the cell and a low cellular antioxidant capacity. Cellular membranes are probably an important target for ozone-induced cell death.     

Long-term results of the Swanson prosthesis for the treatment of lunate osteomalacia

From 1972 to 1982 a silicone implant arthroplasty was performed in 18 patients with Kienb?ck's disease grade III. In May 1988 all patients had a clinical and radiological re-examination. In the course of time reoperations were performed in 4 patients because of (sub)luxation of the prosthesis. Because of this operation most of the patients had less pain and retained an acceptable function of the wrist. Influence on working circumstances had been considerable in 8 patients. One patient received a disability pension because of this disease. Radiological examination often revealed increased degenerative changes in carpo-radial and intercarpal joints as well as proximal migration of the capitate. There was no clear relationship between residual complaints and function at the follow-up examination and the radiological findings.