J. E. Kirk

Variations with Age in the Tissue Content of Vitamins and Hormones

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a review of the available data concerning the variation with age in the tissue concentrations of vitamins and hormones in human subjects and other vertebrates. This survey is limited to those vitamins and hormones about which sufficient observations have been reported to permit certain conclusions to be drawn with regard to the age correlation; in this connection, the possible factors suggested by the investigators as being responsible for the age changes will be briefly mentioned. Although the physiological significance of the tissue concentrations of vitamins and hormones has not been fully established, the preparation of a systematic survey of the correlation between age and the tissue levels of these compounds may provide information of some interest and will permit comparisons between age patterns in various organs and species.

Tocopherol administration to patients with Dupuytren's contracture ; effect on plasma tocopherol levels and degree of contracture.

Summary 1. Treatment with 300 mg of alpha-tocopherol acetate daily was given to 19 old patients with Dupuytrens contracture (26 contracted hands) for a period of 300 days. Following discontinuation of the treatment the patients were followed for another 350 days. Before therapy and at various intervals during and after alpha-tocopherol administration determinations were made of the plasma tocopherol concentration and permanent plaster casts prepared of the affected hands in maximal passive dorsal flexion. 2. The alpha-tocopherol administration resulted in a slow but steady rise of the mean plasma tocopherol level from 0.55 to 1.37 mg %; after discontinuation of the treatment the concentration again fell to the original level. A moderate, but statistically certain effect of the therapy was observed on the condition of the hands. Thus, during the treatment the volume of the palmar concavity decreased from 18.2 to 13.2 ml, and the angle between the fifth finger and the palmar surface increased by 14.7°. The improvement continued for some time after discontinuation of the therapy, but some regression had taken place on examination 350 days after the end of the alpha-tocopherol treatment.

Alteration of human pancreatic secretions by pancreatic and ampullary carcinoma. A computer-aided analysis of isoelectric focusing patterns

Abstract Human pancreatic secretions obtained from patients with pancreatic carcinoma and carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater differ significantly from those obtained from patients without pancreatic disease. Differences were also apparent between secretions from the two types of carcinoma cited above. This was shown by computer analysis of the isoelectric focusing protein patterns from 30 specimens. Average densitometric tracings ± the standard deviation were prepared by the computer for the acidic portion (pH 3–5.7) of the pH 3–10 isoelectric focusing patterns for each group of ten specimens. In this pH region 19 bands were located by the computer. The major bands had isoelectric points of 4.7, 5.0, 5.2, and 5.7.

Thromboplastin Activities of Human Arterial and Venous Tissues.

Summary Determinations were made of thromboplastin activities of the various layers of the human aorta, pulmonary artery, and inferior vena cava. The activity measurements were performed at 30°C by a modification of Astrups procedure. Thromboplastin values of the vascular samples were expressed in percentages of average activity of the grey matter of human brain tissue, using the double logarithmic plot for the calculation. The mean activities found for the intima, media, and adventitia of normal aortic samples were, respectively, 3.4, 2.8, and 1.8% of human brain tissue (grey matter). Moderately lower values were observed for fibrous-lipid arteriosclerotic tissue portions, and extremely low thromboplastin activities were recorded for ulcerated tissue areas. The layers of the inferior vena cava usually showed activities of the same order of magnitude as those found for the aorta (intima, 3.5; media, 3.0), whereas significantly lower thromboplastin values were recorded for the intima (1.2) and media (1.4) of the pulmonary artery samples.

