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Biomedical subjects

J Clausen

Publications and source records attributed to J Clausen.

316 records · Page 18Linked to original sources
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Chromium induced clinical improvement in symptomatic hypoglycemia.

The present study included 20 patients indicating clinical symptoms of hypoglycemia, of which 19 showed a minimal glucose level in the tolerance curve above 2.2 mmol/L (limit for glucose induced hypoglycemia). This clinical state is defined here as "symptomatic hypoglycemia." All individuals were studied for effects of a daily intake for three mo of a yeast chromium supplement (125 micrograms Cr/d). The patients were followed by means of their oral glucose tolerance curve (1 g glucose/kg body wt) and by an interrogation scheme prior to during and after chromium supplementation. During three mo of chromium supplementation, a decrease was found in the negative part of the glucose tolerance curve, i.e., the part of the curve being below the fasting level in eight patients (40%). However, one mo after treatment, 10 patients out of 13 (77%) showed decreased areas of the negative part of the glucose tolerance curve compared to the values during treatment, and 11 out of 15 (73%) showed decreases in the negative part of the curve when post-treatment data were compared to ante-treatment data. The subjective clinical effects were followed by means of a questionnaire. Subjectively, the effects of organo-chromium were especially pronounced on chilliness. Thus seven (47%) indicated improvement and two (15%) indicated that the chilliness disappeared. However, trembling, emotional instability, and disorientation symptoms improved as well.

Adult↗
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Biochemical and clinical effects of an antioxidative supplementation of geriatric patients. A double blind study.

Ninety seven geriatric patients from two Danish homes for old people accepted to participate in a blinded experiment designed to counteract ageing phenomena. The subjects were split into two groups, i.e., the verum and the placebo group. The verum group received daily for one year an antioxidative cocktail consisting of: 300 micrograms selenium as L-selenomethionine, 45 mg zinc, 270 mg vitamin C, 2.7 mg vitamin A, 6 mg vitamin B-6, and 465 mg vitamin E (d-alfatocopherol). Furthermore, in order to enhance exchange in polyenoic acids, each subject received daily 250 mg gamma-linolenic acid. The placebo groups received similar looking pills and capsules without the active components. During one year in the verum group, the whole blood selenium, the hydrogen-dependent glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) of erythrocytes, and the vitamin E level in serum was found increased compared to the pretreatment values and to the placebo group. No change could be traced in the t-butylhydroperoxide dependent GSH-Px, an enzyme that also assays the glutathione-s-transferase. During the same period of time, the fasting levels of serum fatty acids and the content of lipofuscin in erythrocytes were estimated. Compared to the pretreatment values, the lipofuscin level declined significantly and the level of w-3 penta- and hexaenoic acids increased in the verum, but not in the placebo group. During the study period, slight, but significant improvements in psychological scores could be traced. Furthermore, the assays of bloodflow in different areas of the brain surface (i.e., the ISI values) revealed a general trend to improvement in all areas, when the ISI values were compared during treatment with the pretreatment values and the values in the placebo group.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of whole blood selenium values and erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activities of normal individuals on supplementation with selenate, selenite, L-selenomethionine, and high selenium yeast.

The selenium levels and the glutathione peroxidase activity GSH-PX of whole blood and of erythrocytes, respectively, were determined in 139 normal Danes and related to sex and smoking habits. No differences were found in relation to sex apart from a higher GSH-PX activity of females when assayed with tertiary butyl hydroperoxide. Smokers showed significantly lower selenium values than non-smokers (p less than 0.05), but the two groups had identical GSH-PX activities. Individuals from the above-mentioned group were divided into four groups, receiving daily oral doses of 200 micrograms of selenium in the form of selenite, selenate, L-selenomethionine, and selenium as contained in yeast. Whole blood selenium values and the erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activities were determined during three months of supplementation followed by a withdrawal period of four months. Both the inorganic selenium compounds and the organic derivatives gave rise to steady state levels of GSH-PX after one month of supplementation. However, the selenium levels in the groups receiving organic selenium showed a steady rise during the whole period, whereas those supplemented with inorganic selenium leveled off after a period of one to three months. The data for smokers and nonsmokers revealed identical results when organic selenium was supplemented. However, selenite gave rise to significantly higher selenium levels and GSH-PX activities in smokers than in non-smokers. Less significant (p less than 0.08) elevations of both parameters were also observed among the smokers in the selenate group. By taking both the selenium level and the GSH-PX activity into consideration, organic selenium (i.e., L-(+) selenomethionine) was judged to be more bioavailable than selenite and selenate.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Selenium in chronic neurologic diseases. Multiple sclerosis and Batten's disease.

