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S T Omaye

Publications and source records attributed to S T Omaye.

70 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Effects of ascorbic acid deficiency and of erythorbic acid on blood components in the Cynomolgus monkey.

Eight male Cynomolgus monkeys were fed an ascorbic acid-free total liquid diet until plasma levels decreased from a mean of 1.1 mg/dl to 0.04 mg/dl at 8 weeks. They showed no visible signs of scurvy. The animals were then given a daily oral dose of 10 mg ascorbic acid/kg body weight for 4 weeks, when the experiment was ended. Four of the animals were given, in addition, 200 mg erythorbic acid/kg body weight orally each day. In all animals repletion was accomplished in two to three weeks using return to initial plasma ascorbic acid levels as the criterion. During deficiency, blood cellular elements were found to be more resistant to depletion than plasma. For erythrocytes, this may be explained at least partially by the observation that in vitro uptake of ascorbic acid tended to be related inversely to blood ascorbic acid levels. However, no such relationship was seen in leucocytes or platelets. Other measurements made on blood did not vary in response to changing ascorbic acid levels. These include serum cholesterol; erythrocyte, leucocyte, or platelet counts; leucocyte differential; hemoglobin concentration; and hematocrit. Urinary hydroxyproline/creatinine ratios were also unchanged. Erythorbic acid, a stereoisomer of ascorbic acid and a common food additive, has been cited as a possible interferent in the determination of whole blood or plasma ascorbic acid, since in the guinea pig it is absorbed from the gut and no commonly used ascorbic acid analysis can distinguish between the isomers. Under conditions of the present experiment, however, no elevation of apparent whole blood or plasma ascorbic acid was produced by inclusion of high levels of erythorbic acid in the diet. Animals given erythorbic acid in addition to ascorbic acid during repletion did not differ from those given ascorbic acid alone in any aspect mentioned above.

Administration, Oral↗

Effect of butylated hydroxytoluene and other antioxidants on mouse lung metabolism.

Toxic doses of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), a phenolic antioxidant commonly used as a food additive, are known to produce lung damage. In this study, 3 days after a single ip injection of 62.5, 215, or 500 mg/kg BHT in mice there was a dose-dependent increase in lung weight. This concentration dependence with injected BHT was accompanied by increases in lung DNA and nonprotein sulfhydryl levels and in whole lung tissue enzyme activities of glutathione (GSH) peroxidase, GSH reductase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and superoxide dismutase. The increased enzyme activities are considered to correspond to inflammatory and proliferative pulmonary changes resulting from acute lung cell injury and necrosis, which have been described previously, and cannot be construed as evidence for a primary oxidant-induced pulmonary lesion. The mechanism of BHT-induced lung changes may not be related to the antioxidant property of BHT, since vitamin E, n-propyl gallate, ethoxyquin, N,N'-p-phenylenediamine, and the structurally similar compound, butylated hydroxyanisole did not appear to produce the gross anatomical or biochemical lung changes observed with BHT.

Animals↗

Enhanced lung toxicity of O2 in selenium-deficient rats.

To test the hypothesis that glutathione (GSH) peroxidase is an important component of the lung's anti-oxidant defense systemes, O2 toxicity was studied in selenium (Se)-deficient rats. Chronic respiratory disease free rats fed a Se-deficient diet or a diet supplemented with Se for 40 days after weaning were exposed to 80% O2 at atmospheric pressures for 3 days. Activities of GSH peroxidase in lungs of Se-deficient rats were markedly lower than corresponding activities in rats supplemented with 0.5 or 2.0 ppm Se. With O2 exposure, 35% of the rats fed the Se-deficient regimen died, whereas all rats fed Se-supplemented diets survived. Lungs from surviving Se-deficient rats exposed to O2 were edematous. The data suggest that the toxic effects of O2 are enhanced in Se-deficient rats and that nutritional factors contribute to lung susceptibility to oxidant-induced damage.

Animals↗

Effect of pretreatment with antiinflammatory agents on paraquat toxicity in the rat.

