Fluorimetric methods for the measurement of intermediate metabolites (lactate,pyruvate, alanine, β-hydroxybutyrate,glycerol) using a COBAS FARA centrifugal analyser

Intermediate products of the metabolism of glucose, fat and amino-acid are important in the evaluation of such metabolic disorders as diabetes mellitus, liver disease and metabolic acidosis. In the present study, methods for the measurement of intermediate metabolites (lactate, pyruvate, alanine, β-hydroxybutyrate and glycerol) have been adapted to a fast centrifugal analyzer: the COBAS FARA. Correlation coeffcients rangedfrom 0.90 to 0.99, compared to established manual spectrophotometric methods. Within-run coeffcients of variation (CVs) ranged between 2.9 and 8.8% at low levels, between 1.5 and 5.7% at medium levels and between 1.2 and 5.6% at high levels. Between-run CVs were between 4.0 and 15.0% at low levels, between 1.7 and 7.0% at medium levels and between 1.3 and 2.7% at high levels. These fluorimetric assays for the determination of intermediate metabolites on COBAS FARA (Roche) have a good sensitivity and precision, are less costly than manual methods and can be used on a routine basis.     

The carcinogenic effect of 5-bromodeoxyuridine and its amplification by x-rays in rats

5-bromodeoxyuridine (BUdR) injected to rats in the neonatal period is shown to produce a pronounced carcinogenic effect which brings about the appearance of various benign and malignant tumours. Exposure of females to X-ray total-body irradiation (1.5 Gy) was followed by intensification of the carcinogenic effect of BUdR. Assuming that this pyrimidine analog reacts solely with DNA substituting thymidine during DNA synthesis and induces point mutations due to tautomerization, the data obtained demonstrate the possibility of tumour induction by a selective DNA perturbation.