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3313. The perils of liquorice-eating
400
Natural products (the latter in a lo-mg/kg dose) showed activity comparable to that of the methacrylic acid homopolymer. The neutral polymers examined, namely polyvinyl alcohol and dextran at lOmg/kg, were without effect on the lymphocyte population. Protamine chloride, the only polycation tested, was similarly ineffective, but it counteracted the mobilizing activity of polyvinyl sulphuric acid when injected 2 hr after the polyanion, causing a rapid reduction in both the extent and duration of lymphocytosis. Molecular weight was shown to have little effect on the maximum levels of lymphocytosis induced by the polymers. There were no significant differences in LMI between polyvinyl sulphuric acid samples of molecular weight 14,000, 60,000 and 125,000 or between dextran sulphate samples of 16,000 and 40,000 molecular weight. Nevertheless, the size of the vinyl sulphuric acid chain did influence the kinetics of the lymphocytosis. the lower molecular weight species producing a more prolonged effect. There was no correlation between mobilizing and anticoagulant activity. For example heparin, the most potent anticoagulant among the heparinoids tested, was the least effective inducer of lymphocytosis.
a number of species following iv administration of a wide range of polyanions. In the study cited above, the relative ability of a large number of such polymers to mobilize lymphocytes into the peripheral blood was evaluated in the rat. Each polymer, dissolved in saline or dilute sodium hydroxide, was administered iv to a small group of rats (generally five) in a concentration of 6Omg/kg (injection volume @25-030ml/rat). and its effectiveness was expressed in terms of the lymphocyte mobilizing index (LMI), defined as the factor by which the peripheral blood lymphocyte population had increased 3 hr after the injection. Polymethacrylic acid (mol wt 200.000) gave an LMI of 3, whilst polyacrylic acid showed no mobilizing activity. Copolymers of methacrylic acid with either acrylic acid, acrolein or acrylonitrile gave LMI values between 1.7 and 3. with the methacrylic-acrolein species exhibiting the highest activity. Polyvinyl sulphuric acid had an LMI of 5.3, and the highest value, 5.7, was produced by a methacrylic acid-styrene (10: 1) copolymer. Of the other polyanions tested, only polymethacrylic acid-/?-chloroethyl vinyl ether, polymethacrylic acid-divinyl sulphone and dextran sulphate
NA.TURAL
PRODUCTS
3313. The perils of liquorice-eating
3314. Nasal cancer in Denmark
Bannister,B.. Ginsburg, R. & Shneerson.J. (1977). Andersen.H. C., Andersen,I. & Solgaard,J. (1977) Cardiac arrest due to liquorice-inducedhypokalae- Nasalcancers,symptomsand upper airway function mia. Br. med. J. 2, 738. in woodworkers.Br. J. ind. Med. 34, 201. That the excessiveconsumptionof liquorice can have alarming effects,such as hypertension,sodium and water retention and potassiumdepletion, is well known (Cited in P.C.T. 1969,7,549).Congestiveheart failure in addition to hypokalaemiawas reported in a man who indulged too freely (ibid 1971, 9, 454). and more seriousconsequences of intemperanceare chronicledbelow. A womanaged58 who had complainedof tiredness and limb weaknessfor a year before, after a mild attack of diarrhoea,wasfound on the floor too weak to get up. When admitted to hospitalher limbswere flaccid and tendon reflexeswereabsent,while plantar reflexesremainedflexor. She showedbilateral ptosis. weaknessof voice, and rapid shallow breathing.The patient’s plasma potassium concentration was 1.3mmol/Iitre, and while in this hypokalaemicstate she developed ventricular fibrillation, which was treatedsuccessfully with externalcardiacmassage and potassium.chloride therapy. Her muscle power returned within 12hr of treatment.This woman had madea habit of eating about l-8 kg of liquorice confectionery each week. Three months after she had stoppedthis practicesheremainedwell. The aldosterone-like effectsof liquorice are attributed to its glycyrrhizinic acid content, whichhasthe effect of inducing sodiumretention and potassiumlossand of suppressingendogenouscirculating aldosterone.
It is now over 10yr sincethe associationbetween nasal cancer and employment in the furniture industry wasfirst identified in the UK (Cired in F.C.T. 1968, 6, 678). Since then, further evidence has appearedboth in the UK (ibid 1971,9, 601)and from other nations,including Denmark(Mosbech& Acheson,Dan. med. Bull. 1971,18, 34) and Australia (Cited in F.C.T. 1976,14, 514).A further study of the Danish furniture industry hasnow beenreported. Aarhus hospital.serving a population of two million people,treated 186 patients between 1965 and 1974for malignanttumoursof the noseand paranasal sinuses.Although adenocarcinomaof the nasalcavity was diagnosedin only 17 patients (15 men), 12 of the menwerewoodworkers.As with previousstudies, no specifictype of wood could be identified as the possiblecausative agent. The 22 furniture-industry workers among the total of 114 men diagnosedas having ectodermaltumours was also a significantly higherproportion than expected.Apart from the preponderanceof adenocarcinoma,no single type of tumour occurred to a significantly greater extent in the woodworkersthan in the population at large. The average latent period for the induction of adenocarcinomas in the eight men who had worked solely within the furniture industry was 46yr. In the four workers who had subsequentlyleft the industry to take other jobs,the averagelatent periodwas31yr.
