quest for normal values of serum aminotransferase and its association with age and body mass index

Objective: To determine the reference range for serum alanine arninotransferase [ALT] levels for young healthy individuals in our population and to find out effects of age and body mass index on alanine arninotransferase

Study Design: Descriptive cross sectional study

Place and Duration of Study: Military Hospital Rawalpindi; from Dec 2009 to April 2010

Material and Methods: Five hundred and fifty three young healthy adults were included in the study. Detailed history was taken. Parameters like Age, height and weight were measured. Relevant investigations were carried out for each subject which included blood complete picture, Chest X-Ray, ECG, Urine routine examination, liver function tests, serum urea, serum creatinine, serum uric acid, plasma glucose [F], Anti HCV antibodies, HBsAg, HIV antibodies and VDRL. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 22

Results: Age of subjects ranged from 19 to 50 years [29 +/- 6] years, BMI 15.59 to 29.8, [21.58 +/- 2]

Serum alanine arninotransferase ranged from 17 to 81 IU/1, [29.9 +/- 8] IU/1. Serum alanine arninotransferase for subjects with body mass index more than 25 Kg/m2 was 29.6 +/- 7 IU/L. There is no significant difference in value of mean ALT overall and in those with BMI of more than 25 [p=0.149]

Conclusion: Mean serum alanine arninotransferase value in young healthy adults included in this study was 29.9 +/- 8 IU/L which is lower than normal reference provided at present which is 40 IU/1. Statistical analysis revelaed that serum ALT is not significantly influenced by age and BMI

Levo-carnitine reduces oxidative stress and improves contractile functions of fast muscles in type 2 diabetic Rats

Background: metabolic derangements in type 2 diabetes mellitus [T2DM] are likely to affect skeletal muscle contractile functions adversely. Levo-carnitine improves muscle contractile functions in healthy humans and rats and corrects metabolic derangements in T2DM. Therefore, it is likely to improve muscle contractile functions in T2DM as well. This study was designed to determine the effect of levo-carnitine on serum levo-carnitine levels, oxidative stress and contractile parameters of fast muscle in T2DM

Methods: ninety Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three equal groups. Healthy rats served as the controls, while T2DM was induced in diabetic and carnitine groups. The carnitine group was administered levo-carnitine 200 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally for 6 days. At 28[th] day, extensor digitorum longus muscles were removed and their functions were assessed using iWorx data acquisition unit [AHK/214]. Blood obtained by intra-cardiac sampling at 28[th] day was used for estimation of serum malondialdehyde [MDA] and levo-carnitine levels

Results: maximum isometric twitch tension, time-topeak twitch tension and time-to-relax to 50% of the peak twitch tension were not significantly different amongst the groups. Carnitine group showed significant improvement in maximum fused tetanic tension, maximum fused tetanic tension after fatigue protocol and recovery from fatigue after 5 minutes of rest period compared to the diabetic group. Serum MDA levels were reduced, while serum levo-carnitine levels were elevated significantly in carnitine group as compared to the diabetic group

Conclusion: levo-carnitine supplementation increases serum levo-carnitine levels which decreases oxidative stress. This action improves contractile force but delays fatigue in fast muscles of diabetic rats. Iran. Biomed. J. 17 [1]: 29-35, 2013

Serum levo-carnitine levels and skeletal muscle functions in type 2 diabetes mellitus in rodents

To study serum levo-carnitine [l-carnitine] levels and isometric contraction, force frequency relationship and fatigue of rodent skeletal muscles in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Randomized controlled trial. Physiology Department, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, from January 2009 to January 2010. Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups; group I [control], fed on normal diet adlibitum and Group II [diabetic], fed on high fat diet and administered streptozocin to induce type 2 diabetes mellitus [T2DM]. At 21[st] day, plasma glucose and TG/HDL ratio were measured to confirm the development of T2DM in group II. At 28[th] day, blood was drawn by intracardiac puncture to estimate serum levo-carnitine levels. Contractile functions of skeletal muscles were assessed by using iWorx AHK/214 physiological data acquisition unit. Simple muscle twitches, maximum isometric twitch tension [MITT], time-to-peak twitch tension [TPTT] and time-to-relax to 50% of the peak twitch tension [1/2RT] of extensor digitorum muscles were recorded. Muscles were stimulated at higher frequencies to determine maximum fused tetanic tension [MFTT], maximum fused tetanic tension after fatigue protocol [TTFP] and recovery from fatigue [RF]. Serum levocarnitine level decreased significantly in the diabetic group. Both groups had similar MITT, TPTT and 1/2RT but decline in MFTT, TTFP and RF was significant in the diabetic rats. T2DM adversely affected serum levocarnitine levels and the contractile functions of rodent skeletal muscle at high frequency stimulation

