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The frequency of skeletal deformations in fish is a common biomarker when investigating the environmental response to effluents of various origins. This study discovered a new biomarker: elevated mineralization levels of the vertebrae in the caudal region of perch Perca fluviatilis. The study was conducted in northern Sweden in lakes receiving discharges from an iron ore mine and adjacent reference lakes. The field observation was followed up with an egg‐hatching experiment showing a similar lake‐specific pattern in hatching and deformation frequencies in larvae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, an individual-based model for Nitocra spinipes was developed and used to optimize the test design of a proposed Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development test guideline for harpacticoid copepods. The variability between individuals was taken into account, based on measured data, leading to stochastic model output. Virtual experiments were performed with the model to analyze the endpoint sensitivity and the effect of number of replicates and inspection intervals on statistical power. The impact of mortality was evaluated; most sublethal effects could not be determined if the mortality was ≥70%. Most sensitive to mortality was the determination of effects on brood size, for which the statistical power was reduced at 10% mortality. Our simulations show that increasing the number of replicates from 72 to 96 or 144 has little impact on the statistical power, whereas 25 replicates disallow relevant endpoint detection. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the proposed 1D inspection interval can be shifted to a 3D interval, without losing statistical power. It was demonstrated that developmental endpoints have a higher statistical power than reproductive endpoints in the current test design. The present study highlights the usefulness of individual-based models for optimizing the experimental design. The use of such models in the development of standard test guidelines will lead to a faster and less resource-demanding process. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2011;30:2353-2362. © 2011 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the effects on body composition after 1 month's administration of supraphysiological doses of growth hormone (GH) in healthy, active young adults with normal GH-IGF-I axis.Thirty healthy, physically active volunteers (15 men and 15 women), mean age 25·9 years (range 18–35), participated in this study, designed as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel study with three groups (n = 10: five men and five women in each group). The groups comprised the following: placebo (P), GH 0·1 IU/kg/day[0·033 mg/kg/day] (GH 0·1) and GH 0·2 IU/kg/day[0·067 mg/kg/day] (GH 0·2).In the pooled group with active GH treatment (n = 20) the results showed significant increases: IGF-I increased by 134% (baselinevs.after 1 month), body weight by 2·7%, fat free mass by 5·3%, total body water by 6·5% and extracellular water (ECW) by 9·6%. Body fat decreased significantly by 6·6%. No significant change in intracellular water was detected. The observed increase in fat free mass by 5·3% was explained by the ECW increase, indicating limited anabolic effects of the supraphysiological GH doses. Changes were noticeable in both genders, although more prominent in the male subjects. Fluid retention symptoms occurred in the majority of individuals.This is, to our knowledge, the first placebo-controlled trial to show the effects of supraphysiological GH doses on body composition and IGF-I levels in physically active and healthy individuals of both genders; the results indicate limited anabolic effects of GH with these supraphysiological doses. The role of GH as an effective anabolic doping agent is questioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nilsson-Ehle H, Bengtsson B-Å, Lindstedt G, Mellström D. Insulin-like growth factor-1 is a predictor of blood haemoglobin concentration in 70-yr-old subjects.Eur J Haematol 2005: 74: 111–116.© Blackwell Munksgaard 2005.The role of growth hormone (GH) for maintaining normal erythropoiesis among non-GH-deficient elderly subjects is not known.Objectives: To determine relationships between the concentrations of serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and it's carrier protein insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3), as well as plasma erythropoietin (EPO), and blood haemoglobin (Hb) in elderly subjects.Methods: Serum IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 and plasma EPO were, in addition to basal haematological tests, measured in a community based representative population sample of 70-yr-olds (n = 619; 317 women and 302 men). Statistical analyses were made before and after exclusion of non-healthy subjects.Results: Mean IGF-1 concentration was higher among men than women (155 vs. 138 μg/L,P = 0.0000), and that of IGFBP3 lower (2.21 vs. 2.65 mg/L,P = 0.0000). Exclusion of subjects with demonstrable disorders did not significantly influence the distributions of serum-IGF-1 and serum-BP-3. Hb concentration was positively correlated to concentrations of IGF-1 (r = 0.15,P < 0.01 for the men;r = 0.34,P < 0.001 for the women), and IGFBP-3 (r = 0.07, n.s. for the men;r = 0.27,P < 0.001 for the women), and negatively correlated to EPO concentration (r = −0.34,P < 0.001 for the men;r = −0.42,P < 0.001 for the women). In multivariate analysis, serum concentrations of IGF-1, iron, and plasma concentrations of EPO were independently correlated to Hb among both men and women.Conclusion: GH and/or IGF-1 are, independently from EPO and regardless of health status and sex, a significant determinant of Hb in elderly subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known of the long-term effects of GH replacement therapy on muscle strength in elderly adults with adult onset GH deficiency (GHD). In this study, the effects of 5 years of GH replacement therapy on muscle function were determined in adults over 60 years of age with adult onset GHD.A prospective, open-label, single-centre study.Twenty-six (12 male and 14 female) consecutive hypopituitary adults with adult onset GHD, mean age 65·0 (range 61–74) years.Upper leg muscle strength was measured using a Kin-Com dynamometer. Right and left handgrip strength were measured using an electronic grip force instrument.The mean insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) SD score increased from−1·10 at baseline to 1·21 at end of the study. Body weight was unchanged during the 5-year study. A sustained increase in lean body mass and a sustained reduction of body fat was observed as measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). The GH replacement therapy induced a sustained increase in isometric (60°) knee flexor strength. After statistical correction for age and sex variables using observed/predicted value ratios, a sustained increase was also observed in concentric knee flexor strength at an angular velocity of 60°/s, concentric knee extensor strength at 60°/s and 180°/s, and peak right handgrip strength. At baseline, knee flexor strength was 90–96% of predicted, knee extensor strength was 85–87% of predicted, and hand-grip strength was 74–80% of predicted values. At study end, knee flexor strength was 98–106% of predicted, knee extensor strength was 90–100% of predicted, and hand-grip strength was 80–87% of predicted values.Elderly patients with adult onset GH deficiency had decreased baseline muscle strength also after correction for age and sex. The 5-year GH replacement therapy normalized knee flexor strength and improved, but did not fully normalize, knee extensor strength and handgrip strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the influence of nutrient levels on uptake and effects of mercury, cadmium and lead in water spinach. Metal-induced toxic effects on the yield of the plants; Relation of internal metal concentrations in the plant with toxic effects.

Summary The use of antibiotics in aquaculture may cause development of antibiotic resistance among pathogens infecting cultured animals and humans. However, this is a recent issue and has not yet been thoroughly investigated. Furthermore, there is limited knowledge about the environmental effects of antibiotic use in aquaculture. It is well known that antibiotics are commonly used in shrimp farming to prevent or treat disease outbreaks, but there is little published documentation on details of usage patterns. This study, conducted in 2000, shows that a large proportion of shrimp farmers along the Thai coast used antibiotics in their farms. Of the seventy-six farmers interviewed, 74% used antibiotics in shrimp pond management. Most farmers used them prophylactically, some on a daily basis, and at least thirteen different antibiotics were used. Many farmers were not well informed about efficient and safe application practices. A more restrictive use of antibiotics could have positive effects for the individual farmer and, simultaneously, decrease impacts on regional human medicine and adjacent coastal ecosystems. It is likely that dissemination of information could contribute to a decreased use of antibiotics, without decreasing the level of shrimp production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Objective Increased cardiovascular mortality and carotid atherosclerosis have been observed in hypopituitary patients with untreated GH deficiency (GHD), but results are contradictory and relations to cardiovascular risk factors are not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate intima-media thickness (IMT) in relation to cardiovascular risk factors in adults with GHD. Design Cross-sectional observational study of 21 men and 13 women with GHD, but without cardiovascular disease, compared to two healthy control groups matched for age, sex and smoking habits. One control group was matched for body mass index (BMI) and the other group was nonobese. Measurements IMT of the carotid and femoral arteries, blood pressure, blood samples and anthropometric data. Results Patients had 12% thicker composite carotid IMT [(IMT of common carotid artery + IMT of bulb)/2] compared to nonobese controls (P = 0·022), but IMT was not different compared to BMI-matched controls. Femoral IMT did not differ between patients and controls. Patients had higher waist : hip ratio (WHR), heart rate, serum triglycerides and fasting insulin concentrations in combination with lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and smaller low-density lipoprotein (LDL) peak particle size compared to both nonobese and to BMI-matched controls. This cardiovascular risk pattern was more pronounced in female patients than in male patients compared to their gender controls. Carotid IMT was related to age, serum cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and smoking in the patient group. Only age was independently related to carotid IMT in multivariate analysis. Conclusions These results indicate that high BMI in GH-deficient patients contribute to their increased intima-media thickness. However, several cardiovascular risk factors are present in this patient group independent of their increased BMI, especially in women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on the accumulation of heavy metals in water spinach, Ipomoea aquatica, cultivated in Bangkok, Thailand. Accumulation of lead, cadmium, mercury and methylmercury; Potential hazard to human health of consumption of spinach.

