Effects of nandrolone therapy on forearm bone mineral content in osteoporosis

Forearm bone mineral content (BMC) was measured sequentially on and off anabolic steroid therapy in 52 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. The steroid used was nandrolone decanoate in a dose of 50 mg every two weeks by intramuscular injection. In 16 of the patients nandrolone was given first (for 6.2 +/- 0.6 months) followed by a control period (6.1 +/- 1.0 months) and in 36 there was an initial control period (9.5 +/- 1.1 months) followed by nandrolone (for 5.8 +/- 0.4 months). Any other therapy was continued unchanged during both treatment and control periods. There was a significant rise in BMC on nandrolone (p less than 0.001) and a nonsignificant fall in BMC off nandrolone. The difference between the rates of change on and off nandrolone was highly significant (+53 vs. -7 mg/cm/year; p less than 0.001).

Carbohydrate Metabolism by Streptococcus thermophilus : A Review

Despite the widespread use of Streptococcus thermophilus as a starter culture in the manufacture of many fermented dairy products, only recently has an understanding of the basic processes regarding carbohydrate metabolism been developed. Although S. thermophilus is related to other lactic streptococci by virtue of their common use in dairy fermentations, available information indicates that S. thermophilus is serologically, genetically, and physiologically distinct from the Group N, mesophilic streptococci. Carbohydrate metabolism, in particular, occurs by different processes in S. thermophilus than in the Group N streptococci ( Streptococcus lactis and Streptococcus cremoris ). The latter organisms utilize lactose by a specific phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system in which the lactose hydrolysis products, glucose and galactyose-6-phosphate, are concurrently metabolized to lactic acid. In contrast, S. thermophilus lacks phosphotransferase activity and instead possesses a lactose permease. After hydrolysis by β-galactosidase, only glucose is further metabolized and galactose is released into the extracellular medium. Most strains are unable to ferment galactose and are phenotypically galactose-negative. The rapid growth rates of S. thermophilus on lactose and slow growth rates on glucose and galactose are likely due to the differences between the lactose and monosaccharide transport activities. Galactose transport by S. thermophilus requires an exogenous energy source and is mediated by a galactose permease. Galactose is further metabolized in galactose-positive cells by the enzymes of the Leloir pathway, specifically, galactokinase, galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase, and uridine-5-diphospho-glucose-4-epimerase. The latter two enzymes are eonstituitively expressed; however, in galactose-positive cells galactokinase and the galactose permease are induced by galactose in the absence of lactose. The phenotypic differences between galactose-positive and galactose-negative S. thermophilus are, in part, due to differences in the galactokinase and galactose permease activities. Galactose released into the medium by lactose-grown, galactose-positive cells can be subsequently metabolized, homofermentatively, to lactic acid. However, the important practical implications of released galactose has produced the need for isolation and development of S. thermophilus strains which ferment the lactose components, glucose and galactose, completely and simultaneously.

Effects of nandrolone decanoate on forearm mineral density and calcium metabolism in osteoporotic postmenopausal women

Although anabolic steroids have been used for many years to treat osteoporosis there is little available evidence about their efficacy or mode of action. These agents have recently been shown to produce an increase in total body calcium and bone density and it has been suggested that they stimulate bone formation. In this study 27 osteoporotic postmenopausal women were given 50 mg of nandrolone decanoate intramuscularly, every 2 or 3 weeks for 3 months, and the changes in forearm mineral density, fasting plasma, and urinary calcium, urinary hydroxyproline, and radiocalcium absorption were measured. Associated with a rise in forearm mineral density was a significant fall in fasting urinary calcium, but no significant change in fasting urinary hydroxyproline. The plasma calcium and phosphate fell significantly and there was a significant rise in the renal tubular reabsorption of calcium and a fall in the renal tubular reabsorption of phosphate. In a subset of 22 patients there was a significant rise in radiocalcium absorption. The results are consistent with the concept that nandrolone exerts a significant positive effect on bone formation and that this results in a fall in the fasting plasma calcium level, and consequently calcium excretion.

The effect of an oral calcium load on plasma ionized calcium and parathyroid hormone concentrations in osteoporotic postmenopausal women

Plasma ionized calcium (IC) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations were measured in 31 osteoporotic postmenopausal women at hourly intervals for 5 hours after a 1 g oral calcium load. Fifteen subjects had normal radiocalcium absorption and 16 subjects were malabsorbers of calcium. IC rose and PTH fell after the calcium load in both groups with a plateau at 3-4 hours, and the rise in IC was greater (P less than 0.01) in the normal absorbers. There was a nonsignificant trend for the fall in PTH to be greater in the normal absorbers. In the group as a whole the mean increase in IC (above baseline) at 4 hours was directly related to calcium absorption (P less than 0.025) and the mean change in PTH was inversely related to calcium absorption (P less than 0.05). These results demonstrate that in subjects with postmenopausal osteoporosis the responses of IC and PTH to an oral calcium load are a function of calcium absorptive status.

