Coercive and voluntary referrals: how ethnic minority adults get into mental health treatment

The relationship of oxidative stress with maximum life span (MLSP) in different vertebrate species is reviewed. In all animal groups the endogenous levels of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants in tissues negatively correlate with MLSP and the most longevous animals studied in each group, pigeon or man, show the minimum levels of antioxidants. A possible evolutionary reason for this is that longevous animals produce oxygen radicals at a low rate. This has been analysed at the place where more than 90% of oxygen is consumed in the cell, the mitochondria. All available work agrees that, across species, the longer the life span, the lower the rate of mitochondrial oxygen radical production. This is true even in animal groups that do not conform to the rate of living theory of aging, such as birds. Birds have low rates of mitochondrial oxygen radical production, frequently due to a low free radical leak in their respiratory chain. Possibly the low rate of mitochondrial oxygen radical production of longevous species can decrease oxidative damage at targets important for aging (like mitochondrial DNA) that are situated near the places of free radical generation. A low rate of free radical production can contribute to a low aging rate both in animals that conform to the rate of living (metabolic) theory of aging and in animals with exceptional longevities, like birds and primates. Available research indicates there are at least two main characteristics of longevous species: a high rate of DNA repair together with a low rate of free radical production near DNA. Simultaneous consideration of these two characteristics can explain part of the quantitative differences in longevity between animal species.     

Metabolism of debrisoquine sulphate in rat, dog and man

1. The metabolism of debrisoquine sulphate in the dog has been studied and is similar to that in rat and man. 2. Two acidic urinary metabolites, shown to be present in rat, dog and man, have been isolated from rat urine. After derivatization they were characterized by n.m.r. and mass spectroscopy as methyl 2-[2-(4,6-dimethylpyrimidylamino)-methyl]-phenylacetate and 2-[2-(4,6-dimethylpyrimidylamino)-ethyl]benzoate.     

Principles of orthotic treatment in neuromuscular diseases

Multiple mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletions have been associated with aging in humans and monkeys. Since the inbred mouse strain, C57BL/6, has been extensively studied gerontologically, we sought to investigate its utility as a model for examining the importance of mtDNA deletions in aging. Using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we analyzed hind limb skeletal muscle from mice of three age groups (5, 16 and 25 months) for the presence of age-associated mtDNA deletions. We observed multiple mtDNA deletions in all three age groups. Further, the number of deletions detected per mouse increased greatly with advancing age.     

Localization of carboxy-terminal type II procollagen peptide (pCOL-II-C) and type II collagen in the repair tissue of full-thickness articular cartilage defect

Apoptosis and aging share common mechanisms in oxidative stress and mitochondrial involvement. Treatment of cultured neuroblastoma cells with a radical initiator induced apoptosis; raise in hydrogen peroxide and release of cytochrome c from mitochondria preceded collapse of mitochondrial potential and cell death. In rat hepatocytes treated with adriamycin incubation with exogenous Coenzyme Q10 counteracted the drug-induced increase of hydrogen peroxide and the fall of the mitochondrial potential, thus demonstrating the quinone antioxidant effect. Complex I activity and its rotenone sensitivity decreased in brain cortex non-synaptic mitochondria from old rats; a 5 kb mitochondrial DNA deletion was found only in the old rats. A similar behavior was found in human platelets from old individuals. The postulated energy decline was confirmed by the inhibitor sensitivities of platelet aggregation and lactate production. The lack of the 5 kb deletion in platelets throws doubts on mitochondrial DNA lesions as the only causes of mitochondrial dysfunction in aging.     

Propoxyphene: pathways of metabolism in man and laboratory animals

Through the combined use of stable isotope labeling and gas chromatographic mass spectrometric analysis, the metabolic patterns for propoxyphene have been determined in laboratory animals and man. The rat and dog eliminated propoxyphene and its metabolites principally via the bile, while the rabbit more closely resembled man in excreting the metabolic products into urine. Metabolites in rat and rabbit existed as conjugates, whereas in dog and man the metabolites were excreted as a mixture of the free and unconjugated forms. The primary route of metabolism in all species studied was N-demethylation. However, the rat and rabbit extensively hydroxylated propoxyphene and its metabolites prior to elimination. Metabolites arising from ester hydrolysis were found in rat and man. N-acetylated products were identified in all four species. A metabolite formed from cyclization and dehydration of dinorpropoxyphene was isolated in urine and was further identified as a circulating metabolite in dog plasma.     