Background and Objective: Beta-adrenoreceptor blocking agents are important for the treatment of myocardial infarction (MI). Accumulating evidence also indicates that growth hormone (GH) improves cardiac function after MI in rats. We aimed to investigate the cardiovascular effects of combined treatment in an animal model of MI.Methods: MI was induced in rats by ligation of the left coronary artery. Three days after MI, animals were randomly assigned to one of four groups: controls (C) (n=19); GH (n=19) receiving s.c. 2 mg/kg per day rhGH; metoprolol (M) group (n=19) receiving 24 mg/kg per day and combined group (GHM) (n=20) treated with both GH (2 mg/kg per day s.c.) and M (24 mg/kg per day) for 9 days. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed before and after treatment.Results: Serum levels of insulin-like growth factor I were significantly elevated in the GH-group but not in the GHM group compared to controls. Left ventricular volumes, cardiac index, systolic blood pressure, were similar in all groups. Percent changes in ejection fraction compared to baseline were; GH (6.1+/-5.0%) and GHM (6.1+/-4.2%) vs. C (-12.5+/-3.0%), P<0.01, M (-7.3+/-4.2%). The occurrence of aneurysms was not significantly different between the various treatment regimes.Conclusion: Treatment with growth hormone alone or in combination with metoprolol preserved left ventricular function after MI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND AIMSThe need for continued GH replacement in patients with childhood-onset GH deficiency (GHD) into adulthood has been recognized. The consequences of discontinuing GH treatment on bone mineralization in adolescent patients with GHD and short stature were examined over a period of 2 years. PATIENTSForty adolescents (aged 16–21 years) treated with GH for more than 3 years and 16 closely matched healthy controls were studied. After a baseline visit, GH treatment was discontinued. The patients were then re-examined with the same protocol after 1 and 2 years. Twenty-one patients had continuing severe GHD into adulthood, while 19 patients were regarded as having sufficient endogenous GH secretion (GHS). RESULTSAt baseline, there were no differences between the groups in total bone mineral content (BMC) or bone mineral density (BMD). After 2 years without GH treatment, BMC increased similarly in the GHD and GHS groups. BMC of the lumbar spine (L2–L4) increased only in the GHD group. Lumbar spine BMD increased in the GHD and the GHS groups. No changes were observed in the femoral neck region. Biochemical measurements showed that carboxy-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) and bone specific alkaline phosphates (ALP) were higher in the GHD and GHS groups at baseline compared with controls. Osteocalcin, carboxy-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP), ICTP and ALP decreased during the 2 years off treatment in both the GHD and GHS groups. PICP was also lower after 2 years in the GHD group compared with both the GHS group and controls. CONCLUSIONSAfter discontinuation of GH therapy in adolescents at or near final height, there was a continued increase in BMC and BMD both for adolescents with growth hormone deficiency and for those classified as growth hormone sufficient. These groups did not differ from controls at baseline or after 2 years. In the growth hormone deficiency group, biochemical markers for bone... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Although elderly hypopituitary adults demonstrate an increase in total and central fat compared with age-matched controls and are distinguishable from control subjects in terms of growth hormone (GH) responsiveness on dynamic testing, there are few data available on response to GH replacement. The objective of this study was to compare the baseline characteristics and longitudinal response to GH replacement in patients aged > 65 years with that observed in younger patients enrolled in KIMS (Pharmacia and Upjohn International Metabolic Database). KIMS is a physician-managed, open, long-term surveillance study of adult GH-deficient patients receiving GH replacement. Patients were entered and data provided by interested physicians. PATIENTS: Baseline characteristics were studied in 109 patients (66 males) aged > 65 years commencing GH replacement at time of entry into KIMS and the effects of GH replacement on blood pressure, lipids and quality of life in 64 patients who had completed at least 6 months of GH replacement. Data were compared with baseline data on 863 patients aged < 65 years with adult onset GH deficiency, who had not received GH for at least 6 months prior to entry into KIMS, 220 of whom went on to complete > 6 months GH therapy in KIMS. RESULTS: Blood pressure, cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were positively correlated with age, particularly in females, and older patients had a predictably higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus and history of hypertension. The frequency of previous fractures was increased in females but not in males aged > 65 years. Body mass index, waist/hip ratio and quality of life (AGHDA score) was similar in both groups prior to commencement of GH therapy. GH replacement doses were similar in younger and older patients and the percentage of patients with serum IGF-I of > 2SD above the age-related normal mean was not significantly different between the groups (< 65 years, 20%; > 65 years, 11%). After 6 months of... