Asok Bandyopadhyay

Plasma Lipids in Scurvy Effect of Ascorbic Acid Supplement and Insulin Treatment.

Summary The different fractions of plasma lipids were estimated in normal, scorbutic, insulin treated scorbutic and ascorbic acid supplemented scorbutic guinea pigs. Beta lipoprotein: alpha lipoprotein ratio, beta lipoprotein cholesterol, phospholipids and NEFA of plasma were increased and plasma triglycerides diminished in scorbutic animals. While insulin treatment of the scorbutic animals corrected only the plasma NEFA and triglyceride values, ascorbic acid supplementation brought back all these values to normal levels. Total plasma cholesterol did not change in scurvy. Ascorbic acid supplementation lowered the plasma cholesterol value below the value seen in normal guinea pigs, indicating hypocholesteremic effect of ascorbic acid. Neither insulin nor ascorbic acid seem to have specific roles in the metabolism of phospholipids.

Effect of Oxytetracycline and Tetracycline on Glucose Tolerance and Serum Lipids

Summary Oxytetracycline or tetracycline, 10 mg/kg, was administered for 10 consecutive days to rabbits and rhesus monkeys. Glucose tolerance test was performed and different fractions of serum lipids were estimated in these animals before and after treatment with the antibiotics to find if their prolonged use interfered with carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Both antibiotics diminished glucose tolerance. The pattern of serum lipids was changed. There were increases in the serum triglycerides, phospho-lipids, β-lipoprotein cholesterol and free fatty acids in most of the animals after treatment with the antibiotics. Tetracyclines should be used with caution due to the metabolic disturbances they might produce.

Effect of Scurvy on Serum Proteins of Rhesus Monkeys.

Summary Serum total proteins, glycopro-teins, mucoproteins, albumin and different fractions of globulins were determined in normal monkeys fed ad lib, in scorbutic monkeys, in normal monkeys pair-fed with the scorbutic, and in monkeys which recovered from scurvy after treatment with ascorbic acid. Following changes from pair-fed normal were observed in scorbutic monkeys: Serum total proteins, a2-globulin and γ-globulin did not change. Serum albumin diminished. Glycoproteins, mucoproteins, a1-globulin and β-globulin expressed as percent of total protein of serum increased. The changes in serum proteins were reversed to normal when the scorbutic monkeys recovered after supplementation with ascorbic acid with the exception of serum a2-globulin which diminished significantly. The changes in serum proteins of scorbutic monkeys seems to be a specific effect of ascorbic acid deficiency.

Further observations on plasma lipids of vegetable oil fed monkeys.

Summary Commonly used vegetable oils, sesame oil (iodine no. 110), mustard oil (iodine no. 104) and coconut oil (iodine no. 9), were fed to Rhesus monkeys at a 20% level in the diet for 8 months. Plasma lipids and fecal lipids were determined every month. Plasma insulin-like activity was measured before and at the end of eighth month. Some of the monkeys were also fed cholesterol along with the oils for 8 months. Plasma cholesterol of monkeys fed different oils did not change considerably during the experiment. There was a slight increase at the initial stage but it decreased below the basal values after 8 months of feeding the oils irrespective of their saturation or unsaturation. Plasma cholesterol of monkeys fed cholesterol along with the oils increased considerably but the increase was highest when sesame oil was fed. Plasma β-lipoprotein cholesterol increased in proportion to total plasma cholesterol after the oils were fed. After an initial increase, plasma triglycerides decreased to normal level at the end of fifth month of feeding the oils. The same was true for the plasma nonesterified fatty acids. There was an overall increase in plasma phospholipids in all monkeys. Monkeys fed cholesterol along with oils had increased NEFA values of plasma possibly due to diminished plasma insulin. Fecal total lipid, Lieberman-Burchard reacting sterols and bile acid excretion diminished gradually in all the monkeys. Fluctuations in plasma cholesterol in cholesterol-fed monkeys could be correlated with fecal excretion of sterols and bile acids.

