Growth hormone versus placebo treatment for one year in growth hormone deficient adults: increase in exercise capacity and normalization of body composition

OBJECTIVE: Studies with GH substitution in GH-deficient (GHD) adults lasting more than 6 months have so far been uncontrolled. End-points such as physical fitness and body composition may be subject to a considerable placebo effect which weakens the validity of open studies. We therefore tested GH (2 IU/m2 per day) versus placebo treatment for 12 months. DESIGN: Twenty-nine patients (mean age 45.5 +/- 2.0 years) with adult-onset GHD were studied in a double-blind, parallel design. Measurements of body composition by means of conventional anthropometry, bioelectrical impedance (BIA), CT scan and DEXA scan, exercise capacity, and isometric muscle strength were performed at baseline and after 12 months treatment. For body composition measurements a control group of 39 healthy, age and sex-matched subjects was included. RESULTS: Sum of skinfolds (SKF) at 4 sites decreased significantly after GH treatment. Total body fat (TBF) as assessed by DEXA and BIA was elevated at baseline but normalized after GH. TBF assessed by SKF revealed significantly higher levels compared to DEXA and BIA, although all estimates intercorrelated closely. Visceral and subcutaneous abdominal fat decreased by 25 and 17%, respectively after GH (P < 0.01) to levels no longer different from the control group. CT of the mid thigh revealed a significant reduction in fat tissue and a significant increase in muscle volume after GH treatment, both of which resulted in a normalization of the muscle: fat ratio (%) (placebo: 58:42 (baseline) vs 58:42 (12 months); GH: 66:34 (baseline) vs 72:28 (12 months) (P = 0.002); normal subjects: 67:33 (P < 0.05 when compared to 12 months placebo data)). Total body resistance and resistance relative to muscle volume decreased significantly after GH treatment suggesting over-hydration as compared to normal subjects. Exercise capacity (kJ) increased significantly after GH treatment (placebo: 54.7 +/- 9.8 (baseline) vs 51.6 +/- 8.2 (12 months); GH: 64.9 +/- 13.3 (baseline) vs 73.5 +/- 13.6 (12 months) (P < 0.05)). Isometric quadriceps strength increased after GH but no treatment effect could be detected owing to a small increase in the placebo group. Serum IGF-I levels (microgram/l) were low baseline and increased markedly after GH treatment to a level exceeding that of normal subjects (270 +/- 31 (12 months GH) vs 156 +/- 8 (normal subjects (P < 0.01)). The levels of serum electrolytes and HbA1c remained unchanged. The number of adverse effects were higher in the GH group after 3 months, but not after 6 and 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: (1) The reduction in excess visceral fat during GH substitution is pronounced and sustained; (2) beneficial effects on total body fat, muscle volume and physical fitness can be reproduced during prolonged placebo-controlled conditions; (3) uncontrolled data on muscle strength must be interpreted with caution; (4) a daily GH substitution dose of 2 IU/m2 seems too high in many adult patients.     

Constitutive nitric oxide synthase is expressed and nitric oxide-mediated relaxation is preserved in retrieved human aortocoronary vein grafts

Although little is known about the endothelial cell function of human saphenous vein coronary artery bypass grafts, there is evidence to suggest that receptor-activated, endothelial-dependent relaxation mediated by nitric oxide is impaired. This study examines the expression and function of endothelial cell constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) of aortocoronary vein bypass grafts and human saphenous veins obtained from 10 patients undergoing repeat coronary artery bypass grafting for recurrent ischemic symptoms. Following precontraction with norepinephrine (10(-5) M), responses to acetylcholine (receptor-mediated, endothelium-dependent), calcium ionophore (A23187; receptor-independent, endothelium-dependent), and sodium nitroprusside (endothelium-independent) were assessed. Following total RNA extraction using phenol/guanidinium isothiocyanate from specimens of human saphenous vein and vein graft, a quantitative RNase Protection Assay (RPA) was performed using a cRNA riboprobe corresponding to a fragment of the human endothelial cell cNOS gene. Histologically, the vein grafts showed both intimal hyperplasia development and focal atherosclerosis formation compared to the saphenous veins. Scanning electron microscopy of the saphenous veins and the vein grafts showed an intact endothelium. Precontracted vein grafts did not relax in response to acetylcholine; in contrast, the saphenous vein relaxed in a dose-dependent manner to reach a maximal relaxation of 19 +/- 4% precontracted tension. Saphenous veins and vein grafts relaxed in response to A23187 with maximal relaxation of 92 +/- 5 and 73 +/- 13%, respectively. Both vessels relaxed in a dose dependent manner to sodium nitroprusside. RPA normalized to beta-actin showed similar levels of expression of endothelial cell cNOS equivalent to 1 pg of sense RNA in both the saphenous vein and vein graft.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Sulfidverteilung in der Randschicht von Stranggußbrammen

