[Health status, longevity and causes of death of 100-year-old humans].
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to H Franke.
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Acute intoxication of the rat liver with a single dose of 100 mg thioacetamide (TAA)/kg body weight causes within 48 h a fatty liver and a heterogeneous reaction in the hepatocytes. This affects principally the centrilobular liver parenchymal cells (zone 3) and to a lesser extent the periportal ones (zone 1). Ultrastructural analysis was performed to determine to what extent the formation of lipid-carrying particles of the very low density type (VLDL) is changed in affected hepatocytes in zones 1 and 3. Being morphologically the most conspicuous site of VLDL processing, the Golgi complex was chosen for quantitation by measuring its volume, VLDL content and particle size. The concentration and composition of the liver lipids were determined, biochemically. After TAA treatment of the liver the number of Golgi-VLDL particles is significantly reduced to about 50% in both the lobular zones examined. In addition, distinct classes of size-modified Golgi-VLDL particles appear which show an abnormally wide size distribution pattern. In periportal hepatocytes the size distribution of Golgi-VLDL particles shows a clear shift towards smaller particles homogeneous in size (mean diameter 39 nm). In contrast, centrilobular hepatocytes contain particles of very heterogeneous size, the mean diameter of which is nearly doubled (77 nm). The decrease in VLDL particle number and their size modification induced by TAA is not accompanied by significant changes in the volume of the Golgi complex. Biochemical analysis showed that the accumulation of lipids in the TAA-treated liver, mainly evident morphologically as drop-like deposits in the central area of the liver lobules, is due to an increase in triglycerides (TG) by 23 mumol/g liver wet weight, which represents nearly 95% of the accumulated lipids. Despite the striking elevation of the absolute cholesterol ester (CHOL-E) content (2 mumol/g liver wet weight), this corresponds to only 5% of the newly accumulated lipids. Our electron optical and biochemical results support the suggestion that, in spite of the markedly different intralobular reaction of TAA-intoxicated hepatocytes, the formation of triglyceride-carrying particles is altered significantly in both lobular zones examined.
Age differences in the characteristics of the circadian rhythm in circulating radioimmunoassayable aldosterone were studied on nine 20 to 26 year-old and ten 70 to 78 year-old women and ten 23 to 26 year old and ten 70 to 80 year old men in Würzburg, West Germany. These diurnally active-nocturnally resting subjects were sampled every 3 hours for 15 hours. A classical analysis of variance and a multivariate analysis of rhythm characteristics revealed major effects of age exerted on the circadian aldosterone amplitude in women (p = 0.003) but not in concomitantly sampled men. These observations complement the study of circadian and circannual rhythms in 8 young adults (15-21 years), 10 mature adults (29-36 years) and 10 post-menopausal (44-59 years) North American women, sampled at 100 minute intervals for 24 hours, once in each season, and document that the adrenocortical aldosterone-producing system remains rhythmic with at least two frequencies up to the late decades of human life, although in women it may be characterized by a reduction in the extent of spectral change after 70 years of age.
The concentration of alpha- and beta-globulins in the serum can be increased by exposure of the globulin-producing tissue of the liver to ultrasound. The ultrasound intensities producing this effect are harmless according to our present knowledge. Especially the concentration of the globulin carcinoembryonic antigen in the serum can be increased significantly by exposure of CEA-producing carcinomas to ultrasound. There is to investigate the possibility of the early detection of CEA-producing tumors using a provocation test by way of increasing still normal spontaneous CEA-concentrations in the serum by insonation of body regions in question to significant pathologic serum concentrations.
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Nine 20- to 26-year-old and ten 70- to 78-year-old diurnally active, nocturnally resting women in Würzburg, Federal Republic of Germany, gave blood at 0700, 1000, 1300, 1600, 1900, and 2200 for radioimmunoassay of aldosterone. Single and population-mean cosinors were applied. A multivariate analysis of circadian rhythm characteristics revealed effects of age on the amplitude (p = .003) but not the mesor of aldosterone in women (i.e., the age effect could only be detected at certain circadian times but not at others). No change with age was found for concomitantly sampled men. Statistically significant interactions among circadian time, age, and sex (p = .001) establish the adrenocorticopause in women and suggest that it may occur earlier in women than in men, in keeping with similar results on serum cortisol in the same subjects. This phenomenon awaits scrutiny from the viewpoint of its bearing on longevity and life quality. These results also indicate the importance of assessing chronobiological characteristics.
The care of the elderly covers a wide spectrum: 1, The prophylaxis of the relatively healthy olds. 2, The somatic, psychic and social care of the handicapped aged. 3, The treatment of special illnesses in old age. The gerotherapy must consider the characteristics of the biological age and the degree of the multimorbidity. I. General principles of therapy. The guide-lines of gerohygiene (diet, physical and mental activity, limitation of alcohol and sexuality, regular medical check-ups for registration of risk factors) have to be taken into consideration. The existing multimorbidities in high age should not be treated simultaneously in a polypragmatic way, but according to the prevailing illness with the least possible medicine. II. Special principles of therapy. In the early stage of heart insufficiency in long-lived persons low doses of Digoxin should be used. For aged with kidney insufficiency Digitoxin is preferable. Even in over 90 year old heart patients with the life threatening AV-block the implantation of the intracardial pacemaker is indicated. The myocardial infarction in very old patients developes mostly atypical and should not be treated with coumarin. The more severe hypertension in old age can be treated with low doses of beta-blocking substances in combination with a potassium saving diuretic and low doses of cardiac glycosides. Finally, the frequent sleep disturbances and their therapy in old age are mentioned. The brain function of elderly people depends on the quality of cardiac output and circulation.
The insulin-hypoglycemia-test seems to be an appropriate instrument for the examination of the hormonal ability to adapt, even at old age, whereby especially accurate control is necessary. Although older patients of our policlinic show lower basic cortisol- and HGH-values, the increase of catecholamines, cortisol and HGH is not diminished, thus demonstrating a satisfying stress-adaptability. We relate the fact, that in literature the basic cortisol- and HGH-levels are also found to be mostly normal, to the different criteria in the selection of patients.
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This is a report on an intentional, direct, intravaginal and transdouglacal genital lesion during a fit of jealousy on the part of the alcoholized partner, caused postcoitally by means of a glass bottle of brandy of 0.35 l capacity. The bottle remained in the peritoneal cavity for 23 hours. After laparotomy had been performed, it was necessary to extirpate the uterus and its left adnexae. Wound healing proceeded without complications. No lesions or functional disorders of the pelvic organs were seen subsequently.
Surface fluorescence of reduced pyridine nucleotide (PN) was recorded continously with a DC fluorormeter and correlated with changes in experimental conditions. As a light source for fluorescence excitation, an Hg arc lamp with a 340-375 nm filter in front was used; the fluorescence response of reduced PN was measured at 450-510 nm. The DC fluormeter and the Hg arc lamp were connected to the kidney by a trifurcated fiber optics light guide. Reduced PN fluorescence emission was corrected for changes in tissue opacity by a 1:1 subtraction of reflectance changes at 340-375 nm from the fluorescence (PN-deltaR). To obtain further information about the PN redox state of the total surface area of kidney cortex and to evaluate whether certain areas were insufficiently perfused, fluorescence photographs of the total surface area were taken. The results demonstrate that the described method is simple and provides specific information about the mitochondrial oxidation reduction state.