On the clinical chemistry of the Bennett's wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus rufogriseus).

The following parameters were determined in blood serum of apparently healthy Bennett's wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus) using the Hitachi 917 (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany) and/or the Vettest 8008 (IDEXX-GmbH, Woerrstadt, Germany): alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, ammonia, alpha-amylase, aspartate aminotransferase, Ca, Cl, cholesterol, cholinesterase, creatine kinase, creatinine, gammaglutamyltransferase, glucose, iron, lactate dehydrogenase, magnesium, phosphate, potassium, protein, sodium, total bilirubin, triglyceride, and urea. The results for cholesterol, glucose, total protein, triglyceride and for the enzymes alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase and lactate dehydrogenase differed significantly between both methods (P < 0.05). There is a negative correlation between the age of the Bennett's wallabies and the activity of the alkaline phosphatase. Five protein fractions could be separated on cellulose acetate electrophoresis. The mean concentrations of fructosamine and beta-hydroxybutyrate were 447.3 micromol/L and 0.27 mmol/L, respectively. The estimated vitamin A intake had no influence on the vitamin A concentration in serum. The serum vitamin E concentration was in general low and vitamin E was below the detection limit of 0.82 micromol/L in 29 out of 42 serum samples. The use of these analytes is discussed concerning the knowledge about the physiology, nutrition and diseases of macropods.

[Age dependence of laboratory parameters in a health study--attempt at calculating a laboratory index for assessing biological aging]. / Altersabhängigkeit von Laborparametern in einer Gesundheitsstudie--Versuch der Berechnung eines Laborindexes zur Einschätzung des biologischen Alters.

The laboratory analyses of 404 participants of the health study GUNDULA, 201 men and 203 women between 30 and 80 years old, were performed to evaluate the variables for the determination of biological age. From the more than 70 laboratory variables resulting from clinical-chemical and hematologic tests and from urinalysis, less than 40 are significantly age-dependent. About half of these variables were examined by regression analysis to evaluate whether they are useful for the estimation of biological age by a laboratory index. Considerable sex differences were observed. The laboratory indexes for the participants altogether (resulting from 13 parameters) and separated for women (10 parameters) and men (8 parameters) show more variations than the biological age estimated by non-invasive parameters. In men only, there exists a significant but inverse correlation between laboratory index and relative aging rate, the difference between biological and chronological age. The results of some striking variables (e.g. dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and others) and the results of an explorative factor analysis with regard to possible interconnections between variables and chronological age will be discussed.

[Clinical laboratory diagnosis and aging. 3: Evaluation of a study of aging--complete blood and urine status]. / Klinische Labordiagnostik und Altern. Teil 3: Auswertung einer Alternsstudie--kleines Blutbild und Urinstatus.

The results of the determination of hematologic values from 262 men and 242 women, participants of an aging study and half of each group 44.4 +/- 0.9 and 63.0 +/- 0.9 (men) and 44.4 +/- 0.9 and 62.8 +/- 0.8 years old (women), respectively, are compared. In men, one analyte (hemoglobin decreasing) and four indices show significant differences (MCV increasing, MCH decreasing, MCHC decreasing, RDW increasing). In the older group, the iron level and the transferrin saturation are also significantly lower. In women, erythrocytes and the hematocrit are significantly higher in the older group whereas the indices MCH and MCHC are lower and the RDW increases. At the same time, the iron level, transferrin and the transferrin saturation decrease whereas ferritin doubles. The sex differences of the hematologic parameters are more pronounced in the younger participants and especially remarkable in ferritin in both age groups. The results of the semiquantitative analysis of ten urine parameters by reagent strip show differences with respect to sex (e.g., leucocytes and erythrocytes) and age (e.g., specific gravity, pH, nitrite, protein, erythrocytes). The usefulness of the estimation of glucose in urine is discussed in connection with the corresponding serum glucose levels.

[Clinical laboratory diagnosis and aging. 2: Suitability of clinico-chemical basic parameters as markers ob biological aging]. / Klinische Labordiagnostik und Altern. Teil 2: Zur Eignung klinisch-chemischer Basisparameter als Marker des biologischen Alters.

In 262 men (about half of them 44.4 +/- 0.9 and 63.0 +/- 0.9 years old, resp.) and 239 women (about half of them 44.4 +/- 0.9 and 62.8 +/- 0.8 years old, resp.) the results of 12 clinical chemical analytes were used to calculate laboratory indices which were compared with the biological age in accordance with Ries. The indices were calculated by using concentrations of alkaline phosphatase, iron, total protein, total cholesterol, glucose, uric acid, urea, HDL cholesterol, creatinine, LDL cholesterol, transferrin, and triglycerides. Only in the younger group of women are the correlations between laboratory indices and biological age significant. In the same group, several single parameters also significantly correlate with pre-aging. Among them are alkaline phosphatase, the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio, bilirubin, triglycerides, and glucose.

Insulin-like growth factor-I and alpha 2-macroglobulin in seminal plasma correlate with semen quality.

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2-M) are believed to be involved in the development of germ cells. IGF-I is mainly controlled by concentrations of human growth hormone (HGH), influences cell proliferation and differentiation and its action is mediated by insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins (IGFBP), placental protein 14 (PP14) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA). alpha 2-M acts as a broad spectrum proteinase inhibitor and a binding protein for many cytokines and hormones, e.g. inhibin and activin. This study was designed to identify concentrations of these molecules in seminal plasma in normal semen samples of healthy men, correlations with semen quality, the relationship of IGF-I and alpha 2-M with factors affecting male fertility, and whether vasectomy influences the concentrations of these molecules. Concentrations of IGF-I and alpha 2-M in human seminal plasma were related to semen quality, basal concentrations of HGH, testosterone, IGFBP-3, soluble fibronectin receptor (sFNR), PSA and PP14 in seminal plasma and to serum concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). Commercially available assays were used to analyse 69 semen samples of various quality and 11 post-vasectomy samples. IGF-I concentrations in seminal plasma were significantly correlated with the percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa (r = 0.748, P = 0.00001) and sperm concentration (r = 0.301, P = 0.011), but negatively correlated with serum FSH (r = -0.506, P = 0.00006) and PSA in seminal plasma (r = -0.388, P = 0.00009). Total alpha 2-M was significantly correlated with sperm count (r = 0.423, P = 0.0005), percentage of progressively motile spermatozoa (r = 0.444, P = 0.00019), quality of motility (sperm motile efficiency, r = 802, P = 0.00001) and straight line velocity (r = 0.411, P = 0.0013). Correlation between the sperm concentration and HGH in seminal plasma was weak (r = 0.287, P = 0.015). Vasectomy reduced the concentration of total alpha 2-M (P = 0.00008) and HGH (P = 0.0068) in the seminal plasma; IGF-I was also reduced after vasectomy when the total ejaculate amount was considered. Thus IGF-I and alpha 2-M are significant for the germ cell development: IGF-I in the maturation of spermatozoa and alpha 2-M in progressive motility.