Abstract
Deuterium turnover studies were carried out on 8 normal subjects, 1 esophagus cancer with ascites and 1 diabetes insipidus.
Following the oral administration of 0.1 ml per kilogram of body weight of 99.8% pure deuterium oxide, accurately timed urine samples for deuterium determinations were collected for 10 days. And then, anabolic steroid or other treatments were begun. One week after the beginning of treatment, each subject was restudied by the same loading test and determination. Deuterium concentration in urine was measured with a massspectrometer, and total body water and biological half-life of deuterium oxide were calculated for both periods. Total body water was calculated using the deuterium concentration in urine and serum four hours after the administration of deuterium oxide.
1) No significant differences of total body water per kilogram of body weight were observed among children, young adults and elderly subjects. Bilolgical half-life was prolonged with age. Thus, in the elderly subjects water metabolism appeared to be slowed.
2) In esophagus cancer with ascites the retardation of deuterium turnover and increase in the body water were observed. On the contrary, accelaration of deuterium oxide turnover and decrease in body water were seen in diabetes insipidus.
3) During anabolic steroid trsatment in 8 normal subjects, a body weight gain of 1 to 3 kilograms was noted in each subject, but edema did not appear in any case. Deuterium turnover did not markedly change before and during anabolic steroid treatment. However, in 1 of the young adults being administered anabolic steroid for a long term and in 2 of the elderly subjects a slight increase in total body water occurred during anabolic steroid treatment.
4) A return to the normal condition of deuterium turnover and of the total body water was seen in the diabetes indipidus and esophagus cancer with ascites after trichlormethiazide treatment.
