Biomedical subjects

N J Murray

Publications and source records attributed to N J Murray.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1978

Serum cholesterol, triglycerides and heart disease of nomadic and sedentary tribesmen consuming isoenergetic diets of high and low fat content.

1. The effects were examined of two approximately isoenergetic diets differing widely in saturated fat content on the levels of serum cholesterol and triglycerides of nomads and non-nomads in eastern Niger. Each person was also examined for clinical and electrocardiographic evidence of heart disease. 2. No significant differences could be found between serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels of 297 Anagamba nomad men consuming 73% energy as fat and 303 Kanouri sedentary men consuming 9% energy as fat. 3. Rheumatic heart disease was common in nomads and four possible cases of ischaemic heart disease were found in sedentary men only.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1978

The effect of iron status of Nigerien mothers on that of their infants at birth and 6 months, and on the concentration of Fe in breast milk.

1. Within the limits of this study, neither maternal iron deficiency nor Fe-overload as measured at term appeared to affect the complement of Fe received by the foetus. 2. Infants feeding entirely on breast milk appeared to have normal Fe status 6 months postpartum regardless of the Fe status of the mother. 3. No relationship could be demonstrated between the Fe content of breast milk and the Fe status of the mother.

Anemia, Hypochromic↗

PubMed1978

Diet and cerebral malaria: the effect of famine and refeeding.

In an outbreak of Plasmodium falciparum malaria following refeeding after famine cerebral malaria was restricted to children eating grain. Nomad children consuming a predominantly milk diet were free of this complication despite an equivalent incidence of uncomplicated malaria. Freedom of nomads from cerebral complications may be due to inhibition by the milk diet of rapid division of the parasite combined with delayed recovery after famine of T cell function.

Animals↗

PubMed1975

Refeeding-malaria and hyperferraemia.

During the Central African (Sahelian) drought, attacks of falciparum malaria were common in patients and their relatives shortly after their arrival in a hospital in Eastern Niger. A prospective study of 72 adult patients not admitted for malaria and 109 accompanying relatives was undertaken to investigate this observation. 23 attacks occurred in patients and 51 in relatives, with a peak frequency five days after arrival. On arrival, parasitaemia was low but reached a maximum by five days. Serum-iron and percentage saturation of transferrin were moderately increased initially, rose dramatically within forty-eight hours with near maximum saturation, and were falling by the fifth day. It is suggested that the early hyperferraemia, apparently related to refeeding, led to rapid multiplication of existing parasites and attacks of malaria. The results of experimental malarial infection of Wistar rats, half of which had been given intramuscular iron, supported this hypothesis.

Adult↗