Natural products (the latter in a lo-mg/kg dose) showed activity comparable to that of the methacrylic acid homopolymer. The neutral polymers examined, namely polyvinyl alcohol and dextran at lOmg/kg, were without effect on the lymphocyte population. Protamine chloride, the only polycation tested, was similarly ineffective, but it counteracted the mobilizing activity of polyvinyl sulphuric acid when injected 2 hr after the polyanion, causing a rapid reduction in both the extent and duration of lymphocytosis. Molecular weight was shown to have little effect on the maximum levels of lymphocytosis induced by the polymers. There were no significant differences in LMI between polyvinyl sulphuric acid samples of molecular weight 14,000, 60,000 and 125,000 or between dextran sulphate samples of 16,000 and 40,000 molecular weight. Nevertheless, the size of the vinyl sulphuric acid chain did influence the kinetics of the lymphocytosis. the lower molecular weight species producing a more prolonged effect. There was no correlation between mobilizing and anticoagulant activity. For example heparin, the most potent anticoagulant among the heparinoids tested, was the least effective inducer of lymphocytosis.
a number of species following iv administration of a wide range of polyanions. In the study cited above, the relative ability of a large number of such polymers to mobilize lymphocytes into the peripheral blood was evaluated in the rat. Each polymer, dissolved in saline or dilute sodium hydroxide, was administered iv to a small group of rats (generally five) in a concentration of 6Omg/kg (injection volume @25-030ml/rat). and its effectiveness was expressed in terms of the lymphocyte mobilizing index (LMI), defined as the factor by which the peripheral blood lymphocyte population had increased 3 hr after the injection. Polymethacrylic acid (mol wt 200.000) gave an LMI of 3, whilst polyacrylic acid showed no mobilizing activity. Copolymers of methacrylic acid with either acrylic acid, acrolein or acrylonitrile gave LMI values between 1.7 and 3. with the methacrylic-acrolein species exhibiting the highest activity. Polyvinyl sulphuric acid had an LMI of 5.3, and the highest value, 5.7, was produced by a methacrylic acid-styrene (10: 1) copolymer. Of the other polyanions tested, only polymethacrylic acid-/?-chloroethyl vinyl ether, polymethacrylic acid-divinyl sulphone and dextran sulphate
NA.TURAL
PRODUCTS
3313. The perils of liquorice-eating
3314. Nasal cancer in Denmark
Bannister,B.. Ginsburg, R. & Shneerson.J. (1977). Andersen.H. C., Andersen,I. & Solgaard,J. (1977) Cardiac arrest due to liquorice-inducedhypokalae- Nasalcancers,symptomsand upper airway function mia. Br. med. J. 2, 738. in woodworkers.Br. J. ind. Med. 34, 201. That the excessiveconsumptionof liquorice can have alarming effects,such as hypertension,sodium and water retention and potassiumdepletion, is well known (Cited in P.C.T. 1969,7,549).Congestiveheart failure in addition to hypokalaemiawas reported in a man who indulged too freely (ibid 1971, 9, 454). and more seriousconsequences of intemperanceare chronicledbelow. A womanaged58 who had complainedof tiredness and limb weaknessfor a year before, after a mild attack of diarrhoea,wasfound on the floor too weak to get up. When admitted to hospitalher limbswere flaccid and tendon reflexeswereabsent,while plantar reflexesremainedflexor. She showedbilateral ptosis. weaknessof voice, and rapid shallow breathing.The patient’s plasma potassium concentration was 1.3mmol/Iitre, and while in this hypokalaemicstate she developed ventricular fibrillation, which was treatedsuccessfully with externalcardiacmassage and potassium.chloride therapy. Her muscle power returned within 12hr of treatment.This woman had madea habit of eating about l-8 kg of liquorice confectionery each week. Three months after she had stoppedthis practicesheremainedwell. The aldosterone-like effectsof liquorice are attributed to its glycyrrhizinic acid content, whichhasthe effect of inducing sodiumretention and potassiumlossand of suppressingendogenouscirculating aldosterone.
It is now over 10yr sincethe associationbetween nasal cancer and employment in the furniture industry wasfirst identified in the UK (Cired in F.C.T. 1968, 6, 678). Since then, further evidence has appearedboth in the UK (ibid 1971,9, 601)and from other nations,including Denmark(Mosbech& Acheson,Dan. med. Bull. 1971,18, 34) and Australia (Cited in F.C.T. 1976,14, 514).A further study of the Danish furniture industry hasnow beenreported. Aarhus hospital.serving a population of two million people,treated 186 patients between 1965 and 1974for malignanttumoursof the noseand paranasal sinuses.Although adenocarcinomaof the nasalcavity was diagnosedin only 17 patients (15 men), 12 of the menwerewoodworkers.As with previousstudies, no specifictype of wood could be identified as the possiblecausative agent. The 22 furniture-industry workers among the total of 114 men diagnosedas having ectodermaltumours was also a significantly higherproportion than expected.Apart from the preponderanceof adenocarcinoma,no single type of tumour occurred to a significantly greater extent in the woodworkersthan in the population at large. The average latent period for the induction of adenocarcinomas in the eight men who had worked solely within the furniture industry was 46yr. In the four workers who had subsequentlyleft the industry to take other jobs,the averagelatent periodwas31yr.