Ungefärbte Randzone in Schwefelabdrucken von Stranggußbrammenquerschnitten. Verteilung des Schwefels und der Sulfide in ungefärbten und gefärbten Zonen. Lichtmikroskopische und elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen. Einfluß einer Hochtemperaturglühung auf die Ausbildung der Sulfideinschlüsse. Deutung der ungefärbten Randzone. Anwendung in der Stranggießpraxis.     

Studies on subcellular fractions of human platelets by the lactoperoxidase-iodination technique

The iron-saturated and iron-free (apo) forms of bovine transferrin and lactoferrin were digested with trypsin and the digests analysed by column chromatography and electrophoresis. Both of the iron-saturated proteins were more resistant to proteolysis than the corresponding apoproteins, and iron-transferrin was more resistant than iron-lactoferrin. Digestion of iron-transferrin yielded two iron-binding fragments with molecular weights of 32 000 and 38 500 whereas apotransferrin yielded only the larger fragment. In digests of lactoferrin, up to five different fragments with molecular weights ranging from 25 000 to 52 700 were detected, there being no obvious qualitative difference between digests of iron-lactoferrin and apolactoferrin. The susceptibility of apolactoferrin to tryptic digestion was only slightly reduced when apolactoferrin was complexed with beta-lactoglobulin, suggesting that complex-formation is not a mechanism for protecting lactoferrin against intestinal degradation. There was no immunological cross reaction between bovine transferrin or its digestion products against anti-lactoferrin antiserum, or vice-versa.     

Factor analysis of the WISC-R for a group of mentally retarded children and adolescents.

Administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Revised (WISC--R) to 80 retarded youngsters ranging in CA from 6 to 16 yrs. Scaled scores on the 12 tests were correlated, and the matrix was subjected to several factor-analytic techniques. The 3 factors identified for normal children in a previous study of the WISC--R (Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Organization, and Freedom from Distractibility) also emerged for the retardates, although some differences were observed in the distractibility factor. The WISC--R factor structure for retardates was also similar to the structure of the 1949 WISC that was identified for several groups of institutionalized and noninstitutionalized retardates. Results of the studies involving the 1949 WISC are reviewed critically to help understand the implications of the present findings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Empathy: Review of available measures.

There is no evidence that the George Washington Social Intelligence Test measures anything distinct from verbal intelligence, while the Chapin Social Insight Test has insufficient research to make any determination of its validity. Lengthy administration time, inadequate standardized scoring, and questionable validity plague R. F. Dymond's (1949) rating test of insight and empathy. The literature on the Empathy Test suggest that its validity is also questionable. Although the empathy scale developed by R. Hogan (1969) and the questionnaire measure of emotional empathy (QMEE) of A. Mehrabian and N. Epstein (1972) have adequate validity, they seem to measure 2 different aspects of empathy. The literature on the QMEE indicates that it is measuring vicarious emotional arousal and may tap a general tendency to be arousable in various situations. The literature on the Hogan empathy scale, however, indicates that this scale is measuring role-taking ability and may tap an aspect of adequate social functioning. (96 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Zum Stand der kontinuierlichen Extraktion von Feststoffen mit überkritischen Gasen

Stage of Continuous Extraction of Solid Material by Overcritical Gases Up to now the extraction of solid material by overcritical gases has mainly been applied in smaller plants to obtain rather expensive valuable ingredients. It has proved because of its know advantages in opposite to the common solvent extraction. Gas extraction of mass products - for example removal of oil from oil seeds - however, seems not to be economic because of the due to the high pressure expensive batch process. In the meantime some apparative trials to carry out a continuous extraction of solid material have become known. Therefore a survey about various systems for continuous solid material transport through containers of different pressure is given. Simultaneously the applicability of these systems to the high pressure extraction is investigated.