The availability of soluble oxalates in stir‐fried silver beet (Beta vulgaris var. cicla) leaves eaten with yoghurt

Silver beet (Beta vulgaris var. cicla) leaves contain oxalates, and the addition of yoghurt, a food rich in calcium, to stir‐fried leaves was investigated as a way of reducing the soluble oxalate content. Fourteen participants ingested 115 g stir‐fried silver beet leaves with or without standard yoghurt and low‐fat yoghurt, respectively. Stir‐fried silver beet leaves contained 209.1 ± 0.1 mg of total oxalates per meal fresh weight (FW) and 109.2 ± 0.1 mg of soluble oxalates per meal FW. The proportion of soluble oxalates was reduced from 52% to a mean of 30% of the total oxalates when standard yoghurt or low‐fat yoghurt was added. The mean absorption of oxalate was determined by measuring the output of oxalate in the urine over a 6‐h period following ingestion of the meals. The mean absorption of oxalate from stir‐fried silver beet leaves was 2.41%, which reduced to 1.10% and 0.89% when consumed with standard yoghurt and low‐fat yoghurt, respectively.     

Pregnancy with an IUD in the uterus]

A higher frequency of complications has been observed among pregnant women with IUDs in situ. These complications include maternal death (more frequently observed among users of the Dalkon shield), ectopic pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, and partus immaturus or prematurus. Partus prematurus or immaturus was observed in 7 of 19 pregnant women with IUDs in situ observed in the Wilhelmina Clinic. In 6 of these cases, the birth began with premature rupture of the amniotic sac, probably caused by the IUD. Pregnancy in IUD patients should be diagnosed as soon as possible. The IUD should be removed by gentle pressure on the control thread, if possible. If the IUD remains in situ, the woman and her partner should be thoroughly informed of the possible risks of the pregnancy. If it is decided to carry the pregnancy to term, frequent control check-ups should be given and the patient should be thoroughly instructed of possible symptoms of complications.     

Hypocholesterolemic agents V: Inhibition of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase by substituted 4-biphenylylalkyl carboxylic acids and methyl esters

Eleven substituted 4-biphenylylalkyl carboxylic acids and three methyl esters were synthesized and assayed for inhibition of rat liver beta-hydroxy-beta-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase. Five of the acids were analogs, resulting from various isosteric replacements of the carbonyl and ether oxygens of the previously described reversible inhibitor 1-(4-biphenylyl)pentyl hydrogen succinate. No significant change in activity was noted, except upon introduction of an amide linkage where a decrease in inhibition was found. Six carboxylic acids and three methyl esters, all containing the 4-biphenylyl radical but lacking the n-butyl side chain found in 1-(4-biphenylyl)pentyl hydrogen succinate, also were inhibitors of the reductase.     

Intellectual deficits after transient tyrosinemia in the term neonate

An analysis was made of the obstetric history of 1,360 patients who were delivered in 1971. It involved 3,185 pregnancies. The aim of the study was to evaluate the risk of spontaneous termination of the pregnancy, worked out from its demographic aspect. Several ideas are worthy of consideration. The risk of spontaneous intra-uterine death is cumulative, sharply increased by a repetition of such cessation of pregnancy. The same patients often undergo intentional abortion repeatedly. The respective risks of spontaneous and provoked interruption of pregnancy have been studied in greater detail as a function of parity.     

Location of nucleolar organizing regions on the chromosomes of the Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) and the Djungarian hamster (Phodopus sungorus)

Terminal chromosome associations ("satellite associations") in ASG-banded preparations have been used to determine the number and location of staellites in the Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) and the Djungarian hamster (Phodopus sungorus). Five pairs of satellites are found in the former and four in the latter. Nucleolar organizing regions (NORs) were visualized with the Ag-AS silver precipitation technique, and their number and position corresponded exactly with the number and position of satellites in Phodopus, where positive chromosome identification can be made in the absence of banding. Numerical agreement is exact in Mesocricetus as well, and the morphology of the silver-tagged NOR-bearing chromosomes strongly suggests that corrrespondence also occurs in this species.     

Serial measurement of arterial plasma progesterone levels throughout gestation and parturition in individual rats

Daily blood samples were taken from 6, chronically cannulated, fully conscious rats to measure plasma progesterone levels throughout gestation. Progesterone levels in individual rats fluctuated by up to 28 ng/ml per day, but tended to be consistently higher or lower than the group mean. The accuracy of predicting progesterone levels in individual rats from previous values was examined. Progesterone levels on day 7 of gestation were negatively correlated with foetal weights near term. There was little indication that high progesterone levels at any stage of gestation lead to increased foetal or placental weights. Progesterone levels on day 17 were positively correlated with the number of corpura lutea but there was little relationship between progesterone and either the number or total mass of the placentas. Serial blood samples taken from a second group of 6 rats at 2 hourly intervals showed that the time between the major fall in progesterone levels to below 12 ng/ml and the onset of parturition was relatively constant (varying by only 8 h) despite a 29 h range in the total length of gestation.     

Sebaceous gland inhibition from combined glucocorticoid-estrogen treatment

Sebum production in seven hirsute women was found to be markedly inhibited by low-dosage glucocorticoid therapy, usually 5 to 10 mg of prednisone daily, combined with the cyclic administration of ethinyl estradiol, either 80mug or 100mug daily, in the form of oral contraceptive medication. The average reduction of sebum secretion was 85.7%, from a pretreatment mean value of 3.07 mg of sebum to an average treatment level of 0.44 mg.     

Retinal vascular changes in congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium

The overlying retinal blood vessels were abnormal in five cases of congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium. This illustrated the well-recognized association between outer retinal degeneration and obliteration of the overlying retinal vasculature. The proposed pathophysiological mechanisms, however, seem inadequate to explain completely the morphological changes of the retinal blood vessels in the presence of atrophy of the outer retina.