Young adult weight trajectories through midlife by body mass category

Objective : To estimate the expected weight gain through midlife for those in a given BMI category in young adulthood. Design and Methods : Group‐based trajectory modeling and National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 data from 1990 to 2008 were used to quantify weight trajectories through midlife for 10,038 young adult men and women stratified by BMI category. Logistic regression was used to assess the association of trajectory membership with obesity‐related conditions (hypertension, diabetes, arthritis) in middle age. Results : Annual weight gain averaged 0.53 kg (1.17 lb) across the entire sample. However, there was considerable variation by and within BMI categories. More than 98% of men and 92% of women were on upward‐sloping trajectories, generally moving into a higher BMI category by middle age. Those who experienced early and rapid weight gain during young adulthood were most likely to be on a steeper trajectory and had greater risks for obesity‐related conditions. Conclusion : This study points to the health and weight benefits of entering young adulthood with a normal BMI, but further reveals that this is no guarantee of maintaining a healthy weight through midlife. For those who are young adults today, weight maintenance is unlikely to occur without significant environmental or technical innovation.     

Liquid membrane phenomenon in the actions of digitalis

The liquid membrane phenomenon in the actions of digitalis glycosides (digitoxin, digoxin and ouabain) has been studied. Formation of liquid membranes, in series with a supporting membrane, by digitalis alone and by digitalis in association with lecithin and cholesterol has been demonstrated. The results obtained on the transport of relevant permeants, viz. sodium, potassium and calcium ions and dopamine, adrenaline, noradrenaline and serotonin, in the presence of the liquid membrane generated by digitalis in association with lecithin and cholesterol indicate that the liquid membrane barrier to transport may have a relevance with the biological actions of digitalis.     

Evaluation of fractionatedWuchereria bancrofti microfilarial excretory-secretory antigens for diagnosis of bancroftian filariasis by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay

TheWuchereria bancrofti microfilarial excretory-secretory antigens were fractionated into ES1, ES2, ES3 and ES4 by ultra-membrane filtration and evaluated for their diagnostic utility by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Three of the four fractions showed antigenic activity (ES2, ES3 and ES4). The antigen fractions ES2 and ES4 were highly active in the detection of filarial IgM antibody in clinical filariasis and microfilaraemia respectively. The chemical characterization of the ES2 and ES4 antigen fractions showed that they were glycoproteins     

High levels of polysaccharides in Aplysia hepatopancreas and penis: differential effects of nutrition and development.

1. Carbohydrate levels in tissues of Aplysia californica were measured. In animals maintained in the laboratory without feeding for 1-2 weeks, the penis contained the highest concentration of glycogen. 2. Blood glucose ranged between 2.5 and 4.8 mg/dl and averaged 3.2 +/- 0.2 mg/dl. 3. Fed animals had significantly greater tissue glycogen levels than starved animals. The penis exhibited the smallest per cent increase in glycogen concentration in response to feeding. 4. In contrast, the hepatopancreas exhibited a large increase, attaining glycogen concentrations near that of the penis. 5. Most of the increase in total tissue glycogen in fed animals occurred in the hepatopancreas. 6. Starved and fed animals did not differ significantly in blood glucose concentration, thus indicating that blood glucose is regulated and excess glucose is stored. 7. The hepatopancreas is the major mobile glucose store. 8. The high concentrations of glycogen found in the penis were not affected by mating activity. 9. However, penis glycogen concentration increased greatly with reproductive maturation of Aplysia; in contrast, hepatopancreas glycogen concentration was relatively unaffected by development. 10. A structural role by carbohydrates in the penis is suggested.     

Kinetics of thermal inactivation and quaternary structure symmetry of rabbit muscle glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase

Kinetics of thermal inactivation of apo-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase have been investigated under various conditions. At most pH values, the loss of enzyme activity takes place in two phases, a fast and a slow phase. The data correspond to the rate equation A = Afast.e-kfast.t + Aslow.e-kslow, where A is the observed residual activity (expressed as % of initial activity) at time t, Afast and Aslow are amplitudes (expressed as % of initial activity, so that Afast + Aslow = 100) and kfast and kslow the rate constants of the fast and slow phases, respectively. At pH 9 or below, Afast = Aslow = 50%. As pH is increased above 9, Afast increases gradually till at pH 10 or above when it accounts for the entire initial activity (single exponential decay). The rate constants of the two phases are strongly affected by the nature of the buffer, temperature and pH, but the amplitudes depend on pH alone. It has been suggested that the tetrameric enzyme exists in two conformations of different molecular symmetry, namely C2 (two pairs of sites of unequal stability, predominating at pH 9 or below) and D2 symmetry (four equivalent sites, predominating at pH 10 or above). The C2 in equilibrium D2 transformation is found to be highly cooperative with midpoint at pH 9.6.     

Sensitization of rat hepatocytes to hyperthermia by calcium

The viability of isolated rat hepatocytes, as assayed by trypan blue exclusion, decreases in a dose-dependent fashion during exposure to hyperthermia (D0 [43 degrees C] = 105 +/- 10 min, D0 [45 degrees C] = 24 +/- 4 min). Hyperthermic sensitivity varies as a function of extracellular Ca2+ concentration in a biphasic manner; optimum survival occurs at 1-5 mM Ca2+, with sensitization in the absence of Ca+ and increasing sensitization at Ca2+ concentrations greater than 10 mM. Ca influx does not correlate well with loss of viability for hepatocytes in 4 mM extracellular Ca2+; influx does not occur until viability decreases to less than 1%. Under sensitizing conditions, Ca2+ influx proceeds loss of viability. Influx begins within 15 min at 45 degrees C in 15 mM Ca2+, and the ionophore A23187 is a potent hyperthermic sensitizer in the presence of extracellular Ca2+. Thus, Ca2+ influx, whether caused by high extracellular Ca2+ or A23187, increases cellular damage caused by supraoptimal temperatures, although some Ca2+ is necessary for maximum resistance, probably because of stabilization of Ca2+ binding proteins against thermal denaturation or possibly to Ca2+-induced decrease in lipid fluidity.     

A new “marker” protein for astrocytes

A monoclonal antibody (Mab J1-31) has been produced by using human brain homogenate as immunogen in mouse. Double-label immunofluorescence microscopy on cryostat sections of human, rabbit and rat brain, reveals staining of cells that are also stained with antiserum to glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP, a commonly used marker protein for astrocytes). However, there is no decrease in staining due to Mab J1-31 in sections incubated in antiserum to GFAP prior to incubation with the J1-31 ascites fluid. Immunoprecipitation of aqueous and detergent extracts of brain homogenate gives a single band at 30K by SDS PAGE followed by autoradiography. Immunoelectron microscopy shows that the J1-31 antigen is associated with the cytoskeleton. Thus, the Mab J1-31 recognizes a new protein present in GFAP positive cells (astrocytes) in the brain.