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Biomedical subjects

R C Harris

Publications and source records attributed to R C Harris.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Kinetic methods that are independent of the rate of reaction.

Kinetic methods for the quantification of substrates offer a number of advantages over equilibrium methods, such as speed and economy. However, in their most commonly practiced form they are liable to error from various sources in addition to those ordinarily encountered in equilibrium methods, owing to variations in enzymic activity between test and standard assays. In certain circumstances the differences in enzymic activity may be such as to completely invalidate the method. Such difficulties may, however, be avoided if three or more measurements are made during the reaction of the sample and are evaluated by one of five means. In each case data from the early course of the reaction are used to predict the total change in sensor signal at infinite time, from which the concentration of the substrate may be calculated as for an equilibrium method.

Acid-Base Equilibrium↗
PubMed1981

Glycolytic intermediates in human muscle after isometric contraction.

Isometric contraction of the quadriceps muscle sustained to fatigue with a force of 66% of the maximum voluntary contraction force resulted in a mean glycogen utilization of 80.4 (S.D. 58.4) mmol glucosyl units/kg dry muscle (d.m.) and an accumulation of glycolytic intermediates and glucose corresponding to 82.9 (S.D. 17.5) mmol glucosyl units/kg d.m. Accumulation of hexose phosphates (principally glucose 6-phosphate) accounted for 35.4% (S.D. 4.1) of the total increase and lactate for 59.3% (S.D. 2.8). During a 4 min recovery period glucose 6-phosphate content showed a linear decrease with a half time of 2.0 min and lactate decreased exponentially with a half time of 2.5 min. The rate of lactate disappearance from the muscle was approximately 4 times as fast as that observed previously after maximal bicycle exercise. This was probably due to a lower lactate concentration in blood after isometric contraction resulting in a larger muscle-blood gradient for lactate. Muscle content of free glucose was increased after contraction and increased further during recovery. It is concluded that the glucose increase is confined to the intracellular pool and is an effect of hexokinase inhibition by accumulated glucose 6-phosphate. Occlusion of the local circulation after the contraction inhibited the recovery processes for lactate and glucose 6-phosphate.

Energy Metabolism↗
PubMed1979

Resynthesis of creatine phosphate in human muscle after exercise in relation to intramuscular pH and availability of oxygen.

After exhaustive exercise the muscular store of creatine phosphate (CP) is almost completely depleted. The resynthesis of CP during recovery normally occurs rapidly, but is totally inhibited if the local circulation to the muscle is occluded. The limiting factor for CP resynthesis which could be a low intramuscular pH or availability of oxygen has been investigated in the present study. Biopsies from musculis quadriceps femoris of man were analyzed for pH, ATP, ADP, CP, creatine, lactate and pyruvate. It was shown that resynthesis of CP only occurs when the blood supply to the muscle is intact. From this it was concluded that the creatine kinase reaction is at a steady state or at equilibrium during the period of recovery. The influence of oxygen on the resynthesis of CP was investigated by incubating muscle samples taken after a fatiguing isometric contraction in atmospheres of oxygen and nitrogen, respectively. During 15 min incubation in oxygen CP was resynthesized from a starting value of 4% to 68% of the normal value at rest. No resynthesis was observed when parallel muscle samples were incubated for the same time in nitrogen. It is suggested that the initial fast phase of CP resynthesis is limited by the availability of oxygen whereas the subsequent slow phase is limited by the hydrogen ion transport out from the muscle.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1977

Serum bile acid patterns in neonatal hepatitis and extrahepatic biliary atresia.

Serum bile acid patterns were determined in 31 infants ranging in age from 4 days to 24 weeks. Fifteen infants with extrahepatic biliary atresia had a mean concentration of serum bile acids of 90 microng/ml +/- 47 SD;; 16 infants with neonatal hepatitis had a mean concentration of 60 +/- 35.5 SD. The chenodeoxycholate/cholate ratio was greater than one in 13 infants (87%) with atresia and in 10 infants (66%) with neonatal hepatitis. Except for the tendency of a higher total concentration of serum bile acids in infants with atresia, a single serum bile acid value does not differentiate neonatal hepatitis from extrahepatic biliary atresia. The high proportion of chenodeoxycholate in extrahepatic atresia is different from the pattern in other types of cholestatic disease and may reflect an underlying hepatitis.

Bile Acids and Salts↗
PubMed1977

Phosphagen and lactate contents of m. quadriceps femoris of man after exercise.

Muscle biopsies were taken from the m. quadriceps femoris of man immediately after termination of dynamic and isometric exercise. These were analyzed for adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP), adenosine 5'-phosphate (AMP), phosphorylcreatine (PC), creatine, pyruvate and lactate. Regardless of type, intensity, and duration of the preceding exercise, a general pattern of the relation between high-energy phosphates and lactate content could be observed. PG showed a nonlinear relationship to the muscle lactate content. The ratio of ATP to ADP appeared to decrease linearly when lactate content increased. The relationships are believed to be the consequence of a steady-state condition where muscle pH is one of the major determining factors.

Adenine Nucleotides↗
PubMed1976

The time course of phosphorylcreatine resynthesis during recovery of the quadriceps muscle in man.