A comparison of beta-galactosidase specific activities in strains of Streptococcus thermophilus

Six Streptococcus thermophilus strains were examined for growth, acid production, and beta-galactosidase activity per milligram protein (specific activity), so that strain comparisons could be made. A wide range in activity was observed. Activity depended on growth time in M17 broth and, for most strains, continued to increase after cells had reached stationary phase. Maximum activity was at 16 h and ranged from 0 to 58 units/mg protein. Strain ST exhibited no beta-galactosidase activity but had trace phospho-beta-galactosidase activity (.8 units/mg protein after 2 h of growth). Strains 3641 and TS2B exhibited slower growth rates and lower beta-galactosidase activities in milk as compared to M17 broth. Further, strain 3641 exhibited 10 times the activity of strain TS2B (2.86 vs. .24 units) after 4 h of growth in milk.

Compositional and Selected Functional Properties of Whey Protein Concentrates and Lactose-Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Concentrates 1

Commercial whey protein concentrate (WPC) products, manufactured by ultrafiltration with and without lactose hydrolysis, were compared for proximate composition, mineral and trace mineral composition and for protein solubility and viscosity parameters. Protein concentration ranged from 30.5 to 52.7%, while ash content ranged from 5.9 to 12.0%. Extent of lactose hydrolysis in lactose-hydrolyzed WPCs was estimated at 60 to 75% of the initial lactose level. Protein solubility of 10% protein dispersions of the WPC samples ranged from 90 to 100% and was not affected by heating WPC dispersions at 65°C for 30 min or by increased centrifugation force in solubility determination from 40,000 × g to 100,000 × g. All WPC dispersions exhibited pseudoplastic flow behavior as indicated by flow behavior indices (n) of less than 1.0. WPC dispersions possessed a low viscosity as indicated by consistency index (k) data, and k values decreased slightly after heating. Lactose hydrolysis had no apparent effect on solubility or viscosity properties of the WPC dispersions. Alteration of electrophoretic mobility of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was observed for α-lactalbumin in lactose-hydrolyzed WPC samples.

New approaches to the problems of osteoporosis

Professor Urist's contributions to the understanding of osteoporosis are worthy of reevaluation at this time, when interest in the field has reached unprecedented heights. Recent advances in technology have greatly increased our understanding of osteoporosis by showing that there is no loss of bone in normal premenopausal women, and that the loss which starts at the menopause can be attributed to an increase in bone resorption. It is suggested that the primary event is a rise in plasma calcium that leads to a rise in obligatory urinary calcium loss, which in turn increases the calcium requirement. The subset of the postmenopausal population who develop fractures (particularly in the spine) show additional risk factors, which include malabsorption of calcium (which further increases bone resorption) and reduced adrenal androgen production (which may produce a fall in bone formation). The treatment of established cases requires control of bone resorption by calcium supplementation and/or hormone therapy, with the addition of calcitriol if malabsorption of calcium is present. Stimulation of bone formation is more difficult, but there is a suggestion that this may be possible with the use of anabolic steroids.

Galactose transport in Streptococcus thermophilus

Although Streptococcus thermophilus accumulated [14C]lactose in the absence of an endogenous energy source, galactose-fermenting (Gal+) cells were unable to accumulate [14C]galactose unless an additional energy source was added to the test system. Both Gal+ and galactose-nonfermenting (Gal-) strains transported galactose when preincubated with sucrose. Accumulation was inhibited 50 or 95% when 10 mM sodium fluoride or 1.0 mM iodoacetic acid, respectively, was added to sucrose-treated cells, indicating that ATP was required for galactose transport activity. Proton-conducting ionophores also inhibited galactose uptake, although N,N'-dicyclohexyl carbodiimide had no effect. The results suggest that galactose transport in S. thermophilus occurs via an ATP-dependent galactose permease and that a proton motive force is involved. The galactose permease in S. thermophilus TS2b (Gal+) had a Km for galactose of 0.25 mM and a Vmax of 195 micromol of galactose accumulated per min per g (dry weight) of cells. Several structurally similar sugars inhibited galactose uptake, indicating that the galactose permease had high affinities for these sugars.