The selenium levels in whole blood and the activity of glutathione peroxidase in hematogenous cells of normal Danes have been defined taking into account sex and confounding factors such as smoking and aging. No differences related to sex could be found with regard to the selenium level, and peroxidase activity assayed with hydrogen peroxide. However, the peroxidase activity assayed with t-butyl hydroperoxide was higher in females than in males (p less than .05). The peroxidase activities are dependent on age. Thus, the peroxidase levels assayed with both substrates show a minimum value in the age group from 40 to 50 yr for both smokers and nonsmokers. Smokers did show more homogeneous values as a function of age than nonsmokers. Smokers had significantly lower selenium values than nonsmokers, but glutathione peroxidase values identical with those of nonsmokers. Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients suffer from a chronic relapsing/remitting demyelinating disease. A theory explaining the pathogenesis of MS concerns increased stickiness of cellular plasma membranes, hampering normal vascular function of the brain. In agreement with that theory, the present communication demonstrates significantly lowered selenium values and lowered glutathione peroxidase activities of major types of hematogenous cells. In close agreement with these findings, hematogenous cells in MS show increased peroxidation rates. A nonblinded biochemical dietary experiment on MS patients showed that all abnormalities could be normalized by daily intake of selenium, vitamin E, and vitamin C. Batten's disease is a recessive inherited neurodegenerative disorder clinically characterized by progressive loss of vision, epilepsy, and dementia. Neuropathologically, this disease is characterized by storage of lipofuscin in nervous tissue. We have in a few cases documented a low selenium status and low glutathione peroxidase activities of hematogenous cells. As in MS, we normalized the biochemical abnormalities by an antioxidative treatment. Like in similar Finnish studies, the biochemical parameters can be normalized. Further, the Finnish studies indicate it possible by an antioxidative treatment to inhibit progression of the mental deterioration. The data presented will be discussed in relationship both to specific pathological parameters of the diseases and to the low dietary energy expenditures of handicapped immobile patients.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Iron status in 268 Danish women aged 18-30 years: influence of menstruation, contraceptive method, and iron supplementation.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of menstruation, method of contraception, and iron supplementation on iron status in young Danish women, and to assess whether iron deficiency could be predicted from the pattern of menstruation. Iron status was examined by measuring serum (S-) ferritin and hemoglobin (Hb) in 268 randomly selected, healthy, menstruating, nonpregnant Danish women aged 18-30 years. Iron deficiency (S-ferritin <16 microg/l) was observed in 9.7%, of the women, iron deficiency anemia (S-ferritin < 13 microg/l and Hb < 121 g/l) in 2.2%. Iron supplementation, predominantly as vitamin-mineral tablets containing 14-20 mg of ferrous iron was used by 35.1%. The median serum ferritin was similar in non-iron users and in iron users, whereas the prevalence of iron deficiency was 12.6% in nonusers vs. 4.3% in users, the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia 3.4% in nonusers vs. 0%, in users (p=0.17) In non-iron-supplemented women, S-ferritin levels were inversely correlated with the duration of menstrual bleeding (rs= -0.25, p<0.001) and with the women's assessment of the intensity of menstrual bleeding (r(s)= -0.27, p<0.001), whereas no such correlations were found in iron-supplemented women. The results demonstrate that even moderate daily doses of ferrous iron can influence iron status in women with small iron stores. Women using hormonal contraceptives had menstrual bleeding of significantly shorter duration than those using intrauterine devices (IUD) or other methods. There was a high prevalence of small and absent body iron stores in young women, suggesting that preventive measures should be focused on those women whose menstruation lasts 5 days or longer, who have menstrual bleeding of strong intensity, who use an IUD without gestagen, and who are blood donors.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Absorption of lead through the skin.

