Leland G. Hansen

Absorption of Vitamin A in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis Absorption Is Best with Emulsified Vitamin A Alcohol

Vitamin A absorption tests using vitamin A palmitate and alcohol separately in oil and oil-water emulsions were done on 43 patients with cystic fibrosis. Patients were given 7,000 units of vitamin A per kilogram of body weight with a fatty breakfast. Pancreatic enzymes were not given with the test meal and were withheld for five hours from start of test. Blood was drawn before administration of the vitamin and at three and five hours after administration. Serum vitamin A levels were estimated using the Carr-Price technique. The percentages of patients with normal vitamin A absorption were 85 with vitamin A alcohol in oil-water emulsion, 61 with vitamin A alcohol dissolved in oil, 64 with vitamin A palmitate in oil-water emulsion, and 19 with vitamin A palmitate in oil. The number of stools per day is an inverse indicator of retention time in the intestine. Absorption of fat soluble vitamins is always abnormal when a patient has four or more stools a day. The observations that cystic fibrosis patients with abnormal liver biopsies have poor absorption of vitamin A were not statistically significant. The ques tion of the effect of cirrhosis in cystic fibrosis on vitamin A absorption re mains unresolved.

Chest Calipers for Measurement of the Thoracic Index

Two long curved Plexiglass &dquo;fingers&dquo; are mounted on a wooden ruler which is 600 mm in length. The ends of the Plexiglass fingers have flat discs to insure that the measurements are being made perpendicular to the body axis. The base of the upper finger, exactly opposite its disc, is attached firmly to the zero point on the scale. The lower movable finger has an index line overriding the millimeter scale; this line corresponds accurately to the distance between the Plexiglass fingers. This movable finger is stabilized by spring tension and may be fixed with a set screw hold (Fig. 1).*

Disposable flow through slide chamber

Abstract An inexpensive disposable flow through slide chamber using double face tape is described. The chamber allows observation of the free movement and interaction of microscopic invertebrates and has sufficient chamber volume to sustain life for adequate study. It further has a flow through capacity allowing observation of microscopic invertebrates and cells in continuously changing environments.