Galactokinase activity in Streptococcus thermophilus

ATP-dependent phosphorylation of [14C]galactose by 11 strains of Streptococcus thermophilus indicated that these organisms possessed the Leloir enzyme, galactokinase (galK). Activities were 10 times higher in fully induced, galactose-fermenting (Gal+) strains than in galactose-nonfermenting (Gal-) strains. Lactose-grown, Gal- cells released free galactose into the medium and were unable to utilize residual galactose or to induce galK above basal levels. Gal+ S. thermophilus 19258 also released galactose into the medium, but when lactose was depleted growth on galactose commenced, and galK increased from 0.025 to 0.22 micromol of galactose phosphorylated per min per mg of protein. When lactose was added to galactose-grown cells of S. thermophilus 19258, galK activity rapidly decreased. These results suggest that galK in Gal+ S. thermophilus is subject to an induction-repression mechanism, but that galK cannot be induced in Gal- strains.

The relation between calcium absorption, serum dehydroepiandrosterone, and vertebral mineral density in postmenopausal women

Vertebral mineral density, measured by computerized axial tomography, radiocalcium absorption, serum dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA), and serum cortisol (C) were measured in 98 postmenopausal women aged 56-70 yr. On the basis of spine radiographs and fracture history, the women were classified into 49 normal subjects (mean age, 60.5 yr) and 49 with osteoporosis (mean age, 63.1 yr). Vertebral mineral density (VMD), radiocalcium absorption (alpha), serum DHA, and the ratio of DHA to cortisol (DHA/C) were all significantly lower in the osteoporotic than in the normal subjects. DHA was significantly related to C in both groups but the regression was significantly flatter in the osteoporotic than in the normal subjects. Calcium absorption did not fall significantly with age in either group. In the normal group VMD, DHA, and DHA/C fell with age but VMD was not related to alpha, DHA, or DHA/C. In the osteoporotic group, VMD did not fall significantly with age but was significantly related to alpha and DHA/C. Stepwise regression analysis showed that in the normal subjects, age was the only variable significantly related to VMD (P less than 0.05). In the osteoporotic group, calcium absorption was the main determinant of VMD, with age and DHA/C contributing much less to the variance. Discriminant function analysis showed a theoretical misclassification of 45% of cases using DHA, 39% using DHA/C, 32% using alpha, and 18% when alpha and DHA or DHA/C were both taken into account. It is concluded that malabsorption of calcium is a significant risk factor for postmenopausal osteoporosis, probably because of a secondary increase in bone resorption to maintain serum calcium. The severity of the osteoporosis is directly related to the severity of the calcium malabsorption. Low serum DHA appears to represent a further risk factor, either because of its role as estrogen precursor or (possibly) because it promotes bone formation. However, the severity of the osteoporosis was not related to the serum DHA level and only weakly to the DHA/C ratio.

Lactate metabolism by pediococci isolated from cheese

Pediococcus pentosaceus is commonly found among the adventitious microflora of Cheddar cheese. When this organism was incubated with L-(+)-lactate under anaerobic conditions, L-(+)-lactate was rapidly converted to D-(-)-lactate until racemic (DL) lactate was present. Under aerobic conditions this initial reaction was followed by a slower reaction resulting in the use of both lactate isomers and in the production of acetate and CO2. With intact cells the lactate oxidation system had an optimum pH of 5 to 6, depending on the initial lactate concentration. Cells grown anaerobically possessed lactate-oxidizing activity which increased two- to fourfold as sugar was exhausted from the medium. Aerobic growth further increased specific activities. Cheddar cheese was made with the deliberate addition of P. pentosaceus. When the resulting cheese was grated to expose a large surface area to O2, lactate was converted to acetate at a rate which depended on the density of pediococci in the cheese. The lactate oxidation system remained active in cheese which had been ripened for 6 months.

Immobilization hypercalcaemia with severe bone mineral loss and hypogonadism

Moderate hypercalcaemia occurred in a 17-year-old male who was immobilized with abdominal and right hip sepsis for 9 months after a motor vehicle accident. The hypercalcaemia was due to bone resorption, with a urine hydroxyproline:creatinine ratio of 0.203 (normal less than 0.017) and a urine calcium loss of 22.9 mmol/24 hr, associated with impaired renal function. There was radiological evidence of severe bone demineralization in the pelvis over 42 weeks. Radiocalcium absorption, using 47Ca, was decreased (0.17, normal range 0.35-1.30), renal tubular maximum for calcium reabsorption was decreased (1.61 mmol/1 glomerular filtrate, normal range 1.8-2.2), the serum parathyroid hormone concentration was in the low normal range (3.2, 3.6 u/l, normal range 2-6) and the plasma 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D concentration was decreased despite a normal 25-hydroxy-vitamin D concentration, indicating suppression of the parathyroid, 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D axis. The patient was found to be hypogonadal at 41 weeks after admission and testosterone therapy was begun, with associated improvement in mobilization and a reduction of the hypercalcaemia.