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE Long-term experience of growth hormone (GH) replacement therapy in a large population of hypopituitary adults with GH deficiency (GHD) is limited, and safety surveillance is clearly essential. KIMS, the Pharmacia & Upjohn International Metabolic Database, is a long-term, open, outcomes research programme of hypopituitary adult patients with GHD who are treated in a conventional clinical setting. PATIENTS The present analysis encompasses data from 1034 hypopituitary adult GHD patients treated with GH for a total of 818 patient years. RESULTS Prior to GH therapy, the KIMS patient population exhibited an increased prevalence of obesity, diabetes mellitus (in females) and hyperlipidaemia, compared with normal populations described in published studies. Quality of life, assessed using a disease-specific questionnaire (QoL-AGHDA), was also reduced in KIMS patients. The maintenance dose of GH was significantly higher in patients who were receiving GH prior to enrolment into KIMS (non-naive patients) compared with patients who commenced GH at the time of enrolment (naive patients). In addition, dose of GH correlated significantly with body weight in the former group of patients. Analysis of serum levels of IGF-I indicated that overtreatment with GH was markedly more common in non-naive than in naive patients. The frequency of adverse events in KIMS patients was no higher than that reported in patients receiving placebo in previous clinical trials. Recurrence of pituitary or CNS tumours was reported in six patients, a rate consistent with data from control series. Three deaths were reported, none of which was obviously associated with GH treatment. CONCLUSIONS Our data, drawn from a large population of hypopituitary adults treated with GH for a total of more than 800 patient years, confirm previous reports that untreated GHD in hypopituitary adults is associated with a number of important clinical problems. In addition, the results suggest that there has been a... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE Serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) decreases with increasing age and this process is more pronounced in women after the menopause in parallel with the increasing prevalence of osteoporosis. This study was designed to compare IGF-1 concentrations, vitamin D, intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) and lifestyle factors in postmenopausal, osteoporotic women with and without oestrogen replacement therapy (HRT), with an age-matched random population sample of women. DESIGN Case control study. PATIENTS Postmenopausal, osteoporotic women, n = 128, mean age 59 ± 6 years, were compared with a female random population sample matched for age, n = 227, mean age 59 ± 5 years, from the WHO MONICA Project, Göteborg, Sweden. Osteoporotic fractures had occurred in 56% of the patients compared with 4% of the controls (P < 0.001). MEASUREMENTS Anthropometry, occupation, smoking habits, physical activity, blood pressure, IGF-1, vitamin D, intact PTH, blood lipids. RESULTS There were no differences in occupational class, current or previous smoking habits, degree of physical activity during occupational or leisure time between the patients and controls. Osteoporotic women had lower body weight and body mass index than the controls (P < 0.001). Height, waist/hip ratio and osteocalcin were similar. 25(OH) vitamin D and 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D were lower (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively), PTH was higher (P < 0.001) and IGF-1 lower (P < 0.01) in osteoporotic women compared with the controls. IGF-1 was lower (P < 0.05), in spite of similar bone mineral density, in osteoporotic women without HRT than in those with HRT, who had IGF-1 concentrations similar to those of the population sample, of whom fewer than 10% had HRT. Among patients, IGF-1 did not correlate with serum oestradiol or bone mineral density. PTH correlated negatively to bone mineral density at the femoral site (r = - 0.29; P = 0.003). CONCLUSION Osteoporosis in postmenopausal women is... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluxes of Ca2+ (45Ca) and K+ (86Rb) were investigated in 12-day old intact plants of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. var. Cilla) and 7-day old intact plants of wheat (Triticum aesrivum L. var. Svenno) which had been cultivated in nutrient solution. The rate of K+ uptake was affected by the external Ca2+ concentration, Which reduced the uptake of K+ when present above and below a certain level. Pretreatment of roots in high [Ca2+] during a 24 h period decreased the rate of both K+ and Ca2+ uptake. Reduced availability of Ca2+ in the nutrient solution during 24 h reduced the uptake of K+ and Ca2+. Separation of the Ca2+ and K+ retained in the roots, from the amounts transported to the shoots in plants pretreated with low [Ca2+], :showed that the influx of K+ retained in the roots decreased while Ca2+ influx increased. The transport of both ions towards the shoot was, however, reduced. Reduction of available Ca2+ in the nutrient solution was suggested to change the composition of the membranes, maintaining their permeability properties and metabolically regulated functions. Leakage of K+ (86Rb) from the vacuolar and cytoplasmic compartment of wheat roots increased at reduced Ca2+ concentration in the nutrient solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uptake of Ca2+(45Ca) was investigated in plants of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. var. Svenno) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. var. Cilla) cultivated in a nutrient solution with various Ca2+ concentrations. The