Are Elevated Aminotransferases and Decreased Bilirubin Additional Characteristics of the Metabolic Syndrome?

Abnormal liver tests, as well as morphological changes in the liver, are frequent among obese patients. Other frequent disturbances are visceral fat accumulation, insulin resistance, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), hypertriglyceridemia, and hypertension; these are a set of aberrations known as the metabolic syndrome. In order to investigate a possible relationship between the metabolic syndrome and impaired liver status we examined associations between liver tests, metabolic variables (insulin, glucose, and triglycerids), body composition and nutrition in 1083 men (BMI 28.8–63.8 kg/m²) and 1367 women (BMI 26.7–68.0 kg/m²) in the ongoing intervention study of Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS). Standard biochemical techniques were used to assess liver status and metabolic variables. Lean body mass (LBM) and masses of visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue (AT) were estimated by means of computed tomography (CT) calibrated anthropometric equations. In both genders aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase were, or tended to be, positively correlated to fasting serum insulin, visceral AT (women), and alcohol intake. In women, the aminotransferases were also correlated with fasting blood glucose. In both genders alkaline phosphatase was, or tended to be, positively associated with visceral AT, insulin (women), and glucose. Bilirubin was negatively correlated to insulin and visceral AT in men and women. Additional multivariate analyses indicated that alcohol had less explanatory power than serum insulin for the examined liver tests, especially among women. These results suggest that pathological liver tests in the obese may represent an expression of the metabolic syndrome.     

Homeostatic responses to water deprivation or hemorrhage in lactating and non-lactating Bedouin goats

Three lactating and three non-lactating black Bedouin goats were subjected to four days of water deprivation or to hemorrhage. Four days of water deprivation caused body wt losses of 32 and 23% and plasma volume losses of 30 and 34% in lactating and non-lactating goats respectively. Plasma osmolality increased 17 and 15% in lactating and non-lactating goats. Plasma arginine vasopressin concentration rose from about 5 pg/ml to a mean of 36 pg/ml. Plasma renin activity increased from about 0.7 ng/ml/hr to a mean of 3.45 ng/ml/hr in lactating and to 3.15 ng/ml/hr in non-lactating goats. At 4.5 hr post-rehydration plasma osmolality and plasma vasopressin concentration were back to normal in non-lactating, but still elevated in lactating goats. Plasma renin activity increased after rehydration. Rapid blood volume loss of 21-28% increased plasma vasopressin concentration to 16-35 pg/ml in non-lactating and to 70 or greater than 500 pg/ml in lactating goats. It is concluded that black Bedouin goats are well adapted to endure severe dehydration and rapid rehydration, but that they (especially lactating animals) react strongly to rapid volume depletion.     

Elastases from human and canine granulocytes, II. Interaction with protease inhibitors of animal, plant, and microbial origin.

Inhibitors of animal, plant, and microbial origin were tested against human and canine granulocytic elastases. The trypsin-chymotrypsin inhibitors from dog submandibular glands, from soybeans (Bowman-Birk) and from chickpeas show strong interaction with these proteases (Ki = 10(-8) - 10(-9)M). The trypsin-kallikrein inactivator of bovine organs (Trasylol) is not active against granulocytic elastases or against human granulocytic cathepsin G. Elastatinal, a specific inhibitor of elastases, isolated from actinomycetes (Streptomyces griseoruber), forms stable complexes with elastase from human (Ki = 6.2 X 10(-6)M) and canine granulocytes (Ki = 1.1 X 10(-6)M). A possible therapeutic application of these inhibitors for the inactivation of granulocytic proteases, which are able to degrade connective tissue in different pathological states, is discussed.     

Purification of human granulocyte catalase in chronic myeloid leukemia.

Human granulocyte catalase (hydrogen peroxide:hydrogen peroxide oxidoreductase, EC 1.11.1.6) was purified from chronic myeloid leukemia cells. The purification procedure included heat precipitation, ammonium sulphate fractionation, DEAE-Sephadex chromatography, gel chromatography on Sephadex G-200 and isoelectric focusing with an approximate yield of 30% and a 1000-fold purification. The molecular weight of the subunit obtained by sodium dodecyl sulphate electrophoresis was 65 800. So20,w was 11.6 +/- 0.24. The pH-optimum was 6.6-6.7 and the spectrum showed a major peak at 405 nm and shoulders at 500, 540 and 625 nm typical for catalase. The electrophoretic mobility was towards the anode at pH 8.6 and identical to normal granulocyte and erythrocyte catalase. These three species of catalase gave the reaction of identity on immunodiffusion and crossed immunoelectrophoresis. The content of catalase and its activity of isolated granulocytes were approximately identical in normal and chronic myeloid leukemia granulocytes while the specific activity of leukemic catalase was higher than normal. No difference in catalase content was found between mature and immature leukemic granulocytes.     