Absorption of lead through the skin was studied by comparing the effect produced by lead naphthenate or lead acetate solution, when coated on the skin of rats, with data obtained from subcutaneous injections of these solutions. Body weight and liver size and weight decreased in the case of rats receiving the subcutaneous dose. delta-Aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALA-D) in liver was decreased in all rats having been treated with lead compounds. The distribution of absorbed lead has been evaluated by assay of the lead content in brain, liver, kidney, spleen and muscle in the rats. The results of this study seem to verify that absorption of lead through the skin does occur and the findings confirm lead naphthenate to be more toxic than lead acetate.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Selenium and lead: mutual detoxifying effects.

Antagonistic toxic effects of selenium and lead were studied in growing rats. Chronic lead intoxication was produced by cutaneous application of lead naphthenate solution (80-200 mg Pb/kg body weight) for a period of 8 weeks and chronic selenium intoxication was induced by giving 5 ppm, 10 ppm and 15 ppm selenium in drinking water. The growth rate and food consumption of rats receiving selenium in addition to lead approached normal rate while animals treated with only one of them showed hampered growth rate and lower food consumption. The enzymatic activity of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydrase (ALA-D) in whole blood, liver and kidney and liver P-450 enzyme activity were normal in rats receiving both selenium and lead. The enzymic activities assayed were, however, depressed in the animals receiving either lead or selenium. Assay of lead and selenium in liver, brain, kidney and blood was carried out. Rats receiving both metals and higher concentrations of these metals in the organs studied, as compared to those only receiving one component. The data seem to indicate that the effect of selenium on the toxic effects of lead is similar to its protective role against methylmercury intoxication.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis an enigmatic disease with B-cellular and anti-retroviral immune responses.

OBJECTIVES: The most frequent sporadic adult motor neuron disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, affects more men, follows no epidemiologic pattern, and was long considered a pure spinal cord disorder. It now becomes evident that the disease is characterized by spinal, cerebral and extra-neuromuscular changes including B-cellular responses and ultrastructural skin alterations. Do these parameters identify subgroups or correlate with the male preponderance of the disease? METHODS: We analyzed age at and site of onset, sex, duration of clinical disease, and human foamy retroviral seroreactivity in 47 consecutive patients with a definite diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The results were compared with antivisna seroreactivity, immunoglobulin isotypes, circulating immune complexes, neopterin and beta 2-microglobulin as well as skin biopsies in respective subsets of the same 47 patients. RESULTS: Seroreactivity to recombinant human spuma retrovirus (HSRV) envelope and/or capsid protein was positive in 20/47 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients, and 28/30 competed with specific retroviral antibodies on maedi-visna antigen. Anti HSRV-seronegative patients had lower immunoglobulin IgG3 isotype concentrations, while HSRV-gag plus HSRV-env antibody positives demonstrated highest circulating IgG immune complexes. All 11 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients partially reacting to recombinant HSRV-env or HSRV-gag antigen were men, and male amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients tended to have higher total cerebrospinal fluid protein levels. Neopterin and beta 2-microglobulin as markers of a cellular immune activation remained basically normal in serum and cerebrospinal fluid. CONCLUSION: We suggest a particular B-lymphocytic and retroviral involvement in this enigmatic, relentlessly progressing, at present untreatable and most frequent neurological system degeneration. To our opinion this situation justifies the search for novel anti-retroviral therapeutic strategies.

Adolescent↗