Gale H. Starich

Sensitivity, Specificity, and Cost-effectiveness of the Sensitive Thyrotropin Assay in the Diagnosis of Thyroid Disease in Ambulatory Patients

The sensitivity and specificity of two sensitive thyrotropin assays were compared with those of other standard thyroid function tests in 544 ambulatory subjects who were clinically euthyroid, thyrotoxic, or hypothyroid. Both sensitive thyrotropin assays had the highest sensitivity and specificity (95%/89% and 92%/95%), following by estimated free thyroxine (T4) level (82% and 94%), calculated free T4 index (78% and 93%), and free triiodothyronine index (86% and 88%). Sensitivity of the two thyrotropin assay kits in the diagnosis of thyrotoxicosis was 86% and 95%, and that in the diagnosis of hypothyroidism was 92% and 94%. Other tests were nearly as sensitive in the diagnosis of thyrotoxicosis but not hypothyroidism. A cost analysis of a testing strategy that used either total T4, free T4 index, or sensitive thyrotropin assay alone as the first-line thyroid test disclosed that to establish the patients thyroid metabolic status would have cost

A morphological and immunohistochemical investigation of endocrine pancreata from obese ob+/ob+ mice

11,093,

Dietary chromium — forms and availabilities

14,536, and

Simultaneous inhibition of guinea pig brain 2′, 3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphohydrolase and myelin protein synthesis by 2′-adenosine monophosphate

24,902, respectively, using each test first. We suggest that, at current prices, routine use of the thyrotropin assay as a first-line test in ambulatory patients is not as cost-effective as the free T4 index.

Effects of chronic ethanol digestion on the fatty acids and phospholipids of spinal cord

There is a marked difference in insulin secretion between the ob+/ob+ obese mouse and its non-obese littermate. Numerous peptides have been implicated in the modification of postprandial insulin secretion. In this study, the morphological and immunohistochemical studies of the genetically obese mouse (ob+/ob+) pancreata were compared with control littermates. Additionally, the distribution of gastric inhibitory polypeptide, somatostatin, glucagon, and insulin immunoreactive cells was also quantitated. Hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia were verified in the obese mice. The control animals had some islets and ductules with mononuclear infiltrations of a possible immune character. The obese individuals had a marked increase in both number and size of the islets of Langerhans compared with lean controls. The insulin immunocytochemical reaction in the obese pancreatic beta-cells was weaker than that of controls, as was the aldehyde-fuchsin reaction. The glucagon, gastric inhibitory polypeptide, and somatostatin containing cells were intermingled with the beta-cells. In contrast, the control animals showed a peripheral localization of these cell types. The morphometric analysis of the obese pancreas showed a decreased proportion of non-beta cells within the islets but not in total pancreatic volume in comparison with controls. The obese mouse also had cavities filled with eosin-stained material among numerous beta-cells. No complete epithelial lining distinguished these formations from the surrounding islet cells. The content of the cavities was not stained by any of the immunocytochemical reactions applied. In conclusion, the pancreatic islets of the ob+/ob+ mouse show marked differences in both morphological and immunocytochemical characteristics if compared with control littermates. These differences in architecture may be related to the eventual development of diabetes mellitus in the ob+/ob+ mouse.

Dissimilar Fatty Acid Composition of Standard Rat Chow

The chromium naturally occurring in plants eluted from Sephadex G-25 at approximately 2600 D. Total chromium was quantitated with flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry. A plant ligand tagged with radioactive chromium both in vivo and in vitro migrated on Sephadex G-25 identically to the naturally occurring chromium compound. The molecular weight of the radioactively tagged chromium compound was 2600 daltons on Sephadex G-25. Similar complexes isolated from plant species were found attached to an organic ligand. The ligand appears to have 2 components, differing in composition by an amine group. This extremely stable (KD = 9 X 10(-5)anionic complex does not contain peptide or deoxyribose units. When alfalfa was exposed to either Cr(III) or Cr(VI), only Cr(III) was isolated in this organic chromium compound. The alfalfa bioreduction system can be saturated, as evidenced by Cr(VI) isolation of ionic in those plant extracts incubated with high levels of Cr(VI) in vitro. The gastrointestinal chromium physiology studies show that the radioactively labelled plant chromium compounds remained intact through the gastrointestinal tract up to the large intestine. Some degradation products were identified in the rat cecum. Approximately 30% of the plant chromium available to the rat was absorbed across the gastrointestinal tract.