Vitamin D and femoral neck fractures in elderly South Australian women

The vitamin D status of women with femoral neck fractures and of male and female nursing-home residents in South Australia was assessed and compared with that of ambulant normal elderly women and young male and female controls. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) was assayed with a competitive protein-binding method including a chromatography step. The mean serum 25OHD levels in the patients with femoral neck fractures (39.2 [SE 2.6] nmol/L) and in the nursing-home residents (28.9 [SE 1.3] nmol/L) were significantly lower than those in the ambulant elderly women (67.6 [SE 3.9] nmol/L) and young controls (76.9 [SE 3.7] nmol/L) (P less than 0.001 in each case). The serum 25OHD levels were unrelated to age in the normal ambulant subjects. There was a significant seasonal variation in the results of routine 25OHD assays performed in our laboratory, but no such variation was seen in the nursing-home residents. We conclude that vitamin D deficiency is common in housebound subjects, and that femoral neck fractures occur mainly in subjects who were housebound before the fracture.

A computerized on-line key word indexing system for drug information retrieval

The Idaho Drug Information Service has been in operation since 1972. During this time, five different files and manual methods of filing have evolved. As a result of confusion over indexing terms, information became lost within the filing systems, and the files fell into disuse. A reorganization of the files was undertaken in an attempt to develop a filing system that would be functional and efficient. Methods of manual filing are briefly reviewed. A computerized on-line key word indexing system for information storage and retrieval was initiated. The development and operation of the Drug Information Retrieval Terminal System (DIRTS) is described completely. At this time, DIRTS is fully operational. The system has eliminated the previous problems encountered with the manual filing systems, and user response has been good.

Methods to Detect Abnormal Milk - A Review

Screening and confirmatory methods for detecting abnormal milk, mastitic milk, or milk of high somatic cell count are reviewed. Those procedures reviewed in some detail include the Catalase Test. Brabant Mastitis Reaction, pH and chlorine analysis, Ruakura Rolling Ball Viscometer method. California Mastitis Test (CMT), Wisconsin Mastitis Test (WMT), Optical Somatic Cell Count (OSCC). Direct Microscopic Somatic Cell Count (DMSCC), and Electronic Somatic Cell count (ESCC). Other detection methods are tabulated.

Species differences and effect of incubation time on lactic streptococcal intracellular proteolytic enzyme activity

Ruptured cells of Streptococcus lactis C2, S. cremoris ML 1 and a lactose-negative proteinase-negative (Lac-Prt-) mutant of S. lactis C2 (LMO220) were fractionated into the soluble, particulate, and ribosome fractions by differential centrifugation. S. lactis C2 possessed higher activity of intracellular proteinase, alanylglycinase, particulate associated dipeptidase and ribosome associated dipeptidase and ribosome associated dipeptidase than did S. cremoris ML1. LMO220 was lower in intracellular proteinase and dipeptidase activity and lower in ribosome associated dipeptidase activity than was the parent strain C2. Particulate associated dipeptidase activity was substantially higher in the mutant cells. Extending incubation times from 5 to 24 and 32 h reduced intracellular proteinase and ribosome associated dipeptidase activity in S. lactis C2 and S. cremoris ML1. Soluble alanylglycinase activity and particulate associated dipeptidase activity of ML1 were reduced drastically after 24-h incubation.

Effects of oxygen on Propionibacterium shermanii grown in continuous culture

Growth yields, enzyme activities, cytochrome concentrations and the rates of product formation were determined in Propionibacterium shermanii cultures grown in a chemostat with lactate as the energy source at various concentrations of oxygen. Oxygen was toxic when its partial pressure in the inflowing gas was just sufficient to give measurable dissolved oxygen concentration in the culture, when it inhibited lactate oxidation and NADH oxidase activity. Below this oxygen concentration, P. shermanii behaved as a facultative anaerobe. The adaptation from anaerobic metabolism to aerobic metabolism, however, was complex. Low partial pressures of oxygen led to decreased cytochrome and membrane-bound dehydrogenase activities and molar growth yield. Above an oxygen partial pressure of 42 mmHg in the inflowing gas stream, these changes were reversed, leading to an aerobic type of metabolism. At the highest subtoxic concentration of oxygen used (330 mmHg in the input gas), lactate was oxidized mainly to acetate and carbon dioxide and the rate of propionate formation was very low. The high molar growth yield obtained under these conditions suggested that lactate and NADH oxidation via the cytochrome electron transport system was coupled to ATP synthesis.