[Carbohydrate metabolism enzymes in children with extrahepatic portal hypertension]. / Fermenty uglevodnogo obmena pri vnepechenochnoi portal'noi gipertenzii u detei.

Glycogen and protein concentrations and the activities of liver glycogen metabolic enzymes were measured in 22 children aged 4 to 15, suffering from extrahepatic portal hypertension. Glucose-6-phosphatase, amylo-1,6-glucosidase, fructose-1,6-diphosphatase, phosphorylases alpha and beta, phosphoglucomutase, and phosphohexose isomerase levels were analyzed. Liver biopsy specimens obtained by surgical marginal biopsy were used in the study. No or drastic reduction of phosphorylase alpha activity and reduction of glycogen concentration and glucose-phosphatase activity were found characteristic of extrahepatic hypertension. Analysis of correlations of the findings has demonstrated a medium correlation in 4 cases and a strong correlation between the findings in 1 case, the possibility being estimated as 0.95-0.99. The highest number of correlations was observed with phosphorylase alpha and glucose-6-phosphatase (3 correlations). Liver blood stream impairments result in injury to one of its main biochemical functions, i.e., the maintenance of blood glucose homeostasis, this leading to reduction of the adaptation potential of the body; this should be borne in mind when planning therapeutic measures for patients with extrahepatic hypertension.

[The determination of amylo-1,6-glucosidase in biopsy specimens from human chorion]. / Opredelenie amilo-1,6-gliukozidazy v bioptate khoriona cheloveka.

This method has been developed for the prenatal diagnosis of a grave hereditary disease, a deficiency of amylo-1,6-glucosidase (A-1,6-G) activity. The methods suggested earlier did not rule out the effects of other glucosidases, that could result in false-positive data if the fetus was involved. The new method for measuring A-1,6-G activity includes sedimentation of acid alpha-glucosidase with rabbit blood antiserum to human placental acid alpha-glucosidase. A-1,6-G activity is estimated from the difference in glucose accrement with limit dextrin and glycogen used as substrates. A-1,6-G activities were measured in 15 chorion samples obtained in the first trimester of pregnancy by the developed method, and normal values of this parameter established, making up 39.77 +/- 8.1 nmol/h per g of protein. The method may be useful in the prenatal diagnosis of type III glycogenosis.

[The use of immunological method for the determination of acid alpha-glucosidase activity in human muscles]. / Ispol'zovanie immunologicheskogo metoda dlia opredeleniia aktivnosti kisloi alpha-gliukozidazy v myshtsakh cheloveka.

Homogeneous preparation of acid alpha-glucosidase, obtained from human placenta, was used for immunization of rabbits and production of specific antiserum. Immunological procedure was developed for estimation of acid alpha-glucosidase activity from human muscles in presence of the enzyme neutral form. Activity of acid alpha-glucosidase was measured in 20 patients with various types of nervous system impairments. Total activity of alpha-glucosidase in muscles of the patients was 11.4 +/- 0.7 nM/min/g of the tissue and activity of the acid form constituted about 84.8 +/- 1.7% of the total activity.

Serum lipoproteins of patients with glycogen storage disease.

Seventeen patients with different types of glycogen storage disease (GSD) were under observation. The type of the disease was defined from glucaemic and lactotaemic curves obtained in glucose, galactose and adrenaline tolerance tests and by biochemical analysis of liver biopsy specimens. Seven patients were found to have Type I; five patients, Type III; one patient, Type VI; and four patients, the Type IX (or X) of GSD. The serum lipoprotein (LP) content was determined in all patients using analytical ultracentrifugation. Hyperlipoproteinaemia (HLP) was found in virtually all patients. Patients with Type I of GSD were found to have Types 2b and 4 of HLP; and patients with Type III of GSD, 2b Type of HLP. 2a Type of HLP was diagnosed in patients with GSD of VI and IX (X) Types. Patients with Type III GSD, in contrast to those with GSD of other types, had enhanced levels of Sf 12-20 LP. The levels of Sf 100-400 and Sf 20-100 LP were greatly increased only in patients with Type I GSD.