Comparison of Once-Daily Captopril or Enalapril in Mild Essential Hypertension

Abstract Although the function of 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphohydrolase (CNPase) in myelin is unknown, the enzyme has been implicated in the metabolism of myelin proteins. Using 2′-AMP to inhibit CNPase, we examined the effect of reduced enzyme activity on the in vitro incorporation of 14C-leucine into brain proteins. The results of this study revealed that (1) guinea pig brain homogenates incorporate leucine into protein from a sucrose medium in a linear fashion, (2) all brain fractions (cytosol, myelin, and microsomes) are labelled within 1 hr, (3) 2′-AMP inhibition of CNPase by 50% results in a similar inhibition of brain protein synthesis, and (4) the reduced protein synthesis is accompanied by a shift in label from myelin proteins to those found in the microsomes. These results are consistent with a role for CNPase in myelin protein synthesis.

In vitro formation of chromium complex from higher plants

Abstract The response of spinal cord fatty acids and phospholipids to chronic ethanol ingestion was examined. The distribution as well as concentration of fatty acids was unaltered. The phospholipids were not altered in concentration; however, the composition was altered. Phosphatidyl choline (PC), was increased 43%, while the phosphatidyl serine (PS), plus phosphatidyl inositol (PI) fraction was decreased 26%. These changes may be related to myelin turnover.

Augmented Gastric Inhibitory Polypeptide and Insulin Responses to a Meal after an Increase in Carbohydrate (Sucrose) Intake

The lower incidence of coronary heart disease in populations consuming polyunsaturated fatty acids has spurred interest in the possible cardioprotective nature of these fatty acids. Furthermore, the source of dietary fats may modify the natural history of some chronic inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Some studies examining these issues have involved animals fed a standard chow diet to which the desired fatty acids were added. Our observation that two lots of standard rat chow varied considerably in fatty acid composition, prompted us to analyze two additional standard rat chow lots for fatty acid composition. Each lot was extracted and fatty acid chain length determined by gas chromatography with the percentage of total fatty acids determined by integration. A wide variation in the total saturated (27.4-42.1%), monounsaturated (8.3-30.9%), omega 6 (17.2-44.2%), and omega 3 (3.8-11.2%) fatty acids was observed. By one-way analysis of variance, significant differences (p less than 0.025) between the various lots were observed for total saturated, monounsaturated, and omega 6 fatty acid groups. These findings suggest that fatty acid composition of standard rat chow is not similar. If the baseline fatty acid composition is critical to the experimental design, custom chow diets should be used.

Properties of a chromium complex from higher plants

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of a daily low dose of the angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, captopril or enalapril, in mild essential hypertension. Nine men with seated diastolic blood pressure between 95 and 104 mm Hg on placebo participated in the study. After one month of placebo, captopril 25 mg was administered; blood pressure, heart rate, ACE activity and plasma renin activity were measured hourly for 4 hours. Each patient then received captopril 50 mg once daily for 8 weeks and similar measurements were made 24 hours post‐dose every 2 weeks. After another month of placebo, the identical protocol was repeated after enalapril 5 mg. Although blood pressure and ACE activity decreased significantly (P < 0.05) within 2–4 hours of the acute doses of each inhibitor, neither captopril or enalapril produced significant reductions 24 hours after the small daily dose. Thus, neither ACE inhibitor alone was adequate to control blood pressure in mild hypertension when given once daily during 8 weeks of treatment.