European journal of clinical investigation
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Feb 1981
Enhanced pulmonary and intestinal activation of procarcinogens and mutagens after chronic ethanol consumption in the rat.
Recent epidemiological surveys have indicated that alcoholics exhibit increased incidences of a variety of cancers. We have investigated, as a possible contributing factor to carcinogenesis in this population, the effect of chronic ethanol consumption on metabolic activation of procarcinogens by microsomes isolated from lungs and small intestine. These tissues are major sites through which procarcinogens enter the body and are also potential sites of procarcinogen metabolism. ⋯ In contrast, microsomes from the upper small intestine of ethanol-fed rats did exhibit both higher levels of BaP hydroxylase activity and enhanced activation of BaP to a mutagen. The ethanol feeding also enhanced the capacity of the intestinal microsomes to activate to mutagens both tryptophan pyrolyzate and 2-aminofluorene but did not influence the metabolic activation of these promutagens by pulmonary microsomes. Chronic ethanol consumption thus influences carcinogen metabolism in the intestine and lung in a manner which varies with respect to both carcinogen and tissue.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Dec 1980
Evaluation of the roles of lipoprotein lipase and hepatic lipase in lipoprotein metabolism: in vivo and in vitro studies in man.
The roles of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic lipase in very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and VLDL remnant metabolism were investigated by (1) in vivo studies where the kinetics of VLDL-apo B removal were measured in patients with non-functioning lipoprotein lipase systems, and (2) in vitro studies where the relative capacities of hepatic lipase and LPL to hydrolyse the triglyceride (TG) of different lipoprotein substrates was measured. The results indicated that VLDL-apo B removal was not impaired in patients with non-functional LPL, nor ws there any apparent abnormality in the conversion of VLDL-apo B to intermediate- (IDL) and low (LDL) density lipoprotein-apo B. Post-heparin plasma hepatic lipase activity against VLDL was normal in these subjects. ⋯ However, at equal lipoprotein TG concentration, hepatic lipase had increasing activity with lipoproteins of decreasing particle size, in the order chylomicrons much less than VLDL of Sf 100-400 less than VLDL of Sf 60-100 less than VLDL of Sf 20-60 less than IDL. The mean contribution of hepatic lipase to VLDL-TG hydrolysis by post-heparin plasma was 35% in normal controls, but the contribution to IDL-TG hydrolysis was significantly higher (mean - 58%). It is concluded that hepatic lipase plays a significant role in VLDL and, especially, IDL metabolism, at least in patients with non-functioning lipoprotein lipase.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Oct 1979
Abnormal cation composition and transport in erythrocytes from hypertensive patients.
Red cell sodium and potassium were determined in 100 untreated subjects with uncomplicated essential hypertension and compared with the values from 908 healthy normotensive control subjects. Red cell sodium concentration (expressed as mmol/l of erythrocytes) was significantly higher in hypertensive than in normotensive subjects. ⋯ Passive efflux of red cell potassium into buffered isotonic sucrose solution determined in eight hypertensive and nine normotensive subjects showed a lower potassium efflux rate in the hypertensive subjects. Comparison of active sodium efflux in sixteen hypertensive and fourteen normotensive subjects showed that ouabain-sensitive active sodium efflux was higher in red cells of normotensive than in those of hypertensive subjects.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Apr 1978
Acid-base and gas tension of cerebrospinal fluid in Nigerians and tetanus patients.
The acid-base balance and gas tension of the cerebrospinal fluid of eight tetanus patients and twelve control subjects were studied. Tetanus patients had metabolic acidosis which was severely reflected in the cerebrospinal fluid. While the cerebrospinal fluid pH is lower than that of the arterial blood there was no difference between the acid-base and gas tension of the cerebrospinal fluid of Nigerians and the causasians. The severe metabolic acidosis of the cerebrospinal fluid of tetanus patients might be one of the causes of sudden deaths seen in these patients.