Joan Mestern

Cerebrospinal fluid glutamic oxalacetic transaminase and lactic dehydrogenase activities in children with neurologic disorders

The cerebrospinal fluid glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (GOT) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) activities of 106 children with neurologic disorders and of 41 neurologically normal children in the same age group were investigated. Definite increases in LDH activity were observed in patients with acute bacterial meningitis but not in those with viral infections of the central nervous system. An increase in LDH activity was also seen in patients with hydrocephalus studied prior to operative correction, whereas only minimal elevation was noted after shunt procedures. Children with convulsive disorders showed only minimal changes in either enzyme activity. There was no correlation between GOT and LDH activity changes.

Effect of prolonged hypoxia on cerebrospinal fluid and plasma activity of GOT and LDH.

THE TRANSFER of the enzymes glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (COT) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) from plasma to cerebrospinal fluid is prevented normally by the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier.1-4 Elevated cerebrospinal fluid enzyme activity has been reported in dogs with experimental cerebral infarction and in human beings with cerebrovascular accidents and convulsions.:-D In an earlier investigation, we reported increased permeability of the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier to albumin I1:jl after prolonged hypoxia.10 The present study is concerned with the effect of prolonged hypoxia on the cerebrospinal fluid and plasma GOT and LDH activity in puppies as related to increased permeability of the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier.

Effect of convulsions on cerebrospinal fluid and plasma activity of glutamic oxalacetic transaminase and lactic dehydrogenase

INCREASED CEREBROSPINAL FLUID glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (GOT) activity has been reported in dogs with experimental cerebral infarction,l and elevation of cerebrospinal fluid GOT and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) activity has been observed in humans with cerebrovascular accidents and convulsions.= The blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier7-10 normally prevents transfer of GOT from plasma to cerebrospinal fluid. We have found, however, that prolonged seizures in puppies increase the permeability of the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier as determined by the marked increase in the transfer of radioiodinated human serum albumin (RIHSA) from plasma to the cerebrospinal fluid.11 The purposes of this study were to evaluate (1) the effect of prolonged convulsions on the cerebrospinal fluid and plasma GOT and LDH activity in puppies and (2) whether the increased enzyme activity in the cerebrospinal fluid reflects changes in blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier permeability.

The Relationship of Hypercapnia to the Production of Kernicterus

Previous work had established that increased permeability of the blood‐cerebrospinal fluid barrier can be induced in puppies by hypercapnia, hypoxia and/or convulsions.

A comparison of vitamin C in mothers and their premature newborn infants

Summary 1. A comparison of the vitamin C in mothers and their premature newborn infants was made by means of the intradermal test. 2. The average intradermal test time for premature newborn infants was 4.9 minutes, and for their mothers, 9.1 minutes. This was similar to the fulterm newborn-maternal relationship. 3. The premature, like the full-term newborn, has a good vitamin C level at birth even where the mother is depleted. 4. 50 mg. of ascorbic acid daily begun in the first week insures continued good tissue concentrations of vitamin C.

The induction of vitamin C subnutrition: A comparison of intradermal tests with plasma ascorbic acid levels*

S CURVY is rare, but vitamin C subnutrition is sufficiently common to warrant serious attention not only by students of nutrition but also by practicing physicians. In vitamin C subnutrition there are no clinical signs or symptoms of scurvy. The diagnosis can be made ~ only by the history and laboratory findings. In the history one looks for the four frequent factors in the production of vitamin C subnutrition: