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Biomedical subjects

M H Golden

Publications and source records attributed to M H Golden.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Effect of zinc supplementation on the dietary intake, rate of weight gain, and energy cost of tissue deposition in children recovering from severe malnutrition.

Children recovering from severe malnutrition on a milk based diet have low plasma zinc concentrations: children recovering on a soya based diet have much lower plasma zinc concentrations, lower rates of weight gain, and higher energy costs of tissue deposition. However, they do not demonstrate the clinical features of anorexia, diarrhea, and skin lesions usually associated with zinc deficiency. We therefore supplemented 16 children with zinc acetate on the basis that a therapeutic response to zinc constitutes the best evidence of a preexisting zinc deficiency. Fourteen of the 16 children had an immediate and definite increase in their rate of weight gain with zinc supplementation. This was associated with a decrease in the energy cost of tissue deposition, regrowth of the thymus, and activation of the sodium pump. We conclude that the children were indeed zinc deficient. We suggest that the anorexia of zinc deficiency is related to an inability to metabolize nitrogen in the zinc deficient state, and that our children did not show an appetitive response because of the relatively low protein content of the diets we used. Based on the premise that the abnormalities seen in our children may have been secondary to mild zinc deficiency, we suggest that limitation of lean tissue synthesis, with resultant obesity, and a propensity to infection are the major features of a mild zinc deficiency. Children undergoing a period of "catch up" weight gain or growth should have supplemental zinc, particularly if they have had diarrhea or if the use of a soya based formula is contemplated.

Body Weight↗
PubMed1981

Nitrogen metabolism in preterm infants fed human donor breast milk: the possible essentiality of glycine.

Nitrogen metabolism was studied in three preterm infants (mean gestation 32 wk) by the method of consecutive metabolic balance. The absorption and retention of nitrogen from breast milk was measured, and protein turnover, synthesis, and breakdown were calculated from isotopic plateau of urinary urea and ammonia using an intermittent oral administration of 15N-glycine. Weight gain and nitrogen retention were compared with the weight gain and nitrogen accumulated for a foetus of equivalent gestational age in utero. The average composition of the milk was 289 +/- 19 KJ dl-1 and 1.44 +/- 24 g protein dl-1. The intake of energy was 572 +/- 61 KJ kg-1 day -1 and of nitrogen 447 +/- 99 mg kg-1 day-1. Stool output of nitrogen was 100 +/- 32 mg kg-1 day-1 giving an absorption of 348 +/- 78 mg kg-1 day-1, as urinary excretion was 91 +/- 17 mg kg-1 day-1 retained nitrogen was 256 +/- 71 mg kg-1 day-1, or 56% of intake. The specific weight gain was 15.6 +/- 2.6 g kg-1 day-1 and 53% of this comprised lean tissue (range 34 to 89%). In all but one study the postnatal retention of nitrogen fell far short of calculated in utero accumulation. The results of protein turnover were surprising. In six of the eight studies urinary urea failed to become enriched at all. Protein turnover calculated from the ammonia plateau was 1.94 +/- 0.54 g nitrogen kg-1 day-1, synthesis 10.9 +/- 3.4 g protein kg-1 day-1 and breakdown 9.3 +/- 3.4 g protein kg-1 day-1. It is concluded that the amino acid composition of breast milk may be inappropriate for supporting rates of lean tissue deposition equivalent to in utero accumulation.

Body Weight↗
PubMed1980

Albumin and nutritional oedema.

The nature of the association between plasma albumin and nutritional oedema has been examined by observing the changes in albumin during loss of oedema in patients on a restricted diet. Since there was no difference in the concentration of plasma albumin before and after loss of oedema, the association is not causal. These results provide no support for the assertion that nutritional oedema should be treated with a high-protein diet or an albumin infusion.

Dietary Proteins↗
PubMed1980

[15N]Glycine metabolism in normal man: the metabolic alpha-amino-nitrogen pool.

1. [15N]Glycine was infused into fed, fasted or acidotic humans. 2. In all metabolic states there was considerable transfer of labelled nitrogen to urea and ammonia, but alanine and glutamate did not become enriched. 3. The findings show that free exchange of nitrogen between all amino acids does not take place. Glycine, serine, threonine, lysine and histidine cannot be considered part of the alpha-amino-nitrogen pool as classically conceived, although they form up to one-half of that pool.

Acidosis↗
PubMed1980

Leucocyte sodium transport and dietary zinc in protein energy malnutrition.

Zinc supplementation of children who were just completing a period of rapid "catch-up" growth during recovery from severe malnutrition was found to stimulate sodium transport in their leucocytes. These results suggest that zinc status should be studied in the large number of serious illnesses, now known or thought to be associated with impaired sodium transport.

Biological Transport↗
PubMed1979

Muscle satellite cells in malnourished and nutritionally rehabilitated children.

Satellite cells were examined qualitatively and quantitatively in muscle biopsies from children when malnourished, during nutritional rehabilitation, and after clinical recovery. The proportion of satellite cell nuclei relative to myonuclei was significantly lower in malnourished subjects than in well-nourished age-matched controls (4.5 +/- 1% vs. 8.1 +/- 1.0%). The proportion of satellite cells remained low during the early period of "catch-up growth" but was significantly increased in the recovered subjects (10.5 +/- 1.0%). Satellite cells were small and their nuclei were heterochromatic in biopsies from the malnourished subjects. The cells were often partially segregated from the parent fiber by an external lamina. In recovering and recovered subjects many of the satellite cells enlarged, and the appearance of their nuclei and cytoplasmic organelles suggested a more active state. Intervention of external lamina between the satellite cell and the myofibre was uncommon in the recovered subjects.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1979

Comparison of 15N-labelled glycine, aspartate, valine and leucine for measurement of whole-body protein turnover.

1. Whole-body protein turnover was measured in rats by constant infusion of 15N-labelled glycine, aspartate, valine and leucine and measuring the enrichment of hepatic and renal urea and ammonia nitrogen. 2. The values obtained with [15N]glycine were comparable with values reported with methods based on different assumptions. 3. [15N]Aspartate gave rise to an increased enrichment of urea and ammonia and hence to lower protein-turnover rates. 4. [15N]Valine and [15N]leucine gave low enrichments of nitrogenous end products and hence to high protein-turnover rates. 5. All 15N-labelled amino acids are not equally suitable for measuring whole-body protein turnover by the end-product method. The relative amounts of 15N going to the end products can be predicted from the known individual metabolism of aspartate and the branched-chain amino acids.

Ammonia↗
PubMed1979

Growth of muscle fibres during recovery from severe malnutrition in Jamaican infants.

1. The growth of muscle fibres was analysed by light microscopy in biopsies from subjects when malnourished, during nutritional rehabilitation, and after clinical recovery. 2. Muscle fibres from malnourished subjects were extremely atrophic (cross-sectional area, 110 micrometers2). The fibres doubled in size during the early period of rehabilitation. Growth of muscle fibres during later periods of rehabilitation occurred at a slower rate. 3. The absolute rates of change in fibre sizes differed considerably between subjects, but the rates of change relative to the rate of gain of total body-weight (expressed as % recovery or % expected weight-for height (Nelson, 1975)) were similar between subjects after the initial growth spurt. The pattern of recovery appeared to differ between older and younger subjects. 4. Fibre sizes correlated with body-weight but not with age in the malnourished subjects. A significant correlation between fibre areas and either weight or age was observed during rehabilitation and after clinical recovery. 5. Fibre sizes of clinically-recovered subjects (mean age, 13.8 months; weight, 8.7 kg) were only approximately 60% of that for a well-nourished 6-month-old control subject (6.4 kg). These results suggest that a longer period of time is required for fibres to reach their expected size. Therefore, when the child has regained body-weight to that of a normal child of the same height, his muscles have not yet recovered and his body composition is abnormal.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1979

Plasma zinc and the clinical features of malnutrition.

Human protein-energy malnutrition and zinc deficiency have common clinical features. These were related to the plasma zinc concentrations in 42 severely malnourished children. A low plasma zinc concentration was strongly associated with nutritional edema but not with the degree of edema or the plasma albumin concentration. In the absence of edema, there were significant relationships between plasma zinc concentrations and stunting, skin ulceration, and wasting. Infection was not necessarily associated with a lower zinc concentration. From these data it can be predicted that a malnourished child with edema, skin ulceration, stunting, or severe wasting, will have a low plasma zinc concentration.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

The human rumen.

The cow is a ruminant, and cow's milk has evolved to promote bacterial growth in the upper small bowel; whereas human milk has evolved to discourage bacterial growth. Examination of the constituents of the two milks shows that their differences can be accounted for in terms of this difference in function. Children who are fed a calf's diet tend to develop a rumen. This may lead to chronic diarrhoea and malnutrition and may be a factor in diarrhoea ascribed to cow's-milk-protein allergy and lactose intolerance.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Zinc and immunocompetence in protein-energy malnutrition.

Malnourished children have thymic atrophy which is reversed by zinc supplementation. To see if their defect in cell-mediated immunity was also associated with zinc deficiency ten children were skin-tested with Candida antigen on both arms. One test site was covered with local zinc sulphate and the other with placebo ointment. There was a highly significant increase in the typical delayed-hypersensitivity reaction at the site covered with zinc. The magnitude of the difference between the supplemented and unsupplemented arms correlated negatively with the plasma-zinc concentration. These data show that zinc deficiency is a cause of the immunoincompetence seen in malnutrition. The normal reactions of the zinc-supplemented side indicate that, of the many nutritional deficits of malnourished children, zinc deficiency specifically impairs the cell-mediated immune system. Local skin-testing with and without zinc may provide a measure of zinc status. Local application of zinc may enhance the reliability of tests to diagnose diseases such as tuberculosis in malnourished patients.

Antibody Formation↗