Carbohydrate and Lipid Metabolism in Animals Treated with Pyrrolidinomethyl Tetracycline

Summary Pyrrolidinomethyl tetracycline was administered to rats, rabbits, and monkeys for 10 days and changes in the utilization of glucose and distribution of lipids in the tissues were studied. Treated animals showed diminished glucose tolerance. They had decreased glycogen and increased cholesterol and total lipids in the liver. There was a rise in plasma levels of lipids such as cholesterol, phospholipids, triglycerides and free fatty acids. Changes indicated impaired metabolism of carbohydrate and lipids. Tetracycline moiety of the antibiotic seemed responsible for the changes observed. The drug should be used with caution as its therapeutic effect might disturb the normal metabolic patterns in the body.

Effect of vegetable oils on plasma lipids of rhesus monkeys.

Summary Rhesus moneys were fed cholesterol along with mustard oil (iodine No. 104), coconut oil (iodine No. 9), and sesame oil (iodine No. 110). Fecal cholesterol and plasma cholesterol, phospholipid, lipoproteins and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) were estimated at intervals up to 6 months. Supplementation of cholesterol feeding with mustard and coconut oils raised plasma cholesterol and reduced fecal cholesterol to the same degree. The above changes were most marked when the animals were fed sesame oil. A relative decrease in the α-lipoprotein % to β + O lipoproteins was observed in monkeys fed the different oils. Plasma NEFA increased after cholesterol feeding and was highest in animals fed sesame oil. The depressant effect of the different oils on plasma cholesterol level does not seem to be due to saturation, unsaturation or fatty acid composition of the oil.

PLASMA AND TISSUE LIPIDS IN HYPERCHOLESTEREMIC PIGEONS.

Summary Different fractions of plasma lipids and lipid content of tissues were determined in hypercholesteremic pigeons. Hypercholesteremia was produced by feeding sesame oil and cholesterol. Hypercholesteremic pigeons had significantly higher levels of plasma β-lipoprotein cholesterol, phospholipids, triglycerides, β-lipoprotein percentage and increased β:α lipoprotein ratio; increased cholesterol in the liver and carcass; increased phospholipid in the liver; increased total lipid in the liver and diminished total lipid in the heart and skin. There had been no interrelationships between plasma levels and tissue distribution of lipids. Hypercholesteremia disturbed the lipid metabolism in pigeons.

Dietary Fats and Plasma Lipids in Chicks.

Summary Chicks were fed mustard oil, sesame oil, coconut oil and hydrogenated groundnut oil mixed with the basal diet with or without the addition of cholesterol. The level of oil was 10% and that of cholesterol 1% of the basal diet. The different diets were fed for 8 weeks and plasma contents of different lipids were estimated. Addition of oils alone in the diet increased the plasma NEFA values without producing any change in other fractions of plasma lipids. When the different oils were fed in addition to cholesterol, there was a rise in total plasma cholesterol, β-lipoprotein cholesterol, β-lipoprotein percentage, triglycerides and NEFA values of plasma. The rise in plasma cholesterol was maximum in chicks fed cholesterol along with hydrogenated oil or sesame oil and minimum in chicks fed cholesterol along with mustard oil, with intermediate rise after coconut oil. The solubility of cholesterol was highest in coconut oil and least in mustard oil. Hypercholesteremia does not seem to depend on saturation or unsaturation of the oils or on the solubility of cholesterol in the oils.

Studies on carbohydrate metabolism in hypercholesteremic rhesus monkeys.

Summary Hypercholesteremia in rhesus monkeys was associated with defective utilization of glucose as evidenced by diminished glucose tolerance and increased plasma NEFA values. Hypercholesteremic rhesus monkeys excreted increased amounts of 17-ketosteroids and had diminished plasma insulin-like activity. The impaired carbohydrate metabolism of these animals was possibly due to combined effects of insulin insufficiency and hyperfunction of the adrenal cortex.