Japanese Journal of Clinical Chemistry

1) A highly elevated level of erythrocytic arginase (thirty times higher than normal) was found in a patient with sideroblastic anemia.
2) Urea cycle enzyme actvities in the erythrocytes of the patient were determined and compared to those of normal ranges.
3) Characterization of arginase of the patient was presented: Km value, optimum pH, stability and amino acid inhibition were the same as those of normal arginase.
4) No inhibitor of arginase was detected in erythrocytes of the patient.

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DNA, RNA and protein concentrations in the cerebella of cerebellar mutants, “weaver,” “weaver heterozygote,” “staggerer,” and “reeler” were examined. There was a significant decrease in the DNA concentration in the cerebella of all types of mutants. The RNA concentration was also lower in some mutant cerebella. However, the concentration of protein showed little change in most cases. The RNA/DNA ratio was lower in the mutant cerebellum at an earlier stage, but it was significantly higher at later stages in the cerebella of all types of mutants. The protein/DNA ratio, on the other hand, was always higher in the mutant cerebella. Biological significance of these findings was discussed.

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In sheep, large amounts of acetate are produced in the rumen, where they are absorbed, and then transported to the mammary gland for metabolism. The following results were obtained in a study on influences of glucose and its metabolites on the acetate metabolism in the mammary gland slices of normally fed, starved and alloxan diabetic sheep.
1) Consumption of acetate and formation of CO₂ and lipid from acetate showed a decrease following starvation and alloxan treatment. 2) In normal and starved sheep, acetate consumption and formation of CO₂ and lipid from acetate showed an increase following the addition of glucose and phosphoenolpyruvate. These effects of glucose and phosphoenolpyruvate on the acetate metabolism disappeared following treatment with alloxan. 3) In normal, starvied and alloxan diabetic sheep, the addition of pyruvate and lactate did not influence the acetate metabolism.
From these results it may be deduced that there was some relationship between the acetate metabolism and the glucose-phosphoenolpyruvate system, and insulin had some role in the action of the glucose-phosphoenolpyruvate system on the acetate metabolism.

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The values of some reference sera were evaluated by Sequential Multiple Analyzer (SMA) and manual methods.
The variations of total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, glutamic oxalacetic transaminase and carbon dioxide were shown to be about 10% (c. v.) and that of other channels below 5% by SMA.
All channels in SMA except potassium, albumin totaiprotein and glutamic oxalacetic transaminase showed a satisfactory, linear relationship between the present and found values.
The values determined by SMA and manual methods did not agree with the set values of reference sera, showing larger deviations with respect to the values of total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase and glutamic oxalacetic transaminase. The values of total protein and albumin much affected with turbidity showed slightly higher values by SMA 12/30.
The other values of SMA channels obtained here were in good agreement with the set values of reference sera.
In case of using these reference sera as a standard of SMA three channels of total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase and glutamic oxalacetic transaminase must be checked by manual methods in refererice of changes of actual values during storage.

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