[Caring for a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: the patient's and the caregiver's experience].

ALS usually affects highly active, working, sportive individuals. The disease has a devastating impact on the patient's personal life and family ties. Indeed, the disease requires constant attention from the carer for its rapidly progressive nature leads the patient to a complete state of isolation without affecting his/her intellect.

Effects of zamic as a means for zinc supplementation in growing children.

We investigated the effects of zinc supplementation in case of moderate growth retardation in which GH treatment could not be used. Zamic (ZA, an association containing arginine, L-methionine, and zinc; from Aguettant pharmaceuticals) was compared with arginine aspartate (AA) (5 g) in a crossover randomized trial (6 mo of each treatment at random order over 1 yr). We present preliminary results of 24 children who completed the study (3 girls, 21 boys, age 9-13 yr).

Effects of oral zinc gluconate on glucose effectiveness and insulin sensitivity in humans.

Zinc improves both insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity, and exerts insulin-like effects. We investigated its acute effects on the parameters of glucose assimilation determined with the minimal model technique from frequent sampling intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIVGTT) in seven healthy volunteers. FSIVGTTs (0.

Serum zinc in highly trained adolescent gymnasts.

Serum zinc was measured in 20 adolescent gymnasts (9 boys, 11 girls, age 12-15 yr) explored for detecting possible adverse effects of intense training on pubertal maturation and growth. They had low serum zinc (0.599 +/- 0.

In vitro influence of zinc and magnesium on the deformability of red blood cells artificially hardened by heating.

Trace elements have been shown to improve red blood cell (RBC) deformability: zinc in sickle cell disease and magnesium in an in vitro model of chemically rigidified erythrocytes. In this study, we investigated the effect and the influence of incubation time of zinc or magnesium on an in vitro model of rigidified RBCs by heating. Erythrocyte rigidity was determined by viscosimetry at high shear rate by a falling ball viscosimeter MT 90.

Effect of taurine, L-glutamine and L-histidine addition in an amino acid glucose solution on the cellular bioavailability of zinc.

Radioactive zinc was used to study the effect of a binary parenteral nutrient solution, composed of amino acids and glucose, on zinc uptake by fibroblasts. The influence of addition of taurine, L-glutamine and of the increase in L-histidine content of the admixture was assessed. The pure mixture was highly toxic for cells and so it was diluted 1/5 in tyrode buffer with 2% albumin.

Influence of copper, iron, and zinc on the physicochemical properties of parenteral admixture.

A parenteral admixture composed of 25% of 20% Intralipid, 25% of Azonutril 25, 37.5% of 30% Glucose and 12.5% of 50% Glucose was supplemented with copper, iron and zinc in the organic (gluconate) or inorganic (chloride) form at the following usual final concentrations: copper 0.

Serum zinc and somatic growth in children with growth retardation.

A possible role for zinc deficiency in some cases of growth retardation in southern France was investigated. Control values for zinc for 160 children (age = 12.5 +/- 2.

Urinary zinc and its relationships with microalbuminuria in type I diabetics.

We investigated whether zincuria is associated with microalbuminuria in type I (insulin-dependent) diabetics (IDDM). In 169 IDDM, 215 overnight urine samples were collected for simultaneous assay of zinc and albumin. In 76 samples with excessive microalbuminuria (greater than 15 mg/L), zincuria was higher than in the 139 other samples (0.

[Determination of micro-quantities of serum lithium by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Significance and applications].

The dilution of serum and the ionic components having an usual effect upon the lithium assay is examined about their influences in the determination of lithium microquantities. These are discussed according to the technique selected as well as the normal ionic variations that may be come across in serums. The method was applied to determination of serum lithium rate in a group of old subjects.