Plasma renin concentrations in cases with renovascular hypertension

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Renin-angiotensin system in pregnant South African blacks

Plasma renin activity was measured in the arterial blood, peripheral venous blood, uterine venous blood and in the urine of pregnant South African Blacks, 14 normotensives and 19 with specific hypertensive disease. In addition renin activity was measured in the umbilical venous blood of the babies delivered by Caesarean section of these women. The renin activity was significantly lower in the blood of the specific hypertensive disease subjects than in the normotensives, but significantly higher in the urine of the hypertensive disease cases. Renin activity of the babies of the hypertensive and control subjects did not differ significantly.S. Afr. Med. J., 48, 302 (1974)

The mineral and lipid composition of the arteries of white and bantu children

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Suggested changes in the medical curriculum

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Die Basaalmetabolisme-snelheid van blanke en bantoeverpleegsters

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Maternal obesity is associated with the formation of small dense LDL and hypoadiponectinemia in the third trimester

Context: Maternal obesity is associated with high plasma triglyceride, poor vascular function, and an increased risk for pregnancy complications. In normal-weight pregnant women, higher triglyceride is associated with increased small, dense low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Hypothesis: In obese pregnancy, increased plasma triglyceride concentrations result in triglyceride enrichment of very low-density lipoprotein-1 particles and formation of small dense LDL via lipoprotein lipase. Design: Women (n = 55) of body mass index of 18–46 kg/m2 were sampled longitudinally at 12, 26, and 35 weeks' gestation and 4 months postnatally. Setting: Women were recruited at hospital antenatal appointments, and study visits were in a clinical research suite. Outcome Measures: Plasma concentrations of lipids, triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, lipoprotein lipase mass, estradiol, steroid hormone binding globulin, insulin, glucose, leptin, and adiponectin were determined. Results: Obese women commenced pregnancy with higher plasma triglyceride, reached the same maximum, and then returned to higher postnatal levels than normal-weight women. Estradiol response to pregnancy (trimester 1–3 incremental area under the curve) was positively associated with plasma triglyceride response (r2 adjusted 25%, P < .001). In the third trimester, the proportion of small, dense LDL was 2-fold higher in obese women than normal-weight women [mean (SD) 40.7 (18.8) vs 21.9 (10.9)%, P = .014], and 35% of obese, 14% of overweight, and none of the normal-weight women displayed an atherogenic LDL subfraction phenotype. The small, dense LDL mass response to pregnancy was inversely associated with adiponectin response (17%, P = .013). Conclusions: Maternal obesity is associated with an atherogenic LDL subfraction phenotype and may provide a mechanistic link to poor vascular function and adverse pregnancy outcome

The liver in amoebic disease

During the past 8 years, 305 cases of amoebic disease have been examined at the Department of Diagnostic Radio-isotopes of the H. F. Verwoerd Hospital, Pretoria. Analysis of the data obtained by means of scintigraphy in 247 of these patients indicates that in vivo scintigraphy of the liver is a valuable method for the investigation of many aspects of the disease. Our observations on the localisation of the abscesses, the relationship between localisation and the frequency of complications, the macroscopical changes in the liver during the disease, the presence of a generalised reaction of the liver parenchyma to amoebae in some cases, and the healing rate of abscesses under different types of treatment, are reported in this article.S. Afr. Med. J., 48, 308 (1974)

Some physiological effects of a mainly fruit diet in man

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Preeclampsia is associated with compromized maternal synthesis of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids leading to offspring deficiency

Obesity and excessive lipolysis are implicated in preeclampsia (PE). Intrauterine growth restriction is associated with low maternal body mass index and decreased lipolysis. Our aim was to assess how maternal and offspring fatty acid metabolism is altered in mothers in the third trimester of pregnancy with PE (n=62) or intrauterine growth restriction (n=23) compared with healthy pregnancies (n=164). Markers of lipid metabolism and erythrocyte fatty acid concentrations were measured. Maternal adipose tissue fatty acid composition and mRNA expression of adipose tissue fatty acid–metabolizing enzymes and placental fatty acid transporters were compared. Mothers with PE had higher plasma triglyceride (21%, P<0.001) and nonesterified fatty acid (50%, P<0.001) concentrations than controls. Concentrations of major n−6 and n−3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in erythrocytes were 23% to 60% lower (all P<0.005) in PE and intrauterine growth restriction mothers and offspring compared with controls. Subcutaneous adipose tissue Δ−5 and Δ−6 desaturase and very long-chain fatty acid elongase mRNA expression was lower in PE than controls (respectively, mean [SD] control 3.38 [2.96] versus PE 1.83 [1.91], P=0.030; 3.33 [2.25] versus 1.03 [0.96], P<0.001; 0.40 [0.81] versus 0.00 [0.00], P=0.038 expression relative to control gene [square root]). Low maternal and fetal long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations in PE may be the result of decreased maternal synthesis