Effect of abnormal atmospheric pressure conditions upon mouse liver δ-aminolevulinic acid synthetase activity

Liver δ-aminolevulinic acid synthetase activity was measured in mice living under abnormal atmospheric pressure conditions for 15 h. In the group living under low atmospheric pressure (51 kPa) the enzymic activity, either basal or induced by starvation and/or allylisopropylacetamide, was significantly (p<0.001) lower than that of the control group. In the group living under high atmospheric pressure (153 kPa) the enzymic activity was significantly (p<0.001) higher than the one of the controls. Our results might possibly be explained by changes in the cellular redox state, the heme oxygenase activity or the serum erythropoietin levels

Duodenogastric Reflux before and after Surgical or Medical Therapy for Duodenal Ulcer

Duodenogastric reflux was studied in 48 duodenal ulcer patients before and after medical (n = 8) or surgical therapy with either combined truncal vagotomy and gastrojejunostomy (n = 13) or pyloroplasty (n = 12), Polya partial gastrectomy (n = 8), or highly selective vagotomy (n = 7). Seven healthy subjects served as controls. The reflux was assessed both by using 99mTc diethyliminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scintigraphy and by measuring intragastric bile acid levels following endoscopic gastric juice aspiration. Before therapy, duodenal ulcer patients had significantly higher intragastric bile acid concentrations than did normal subjects (p < 0.001). After truncal vagotomy and drainage, or partial gastrectomy, bile acid levels increased significantly, whereas they remained unchanged after medical therapy. Conversely, they were found to be significantly decreased after highly selective vagotomy. The results of HIDA scan measurements were compatible with those of gastric juice bile acids. We conclude that surgical treatment for duodenal ulcer by highly selective vagotomy is the only form of therapy, among the types considered, that leads to a reduction in duodenogastric reflux. It is of interest that medical therapy of the duodenal ulcer does not improve abnormal duodenogastric reflux, possibly contributing to both the failure of the medical treatment and recurrence of the ulcer. Copyright © 1990, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserve

Some parameters of haem synthesis in dialysed and non‐dialysed uraemic patients

Some parameters of haem synthesis were estimated in 60 uraemic patients (30 nondialysed, 30 dialysed) and in 30 matched controls. Serum δ‐aminolaevulinic acid and erythrocyte coproporphyrin and protoprophyrin were found significantly higher in the non‐dialysed uraemics than in the controls. Erythrocyte δ‐aminolaevulinic acid dehydrase (ALA‐D) activity was 498 ± 174 μmol/h.l in the non‐dialysed patients, 321 ± 146 in the dialysed (just before haemodialysis) and 833 ± 281 in the healthy controls, the differences between these groups all being statistically significant (p < 0,001). After haemodialysis the enzymic activity in the dialysed group increased significantly (380 ± 167, p < 0.001), but remained lower than normal (p < 0,001). A similar pattern ‐ although with less statistical significance of the differences between groups ‐was observed concerning erythrocyte uroporphyrinogen I synthase activity. Incubation of normal erythrocytes with uraemic plasma resulted in a considerable decrease of their ALA‐D activity (from 830 ± 263 to 616 ± 126) while incubation of uraemic erythrocytes with normal plasma increased their ALA‐D (from 384 ± 139 to 494 ± 77). Addition of zinc in the haemolysate caused a similar induction of ALA‐D in both controls and uraemics. The zinc‐induced uraemic ALA‐D practically reached normal levels. The mechanism of enzymic depression and the possible role of elevated δ‐aminolaevulinic acid concentrations (to which depressed ALA‐D activity considerably contributes) in the pathogenesis of the neurologic manifestations of uraemia, are discussed. © Munksgaard 198