Browsing by Author "Kench, J E"

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    A study of the nature and origin of the minialbumins to be found in cadmium-poisoned animals
    (1967) Sutherland, Elizabeth Mary; Kench, J E
    Cadmium, one of the trace metals, has, in the last two to three decades, become increasingly important in both industrial and biological fields. The recognition of cadmium as a serious health hazard has led to a closer examination of its properties and biochemical effects. Cadmium, an element of ata:nic number 48, atomic weight 112.41 and valency 2, is a soft 'White lustrous metal belonging to the second sub-group of the Periodic Table. It has a boiling point of 768°c, melting point of 321°0, is remarkably volatile for a heavy metal, and exists naturaly as a mixture of eight isotopes, constituting 2 x 10-5% of the earth's crust. Extraction of cadmium is by distillation from zinc ores. The electron configuration of cadmium is 4d105s2, and it forms simple bipositive cations only. There are no ligand field stabilization effects in cadmium ions, and the stereochemistry is, therefore, determined solely by size and electrostatic and covalent bonding forces.s Cadmium chloride shows octahedral co-ordination.
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    Biochemical aspects of the idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn
    (1969) Hardie, Gwendoline; Kench, J E
    This study was undertaken primarily to investigate the plasma protein system in infants with IRDS, as compared with healthy premature infants, as it had previously been reported that the plasma protein concentration in affected infants was abnormally low. It was attempted further to establish biochemical and/or immunological criteria for diagnosis of the disease and to discover reasons for the low IgG concentrations and raised α-fetoprotein concentrations found in the sera of these infants. Maternal serum proteins were also studied during pregnancy and at and after delivery of the infant. Interrelationships between α-fetoprotein, Human Growth Hormone and other proteins, in immunochemical systems were investigated. In summary, the main conclusions reached were as follows: (i) The total serum-protein concentration in affected infants is much reduced, as compared with healthy premature infants of the same gestational age. (ii) In IRDS infants, the relative and absolute concentration, of IgG is extremely low, whereas concentrations of other immune globulins, as far as could be determined, are within normal limits. (iii) Mothers of affected infants have significantly lower concentrations both of serum IgG and of IgM, than mothers of healthy premature infants. These changes in the serum-proteins are present throughout pregnancy. By six weeks post-partum, the IgG level has returned to normal, but the IgM level remains low. Concentrations of IgA and total serum-protein are normal at all times. (iv) Examination of oedema fluid, urine, faeces and amniotic fluid for γ-globulin content, has excluded the possibility that IgG is being lost from the circulation by these routes. (v) IRDS infants have, in their serum, agglutinins of the IgM type directed against the intact maternal IgG molecule. Similar agglutinins are present in a minority of healthy premature infants. Both IRDS and healthy infants have agglutinins against IgG fragments, in approximately 50% of cases. Agglutinin titres against these are similar in the two groups, but the incidence of agglutinins against Bence Jones protein type Lis raised in IRDS. (vi) Affected infants have an elevated serum concentration of α-fetoprotein, which disappears from the serum during the: first week of post-natal life. (vii) The majority of pregnant women examined have been observed to have serum agglutinins directed against α-fetoprotein. These cross-react with albumin prepared from sera of healthy adult males α-fetoprotein has been found in the serum of many pregnant women, especially during the second trimester. (viii) Immunological interrelationships between α-fetoprotein human serum albumin, Human Growth Hormone and human IgG have been demonstrated. (ix) Infants suffering from Rh-isoimmunization exhibit a serum- protein pattern similar to that seen in IRDS. Biochemical and immunological criteria for the diagnosis of IRDS have thus been established. The data to be presented indicate the presence of an immunological factor in the aetiology of the disease.
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    Effects of halogenated hydrocarbons on the respiration of beef heart mitochondria and submitochondrial particles
    (1971) Kewley, Carolyn Florence; Kench, J E; Berman, M C
    The investigations to be presented in this thesis arose from studies on the respiration of mitochondria isolated from pig skeletal muscle. These animals developed the syndrome of Malignant Hypermedia after exposure to halothane - a halogenated hydrocarbon used as an inhalation anesthetic agent.
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    Studies on the degradation of haemoglobin
    (1966) Green, Margaret; Kench, J E
    The chemical relationship which exists between haemoglobin and bile pigments was first established in 1933, when, after monumental studies covering a period of 24 years, Hans Fischer and his colleagues succeeded in synthesizing bile pigments and protoporphyrin. He thereby demonstrated the fundamental tetrapyrrolic structure which is common to both haem and bilirubin. Prior to this, in vivo experiments on dogs performed by Mann, Sheard, Bollman and Blades showed that haemoglobin, injected into the arterial blood of the spleen or bone-marrow, produced a rise in the bilirubin content of the venous blood. Haematin was also evident in both arterial and venous blood.
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    The role of peptides as intermediates in protein metabolism
    (1964) Berman, Mervyn Clive; Kench, J E
    There is much evidence in the recent literature that peptides may be intermediates in normal protein biosynthesis. This has also been inferred from certain disease states and other conditions under which protein biosynthesis is blocked at some point, e.g. cadmium, amino acid analogues or (in bacteria) antibiotics. The literature covering this concept will be presented. The present studies have been carried out on children, who because they are suffering from chronic protein malnutrition have very much lowered rates of protein synthesis and breakdown. In this unfortunate, but natural experiment, it was hoped that some factor or factors derived from protein synthesis might be found which influenced the synthetic mechanism as a whole. Evidence from the literature has been summarized which concludes that urine, apart from being convenient to collect, is the biological fluid most likely to contain high concentrates of peptides which are released during cellular metabolism.