[Glycogen disease caused by disorders in the liver phosphorylase system]. / Glikogenovaia bolezn', vyzvannaia defektami fosforilaznoi sistemy pecheni.

Concentration of glycogen and activity of enzymes, participating in its metabolism, were studied in punctates of liver tissue obtained from three patients with clinical manifestations of hepatic forms of glycogenosis. Accumulation of glycogen in liver tissue of the patients was caused by distinct decrease in the phosphorylase activity. In two patients low activity of phosphorylase A was due to impairment of one of the enzymes, activating the phosphorylase in liver tissue, and in one patient phosphorylase B itself exhibited low activity. The in vitro data on glycogen metabolism were correlated with those, obtained in study of glycogen turnover in vivo, after loading with adrenaline. The data obtained enable to develop methods for treatment of the patients with impairments in activity of liver phosphorylase.

[Serum lipoproteins in the generalized form of type III glycogenosis]. / Lipoproteidy syvorotki krovi pri generalizovannoi forme glikogenoza III tipa.

Distinct accumulation of glycogen, anomalous in structure, and absence of amylo-1,6-glucosidase activity were observed in studies of material obtained by biopsy from liver and muscle tissues of a patient with generalized form of glycogenosis type III. Anamalous glycogen (limitdextrin) was also found in erythrocytes. Concentration of lipoproteins, especially of low density lipoproteins 12.20 S and 0-12 S, was increased in blood serum. Spectrum of lipoproteins acquired a tendency to normalization simultaneously with clinical improvement after intravenous administration of glucose and treatment with cholesterolamine per os.

Two cases of unusual Type I glycogenosis.

Two patients with apparent clinical manifestations of glycogen storage disease were described. The curves obtained upon glucose and adrenalin tolerance tests were indicative of glycogen storage disease Type I. Liver biopsies showed the increased glycogen concentration; however, the activities of the enzymes involved in glycogen metabolism, including glucose-6-phosphatase activity, were within normal limits or even slightly enhanced. On the basis of the biochemical data, Type Ib glycogenosis was diagnosed. The analytical ultracentrifugation studies of serum lipoproteins of those patients showed that concentration of very low density lipoproteins was considerably increased.

Some cases of Type III glycogen storage disease.

Five patients with glycogen storage disease are described. Hypoglycemia was observed in all patients after an overnight fast, and glycemic and lactatemic curves obtained after oral administration of glucose or galactose were typical of those seen in Type III glycogenosis. An increase of liver glycogen up to 12-16% and complete absence of liver amylo-1,6-glucosidase were found in liver tissue samples obtained by needle biopsy. The patients were diagnosed as having Type III glycogenosis. In two patients the absence of amylo-1,6-glycosidase was accompanied by a sharp decline of liver phosphorylase activity. In one patient a decline of glucose-6-phosphatase activity was observed. The structure of liver glycogen was different in different patients, and so were the types of glycemic and lactatemic curves obtained upon protein tolerance tests. The above phenomena might be explained by some secondary disturbances in the activity of enzymes (phosphorylase, glucose-6-phosphatase) involved in the metabolism of liver glycogen of these patients.

[Study of glycogen metabolism in the liver in type III glycogenosis (limit dextrinosis)]. / Issledovanie obmean glikogena v pecheni pri glikogenoze III tipa (limitdekstrinoze)

Data on biochemical study of a patient with glycogenosis of the III type (limit dextrinosis) are presented. In a punctate of liver tissue absence of amylo-1,6-glucosidase activity and significant accumulation of glycogen, which was anomalous in structure, were noted. Loading with galactose and adrenaline caused alterations typical for the III type of glycogenosis. Content of glucose and lactate in blood were also studied in response to the peroral administration of glucose and protein. In erythrocytes of the patient the polysaccharide structure was shown to be anomalous; it resembled the structure of a polysaccharide from liver tissue of the patient.