Imbalance of oxygen activation and energy metabolism as a consequence or mediator of aging

Ever increasing numbers of aging theories suggest that free radicals are only one factor among others that may initiate stochastic disorders finally terminating life. It is therefore compelling not only to demonstrate the existence of increasing steady-state concentrations of free oxygen radicals during senescence, but it is essential to show that they act in concert with other postulated triggering factors of aging. We have recently shown that various factors may have a life-long influence and challenge oxygen homeostasis of cell respiration. Among these factors are environmental pollutants, therapeutics, and transient hypoxia. Although the nature of these "hits" is different, mitochondrial respiration was found to respond in a similar manner to each of them. The major derangement was an univalent electron leak to oxygen giving rise to the establishment of oxidative stress. Associated with this transformation, oxidative phosphorylation was impaired with the resultant reduction of cellular ATP. Mitochondria from senescent rats exhibited similar alterations of all cell parameters found when adult animals were exposed to "environmental stress" or transient ischemia. Age-related stimulation of mitochondrial oxygen radical generation is therefore suggested to result from accumulation of minihits during life. Based on our data, together with those from other laboratories, it is possible to assess the ranking order of oxygen radicals in the development of stochastic events associated with (or causing) aging.     

Age-dependent changes in the oxidative metabolism in rat brain

The effects of aging on the oxidation of labeled glucose and 3-hydroxybutyrate and on several mitochondrial enzymes in rat brain were investigated. The oxidation of labeled glucose and labeled 3-hydroxybutyrate was diminished by about 40 and 35%, respectively, in cerebral cortex slices from 2-year-old rats compared to those from 3-mo-old animals. A significant reduction in the activities of 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, 3-oxo acid CoA transferase, acetoacetyl CoA thiolase, and NAD-isocitrate dehydrogenase was observed in brains of 1- and 2-year-old rats compared to 3-mo-old animals. However, aging had no effect on the activities of citrate synthase and pyruvate carboxylase. These findings show that specific alterations occur in the activities of several mitochondrial enzymes in aging brain.     

Early stages of precipitation of γ′-phase in a nickel base superalloy: An atom-probe investigation

The early stages of precipitation of γ′ phase in a nickel base superalloy have been investigated by means of atom-probe techniques. The microstructure parameters, as derived from concentration profiles, have been studied as a function of the aging time at 650°C. An analytical method is proposed for determining the particle size, the number density as well as the volume fraction from the features of concentration profiles. The results which are observed show for aging times smaller than a few hours that the precipitate composition varies in a large extent while the particle size remains nearly constant. In contrast, in the coarsening stage γ′ precipitates reach their equilibrium composition after the first 25 h. The results are interpreted within nucleation—growth and coarsening theories.     

Molecular mechanisms of yeast aging

The life cycle of many organisms involves a progressive decline in fitness and fecundity with age, and yeast is no exception. Many theories have been proposed to explain the mortality of yeast cells, including the increase in cell size and accumulation of bud scars on the cell surface. None of these has survived closed scrutiny. However, recent discoveries might have validated one aging model in which the triggering of a molecular aging clock results in the replication and accumulation of a senescence factor that eventually overwhelms old cells.     

In vivo assessment of human skeletal muscle mitochondria respiration in health and disease

One of many problems to be faced when assessing in vivo human muscle mitochondria respiration by phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) is the definition of the correct reference population and the values of reference range. To take into account most factors that influence muscle activity as age, sex, physical activity; nutritional state etc., an exceedingly high number of different reference groups are needed. To overcome this problem we developed specific tests to assess separately in vivo the activity and the functionality of muscle mitochondria by 31P-MRS in clinical settings. By activity we refer to muscle whole metabolic activity, i.e. the total oxidative capacity of muscle mitochondria which is influenced by many factors (age, sex, physical activity, nutritional state etc.). By functionality we refer to the qualitative aspects of mitochondrial respiration which depends on the integrity of mitochondrial multienzyme systems and on substrate availability. Our tests have been experienced on some 1200 patients and are currently used to detect deficits of mitochondrial respiration and ion transport in patients with suspected primary or secondary muscle mitochondrial malfunctioning.     

Endoscopic repair of mandibular subcondylar fractures

To investigate effects of sustained activity on major phenotypic properties, the left extensor digitorum longus muscle of young (15 wk) and aging (101 wk) male Brown Norway rats was subjected to 50 days of chronic low-frequency stimulation (CLFS; 10 Hz, 10 h/day). The contralateral muscle served as control. Changes in metabolic enzymes were analyzed by using glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase as reference enzymes of glycolysis and by using citrate synthase and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase as mitochondrial enzymes representative of aerobic-oxidative metabolism. Myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms were analyzed by SDS-PAGE. No differences existed between the enzyme activity profiles of control muscles from young and aging rats. CLFS induced similar increases in mitochondrial enzymes, as well as similar decreases in glycolytic enzymes. Although the MHC composition of the control muscles in the aging rats displayed a shift toward slower isoforms, the ultimate changes induced by CLFS led to nearly identical MHC phenotypes in both young and aging rats. These results demonstrate an unaltered adaptability of skeletal muscle to increased neuromuscular activity in the aging rat.     