adsorption of Ca2+ was higher in cucumber roots than in wheat roots especially at lower Ca2+ levels in the external medium. The intracellular fraction of Ca2+ was less than 20% of the total Ca2+ in wheat roots and less than 10% of the total Ca2+ in cucumber roots. The uptake of Ca2+ in cucumber was about 40 times higher than in wheat. Transport of Ca2+ in the roots towards the endodermis is suggested to take place mainly in the apoplastic pathway regulated by the availability of negatively charged binding sites along the cell wall continuum. Further transport of Ca2+ towards the stele may involve diffusion of Ca2+ into the symplasm in the vicinity of the endodermis. An active extrusion of Ca2+ towards the stele or towards the external medium is suggested to play a role in the regulation of Ca2+ uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uptake and translocation of Ca2+(45Ca) were compared with water translocation in :12-day old intact plants and excised roots of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. var. Cilla), which had been cultivated in nutrient solution. No immediate reduction of Ca2+ uptake was found when water translocation was reduced by excision of the shoot. in the presence of 2,4-dinitrophenol Ca2+ translocation was reduced in the intact plants while water translocation was unchanged. It is suggested that regulation of Ca2+ uptake is primarily achieved in the root. The DNP-sensitive mechanism of Ca2+ uptake was associated with the root and probably represented transport through the endodermis into the stele. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soluble sugar content was analysed in plant shoots of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cvs CI 14106, CI 9342, ANB 7143, Starke and Capelle Desprez) cultivated in a growth chamber under simulated winter conditions. The sugar content was analysed five times during the "winter". In parallel cultivations the plants were infected with a snow mould fungus (Typhula ishikariensis) to test for resistance to this mould. A differentiation in soluble sugar content was found in the winter wheat varieties, which correlated well with their snow mould resistance. A higher content of soluble sugar was related to an increased resistance to snow mould. The connection was found already after three weeks of growth and during the "winter". A high soluble sugar content may improve the viability of winter wheat infected by snow mould. Determination of soluble sugar content in shoots of winter wheat, cultivated under certain well-controlled climatic conditions, could be a useful test for selection of snow mould resistant varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beech plants (Fugus sylvatica L. provenance Maramures) were grown an nutrient solution at low pH (4.2) and exposed to different concentrations of AlCl3. Uptake and leakage of Ca2+(45Ca2+) and H2PO4 P) were studied. A high external aluminum concentration (1.0 mM) reduced the uptake and export to the shoot of both calcium and phosphate, while 0.1 mM Al increased the phosphorus level in the roots. To determine the impact of aluminium on the localization of calcium and phosphate, leakage of the elements from both intact plants and plants frozen prior to the leakage experiment was studied. The leakage of Ca2+ from intact plants was not affected by prior exposure to 0.1 mM Al. Freezing of the beech plants before the leakage experiment increased leakage of calcium slightly more from roots of control plants than for Toots exposed to 0.1 mM Al, indicating that even low concentrations of alminium may impede the influx of calcium across the plasma membrane in the roots. The patterns of Ca2+ leakage from roots previously exposed to 1.0 mM Al indicated that very little Ca2+ was located extracellularly. The extracellular fraction of phosphate increased with increasing At concentration in the nutrient solution. Low Al concentration (0. 1 mM) only reduced the intracellular phosphate concentration to a minor extent, while 1.0 mM Al profoundly decreased it. It is concluded that 0.1 mM AlCl3 has limited effect upon the localization of Ca2+ and phosphate in the roots. At higher levels of. Al, 0.1-1.0) mM, there is a more dramatic change in nutrient localization in the free space and uptake over the plasma membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of AlCl3 on uptake of Ca2+ and phosphate in roots of intact beech (Fagus sylvatica L. provenance Maramures) plants were studied in nutrient solution and soil solution. Aluminium reduced the concentrations of Ca, Mg and P in plants and increased that of K. In short term experiments, uptake of Ca2+ (45Ca) was reduced by exposure of the roots to Al. The effect of aluminium on Ca2+(45Ca) uptake was immediate and primarily of a competitive nature, preventing Ca2+ from being adsorbed. Uptake of 32P-phosphate increased with increasing Al concentration up to 0.1 mM and then decreased at higher Al concentrations. The effect of Al on phosphate uptake was most pronounced during the first hours of exposure. Growth of plants for 15 days in soil solution, collected from the upper A horizon of a beech forest soil, had no effect on uptake of Ca2+(45Ca) and 32P-phosphate, probably because of a low concentration of labile bound monomeric Al and binding of Al to organic compounds. Soil solution from the deeper B horizon reduced Ca2+(45Ca) uptake and increased 32P-phosphate uptake in a manner similar to that with Al- treatment in nutrient solution. It is concluded that in soil solution from the deeper regions of the soil, mineral uptake by roots was affected by Al.

