A mass spectrometry method for the determination of the species of origin of gelatine in foods and pharmaceutical products.

Gelatine is a component of a wide range of foods. It is manufactured as a by-product of the meat industry from bone and hide, mainly from bovine and porcine sources. Accurate food labelling enables consumers to make informed decisions about the food they buy. Since labelling currently relies heavily on due diligence involving a paper trail, there could be benefits in developing a reliable test method for the consumer industries in terms of the species origin of gelatine. We present a method to determine the species origin of gelatines by peptide mass spectrometry methods. An evaluative comparison is also made with ELISA and PCR technologies. Commercial gelatines were found to contain undeclared species. Furthermore, undeclared bovine peptides were observed in commercial injection matrices. This analytical method could therefore support the food industry in terms of determining the species authenticity of gelatine in foods.

Cardiovascular effects of morphine, pethidine, diamorphine and nalorphine on the cat and rabbit.

1. The predominant effect of morphine, diamorphine, pethidine or nalorphine on the blood pressure of the anaesthetized cat or rabbit is hypotension although, occasionally, a pressor action may predominate or intervene.2. Possible mechanisms of the depressor phases of action have been studied on cardiac and vascular preparations both in situ and in vitro.3. While in the whole animal, catecholamine release from the adrenal medulla and histamine liberation may be implicated in the responses, the vasodilator and vascular relaxant actions of morphine and, probably, pethidine, nalorphine and diamorphine on the isolated preparations are not mediated by the liberation of known peripheral transmitters or autacoids or by interaction with their specific receptors.

Effects of pethidine and nalorphine on the mechanical and electrical activities of mammalian isolated ventricular muscle.

1. The strength of the isometric mechanical contraction of electricallydriven ventricular muscle has been recorded simultaneously with the resting and action potentials; the effects of pethidine and of nalorphine on these parameters have been studied.2. When lower concentrations of pethidine (0.22-6.5 mug/ml) were perfused, isometric peak tension was decreased in parallel with the maximum upstroke velocity of the action potential; these actions are considered to result from membrane stabilization. At higher concentrations (11.8-109 mug/ml) pethidine usually produced, in addition, a progressive decrease in the resting and action potentials associated with marked irregularities in, or even abolition of, the mechanical response. It is suggested that these effects of the higher doses might be due to a depression of ATPase activity in the myocardial membrane.3. Compared with pethidine, nalorphine had similar, but weaker, actions.

A comparison of the cardiovascular actions of AQ 110 with those of isoprenaline and salbutamol.

1. AQ 110 is a beta-adrenoceptor agonist which, like isoprenaline and salbutamol, acts directly on the receptors.2. Compared with isoprenaline, AQ 110 has relatively stronger actions on bronchial and vascular smooth muscle (beta(2)-adrenoceptors) than stimulant effects on heart muscle (beta(1)-adrenoceptors). The beta(2)-selectivity of AQ 110 is, however, much less than that of salbutamol, mainly due to the weak cardiac actions of the latter.3. At doses which were equipotent in decreasing the bronchoconstrictor effect produced by a standard dose of 5-hydroxytryptamine, AQ 110 had marginally less hypotensive action than salbutamol and considerably less than isoprenaline.4. Although AQ 110, unlike salbutamol, possesses a catechol group it was found not to be a substrate for catechol-O-methyl transferase and this is considered to account for its significantly prolonged action, compared with isoprenaline, in vivo.

Triply discordant triplets: probability, management options, and risks.

The spontaneous occurrence of triplets is rare. With increased utilization of "assisted reproductive technologies," multifetal gestations have become more common. The empiric fetal risk for major malformation is approximately 3%. In a triplet pregnancy each fetus independently carries this risk so that the probability of having at least one malformed fetus is approximately 9%. It is much less likely to have 2 or 3 simultaneously but discordantly malformed fetuses in a multizygotic triplet gestation (.09% and .0027% risk, respectively). We report on the first case, to our knowledge, of an ovulation-stimulated triplet pregnancy complicated by 3-way discordance for major malformations diagnosed in the late second trimester by ultrasound. Fetus A was affected by congenital diaphragmatic hernia and trisomy 21; fetus B had encephalocele, a midline facial defect, and a cleft palate; and fetus C had evidence of unilateral claw hand but an otherwise normal fetal survey. At 19 weeks of gestation, fetus A was found to have spontaneously died, and a selective termination of triplet B was performed. We conclude: (1) the finding of a single major malformation in one fetus should lead to extensive search for malformations in all members of the pregnancy, and (2) the simultaneous occurrence of major malformations in more than one member of a multifetal gestation is a circumstance under which multiple selective termination deserves consideration. In this article we discuss important issues and caveats in the performance of selective termination for abnormal members of multifetal gestations.

Prenatal detection of cyclopia associated with interstitial deletion of 2p.

We report on a case of synophthalmic cyclopia and alobar holoprosencephaly associated with an interstitial deletion of the short arm of chromosome 2: del(2)(p21p23). This is the second case with this phenotype in association with deletion in this region, and comparison with the infrequent other cases of 2p deletions suggests a causal relationship between band 2p21 and cyclopia.

Pregnancy outcome in women requiring chronic hemodialysis.