Sensory nerve fibres from lumbar intervertebral discs pass through rami communicantes. A possible pathway for discogenic low back pain

It has been thought that lumbar intervertebral discs were innervated segmentally. We have previously shown that the L5-L6 intervertebral disc in the rat is innervated bilaterally from the L1 and L2 dorsal root ganglia through the paravertebral sympathetic trunks, but the pathways between the disc and the paravertebral sympathetic trunks were unknown. We have now studied the spines of 17 rats to elucidate the exact pathways. We examined serial sections of the lumbar spine using immunohistochemistry for calcitonin gene-related peptide, a sensory nerve marker. We showed that these nerve fibres from the intervertebral disc ran through the sinuvertebral nerve into the rami communicantes, not into the corresponding segmental spinal nerve. In the rat, sensory information from the lumbar intervertebral discs is conducted through rami communicantes. If this innervation pattern applies to man, simple decompression of the corresponding nerve root will not relieve discogenic pain. Anterior interbody fusion, with the denervation of rami communicantes, may be effective for such low back pain.     

Cloning and characterization of an ecdysone receptor cDNA from Locusta migratoria

It has been suggested that some mitochondrial genes are important in cellular senescence. In order to identify the mitochondrial genes that are involved in cellular senescence, we have constructed a cDNA library from senescent human vascular endothelial cells and isolated 86 senescence-specific cDNA clones by differential screening. Among the clones, we identified four distinct mitochondrial genes including NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2), ND3, ATPase 6 and 16S ribosomal RNA. We then compared the levels of expression of these genes in young and senescent cells by using two endothelial and two fibroblast cell strains. Northern blot and slot blot hybridization confirmed that the expression levels of ND3, ATPase 6 and 16S rRNA were elevated in senescent cells of all four strains. The expression level of ND2 was also elevated during cellular senescence in three of the four strains. Because mitochondria are actively involved in oxidative phosphorylation and respiratory functions, the altered expression levels of these genes may participate in aging processes.     

Attachment staining: a novel method for flow cytometric quantitation of protein expression in limited numbers of adherent cells

Malignant tumors are known to exhibit high rates of glycolytic activity leading to high production of lactic acid. Hence, neoplastic cells have elevated activity of enzymes responsible for glycolysis. Echitamine chloride, an indole alkaloid extracted from the bark of Alstonia scholaris, has been reported to have a highly promising anticancer activity against fibrosarcoma in rats. In the present study, the effect of echitamine chloride on energy metabolism of S-180 cells is investigated to have a better understanding on the mode of action of echitamine chloride. The effect of echitamine chloride on the mitochondrial and cellular respiration of S-180 cells was studied. Also, the effects on glucose utilization, pyruvate utilization and lactate formation were studied on whole S-180 cells and S-180 cell-free homogenate. The levels of glycolytic enzymes such as hexokinase and lactate dehydrogenase were estimated in which particular emphasis has been laid on hexokinase which occurs both in cytosolic and particulate forms in neoplastic cells. Hence the differential effect of echitamine chloride on the levels of total, cytosolic and particulate hexokinase has been investigated. In conclusion, echitamine chloride affects both cellular and mitochondrial respiration, leading to reduction of the cellular energy pool and thereby resulting in the loss of viability of S-180 cells.     

Urinary metabolites of p-hydroxyamphetamine in man, rat and guinea-pig

1. The metabolism of (+/-)-p-hydroxy[14C]amphetamine has been studied in the rat, guinea-pig and man. 2. Most of the administered 14C was excreted in the urine within the first 24 h (64-92%), and was present mainly as free and conjugated p-hydroxy[14C]-amphetamine. In the female rat and female guinea-pig the conjugate was a glucuronide, but in man, who received a much smaller dose, the conjugate was a sulphate ester. A sex difference in conjugation was found in the rat, the female partly conjugating the drug but not the male. 3. Small quantities (1-6% of dose) of p-hydroxynorephedrine, a putative false neurotransmitter, were found in the urine of the three species. 4. Some oxidative degradation of the side chain of p-hydroxyamphetamine occurred in rat and guinea-pig since small amounts of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (1-3%) were detected in the urine.     

