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Biomedical subjects

L Pilström

Publications and source records attributed to L Pilström.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Purification of birch pollen allergen extract by gel filtration. I. Chemical and immunological characterization of the fraction.

Birch pollen extract was fractionated by gel filtration on a Sephadex G-75 column. The physicochemical characterization of fractions included the determination of protein, carbohydrate, molecular weight and pI. The immunological properties of the fractions were measured by skin prick testing of allergenic individuals and by indirect RAST. The cross-reactivity of the fractions was investigated by heterologous PCA in rats after producing specific reaginic sera in mice. The allergenically most active fractions were composed mainly of proteins with a molecular weight range of 10,000--50,000 daltons. These active fractions represented only 3% of the total protein and carbohydrate content of the crude extract. These results indicate that it is possible to purify birch pollen allergen extract from the bulk of nonallergic contaminants, mainly low molecular weight carbohydrates, by a single step gel filtration procedure.

Adolescent↗

Morphometry of myocardial apex in endurance-trained mice of different ages.

Mitochondrial volume density, surface density of the outer mitochondrial membrane, the mean number and size of mitochondria, and the mean surface density of crista membranes together with the volume densities of myofibrils and sarcoplasmic space were morphometrically analyzed in cardiac muscle of two groups of sedentary control mice aged 3 and 7 months, and in two groups of mice trained either 1 month rather intensely or 4 months moderately. Of the calculated mitochondrial variables only the surface density of the outer mitochondrial membrane differed between the older controls and the older trained animals, the density being slightly smaller in the trained group. The myofibrillar volume density of the order controls was smaller than that of the younger controls, while the sarcoplasmic volume density was larger. The latter difference, possibly a function of age, was also observed in the trained groups. The results suggest that at a certain steady state level of exercise-induced cardiac muscle hypertrophy the muscle cells of trained mice do not differ markedly in ultrastructural properties from those of sedentary controls.

Age Factors↗

Activity of acid hydrolases in skeletal muscle of untrained, trained and detrained mice of different ages.

The activities of p-nitrophenylphosphatase, beta-glucuronidase and beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase from crude skeletal muscle homogenates of 4 and 7 months old mice were assayed after short-term intensive and long-term moderate training and after terminated training. In the older untrained mice the activity of the hydrolases was higher than in the younger mice. The level increased with training and this increase was far more pronounced in the older animals. Cessation of training for 7 and 21 days decreased this activity in the older animals but it was again increased 42 days later and close to the level observed in the trained mice. In young mice 3 days' terminated training increased the activity of the acid hydrolases above the level of the trained animals but after additional 4 and 11 days' terminated training the activity decreased to slightly below that of the trained mice. The changes were most prominent in the activity of beta-glucuronidase and to a lesser extent in that of beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase while p-nitrophenylphosphatase activity was almost unaffected by training or terminated training. The effects of terminated training can be intepreted as representing altered catabolic processes in the turn-over of tissue components of skeletal muscle.

4-Nitrophenylphosphatase↗

Activity of alcohol dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenases in the liver and placenta during the development of the rat.

The ontogenetic development of the enzymes alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDH I and II) was followed in rats. ADH could be detected just before birth and increased gradually to reach 82% of adult values at 47 days. ALDH I and II were present from day 15 of gestation, increased rapidly at birth, and reached 80-90% adult values at 47 days. The ratio between ALDH and ADH activities decreased gradually during ontogenesis. The relative subcellular distribution of all enzymes was identical before birth, 7 days after birth and in adults. The placental activities of ADH and ALDH I and II were studied at 15 and 20 days of pregnancy. ADH could not be detected in placentas. Low activities of ALDH I and II were present in placentas studied at 15 days of gestation, and still lower activities were found in placenta at 20 days.

Acetaldehyde↗

Effect of endurance training on the capacity of red and white skeletal muscle of mouse to oxidize carboxyl-14C-labelled palmitate.

