[The effect of various diseases on the zinc plasma level]. / Influence de diverses pathologies sur le taux plasmatique du zinc.

Zinc, an important enzymatic cofactor, takes part in numerous metabolic pathways. In man, zinc deficiencies may be due either to deficient absorption or to excessive use. In this study in 285 patients hospitalized in a department of internal medicine for acute or chronic conditions, serum zinc assays have shown the following results: serum zinc concentrations are significantly decreased in acute critical conditions (cardiovascular ischemic disorders, heart failure, infections); in chronic conditions, serum zinc is decreased in some instances (renal failure, cancer, alcoholism, diarrhea), while it remains normal in others (compensated heart failure, non-insulin dependent diabetes, arterial hypertension, obesity). The fall in serum zinc concentrations is usually correlated with the severity of the clinical condition.

Simultaneous GLC determination of phenylpropanolamine and chlorpheniramine in urine using a nitrogen selective detector.

A simple, rapid, and sensitive simultaneous quantitative determination of phenylpropanolamine and chlorpheniramine in human urine by GLC, using a nitrogen specific detector, is described. After alkaline extraction from urine, phenylpropanolamine and chlorpheniramine are analyzed directly by GLC, without a derivatization step. Promethazine was used as the internal standard. The total assay time is less than 30 min. The method is useful in studies of pharmacokinetic and pharmacological interactions of drug combinations.