Chronic renal failure is strongly associated with poor pregnancy outcome. Women dependent upon hemodialysis before conception rarely achieve a successful live birth. Pregnancies in three women requiring chronic hemodialysis before conception and throughout gestation resulted in three live births, of whom one survived the neonatal period. The risks of dialysis in pregnancy (hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis) are significant to both the mother and fetus. Polyhydramnios appears to be a major complication in women dependent upon chronic hemodialysis.

Nonreactive contraction stress test: clinical significance.

Between September 1, 1976, and December 31, 1980, there were 4629 contraction stress tests performed at Women's Hospital, Memorial Hospital Medical Center of Long Beach, California. Forty-four (1.0%) of these tests were completely nonreactive. Eight of 3367 negative contraction stress tests (0.2%), 19 of 1124 equivocal contraction stress tests (1.7%), and 17 of 63 positive contraction stress tests (27.0%) were nonreactive. When compared with patients who had reactive tests, only those patients with a nonreactive, positive contraction stress test had significantly increased perinatal mortality and infants with low Apgar scores. Twelve percent of patients with nonreactive contraction stress tests had fetuses with congenital anomalies. Eighteen percent of patients with nonreactive tests were taking phenobarbital or other sedative drugs, and 45% of patients with nonreactive tests were hypertensive. Excluding anomalous fetuses, there were no perinatal deaths and no Apgar scores below 7 at five minutes in patients with nonreactive negative, or nonreactive equivocal, contraction stress tests as the worst test result. The hypothesis that the completely nonreactive negative contraction stress test as the worst test result is associated with increased perinatal mortality and morbidity could not be substantiated. Standardization of criteria for reactivity and interpretation of the contraction stress test using the entire testing period is desirable.

Amniotic fluid OD 650 as a rapid indicator of fetal pulmonary maturity.

Amniotic fluid OD 650 (optical density at 650 nm) greater than 0.15 has been associated with mature L/S ratios. This study compared OD 650 with the L/S ratio on 235 uncontaminated amniotic fluid specimens. Follow-up was obtained on 138 neonates delivered within 72 hours of amniocentesis. Of 124 amniotic fluid specimens with OD 650 greater than 0.15, 109 had mature L/S ratios. Only 3 of 96 neonates with OD 650 greater than 0.15 developed respiratory distress syndrome; 8 of 42 neonates with OD 650 values less than 0.15 developed it. The false-positive rate (2.1%) compared favorably with that of the L/S ratio (2.9%). A higher false-negative rate (24.6%) decreased the efficiency of OD 650 as an indicator of fetal pulmonary maturity. An OD 650 greater than 0.15 appears to be a rapid, reliable indicator of fetal lung maturity.

Antenatal detection of hypoplastic right ventricle with fetal M-mode echocardiography. A report of two cases.

Two cases of hypoplastic right ventricle were identified using fetal M-mode echocardiography. Follow-up studies and autopsies confirmed these findings. Both lesions were detected in women without antenatal risk factors. The indication for M-mode examination was an abnormal four-chambered view of the fetal heart obtained during ultrasound examination for common obstetric indications.

Antepartum ultrasonographic evaluation and management of placental chorioangioma. A case report.

Chorioangiomas are usually small and found by careful sectioning of the placenta. In recent years ultrasonography has been used in antenatal diagnosis. Multiple and large tumors (greater than 5 cm) are associated with increases in fetal morbidity and mortality. We treated a woman who had severe polyhydramnios and a large chorioangioma with vascular channels in the tumor confirmed by Doppler studies. Daily fetal breathing was used to monitor fetal well-being.

To dry or not to dry? An assessment of the possible degradation in efficiency of preoperative skin preparation caused by wiping skin dry.

A controlled study of the effects of wiping skin dry after application of aqueous povidone-iodine was carried out in 24 subjects. There was no significant difference in the reduction from baseline counts of skin flora at 5, 30, 60 and 120 min between wiping the agent off after 30 s of application and leaving it to dry. It would appear that wiping skin dry that has been prepared for operation with this solution in order to allow application of adhesive drapes is a bacteriologically safe practice.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C virus in two institutions caring for mentally handicapped adults.

Hepatitis B virus infection is common in institutions caring for the mentally handicapped. Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus share routes of transmission but the prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in this population is unknown. We have tested 101 patients from two institutions in South-East England caring for adults with mental handicap for the presence of hepatitis C antibody, hepatitis B core antibody, and if necessary hepatitis B surface antigen. None tested positive for hepatitis C antibody, but 43 had hepatitis B core antibody of whom 14 were chronic carriers positive for hepatitis B surface antigen. Unlike hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus infection appears to be uncommon in UK institutions.

Selected reaction monitoring method to determine the species origin of blood-based binding agents in meats: a collaborative study.

Binding products or food 'glues' are used throughout the food industry to increase the meat use rate or to augment economic efficiency. Some of these binders contain thrombin from bovine and porcine blood. The European parliament has recently banned thrombin-based additives and labelling legislation governs their use in the US. A mass spectrometry screening method is available to detect the addition of thrombin agents to foods as there is a need to protect consumers and to avoid misleading trade practices. We report the details of an inter-laboratory trial to determine the transferability of this method to operators in various food testing laboratories, each using a different triple quadrupole mass spectrometer design. The trial was successful with the species origin of the binding agent contained in each of the 43 test materials being correctly reported by the participants. This is consistent with a false positive and false negative rate of 0%. This is the first collaborative study, as far as we are aware, which involves a liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) application to approach a food authenticity issue.