Biomedical subjects
A Goldberg
Publications and source records attributed to A Goldberg.
Maternal lead levels after alterations to water supply.
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Repositioning of fast and slow skeletal muscle.
The origins of the rat fast plantaris and slow soleus muscles were surgically reversed and their fibre types and contractile properties examined in vitro up to 12 weeks post surgery. Muscles in which the origins had been severed and then immediately sutured back in place served as one control group. Unoperated animals served as a second control group. As compared to these groups, no significant differences in the histochemical or mechanical properties of the repositioned muscles were detected. Under the conditions of the experiments, no evidence was obtained to indicate that the intrinsic properties of a muscle could be altered by changing its site of origin and thus its functional environment.
Survivors of the holocaust and their children: current status and adjustment.
A group of 52 concentration camp and other survivors of World War II were compared with a control group of 29 persons of similar European and religious background. Forty-seven children of these survivors and 16 children from the comparison group were also evaluated. The psychological adjustment of both group of adults and their children was within the normal range. Cultural rather than specific survivor influences were noted in the present attitudes and behaviors of the parents. There were no significant differences between the survivor and control group children on any of the psychological variables or in thier attitudes and behaviors toward their parents. Based on these findings, we questioned notions of survivor guilt, the manifestation of emotional blunting in the survivors, and the extremely maladaptive psychological influence of their parents' experiences on the children of survivors.
Ten years of The Medicines Act.
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Diploma in pharmaceutical medicine.
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Abnormal haem biosynthesis in chronic alcoholics.
The activities of six of the enzymes of haem biosynthesis have been examined in eleven chronic alcoholics admitted to hospital for alcohol withdrawal. The mitochondrial enzymes delta-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) synthase, coproporphyrinogen oxidase and ferrochelatase were monitored in peripheral leucocytes and the cytosolic enzymes ALA dehydratase, uroporphyrinogen-1-synthase and uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase in peripheral erythrocytes. Compared with control subjects the activity of the initial and rate controlling enzyme of the pathway, ALA synthase, was increased (P less than 0.01) and the activities of ALA dehydratase and uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase depressed (P less than 0.01, P less than 0.02 respectively) on the day after admission but all returned to normal by the tenth to twentieth days after alcohol withdrawal. This stimulation of ALA synthase and inhibition of uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase explains the mechanism by which chronic alcohol ingestion may precipitate cutaneous hepatic porphyria. Two of the alcoholics were anaemic without evidence of haematinic deficiency and this was associated with depressed ferrochelatase activity and iron and porphyrin accumulation. The anaemia and related biochemical abnormalities in these two subjects were all corrected with alcohol withdrawal. It is proposed that inhibition of ferrochelatase activity is the biochemical basis of alcohol related sideroblastic anaemia.
Effect of iron poly (sorbitolgluconic acid) complex on urinary cellular excretion.
The intramuscular injection of 250 mg iron poly (sorbitol-gluconic acid) complex caused no increase in urinary cellular or bacterial excretion in 8 patients with chronic pyelonephritis, 4 patients with non-infective renal disease, and 4 controls. However, in 4 patients with chronic infective disease of the renal tract given 500 g there was a significant increase in cellular excretion. This response was not seen in 2 control patients, nor in 2 patients with non-infective renal disease. Using a differential staining technique, this increase in urinary cellular excretion was found to be due, not to leucocytes, but to renal tubular cells. The precise significance of this is unclear, but there would be concern that the high concentration of excreted iron was providing a 'toxic' insult to susceptible, infection-damaged cells.
The Committee on Safety of Medicines.
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Left perihilar density in a patient with respiratory failure.
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Treatment with haematin in acute hepatic porphyria.