OBJECTIVE Quality of life tends to be adversely affected in adults with GH deficiency. The aim of this study was to examine changes in quality of life in a large group of GH-deficient adults receiving long-term GH replacement therapy. DESIGN The study was conducted in two stages. The first stage was a prospective, open trial of GH replacement therapy in 71 GH-deficient adults, during which GH was administered for 20–50 months. For the second stage, a further 90 patients were recruited to create a population of 161 GH-deficient adults, all of whom had received GH replacement therapy for more than 12 months. This population was investigated retrospectively, using a questionnaire designed specifically for this study. PATIENTS All patients were GH deficient and showed a peak GH response of less than 3.0 μg/l during an insulin tolerance test in which blood glucose levels dropped to 2.2 mmol/l or below. MEASUREMENTS The quality of life of patients in the prospective stage was assessed using the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) parts I and II, and the Psychological General Well-Being (PGWB) index. In the retrospective study patients completed a specially developed questionnaire, designed to determine whether changes in quality of life were sudden or gradual, and whether quality of life continued to change after GH had been administered for more than 12 months. RESULTS In the prospective stage, mean overall score on the NHP I improved significantly during the first 6 months of GH therapy, and remained at its new level thereafter. Scores in all areas of the NHP II improved significantly between baseline and 20–50 months, as did the total score and five of six area scores on the PGWB index. The total PGWB score and three area scores improved significantly between 6 or 12 months and 20–50 months. In the retrospective stage, 92.7% of the patients reported that they had experienced positive effects of GH therapy. In 30.3% of patients, however, such... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new β2-adrenoceptor agonists, D-2343 and QH 25, have been studied in asthmatic patients. Animal experiments indicated less effect on skeletal muscle than on bronchial muscle. D-2343 (four i.v. cumulatively increasing doses, 0.21--6.3 μg kg-1 min-1) and i.v. terbutaline (four cumulative doses 0.07--2.1 μg kg-1 min-1) were single-blindly compared in a randomized crossover study in eight asthmatics. It was shown that D-2343 is an effective β2-adrenoceptor agonist with 5--6 times lower potency than terbutaline. The tremor-inducing effect of D-2343 was the same as that of terbutaline, when the same degree of bronchodilation was obtained. The effect of QH 25 (0.25, 0.75 and 2.25 mg cumulatively) administered orally, was single-blindly compared with the effect of oral salbutamol (2, 6 and 18 mg) in a randomized crossover study in eight asthmatics. QH 25 was shown to be an effective β2-adrenoceptor stimulant about 12 times more potent than salbutamol. The tremor-inducing capacity was the same as for salbutamol when equipotent bronchodilating doses were studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of switches between high and low nutrient supplies on growth and mineral nutrition of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L cv. Manonvásári-8) were followed in four main developmental phases: filleting, shooting, heading and grain filling. Growth of the shoots was significantly affected by switches. Under tow nutrient supply the life cycle was shortened. Root growth was only slightly affected by switches, but an early high nutrient supply followed by tow nutrient supply gave an impetus far root development. In general, the growth data indicate that the nutrient status of the plants is determined by the nutrient level supplied during shooting. A high level of nutrients during shooting leads also to high vegetative growth, whereas the best grain yield was obtained by a high dose of nutrients during filtering followed by low nutrient conditions during the shooting stage and later. K+(86Rb) influx in the roots decreased with age. The potential for K+ (86Rb) influx was low in plants of high-salt status, but it became high in response to switching to tow supply at shooting, whereas later switches had no influence on this function in high-salt plants. The highest K+(86Rb) influx was found in plants starting with high nutrient supply followed by low-salt conditions; this plant group was outstanding also with respect to its high grain yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]