Fragmentation of human heart mitochondrial DNA associated with premature aging

Point mutations, oxygen damage and deletions in the heart mitochondrial (mt) DNA of a 19-year-old male patient with premature aging, who died of mitochondrial cardiomyopathy, were comprehensively analyzed. With total base-sequencing, one syn- mutation in the tRNA(Asp) gene and one mit-mutation in the ND3 gene were demonstrated. Using microHPLC/MS, 0.20% of the total deoxyguanosine (dG) were proved to be converted into its hydroxy-radical adduct, 8-hydroxy-dG, of which amount corresponds to that in normal subjects of 78 years old. The total detection system for mtDNA deletions, using 180 kinds of primer pairs, revealed extensive fragmentation of mtDNA; 235 types of deletions existed with various sizes, 97 of which yielded mtDNA minicircles lacking both of the replication origins of light- and heavy-strands. Deleted mtDNA accounted for 84% of the total mtDNA. In a man died from an accident at age 28 having almost the same mtDNA genotype except syn-, 50 types of deleted mtDNA, accounting for 15% of the total, were detected in his heart mtDNA. These results will present a clue to an unidentified mechanism of somatic mtDNA replication and the molecular basis of aging heart.     

Yersinia enterocolitica. I. Isolation of antigenic fractions from Y. enterocolitica

19 The effect of pent-4-enoic acid, propionic acid and several other short-chain fatty acids on citrulline synthesis in rat liver mitochondria was studied. 2.Pent-4-enoate at 1 mM inhibited mitochondrial citulline synthesis by about 80-90%. It is concluded that pent-4-enoate inhibits citrulline synthesis by interfering with some aspect of mitochondrial energy metabolism. This results in impairment of mitochondrial ornithine uptake or depletion of mitochondrial ATP, which, in turn, impairs carbamoyl phosphate synthesis or both. Evidence in support of this conclusion includes: pent-4-enoate has no effect on citrulline synthesis supported by succinate or exogenous ATP; pent-4-enoate lowers the medium plus mitochondrial ATP concentration; finally, when glutamate is the oxidizable substrate, pent-4-enoate decreases the carbamoyl phosphate concentration in mitochondria incubated without ornithine to minimize citrulline synthesis and impairs the mitochondrial uptake of ornithine, but it has neither effect when succinate is the oxidizable substrate. 4. Propionate, butyrate and crotonate also inhibit mitochondrial citrulline synthesis, but much less than pent-4-enoate. 5. Acetate, pentanoate, pent-2-enoate, hexanoate, octanoate, isovalerate, tiglylate and alpha-methylbutyrate have little or no effect on mitochondrial citrulline synthesis.     

Electromyographic characteristics of postanesthetic tremor

Plant foods contain numerous non-nutritive substances which exert biological activity. Most attention has been focused on the anticarcinogenic effects of these compounds. Many of the mechanisms involved include induction or inhibition of biotransformation enzymes. Each individual has its own isoenzyme pattern for the various drug-metabolizing enzymes. The multiplicity of these enzymes results in differential responses to dietary constituents. A substance may increase the level of a certain P450, and decrease the level of another. Although this complicates matters considerably, it also offers the possibility of specifically influencing biotransformation directed at a particular compound, e.g., a cytostatic agent. Using the important class of the glutathione S-transferase (GST) as an example, the various phenotypic and genetic origins of interindividual variation are described. Genetic variation is especially important for the mu and thetra class enzymes. The induction of individual isoenzymes of the GST has been studied in man rat. It was shown that the changes in the GST isoenzyme pattern induced by Brussels sprouts in rat liver and intestine were very similar to that caused by administration of ally isothiocyanate, and not to that resulting from goitrin. In man Brussels sprouts led to induction of GST alpha only. A number of naturally occurring catechols, or more likely the quinones derived from them, are effective irreversible inhibitors of GST. Eugenol, for instance, lowers GST activity in man. A second class of compounds which shows promise are alpha, beta-unsaturated aldehydes and ketones. A number of naturally occurring representatives of this class inhibit GST pi irreversibly, and ethacrynic acid, a drug with a similar reactive moiety in its structure, has already been shown to be quite useful to inhibit GST activity in cellular systems. Several approaches for future studies on the effects of dietary constituents are indicated: 1) further studies on the mechanisms of induction and inhibition of biotransformation enzymes: 2) careful studies using human volunteers, where the effects can be studied in isolation as much as possible; 3) studies of the disposition and kinetics of the dietary constituents themselves, to assess the relevance of inducing agents in food for the day-to-day human situation.