We report our experience with intravenous haematin in the treatment of 13 attacks of acute porphyria in eight patients. Seven patients had acute intermittent porphyria and one variegate porphyria. Peripheral neuropathy was a feature of nine of the attacks and in two the neuropathy necessitated assisted ventilation. The haematin lowered the urinary excretion of porphyrins and precursors in all patients by approximately 50 per cent of the pre-haematin values. It also repressed the activity of delta-aminolaevulinic acid synthetase, the rate-controlling enzyme of haem biosynthesis, in peripheral leucocytes in seven of the nine patients in whom it was monitored. The clinical response was less consistent, with clinical improvement accompanying only half of the courses. The two patients with respiratory paralysis died. There was localized phlebitis at the injection site following five of the courses but no other side-effects were noted. Previously published reports of haematin therapy for acute porphyria are reviewed. These consist of 45 courses in 32 patients. Biochemical improvement was a consistent finding. Clinical response has been less consistent. Twenty-four of the courses were associated with sustained improvement, ten with temporary improvement--relapse occurring within two to 14 days (three fatal). In eleven there was no improvement and three died.
The percutaneous absorption of lead-203 in humans from cosmetic preparations containing lead acetate, as assessed by whole-body counting and other techniques.
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The activities of the enzymes of haem biosynthesis in the porphyrias and during treatment of acute intermittent porphyrias.
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Induction of delta-aminolaevulinic acid synthase in leucocytes of patients on phenytoin therapy--comparison with changes in rat hepatic tissue.
1 In rats daily phenytoin (DPH) administration resulted in an increase in hepatic cytochrome P450 content. The rise in cytochrome P450 was associated with a temporary increase in the acitvity of hepatic delta-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) synthase. 2 In patients newly commenced on DPH anticonvulsant therapy the activity of ALA synthase in peripheral leucocytes showed a marked temporary increase during the first 10 days of therapy. 3 These findings suggest that DPH induces a haem-requiring eenzyme system in peripheral leucocytes as well as in hepatic tissue.
Acute ethanol ingestion and haem biosynthesis in healthy subjects.
The effects of acute ethanol ingestion on the activities of the enzymes of haem biosynthesis in peripheral blood cells have been monitored in eight healthy subjects. The mitochondrial enzymes delta-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) synthase, coproporphyrinogen oxidase and ferrochelatase were measured in leucocytes and the cytosolic enzymes ALA dehydratase, porphobilinogen (PBG) deaminase and uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase in erythrocytes. Ingestion of 1 . 316 mol ethanol resulted in increased activity of the rate-controlling enzymes ALA synthase and PBG deaminase and decreased activity of the other four enzymes. There was also increased urinary excretion of coproporphyrin. These observations may be relevant to the biochemical mechanisms involved in the ethanol-related conditions, sideroblastic anaemia, cutaneous hepatic porphyria and hepatic siderosis.
The use of the Denver Developmental Screening Test in infant welfare clinics.
The results of a single Denver Developmental Screening Test performed at the age of nine months on 823 infants attending maternal and child health centres were compared with the developmental information recorded by public health nurses during their routine well-baby care of these same infants. The single Denver test detected a significantly greater number of infants with developmental delay than did the routine observations, and the nurses tended to under-use the available resources for developmental assessment. Suggestions are made for more effective use of maternal and child health centres in the primary recognition of developmental delay.
A pharmacokinetic and clinical evaluation of iron poly (sorbitol-gluconic acid) complex.
The pharmacokinetics of iron poly (sorbitol-gluconic acid) complex (IPSG) were studied following a single intramuscular injection of 59Fe-labelled IPSG to 4 iron deficient-patients. The results showed a more rapid uptake of iron from the site of injection than that reported with iron dextran while there was a lower urinary excretion than found with iron sorbitol citrate. A clinical study was carried out in 11 patients with iron deficiency anaemia. Patients were allocated at random to receive IPSG as either 250 mg or 500 mg elemental iron per week for 8 weeks. A satisfactory response to therapy was obtained with each regimen whether measured by an increase in haemoglobin concentration or in serum ferritin concentration. Few side-effects were encountered but discomfort and staining at the injection site was found on the higher dose schedule.
Acute hepatic porphyrias.
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