Evaluation of oxidative stress, liver functions and anemia in lead intoxicated Sprague Dawley rats

To evaluate quantitative effect of lead exposure on the oxidative stress, liver functions and hematological profile. Seventy male healthy Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups with thirty five rats in each group. Rats of lead intoxicated group were given weekly intraperitoneal injection of lead acetate 10 mg/kg body weight. After 6 weeks, intracardiac sampling was done and blood was used to determine hemoglobin concentration, erythrocyte count, red cell indices, serum MDA, serum ALT and AST levels. Lead intoxication of rats for 6 weeks revealed that serum MDA levels were increased to 7.8 +/- 0.48 micro mol/l [control = 3.2 +/- 0.27micro mol/l], ALT levels to 76.26 +/- 5.88 IU/l [control = 44.7 +/- 2.96] and AST levels to 258.06 +/- 13.30 IU/l [control = 156.8 +/- 5.04]. Hematological parameters of lead intoxicated group reveals lowered levels of hemoglobin, RBC count, MCHC and MCH while MCV remained statistically unchanged; manifesting hypochromic normocytic anemia. Lead intoxication for 6 weeks induces oxidative stress, hepatotoxicity and hypochromic normocytic anemia

Ventricular late potentials in patients with mitral valve prolapse

To determine frequency of ventricular late potentials in healthy individuals and in patients with mitral valve prolapse and to identify patients with Mitral Valve Prolapse at high risk of sudden death based upon ventricular late potentials. Case - Control study. The study was conducted in Army Medical College and Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, Rawalpindi from March 2005 to February 2006. A total of 37 patients with mitral valve prolapse and 37 matching controls were included in the study. Patients with confirm diagnoses of mitral valve prolapse on echocardiography were selected. After recording their conventional ECGs, they underwent exercise tolerance test on treadmill. Signal averaged electrocardiogram of every patient was recorded using computer software for the presence or otherwise of ventricular late potentials. The data was entered into SPSS version 10. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate means and standard deviations while paired sample 't' test at confidence interval of 95% was used to compare mean values for statistical significance. Nine [24.32%] out of 37 cases and only 1 [2.7%] out of 37 controls had ventricular late potentials on their signal averaged electrocardiogram. Ventricular late potentials are useful non-invasive predictive markers of sudden cardiac death in patients with mitral valve prolapse

Comparison of two methods for recording frog's myocardiogram

Frog's myocardiogram gives the medical students a clear understanding of the normal sequence of atrial and ventricular contraction and the effect of temperature, sympathetic stimulation and parasympathetic stimulation on frog's heart. The purpose of this study was to compare two methods used for recording of frogs myocardiogram, namely kymographic method and iWorx data acquisition unit Method, keeping in view the difference between the recordings obtained by two methods and the convenience for the medical students in recording the myocardiogram by the two methods. Frog was dissected and myocardiogram recorded first with the kymograph and than with the iWorx data acquisition unit. Frog's saline was pored at regular intervals and both kymographic and iWorx readings were taken thrice at an interval of 5 min. In the myocardiogram height of the recording on the y-axis indicates the strength of contraction by the frog heart. The height of myocardiogram recorded on the kymographic recording at intervals of 5 min each was compared with the height of the myocardiogram recorded on iWorx data acquisition unit at the same time. Comparison of the results at the same time interval show that iWorx data acquisition unit system reflects the mechanical activity of heart better than the conventional kymographic method. Even when the kymograph show no record of myocardial contractility the iWorx data acquisition unit still show the activity of the myocardium. This study shows that iWorx system reflects the mechanical activity in myocardium even when the kymograph cannot record it