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Biomedical subjects

E Nygaard

Publications and source records attributed to E Nygaard.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

The relation between the psychological functioning of children with Down syndrome and their urine peptide levels and levels of serum antibodies to food proteins.

AIMS: To investigate the relation between psychological functioning of subjects with Down syndrome, and their levels of urine peptide and serum antibodies to food proteins. METHODS: 55 children with Down syndrome in a cross-sectional study. Psychological functioning was measured by the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: Fourth Edition, McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities and Fagan's computer based test of novelty preference. RESULTS: The participants, and their siblings, were found to have significantly increased total urine peptide levels. There were no significant correlations between peptide levels and psychological functioning. Significantly increased levels of IgG activity to gliadin and gluten, and IgA activity to gliadin, gluten and casein were found. There were significant negative correlations (Spearman r = -0.13 to -0.51) between psychological functioning, and IgG and IgA activity to gliadin and gluten. CONCLUSIONS: A significant relation between antibodies to gluten and psychological functioning was documented. The mechanism and potential causal link are still unknown.

Child↗
PubMed2000

Is it feasible or desirable to measure burdens of disease as a single number?

This paper questions the feasibility and desirability of creating a composite health index, such as the DALY (disability adjusted life years), that aggregates information about both mortality and morbidity into one number, to represent the burden of disease. Despite the expressed intention not to include contextual factors in the description of health states, in practice, doing so is unavoidable when trying to construct a health indicator. Including contextual factors leads to severe problems, however, regarding validity and reliability, and these are increased when evaluations of the described health states are made. This renders little confidence in DALYs as a measurement of the burden of disease. Using cost-effectiveness analyses and DALYs as tools in priority setting might have unwanted consequences, and this is not the only method of achieving economic efficiency. The use of this method might also serve to relieve politicians of the responsibility for resource allocation in the health sector. An alternative to a composite index is better and more comprehensive epidemiological data on sexual and reproductive health mortality, morbidity and diseases rather than the better use of health indicators of questionable validity and reliability. These kinds of data are now being collected in connection with the Global Burden of Disease Project. It should be up to the decisions-makers to allocate existing resources based on a balancing of the many good purposes and goals available.

Cost of Illness↗
PubMed1991

Stereoselective pharmacokinetics of disopyramide and interaction with cimetidine.

The pharmacokinetics of each of the enantiomers of disopyramide were examined after i.v. bolus administration of 150 mg racemic drug in a randomized cross-over study before and after the administration of cimetidine 400 mg twice daily orally. Clearance and volume of distribution (Vz) of total drug were significantly (P less than 0.001) higher for the R-(-) enantiomer than the S-(+) enantiomer (7.9 vs 4.6 l h-1 and 89 vs 50 l, respectively), whereas no significant difference in half-life could be demonstrated. The clearance of free drug was significantly (P less than 0.05) higher for the S-(+) enantiomer than that of the R-(-) enantiomer (34.6 +/- 5.4 l h-1 vs 27.2 +/- 5.6 l h-1), whereas no significant enantioselective difference in unbound volumes of distribution (258 +/- 38 l vs 226 +/- 42 l) could be demonstrated. Coadministration of cimetidine did not alter the pharmacokinetics of disopyramide. A significant concentration- or time-related decrease in the renal clearance of each of the enantiomers measured with respect to total drug in serum was observed, whereas renal clearances of the free enantiomers were similar.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Skeletal muscle enzyme activities and metabolic substrates during exercise in patients with postoperative fatigue.

Subjective fatigue was quantified before and 20 days after uncomplicated elective abdominal surgery in 12 patients and compared with changes in heart rate, enzyme activities and skeletal muscle substrates before and after bicycle exercise for 10 min at 65 per cent of patients' preoperative maximum work capacity. Fatigue increased from a mean(s.e.m.) preoperative level of 2.5(0.5) arbitrary units to 4.6(0.5) on postoperative day 20 (P less than 0.01). Body-weight, triceps skinfold thickness and arm circumference decreased postoperatively (P less than 0.02). Postoperative values of muscle enzyme activities indicative of oxidative phosphorylation capacity (citrate synthase and 3-OH-acyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase) were lower than preoperative values (P less than 0.05). Lactate dehydrogenase was unaltered and resting values of muscle glycogen and adenosine triphosphate were higher after operation (P less than 0.05). In response to exercise, heart rate, muscle glucose, glucose-6-phosphate and lactate increased (P less than 0.05), while muscle glycogen and creatine phosphate decreased (P less than 0.05). Increase in postoperative fatigue correlated with the increase in heart rate (P less than 0.05), while no significant correlations were found between fatigue and muscle parameters. Our results suggest that lack of exercise and malnutrition may be of importance in the decrease in work capacity and in fatigue after operation.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1990

Endurance capacity and longevity in women.