Sialic acid content of human arterial and venous tissue

Summary Determinations were made of the sialic acid concentrations of various types of human arterial and venous tissue samples. The analyses were performed by Svennerholms method. The mean sialic acid concentrations observed for the intima-media layers of normal tissue portions, expressed in percentages of wet tissue weight, were: aorta 0.178; pulmonary artery 0.115; coronary artery 0.107; brachial artery 0.107; inferior vena cava 0.058; and brachial vein 0.053. Assays of aortic adventitia specimens revealed an average sialic acid content of 0.085 %. An increase with age in the sialic acid tissue concentration was observed for the aortic and coronary artery samples whereas a decrease was recorded for the inferior vena cava. Analyses of atherosclerotic aortic tissue portions showed a tendency for the sialic acid content to decrease in connection with the progressive development of the atherosclerosis.

Techniques for reproducible transient-state isoelectric focusing of human pancreatic secretory proteins with computer-assisted pattern matching, averaging, and analysis

Abstract A new technique is described for obtaining reproducible transient-state isoelectric focusing patterns of human pancreatic secretory proteins. This method is excellent for preservation of the proteins for further analysis because of the avoidance of urea, the short running times, and low temperatures. The protein patterns were analyzed on a point-by-point basis by a computer using an extension of our previously published method (Allan, B. J., Kirk, J., and White, T. T., 1978, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. , 85 , 1239–1246). It was possible with these techniques to subtract various types of backgrounds and to construct average densitometric tracings for statistical analysis.

Effect of Oral Thiamine Administration on Thiamine Content of the Stool.

Summary The daily oral administration of 5 mg of thiamine hydrochloride in tablet form to 12 young and 21 old individuals was followed by an increase of the fecal thiamine excretion corresponding to one—half to three—fourths of the thiamine dose given. The fecal excretion of thiamine returned to the original level after the thiamine supplementation had been discontinued.

Hexosamine-Synthesizing Enzyme in Human Arterial Tissue.

Summary Determinations were made of the hexosamine-synthetase activities exhibited by intima-media layers of various types of human blood vessels. A total of 125 vascular specimens was included in the study. The activity measurements were performed by a modification of the procedure described by Bolognani et al. The average quantity of hexosamine synthesized in 20 minutes by one gram of thoracic descending aorta was .606 mg; corresponding values for the ascending aorta, abdominal aorta, pulmonary artery, coronary artery, cerebral arteries, and inferior vena cava were, respectively, .720, .726, .450, .450, .372, and .618. No significant difference was observed between the activity of normal and arteriosclerotic tissue from the same arterial specimens.

Transaminasen-Aktivität in normalem und arteriosklerotisch verändertem Arteriengewebe des Menschen

ZusammenfassungAn insgesamt 106 Gewebsproben wurde die Aktivität der GOT und GPT im optischen Test gemessen. Arteriosklerotische Gefäßabschnitte haben eine deutlich höhere Fermentaktivität als makroskopisch normale Gefäße. Nennenswerte Unterschiede innerhalb der physiologischen Alterung wurden nicht gefunden.SummaryThe transaminase activities (GOT and GPT) have been determined in 106 samples of various types of human blood vessels by use of a colorimetric method. Distinctly higher enzyme activities were observed for arteriosclerotic than for normal tissue sections, whereas no statistically significant change in enzyme activity was found with age.

Coenzyme A content of human arterial and venous tissue.

Summary Determinations were made of the coenzyme A concentration in various types of human blood vessels. The coenzyme A analyses were performed by assay of pantothenic acid liberated through treatment of tissue samples with purified intestinal alkaline phosphatase and acetone powder of hog kidney extract. The quantitatively released pantothenic acid was measured microbiologically by the Lactobacillus plantarum procedure. A total of 257 vascular samples were included in the study. The mean coenzyme A concentrations observed for intima-media layers of normal tissue portions expressed as U/g of wet tissue, were: ascending aorta, 4.37; descending thoracic aorta, 5.50; abdominal aorta, 7.28; pulmonary artery, 7.03; coronary artery, 8.15; and inferior vena cava, 7.60. Analyses of atherosclerotic tissue portions consisting mainly of lipid deposits showed essentially similar coenzyme A levels as in the normal tissue, whereas markedly lower values were recorded for fibrous atherosclerotic plaques.