Multiple spatially resolved reflection spectroscopy to monitor cutaneous carotenoids during supplementation of fruit and vegetable extracts in vivo.

BACKGROUND: A nutrition rich in fruit and vegetables and a healthy lifestyle become more and more important in the industrial countries to counteract oxidative stress and promote health. For many years, it has been possible to control human cutaneous carotenoids noninvasively by resonance Raman spectroscopic systems and by spatially resolved reflectance spectroscopy. METHODS: Ten volunteers took a commercially available fruit and vegetable extract daily for a time period of 5 weeks. A second group served as control group and did not take any supplements (10 volunteers). To monitor the status of the cutaneous carotenoids noninvasively, an optical sensor based on multiple spatially resolved reflectance spectroscopy was applied once a week. RESULTS: The study could demonstrate that the intake of the supplement significantly increase the cutaneous carotenoid values of the young adults by 50%. The control group without any supplementation showed also significantly increased values, ie, by 10%, which might be due to the fact that their lifestyle was controlled. CONCLUSION: The results illustrate that a biofeedback by measuring the skin carotenoids could improve the lifestyle of young adults and that a regular consumption of fruit and vegetables directly or as a drink can increase the concentration of cutaneous carotenoids significantly.

Cutaneous carotenoids: the mirror of lifestyle?

Carotenoids could serve as marker substances of the antioxidant status of the human skin. In the present study, an optical skin scanner was used to analyse the carotenoid concentration obtained from 4 volunteers over a period of 13 days. The measurements were taken daily at different time points. In addition, the volunteers were asked to keep track of their daily nutritional behaviour and stress situations in a diary. It was found that the carotenoid values reflect clearly the nutritional behaviour and stress situations of the volunteers. While a steady, increased intake of fruit and vegetables resulted in a gradual increase in the dermal carotenoid values for several days, stressful situations entailed an immediate decline in these values. Although the impact of healthy nutrition on the antioxidant protection system is generally known and notwithstanding the small number of cases, the present study clearly demonstrates that the avoidance and/or reduction of stress is similarly important in order not to counteract or nullify the results achieved by healthy nutrition.

[Gamma nail osteosynthesis--progress in geriatric surgery]. / Die Gammanagel-Osteosynthese--ein Fortschritt in der geriatrischen Chirurgie.

The treatment of coxal femoral fractures in elderly patients is gaining vital significance. Short immobilization times, immediate full load capacity and fast reintegration into the home can be achieved only by early stable osteosynthesis. In an analysis of 222 patients hospitalized between 1988 and 1995 with peri- and subtrochanteric fractures of the femur we are able to show the advantages of the gamma nail in comparison to former osteosynthesis techniques.

Lead removal from foundry waste by solvent extraction.

Solvent extraction is used to reduce lead concentrations from millpond wastewater solids, a type of foundry process waste. Toluene and toluene mixed with di-(2-ethyl-hexyl) phosphoric acid (HDEHP) have been tried as leaching solvents. Toluene is ineffective as a solvent in extracting lead, but the toluene-HDEHP mixture effectively removes lead from solid foundry waste. The effects of the HDEHP concentration, the contact time, and the amount of solvent used on lead extraction have been investigated. The mass transfer process is rapid: contact time of 1/2 hour has been found to be sufficient to accomplish the leaching process. The concentration of HDEHP significantly impacts lead removal. The optimum concentration of HDEHP is determined to range from 0.05 to 0.1 mol/l. The Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) test of the treated samples gives leachable lead in much lower quantities than those found in the untreated samples. Thus the solvent extraction process appears to be an effective method to significantly reduce the lead content of millpond wastewater solids.

[Pressure behavior in muscle compartments of the foot in defined stress, metatarsal and ankle joint fractures]. / Das Druckverhalten in den Muskellogen des Fusses bei definierter Belastung, Metatarsal- und Sprunggelenksfrakturen.

In addition to the importance of compartment syndrome in the lower leg, a growing interest is being shown in the muscle compartments of the foot region. The standard pressure rates in the muscle compartments of the foot comprise up to 4 kPa for men and up to 2.5 kPa for women. During graded exercise (n = 9) on the treadmill the pressure increased in line with the strain and declined again rapidly when the exercise stopped without showing any significant differences in pressure between the muscle compartments studied. In metatarsal and ankle joint fractures post-traumatic pressures were found which were as high as or higher than after 20 minutes on the treadmill and would make the development of a compartment syndrome possible. This points to the necessity of measuring the pressure in the muscle compartments of the patient's foot when there is a clinical suspicion of a compartment syndrome.

Renin inhibitory pentols showing improved enteral bioavailability.

Incorporation of a C-terminal pentahydroxy functionality led to potent, low molecular weight hydrophilic renin inhibitors lacking the P1' side chain. As these compounds are easy to synthesize and have sufficient water solubility, they were chosen for further study. Compound 33 was transported across rabbit intestinal brush border membrane vesicles and yielded a hypotensive effect in sodium-depleted rhesus monkeys which lasted for 90 min when dosed at 2 mg/kg id.

[Embryotoxic interactions between a hydrolysis product of thalidomide and the surfactant Tween 20 in mice]. / Embryotoxische Wechselwirkungen zwischen einem Hydrolysenprodukt des Thalidomids und dem Tensid Tween 20 bei der Maus.