Aspirin (ASA), indomethacin (IND), hydrocortisone (HYC) or 0.25% agar (control) were administered (p.o.) daily to rats for 5 days. Following drug pretreatments, the activities of cytosolic superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GP) and glutathione reductase (GR) were elevated 30-70%, 5-25% and 8-25%, respectively. In a second experiment, rats pretreated as above were injected (ip) on the 5th day with paraquat (PQ) (29 mg/kg). Rats in each group expired more ethane 2 hours after PQ injection. After 22 hours, expired ethane returned to zero time levels. All control rats died within 48 hours after PQ injection. At the end of 48 hours, rats pretreated with ASA, IND, or HYC demonstrated survival rates of 13%, 31%, and 47%, respectively. PQ injection produces marked elevations of SOD (82%), GP (328%), and GR (36%) in the lungs of PQ-injected controls rats over non-PQ injected controls. Elevation of these enzymes were also noted in drug-treated rats after PQ injection but at values less than PQ-injected controls. Anti-inflammatory drugs were tested in rat liver homogenates for their ability to inhibit thiobarbituric acid (TBA) reactive product formation. Only the addition of HYC resulted in a decrease formation of TBA-reactive products. Thus in vitro studies suggest that the antiinflammatory drugs tested, other than HYC, may have other mechanisms of actions in addition to inhibition of lipid peroxides.

Animals↗

Effect of cadmium chloride on the rat testicular soluble selenoenzyme, glutathione peroxidase.

Thirty-six hours after male rats were injected with 25 mumoles cadmium chloride/ml/kg of body weight they exhibited decreased plasma and testicular glutathione (GSH) peroxidase activity, testicular atrophy and necrosis, and increased testicular thiobarbituric acid-reactive products. Seven days after injection, only the plasma GSH peroxidase activity returned to normal. The decrease in testicular GSH peroxidase activity was not reversible by dialysis against buffer or by the addition of selenium as buffered selenomethionine. In vitro inhibition of testicular GSH peroxidase activity occurred at 0.3 mM cadmium. All in vivo effects were prevented by a prior injection of 25 mumoles sodium selenite/ml/kg of body weight. Testicular GSH peroxidase may be the direct or indirect target of cadmium-induced testicular damage, and this damage results in lipid peroxidation.

Animals↗

Pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution and placental permeability of tetrahydro-tetramethyl-naphthalenyl-propenyl benzoic acid (a retinoidal benzoic acid derivative) in hamsters.

Tritiated tetrahydro-tetramethyl-naphthalenyl-propenyl benzoic acid (TTNPB; Ro 13-7410) was administered as a single oral bolus to pregnant hamsters (day 8) to determine the maternal plasma pharmacokinetic profile and peripheral tissue distribution patterns. Blood and tissue, including embryo or fetus, were collected at specific time intervals to 96 h and assayed for total radioactive compounds and/or parent retinoid. No lag time was required to describe retinoid absorption (t 1/2 pi = 1.2 h) with peak plasma levels at 2.4 h; the concentrations then declined with exponential elimination from the central compartment (t 1/2 e = 3 h). The maximum concentrations of circulating radioactive compound or metabolites after 100 micrograms/kg [3H]2-TTNPB occurred in liver greater than fetus greater than adrenal greater than lung approximately equal to kidney greater than plasma; after 1000 micrograms/kg, maternal liver accumulated the highest concentration followed by plasma greater than fetus = placenta = uterus. An unidentified, polar metabolite was detected in plasma at 0.5 h and by 12 h constituted greater than 90% of the total circulating radioactivity. TTNPB was absorbed and cleared more slowly, concentrated in the conceptus to a higher degree and possessed greater intrinsic activity than the naturally-occurring tetraene retinoids. These properties contribute to the marked teratogenic activity of TTNPB as compared to the tetraene retinoids.

Animals↗

Air pollution and health effects in northern Nevada.

The issue of adverse health effects of ambient air pollution has been extensively studied and reported worldwide over the past two decades. The urban area of Reno and Sparks in northern Nevada is one of two major urban centers in Nevada; the other is Las Vegas. The northern area, which has undergone a rapid population growth in the last decade, has special geographic characteristics and air pollution patterns. We conducted environmental epidemiological studies spanning the 1990s. This report summarizes the evidence and discusses the findings in relation to other studies. Ambient air pollution levels, even when below federal standards, have a marked potential to impact human health adversely. Air pollution was associated with (1) emergency room visits for asthma; (2) hospitalization for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; (3) hospitalization for cardio-vascular disease; (4) elementary school absenteeism; and (5) low birth weight, preterm birth, and other adverse birth outcomes.

Absenteeism↗