The time course of phosphorylcreatine (PC) resynthesis in the human m. quadriceps femoris was studied during recovery from exhaustive dynamic exercise and from isometric contraction sustained to fatigue. The immediate postexercise muscle PC content after either form of exercise was 15-16% of the resting muscle content. The time course of PC resynthesis during recovery was biphasic exhibiting a fast and slow recovery component. The half-time for the fast component was 21-22s but this accounted for a smaller fraction of the total PC restored during recovery from the isometric contraction than after the dynamic exercise. The half-time for the slow component was in each case more than 170 s. After 2 and 4 min recovery the total amount of PC resynthesized after the isometric exercise were significantly lower than from the dynamic exercise. Occlusion of the circulation of the quadriceps completely abolished the resynthesis of PC. Restoration of resynthesis occurred only after release of occlusion.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1976

Lactate content and pH in muscle obtained after dynamic exercise.

Analyzes were made on muscle samples taken from the lateral part of the m. quadriceps femoris of man (lactate, pyruvate, and pH) on venous blood (lactate, pyruvate) and on capillary blood (pH). Samples were taken at rest, immediately after termination of dynamic exercise and during 20 min recovery from exhaustive dynamic exercise. Muscle pH decreases from 7.08 atrest to 6.60 at exhaustion. Decrease in muscle pH was linearly related to muscle content of lactate + pyruvate. The relationship was slightly different from what has been obtained after isometric exercise and this difference was ascribed to acid-base exchange with the blood during dynamic exercise. Lactate content was highly elevated in muscle after exercise and the concentration was 2-3 times higher than in blood. Pyruvate content was, however, only slightly higher than that at rest. During recovery, lactate content of muscle decreased exponentially with respect to time, whereas pyruvate content increased. The half-time of lactate decrease was 9.5 min. From the lactate dehydrogenase equilibrium relative values on NADH/NAD ratio could be calculated. It was found that NADH/NAD was highly increased after exercise and that it had not returned to the basal value after 20 min recovery.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Choledochal cyst: a review of 19 cases.

Nineteen cases of choledochal cyst are reviewed. Two distinct groups of patients were identified. Patients under one year of age, initially diagnosed as having biliary atresia, had a higher mortality rate, a higher incidence of severe cirrhosis with portal hypertension, and associated atresia or stenosis in the biliary tree. The second group, presenting between 3 and 20 years of age with more classic symptoms, had mild cirrhosis without portal hypertension and had associated choledocholithiasis and pancreatitis. It is suggested that the younger patients had a congenital form of cystic bile duct dilatation and that the older patients had an acquired form, perhaps related to a common channel with reflux of pancreatic juice into the common bile duct. Postoperative follow-up supports the current view that choledochocyst-jejunostomy with choleystectomy has a lower rate of long-term complications than does choledochocyst-duodenostomy.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Glycogen phosphorylase activity in biopsy samples and single muscle fibres of musculus quadriceps femoris of man at rest.

Glycogen phosphorylase activity in biopsy samples of the quadriceps muscle of man taken at rest was measured in the direction of glycogen breakdown. The conditions of assay used were pH 6.8 and 35 degrees C. Mean phosphorylase activity per kg fresh muscle in 8 male volunteers was: phosphorylase a - 259 U, and total phosphorylase - 627 U, where 1 U is the production of 1 mumol glucose-1-phosphate/s under the conditions of assay. The mean value of total activity, transposed to the in vivo condition, is sufficient to support a maximum rate of glycogen degradation calculated as glucosyl units utilized per kg fresh muscle, of 627 mumol/s. This is approximately the rate at which glycolysis occurs during a maximum voluntary isometric contraction. The mean ratio of phosphorylase a activity to total activity at rest was 0.40. Estimates of the mean total phosphorylase activity in type I ('slow') muscle fibres isolated from the quadriceps of 9 volunteers ranged from 210-385 U/kg fresh muscle, and in type II ('fast') muscle fibres from 493-934 U/kg fresh muscle. The average ratio of activity in type II fibres compared with that in type I fibres was 2.5.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Creatine kinase equilibrium and lactate content compared with muscle pH in tissue samples obtained after isometric exercise.

Muscle biopsies taken from the musculus quadriceps femoris of man were analysed for pH, ATP, ADP, AMP, creatine phosphate, creatine, lactate and pyruvate. Biopsies were taken at rest, after circulatory occlusion and after isometric contraction. Muscle pH decreased from 7.09 at rest to 6.56 after isometric exercise to fatigue. Decrease in muscle pH was linearly related to accumulation of lactate plus pyruvate. An increase of 22mumol of lactate plus pyruvate per g of muscle resulted in a fall of 0.5pH unit. The apparent equilibrium constant of the creatine kinase reaction (apparent K(CK)) increased after isometric contraction and a linear relationship between log(apparent K(CK)) and muscle pH was obtained. The low content of creatine phosphate in muscle after contraction as analysed from needle-biopsy samples is believed to be a consequence of an altered equilibrium state of the creatine kinase reaction. This in turn is attributed mainly to a change in intracellular pH.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