[Developmental profile of urine bile acids in preterm infants]

To investigate a developmental profile of urinary 1 beta-hydroxylated cholic acid of preterm infants, a urinary 1 beta-hydroxylated cholic acid/total bile acid ration (%) was measured in 118 preterm infants using Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Following results were obtained: (1) The mean value of urinary 1 beta-hydroxylated cholic acid/total bile acid ratio (%) increased rapidly from birth to 0 weeks of corrected postnatal age (Expected date of confinement was denoted as day 0), and decreased thereafter. Thus the mean ratio (%) at week 0 was approximately 50%, and it became less than 10% at week 40. (2) The earlier the gestational weeks of preterm infants at birth were, the smaller the ratio (%) was. (3) The developmental profile of the urinary 1 beta-hydroxylated cholic acid/total bile acid ratio (%) from birth to 110 weeks of corrected postnatal age had almost the same pattern regardless of gestational weeks at birth, weight at birth and whether it was small-for-gestational-age (SGA) or appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) in preterm infants. (4) The developmental profile of the urinary 1 beta-hydroxylated cholic acid/total bile acid ratio (%) from birth to 110 weeks of corrected postnatal age had a similar pattern between males and females, although the mean ratios at -13, -10, -5, 0, 20, 60 and 80 weeks of corrected postnatal age of the female group tended to be consistently higher than those of the male group in preterm infants. Based on these results, a possible application of the present analysis in diagnosing hepato-biliary disorders is being investigated.

Inherited copper toxicity in Long-Evans cinnamon rats exhibiting spontaneous hepatitis: a model of Wilson's disease

The copper concentrations in organs of developing Long-Evans Cinnamon (LEC) rats (2 d to 13 mo) were measured to elucidate the pathogenesis of their hereditary hepatitis. Hepatic copper contents of LEC rats were significantly higher than those of control rats (26 to 92 times higher). The subcellular distribution of hepatic copper indicated that the nuclear and large granular fractions had been saturated and the cytosol fraction contained about 70% of all the hepatic copper in LEC rats. The serum concentrations of copper and ceruloplasmin were significantly lower than those of control rats from the 4th wk (10-12% and 5-19%, respectively). Copper contents in kidney of LEC rats did not exhibit an increase over those of control rats until 12 wk, but then increased to nearly 40 times higher during fulminant hepatic failure. Accumulation of copper was not detected in the brain or small intestines of LEC rats until 13 mo. The hepatic copper concentration, its subcellular distribution, and serum copper concentration of F1 rats (LEC x Long-Evans Agouti) exhibited the same levels as those of Long-Evans Agouti rats. In addition to their similarity concerning inheritance of autosomal recessive means and clinical course, we found causality relating copper accumulation to the pathogenesis of the disease. We propose that LEC rats will be the most promising animal model for the study of Wilson's disease.