Concentrations of creatinine, uric acid and urea were measured in the blood and urine of female patients at the final stage of renal disease and on a regular lifelong programme of haemodialysis. The samples were collected in winter-time and in summertime. The same analytes were also measured in sweat fluid at the time of collecting summer samples. The results showed insignificant physiological seasonal changes for creatinine and uric acid and that the concentration of these compounds in the sweat fluid was low. Urea concentration in the sweat fluid was found to be present at a much higher concentration than the serum level (reaching in some cases 50 times the serum level). The possibility of using thermal induction as an alternative to haemodialysis is suggested. The presence of urea in the sweat fluid at such a high level suggests a selective transport mechanism across the eccrine sweat gland to clear the blood of a high urea level.

(Greenwich). 2008;10:125-129)

Objective: To investigate the lipid content and fatty acid (FA) composition, especially n 3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n 3 LCPUFAs) of mature breast-milk of Iraqi mothers and their relation to the socioeconomic status of the mothers. Design: A collection of mature breast-milk of mothers with three different socioeconomic status (lactation period 571 month). Setting: Mosul province (in the north of Iraq). Subjects: Mature breast-milk samples were obtained from a group of 20-to 35-year-old mothers with different socioeconomic status: high urban (HU, n ¼ 25), low urban (LU, n ¼ 15) and typical suburban (SU, n ¼ 25). Procedure: Mature-milk samples were collected from each lactating mother. The lipid components of each sample, namely triglycerides (TGs), cholesterol (C) and phospholipids (PLs) were determined enzymatically. After their separation and esterification, FAs were determined as FA methyl esters by capillary gas chromatography. Results: The percentages of n 3 LCPUFAs were 0.4870.025, 0.3770.029 and 0.3870.018% for HU, LU and SU mothers, respectively. The amount of TGs, the major component of milk lipid, was 5.6470.24, 5.2171.61 and 3.2170.92 g/100 ml for HU, SU and LU mothers, respectively. The milk-lipid content varied with the socioeconomic status. Conclusion: The socioeconomic status of lactating mothers affected the lipid content and FA composition, especially the level of n 3 LCPUFAs (the very important structural constituents of the retina, brain and other nervous tissues). Mature breast-milk for the studied groups was low in n 3 LCPUFAs compared with that of mothers from developed countries and that recommended by WHO for optimum infant nutrition. Sponsorship: Supported by grants from Department of Chemistry, University of Mosul. The analysis of FA methyl ester samples was performed at the National

SUMMARY The normal level of human serum alcohol dehydrogenase (EC l.l.l.l) (ADH) activity which is not measurable by conventional methods was found to be within the range 0·07-0·56 VII when measured by a sensitive method based on a coenzyme recycling reaction. In different liver diseases the normal upper limit of serum ADH activity was found to be exceeded up to 70 times.Although ADH activity under pathological conditions usually parallels that of other enzymes, e.g., sorbitol dehydrogenase (EC 1.l.l.l4) (SDH) and alanine transaminase (EC 2.6.1.2) (ALT), its relative elevation above the upper normal limit is generally greater, particularly in the early stages of viral hepatitis. Observations on some patients also suggested that very early stages of liver damage, caused by drugs or secondary malignancy, could be detected by increases of serum ADH activity when the activities of some other liver specific enzymes were still within their normal values.A pilot experiment on rats, intoxicated with carbon tetrachloride, showed that serum ADH activity could reflect acute liver parenchymal damage more sensitively than SDH and ALT activity.Alcohol dehydrogenase (alcohol: NAD+ oxidoreductase, Ee 1.1.1.1) (ADH) has broad substrate specificity-in man and is confined almost exclusively to the liver. From the data of Moser et al. 2 it can be calculated that only 5 %or less of the total activity is spread in other organs. Accordingly, ADH is a highly 'liver tissue specific' enzyme. 3 Since the majority of the total ADH content of liver cells was found in the cytosol;' it could be expected to leak out into the circulation after hepatocellular damage.It has been known for a long time that ADH activity in serum from normals is undetectable, whereas some activity could be detected in liver diseases." The relative insensitivity of the conventional ADH assay method," which is based on optical measurement of the rate ofNADH formation, is inherent in the enzyme and is related primarily to its low molecular activity.' It was this that prevented the ADH assay from becoming one of the biochemical parameters of liver function. Recently, the semisynthetic thio-analogue ofNAD+ was suggested" for routine ADH activity measurements. With this modified coenzyme, ADH exhibits considerably higher activity towards ethanol than with NAD+. Also, performing the conventional ADH assay at tPennanent address: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University J. E. Purkyne, Brno, Czechoslovakia. elevated temperatures? enhances the activity of minute amounts of the enzyme normally present in serum to a detectable level. In this study, we tried to examine the usefulness for clinical practice of another sensitive method" for ADH activity determination.The method is based on a coupled reaction in which the enzyme is offered two substrates at once. The first one, n-butanol, is oxidised, and the second one (artificial aldehyde-like substrate) p-nitroso -N, N-dimethyl aniline (NDMA) is reduced, while the coenzyme recycles between its oxidised and reduc...

Concentrations of electrolytes, lactafe, urea, glucose, total lipids and total protein were measured in sweat obtained by thermal Stimulation of apparently healthy volunteers. Blood and urine samples were also collected. Electrolytes, urea and total protein were also measured in serum. The concentrations of electrolytes, glucose and urea in sweat increased with age, and this increase was more apparent in males, probably due to certain agerelated changes in male sweat glands. The concentrations of lactate, total protein and total lipids in sweat, however, were not age-dependent. The concentration of total protein was higher in females than in males. The concentrations of all the other analytes were higher in males than in females of the same age group.