Three groups of mice were trained for 1, 4 and 5 months according to different running programs on a motor driven treadmill and the fatty acid oxidation capacity (FAO) and the activities of some enzymes of energy metabolism (cytochrome c oxidase, malate dehydrogenase, triosephosphate dehydrogenase, and lactate dehydrogenase) were determined from m. quadriceps femoris (MQF). Endurance training increased the FAO [5-month training 4 days/week, 30 min/day 22% (p less than 0.05); 1-month training, 7 days/week, 150 min/day 37% (p less than 0.001); 4-month training, 5 days/week, 60 min/day 24% (p less than 0.05)]. The activities of cytochrome c oxidase and malate dehydrogenase increased approx. 30% (p less than 0.001) whereas triosephosphate dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase activities were not prominently influenced by training. The predominantly red part of MQF of untrained animals oxidized palmitate four times faster than the predominantly white part. The activities of cytochrome c oxidase and malate dehydrogenase were two times higher showing pronounced FAO in the red part. Endurance training increased the FAO and activities of oxidative enzymes in the red and white parts and in the whole muscle relatively equally resulting in similar differences between the muscle types after training. The absolute increase in the FAO of the red muscle was, however, manyfold when compared in chemical units to the white muscle.

Animals↗

Human skeletal muscle in bacterial infection: enzyme activities and their relationship to age.

8 male patients (age 65-82 years) suffering from bacterial pneumonia or erysipelas were subjected to skeletal muscle biopsies. Significantly lower activities of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (TPD) of skeletal muscle were recorded in the acute phase of the illness as compared to after the end of the convalescent phase. For citrate synthetase (CS) a similar although non-significant tendency was observed, while cytochrome c oxidase (CYTOX) was not altered by infection. Similar results have been reported in young patients with viral and mycoplasma infections. In the old patients the activity of LDH was approximately half of that found in the young patients (and in young controls confined to bed) on all occasions of measurement.

Acute Disease↗

Effects of viral and mycoplasma infections on ultrastructure and enzyme activities in human skeletal muscle.

The effect on skeletal muscle of acute viral and mycoplasma infections in thirteen men of ages ranging between 20-42 years has been studied. Comparisons are made with eight healthy men in the age group 22-29 years who were confined to bed for periods of time of lengths similar to the confinement to bed of the patients. Muscle samples were taken from the thigh. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (triosephosphate) dehydrogenase (TPD), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), citrate synthetase (CS) and cytochrome oxidase (cytox) activities were measured and the ultrastructure of the muscle specimens was studied by electron microscopy. Immobilization of the healthy persons induced decreased activities of CS, but those of TPD, LDH and cytox remained unaffected. Return to normal life restored the CS activity. The activities of the four enzymes were lower in the patients than in the healthy subjects after immobilization. During normal life, the activities slowly rose to levels as those seen in the healthy subjects. In connection with the acute disease, focal ultrastructural changes within the muscle were found. The changes were similar to those reported to occur in other, more specific muscle diseases.

Acute Disease↗

Effects of chronic ethanol abuse on structure and enzyme activities of skeletal muscle in man.

Biopsies from vastus lateralis muscle of male patients suffering from chronic ethanol abuse were studied with regard to histochemical reactions of ATPase and NADH-diaphorase; enzymatic activities of triosephosphate dehydrogenase (TPD), lactate dehydrogenase (LD), and cytochrome c oxidase (cytox); content of ATP, creatine phosphate, and glycogen; and volume fractions of fat, mitochondria, and fibrillar and extrafibrillar space. The results were compared with those from controls without known abuse of ethanol. The relative numbers of fibers were the same in two groups, but the size of the fast-twitch-glycolytic (white) fibers was diminished in the alcoholic group. The activities of TPD and LD were diminished in skeletal muscle of the alcoholics. This is most probably caused by the reduced amount of fast-twitch-glycolytic tissue, as there was a good correlation between this amount and the activity of the two enzymes. The activity of cytox was slightly lower in muscle of the alcoholics than in that of the controls. The volume fraction of mitochondria was lower in the alcoholic group than in the control group. Volume fractions of fat and fibrillar and extrafibrillar space were equal in the two groups. No significant differences were found in the amount of glycogen and ATP in the muscle of the two groups. However, the content of creatine phosphate is higher in the alcoholic group than in the control group.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Effects of viral and Mycoplasma infections on the ultrastructure of human skeletal muscle.

The ultrastructure of skeletal muscle from 10 patients confined to bed for about one week with different viral or mycoplasma infections has been studied in the acute phase of the disease and 1 1/2 and 4 months later. Focal deviations from normal ultrastructure were found in the first muscle biopsy. The changes were less pronounced after 1 1/2 months and absent after 4 months. In 5 healthy controls, confined to bed for one week, normal ultrastructure was found on corresponding occasions.

Acute Disease↗