The aim of our study was to compare the cardiovascular and metabolic adjustments of 8 female and 8 male subjects to similar situations of physical stress, which involved muscle contractions at various intensities, and to link the results with the fact that in Scandinavia, women survive men by an average of 5-10 years. The mean age of subjects was 25 years old, and all were in good health. It was concluded that the cardiovascular and metabolic reactions to comparable regimens of physical stress differ markedly between female and male subjects: The women demonstrated the healthier adjustments, with lesser blood pressure elevation and a higher degree of lipid utilization. Both reactions are linked to protective mechanisms with respect to developing ischemic heart disease. We suggest that these adjustments are linked to longevity in women, and that part of the explanation of the sex differences in physiological adjustments to physical stress and in longevity lies in the fact that women through life are subjected to a higher degree of physical activity.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Static contraction of the quadriceps muscle in man: cardiovascular control and responses to one-legged strength training.

Knee extension strength training of one leg (ST) (120 maximal contractions per day, 5 days per week for 9 weeks) was performed by 9 healthy young men. Before and after ST, biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis muscle of each leg and static quadriceps contractions (SQC) lasting 2 min were performed with each leg under control conditions and after combined vagal and beta-adrenergic blockade with atropine and metoprolol. Maximal voluntary contraction strength (MVC) increased more for the trained leg (TL) than for the untrained leg (UTL) but thigh circumferences and muscle fibre diameters gave little evidence for muscle hypertrophy. In pre- vs. post-training comparisons during SQC at the same relative force (40% of MVC) mean blood pressure (MBP), heart rate (HR) and smoothed rectified electromyographic activity were similar for TL and UTL. Similar findings were obtained for MBP after attenuation of the HR response by autonomic blockade, indicating that MBP, per se, was closely linked to the relative force of SQC. Pre- to post-training reductions in MBP and HR during SQC with each leg at an absolute force of 40% of pre-training MVC were likely due to changes in the pattern of motor unit activation. A lower MBP response to SQC and TL than of UTL after training correlated with a greater capillary density and a lower muscle lactate level for TL.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1983

Morphology of the brachial biceps muscle and elbow flexion in man.

This study was undertaken to determine whether skeletal muscle fibre characteristics could be demonstrated to be of significance for muscle function in voluntary contraction in man. 4 male and 4 female adult subjects were studied. During elbow flexion force and velocity was measured at the hand with the forearm in a 100 degree position. A motor-driven heavy flywheel guaranteed a constant velocity or movement at the time of measurement. Force was registered by a straingauge dynamometer, and velocity by two sets of photocells. Cross-sectional area of the brachial biceps muscle was determined by computerized tomography scanning. Muscle fibre composition and fibre cross-sectional areas were assessed histochemically on needle biopsy samples obtained superficially from the brachial biceps muscle, the more superficial of the two large elbow flexor muscles. At contraction velocities from 2 to 7 radians per second (rad/s) a close relationship existed between the relative force output and the relative area of fast-twitch fibers (p less than 0.01). Maximal voluntary isometric contraction force averaged 189 N (120 to 309 N), and showed a close relationship with total cross-sectional area of the brachial biceps muscle. The specific tension (maximal isometric tension) of the muscle averaged 33 N/cm2 with no demonstrable difference between subjects of widely different fibre compositions, suggesting that maximal tetanic tension is similar in fast- and slow-twitch fibres in man.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1982

Intramuscular variation of fiber types in the brachial biceps and the lateral vastus muscles of elderly men: how representative is a small biopsy sample?

The aim of the study was to investigate the reliability of the distribution of muscle fiber types determined in small fragments of human skeletal muscle. Fiber-type distribution was analyzed in small areas, equivalent to a needle biopsy in size, and in large areas, at nine sites of the brachial biceps (BB) and the lateral vastus (LV) muscles obtained at autopsy from five elderly subjects. It was concluded that in the BB the site of a biopsy should be well defined, since the incidence of fiber types varied systematically. In the LV the biopsy should be large to permit a reliable estimate of the incidence of fiber types; with the needle technique, repeated sampling may be necessary. Small samples are not suited for the analysis of fiber type grouping.

Aged↗
PubMed1981

Skeletal muscle fibre characteristics in young women.

