Fast methods for determination of antropogenic actinides and U/Th-series isotopes in aqueous samples.

Rapid and simple methods are applied at the PSI radioanalytical laboratory for determining anthropogenic actinides in waste and nuclear reactor waters (U, Pu, Am, Cm) as well as for analysis of naturally occurring alpha-emitters in continental river and ground water. Anion exchange chromatography followed by alpha-spectrometry as well as alpha/beta-LSC is applied for the reactor coolant waters. To avoid alpha-spectrum interference between 238Pu and 241Am at 5.5 MeV, the Pu-fraction is purified using anion exchange resin. Prior to the separation of the Pu-fraction, all actinides (U, Pu, Am, Cm) are adsorbed batch-wise under stirring onto Actinide Resin and subsequent decomposition of the reagent. The residue is then re-dissolved in a sulfate buffer solution for electrolytic deposition. In tabular water samples isotopes of Ra and Po are analyzed additionally via sorption onto manganese coated discs (Ra) and deposition on silver discs (Po). For counting times of 1 day and use of 0.1-1l sample aliquots, detection limits of a few mBql(-1) can be obtained easily.

[Reference values of chemical constituents and plasma enzymes in minipigs]. / Valeurs de référence des constituants chimiques et des enzymes plasmatiques chez le miniporc.

Nine male minipigs Pitman Moore have been studied from weaning (To) and during 6 months and the following constituents have been measured: albumin, amylase, bilirubin, calcium, CK, cholesterol, creatinine, copper, iron, GGT, glucose, LDH, magnesium, PAL, phospholipids, potassium, proteins, sodium, ALT, ASP, triglycerides, urea, zinc. These animals were fed a standardized diet. At 6 months of age their weight increased progressively to 12 kg. Several factors of variation have been studied; time of blood sampling age of animals. We obtained the following results: values of bilirubin, CK and TGO were always lower at 8 a.m. than 12 a.m. and 6 p.m. The effects of age were variable. They are no variation in the values of only 4 parameters (calcium, sodium, potassium and triglycerides), while the others constituents were increased or decreased. Reference values for 21 blood parameters in Pitman Moore minipigs are described.

[Effects of Aldatense on laboratory tests. Comparison with a reference population]. / Effets de l'Aldatense sur les examens de laboratoire. Comparaison avec la population de référence.

Aldatense effects on laboratory test results were studied in two subjects groups. - A treated group was paired with an untreated hypertensive group. In these conditions, some parameters were increased by 10 to 20 p. cent (creatinine, urea, phosphate, urate) or by 30 p. cent (triglycerides), others decreased by 40 p. cent (alkaline phosphatases) and 80 p. cent (gamma glutamyltransferase). The treated population was characterized either by values near to reference values (urea, creatinine, phosphate, calcium, albumin, gamma glutamyltransferase), by decreased values (alkaline phosphatases, triglycerides) or by increased values (urate).

Plasma lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase -- reference values and effects of xenobiotics.

Plasma lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) has been measured by an enzymatic method. We did not observe any significant sex variations, but age variations were found. In females, LCAT activities are stable up to 40 years (60 mumol . 1.1 . h-1 at the 50th centile). Also, from 50 years the median increased progressively to 76 mumol . 1-1 . h-1. In males, the activity increased from 52 to 71 mumol . 1-1 . h-1 at the 50th centile in two age groups (15-20 years and 50 years). The effect of some xenobiotics on LCAT activity was studied. We observed an increase in activity of 33% in males when the daily alcoholic beverage consumption ranged from 0 to more than 0.5 litre of wine or beer. LCAT activity increased in children who were treated with hypolipidemic drugs (fenofibrate, Lipanthyl). In boys, the mean enzyme activity increased to 35% (p less than 0.05). The increase was greater in girls (75%, p less than 0.01). Treatment with anticonvulsant drugs gave a decrease in LCAT activity of 32-46%.

Total bone and liver alkaline phosphatases in plasma: biological variations and reference limits.

We have studied factors affecting biological variation in total plasma alkaline phosphatase in a population of 32 329 apparently healthy subjects four years old or older. Quantification of the bone and liver isoenzymes after thermal denaturation made it possible to specify the contributions of each isoenzyme to variations in the total activities. The main factors that modify plasma alkaline phosphatase activity are age, sex, hormonal state (puberty or menopause), and morphometric parameters (height, body weight, or degree of overweight). The bone isoenzyme is mainly responsible for the variations associated with age, sex, and puberty and to some extent with the menopause. Activity of the liver isoenzyme was also altered at the menopause and by certain drugs, such as oral contraceptives and blood-lipid-lowering agents. These data allow us to propose reference limits for total plasma, bone, and liver alkaline phosphatases according to age and sex.

Automated quantification of bone and liver alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes of human serum.

Coupling two Technicon AAII samplers synchronised at 50 per hour with a 2 : 1 sample to wash ratio, sera are denatured and collected automatically. The incubation is done in continuous flow by passage through a U device made of large metallic needles soaked in a water bath at 60 +/- 0.1 degree C. This allows a very quick temperature equilibration and a very reproducible incubation time of 35 sec. Initial and residual activities of alkaline phosphatase (ALP: EC 3.1.3.1) are measured on a Rotochem II (Aminco) with the procedure recommended by the Société Française de Biologie Clinique (SFBC). For a mixture of bone and liver ALP, the initial rate constant of heat denaturation Kapp = (A X Kb) + (B X Kl), where A and B are the fractions of each isoenzyme in the mixture, and Kb and Kl the rate constants for bone (b) and liver (l) experimentally determined as 1.8 min-1 and 0.45 min-1 respectively. An equation was derived which converts the percent residual activity to a percentage of bone and liver isoenzyme: % bone ALP = 183--2.38 X % residual activity. This automated method was applied to 2700 people of both sexes from 4 to 100 years old.

Substrate-labeled fluorescent immunoassay for phenobarbital.

An assay for the anticonvulsant drug phenobarbital (PB) has been developed that is based on the principles of the substrate-labeled fluorescent immunoassay. A fluorogenic enzyme substrate, galactosyl umbelliferone, was covalently linked to a derivative of PB. The labeled drug, galactosyl umbelliferone-PB (GUPB), is nonfluorescent under conditions of the assay; however, hydrolysis of the galactosyl moiety by bacterial beta-galactosidase yields a fluorescent product. When GUPB is bound by antibody to PB, it is not a substrate for enzymatic hydrolysis. Thus, only GUPB not bound to antibody is hydrolyzed. In competitive binding reactions, using a fixed concentration of GUPB and a limiting amount of antibody, the PB in serum and the GUPB compete for antibody-binding sites. The fluorescence produced upon enzymatic hydrolysis of unbound GUPB is directly proportional to the concentration of PB. Unknown serum levels of PB are determined from a standard curve of fluorescent intensity versus standard PB concentrations. The assay is specific, sensitive, and easy to perform. It is carried out by adding the equivalent of 2 microliters of serum standard or unknown directly to a cuvette containing 3 ml of a buffered solution of antibody and enzyme. One-hundred microliters of GUPB is added, and the fluorescence intensity is measured after a fixed time (any time from 5 to 90 min). Using clinical specimens, our assay correlated well with a commercial enzyme immunoassay (correlation coefficient = 0.97) and had an interassay precision of less than 7%.