Effects of four agents that modify microtubules and microfilaments (vinblastine,colchicine, lidocaine,and cytochalasin B) on macrophage-mediated cytotoxicity to tumor cells

Summary The effects of vinblastine, colchicine, lidocaine, and cytochalasin B on tumor cell killing by BCG-activated macrophages were examined. These four drugs were selected for their action on membrane-associated cytoskeletal components, microtubules, and microfilaments. Colchicine and vinblastine, which block microtubular synthesis, inhibit macrophage-mediated tumor-cell cytotoxicity at a concentration of 10^–6 M. Cytochalasin B, which disrupts microfilaments, enhances tumor cell lysis and stasis due to activated macrophages at a concentration of 10^–7 M. Lidocaine, which may induce the disappearance of both microtubules and microfilaments, has the same inhibiting effect as vinblastine at a concentration of 5×10^–7 M. Whereas vinblastine and lidocaine seem to act on the macrophage itself, cytochalasin B exerts its effect predominantly on the tumor cell. These results suggest that microtubules and microfilaments play a role in the destruction of tumor cells by activated macrophages.     

Overwintering of benthic macroinvertebrates in ice and frozen sediment in a North Swedish river

In winter the water freezes into the substrate within considerable areas of unregulated northern rivers due to low temperature combined with a lowering of the water level. Living individuals of Nematoda, Gastropoda, Sphaeriidae, Oligochaeta, Hirudinea, Isopoda, Trichoptera and Chironomidae were found in samples of ice and frozen sediment from the bottom frozen hydrolittoral zone of the north Swedish river Vindelälven. All abundant species in the frozen substratum, except Asellus aquaticus , seemed to be well adapted to withstand overwintering in this special habitat free from predation. Generally, between 80 and l00% of enclosed animals survived thawing. Cysts or other kinds of resting stage constructions, similar to those found during drought, were common in several enclosed species. Specimens of Gyraulus acronicus, Pisidium ssp., Molanna albicans and Chironomidae survived exposure to −4°C for five month in a freezing experiment. Extracellular freezing of the invertebrates overwintering in the ice is probable, as the ambient temperature was below the true freezing point of most animals. The composition of the substratum may effect the survival of animals enclosed in ice.     

Calliandra (Leguminosae) in continental Africa

The mainly neotropical genus Calliandra Benth. (Leguminosae–Mimosoideae–Ingeae) is reported for the first time as native in continental Africa. There are two species known, C. gilbertii Thulin & Hunde sp. nov. in E Kenya and Somalia and C. redacta (J. H. Ross) Thulin & Hunde comb. nov. in South Africa near the Namibia border. On pollen morphological grounds they are supposed to be most related to certain neotropical species but the pollen does not agree entirely with any previously known group of the genus. The distribution of C gilbertii and C. redacta stresses the phytogeographical link between the arid zones of northern and southern Africa.     

Ig H chain variable and C region genes in common variable immunodeficiency. Characterization of two new deletion haplotypes.

Common variable immunodeficiency, a disorder characterized by diminished antibody production, manifests clinically as an increased susceptibility to bacterial infections. We have investigated the Ig H chain V and C region gene segments in 33 patients with common variable immunodeficiency, to identify the possible role these genes may have in the molecular basis of the defect. No major deletions were recognized for the VH gene segments of the VH2, VH5, and VH6 families, nor were there any differences in the RFLP patterns of mu- or alpha- switch regions or of C gamma genes. Two new deletion haplotypes were identified for the C region genes, the first encompassing C gamma 1 on a different haplotype from the C gamma 1 deletion described previously, and the second a novel deletion encompassing both C gamma 2 and C gamma 4. Based on these and previously described deletions in the IGHC region, we postulate that homologous regions are involved in the deletion process and that other new deletions likely exist in the population.