Muscle samples were obtained by needle biopsy from the lateral vastus muscle of 54 healthy female subjects, 18 to 40 years of age. 25 subjects were classified as sedentary, 20 as active, and 9 as endurance trained. In 33 of the subjects, the deltoid muscle was biopsied as well. The lateral vastus muscle of runners and the deltoid muscle of swimmers contained 60% slow twitch fibres (ST) an none or few fast twitch b fibres (FTb). Otherwise the percentage of fibre types was 50% ST fibres, 30% to 35% FTa fibres, and 15% to 20% FTb fibres. In the lateral vastus muscle ST fibres wee larger than FT fibres, whereas in male skeletal muscles FT fibres tend to be larger than ST fibres. The capillarization was linearly related to maximal oxygen uptake, as is also the case in male subjects. The activity of biochemically determined phosphofructokinase (PFK) was the same in both muscles and in all groups; succinate dehydrogenase activity (SDH) was closely related to maximal oxygen uptake. Th activities of PFK and SDH were lower than in male subjects the ratio between the activities indicated that the relative contribution of oxidative metabolism was higher than in males. The morphological and biochemical differences between female and male skeletal muscle are found in sedentary and trained subjects, and may be due both to the influence of sex hormones, and to differences in the daily activity pattern.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Body weight, skeletal muscle morphology, and enzyme activities in relation to fasting serum insulin concentration and glucose tolerance in 48-year-old men.

Tissue samples were taken from the gastrocnemius muscle of 26 randomly selected, glucose-tolerant, 48-yr-old men. Hexokinase, phosphorylase, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), succinate dehydrogenase, and lipoprotein lipase activity (LPLA), as well as the area per fiber type and capillary density, were determined. Mean fiber area correlated positively with relative body weight (r equals 0.53, P less than 0.01), but capillary density did not. The result is that, in cases of high body weight, each capillary supplies a larger muscle fiber area. Serum insulin concentration in the fasting state correlated positively with body weight (r equals 0.77, P less than 0.001) and with mean fiber area per capillary (r equals 0.87; P less than 0.001). Only during the latter part of an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) did blood glucose concentrations correlate with relative body weight and mean fiber area per capillary (r equals 0.42, r equals 0.51, P less than 0.05). A stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that the different muscle morphology measurements could account for 3/4 of the variation in the fasting serum insulin concentration, the fasting insulin/glucose ratio, and the blood glucose concentration at 120 min in the OGTT. Of the intracellular enzymes, only LDH (r equals -0.71, P less than 0.001) correlated with the mean fiber area per capillary. LPLA correlated with capillary density (r equals 0.66, P less than 0.001), and, long with the muscle morphology measurements, could account for 3/4 of the variation in serum triglyceride concentrations. The results show that a large mean muscle fiber area/capillary ratio indicates a morphologic imbalance, which is related to both glucose tolerance and various degrees of insulin sensitivity.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMed1980

Solvent-induced occupational myopathy.

Serum creatine kinase (CK) was significantly higher (p < 0.02) in 69 patients examined for occupational intoxication from solvents than in 96 non-exposed control subjects. A needle muscle biopsy was performed in nine patients randomly selected from the patients with elevated levels of serum CK. A higher activity of muscle lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (p < 0.05) and a lower activity of muscle succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) (p < 0.01) was found in the patients when compared with 16 non-exposed control subjects. No histological abnormalities were observed using light microscopy. The elevated serum CK represented the serum CKM isoenzyme fraction. It is concluded that skeletal muscles should be added to the list of organs involved in intoxication from solvents and that serum CK should be analyzed in solvent-intoxicated patients as an indicator of myopathy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

The effect of water temperature on the hormonal response to prolonged swimming.

The relationship between thermoreception, hormonal secretion and muscular activity was studied. 6 men swam 60 min in 21, 27 and 33 degrees C water at a speed requiring 68% of VO2 max (determined in 27 degrees C water). Rectal temperature increased in 33 degrees C (1.3 +/- 0.2 degrees C, mean and S.E.) and 27 degrees C (0.7+/- 0.1 degrees C) expts. but decreased in 21 degrees C expts. (0.8 +/- 0.3 degrees C). Changes in esophageal and muscle temperatures parallelled changes in rectal temperature. Plasma noradrenaline was higher in 33 degrees C than in 27 degrees C expts. and growth hormone, cortisol and glucagon concentrations increased in 27 degrees C and 33 degrees C expts. only. Insulin concentrations were uniformly depressed during swimming at the different water temperatures. In 21 degrees C expts. noradrenaline and adrenaline concentrations were higher than in 27 degrees C expts. VO2, carbohydrate combustion and peak lactate were slightly lower in 33 degrees C expts. Plasma glucose decreased slightly and FFA and glycerol concentrations increased identically in all expts. Heart rate increased continuously during swimming in 27 degrees C and 33 degrees C expts., but not in 21 degrees C expts. In conclusion the rise in body temperatures normally observed during exercise enhances the exercise induced increases in the plasma concentrations of noradrenaline, cortisol, growth hormone and glucagon. Decreased body temperatures may elicit catecholamine secretion as a direct consequence of thermoreception. Shivering may account for previously observed decreases in insulin secretion during cold stress but not for increases in cortisol and growth hormone.

Adult↗