N,N-phthaloyl-L-glutamic acid (NPLG), a hydrolysis product of thalidomide, and the surfactant Tween 20 were co-administered intraperitoneally to pregnant NMRI mice on days 9 and 8 2/3 p.c. at doses where the hydrolysis product as well as the surfactant alone induce minimal embryotoxicity. The combined substances (350 mg/kg NPLG + 1.0 ml/kg Tween 20) caused a potentiative teratogenic and an additive embryolethal response. Enhancement of the amount of Tween 20 in the combinations to 2.5 ml/kg led to the same potentiative teratogenic and, in addition, potentiative embryolethal response. Distribution studies using 14C-NPLG showed a strongly increased NPLG content in the maternal plasma under the influence of 2.5 ml/kg Tween 20 but not after co-administration with 1.0 ml/kg Tween 20. The malformations obtained were of the same type in all groups and mostly located in the vertebrae and ribs. These axial and paraxial defects were frequently more severe and included more affected elements after application of the combined than of the single substances. Extension of our experiments with the combined substances to treatment days 8 1/2 and 9 1/2 p.c. revealed that the first affected segment shifts in caudal direction depending on an increasing embryonal age at treatment. Limb malformations occurred at a low frequency; most of them were of the same type as described in cases of human thalidomide embryopathy.

Erythrocytes in Hb SC disease are microcytic and hyperchromic.

We have used the new Technicon H.1 Hematology Analyzer to determine the indices of erythrocytes obtained from 18 nonthalassemic (alpha alpha/alpha alpha genotype) adult patients with Hb SC disease. Controls were 14 normal black adults and 29 white adults. The data showed that SC erythrocytes are significantly smaller than normal RBC (P less than .001) with a significantly higher MCHC value (P less than .001) than controls. These features of SC RBC could not be reproduced by an Ortho ELT-8 electronic counter. Hb SC erythrocytes have unique indices which are best demonstrated either by semimanual methods or by the H.1 system.

[Microangiographic research on revascularization in the fracture model of the canine tibia]. / Mikroangiographische Untersuchungen zur Revaskularisation am Frakturmodell der Hundetibia.

Micro-angiograms were performed between eight weeks and one year following osteotomies and pressure osteosyntheses in 34 dog tibiae. Seventeen animals also underwent lumbar sympathectomy. In more than half of the cases, vascularisation of the medulla was reduced by damage to the nutrient artery. Segmental connections could be demonstrated by means of transcortical anastomoses. Following sympathectomy, revascularisation was more marked as a result of numerous trans-osseus anastomoses. This, however, did not lead to improved healing; healing was worse after sympathectomy. Transcortical revascularisation and vessel growth along drill holes are of crucial significance.

Cyclophosphamide: interstrain differences in the production of mutagenic metabolites by S9-fractions from liver and kidney in different mutagenicity test systems in vitro and in the teratogenic response in vivo between CBA and C 57 BL mice.

The formation of mutagenic compounds from cyclophosphamide (CPA) by S9-fractions from liver (S9L) or kidney (S9K) of pregnant CBA and C 57 BL mice was investigated, using point mutations in Salmonella typhimurium (TA 1535) and the induction of sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in human peripheral lymphocytes (HPL) or Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells as end points. In addition, the teratological response of CBA and C 57 BL mice to CPA on day 11 of pregnancy was analysed in vivo. The results are as follows: (1) S9L from CBA mice was more effective than S9L from C 57 BL mice in metabolizing CPA to products inducing mutations in Salmonella and SCEs in HPL and CHO cells. (2) S9L was more effective than S9K from both strains of mice. (3) In vivo pretreatment of mice with a single dose of CPA (20 mg/kg) reduced the in vitro metabolizing capacity of S9L and S9K significantly and led to the disappearance of the interstrain difference. (4) The embryolethal and teratogenic effects of CPA were stronger in C 57 BL than in CBA mice; the types of teratological effects were partially different in the two strains.

[Sympathectomy and bone circulation (animal experiments) (author's transl)]. / Der Einfluss der Sympathektomie auf die Knochendurchblutung.

Lumbar sympathectomy doubles the blood flow of the tibia. This positive effect does not correlate with fracture healing: fracture hyperaemia will last longer, formation of new bone and bone resorption will be more intensive and is combined with trophic alterations. These symptoms characterize the clinical picture.

[Correlations between human portal and peripheral venous insulin and proinsulin concentrations under glucose infusion]. / Relationen zwischen portal- und peripher-venösen Insulin- und Proinsulinkonzentrationen unter Glukoseinfusion beim Menschen)

In 8 female patients carbohydrate tolerance was proved by means of glucose infusion test 3 days after cholecystectomy. Parameters analyzed in portal and peripheral vein blood are compared with that of 47 healthy persons. All patients demonstrate a pathological carbohydrate tolerance after cholecystectomy, further characterized by an increased lipolysis, a paradoxical rise of HGH, a diminished insulin secretion during the early and increased IRI output in the second phase. There is a significant positive correlation between portal and peripheral vein IRI concentration despite the rising portalperipheral venous IRI difference with raised portal venous IRI concentration. Corresponding differences for proinsulin concentrations can be established in the early phase only. Relations existing between blood glucose and IRI are shown by multiple regression analysis. They suggest that the altitude of IRI concentration is determined by previous blood glucose concentration.