Two dietary protein levels, the marginal level (8%) and the normal level (20%), were employed in the present experiment to test their effects on the nutritional status, cellular immunity and immunostimulating action of argin-ine in the mice inflicted with 13% BSA, full thickness burn. The postburn changes of nutritional status were influenced noticeably by the dietary protein level. When the traumatized mice were fed with the ration containing 8% protein, the number of peripheral blood ANAE+ lymphocytes fell significantly and the irnmunostimulatory action of arginine was also markedly depressed. The probable reasons were discussed.

The values of vitamin E in serum were decreased significantly in rats with 15% BSA III burn from 1.5 hours to 7 days postburn, and then restored gradually, while the levels of lipid peroxides in serum and lung were increased from 1.5 hours to 3 days. The activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathine peroxidase in blood were also decreased after burns, the former remaining low within 14 days and the latter restoring after 7 days postburn. After intraperitoneal injection of vitamin E to the burned rats, the overproduction of lipid peroxides in serum and lung was inhibited with inhibition rates of 28% and 31%, respectively. No more pathological changes of ultrastructural picture were observed in lung of the burned rats supplemented with vitamin E as compared to the control. The results showed that it was beneficial to supply vitamin E in treatment of burns as soon as possible.

From a study of the experimental riboflavin depletion in rats, it was demonstrated that the activation coefficients (AC) of the blood glutath-ione reductase (BGR) could be used to assess the riboflavin nutritional status of the animal. One week after deficiency the AC values were elevated, while after repletion of riboflavin they returned to normal. The change of AC values appeared sooner than that of daily excretions of riboflavin in urine. So AC value of BGR seemed to be a sensitive index in detecting early riboflavin deficiency. The method of the determination of AC value of BGR was modified so that only 0.02 ml. of whole blood was needed. It is rather convenient when used in field nutritional surveys.

In simplifying the method of determination of activation coefficients (AC) of blood glutathione reductase (BGR), we used saponin solution to prepare blood hemolysate instead of repeated freezing and thawing, thus the time of estimation was shortened. 5, 5'-Dithio-bis-2-nitrobenzoic acid (DTNB) was used to determine the reduced glutathione (GSH), the end product of the NADPH-dependent glutathione reductase reaction on the substrate, oxidized glutathione (GSSG), by means of a photoelectric colorimeter instead of alloxan and an ultra-violet spectrophotometer. From the data obtained in animals and men, the AC values determined by the two methods actually showed no difference.50 male rats, weighing 65-75 grams, were divided from the same litters into 6 groups, namely, the deficient, 2, 5, 10, 30?g and the normal group. The experimental period was 9 weeks. According to the growth weights, the riboflavin contents of urine and liver of the animals, the riboflavin nutritional status of different groups was evaluated. Referring to the corresponding AC values of all groups at the 9th week, the standards of AC values for assessing ribcflavin nutriture could be defined as: 80 severely deficient.

The ascorbic acid in plasma was determined on the basis of reduction of ferric to ferrous ion and its formation of a colored complex with batho-phenanthroline. This method was highly correlated to Roe's dinitrophe-nylhydrazine method in the determination of plasma ascorbic acid of 16 normal adults and the correlation coefficient was 0.90. By animal experiment the new method may be used to discriminate different levels of plasma ascorbic acid. It is rather simple and water bath is not required. Only 0.25ml of plasma is needed for each determination. So this method is useful in assessing the ascorbic acid nutriture in tield survey.

The free amino acid concentrations in serum were determined in 65 normal adults by use of the physiological fluid analysis in Hitachi 835-50 Model Amino Acid Autoanalyer. 29 specimens were determined by physiological fluid analysis and protein hydrolyzate analysis method simultaneous-ly.The results of Serine, Glycine, Valine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Lysine, Tryptophan, Proline, and the molar ratio of the bran-ched-chain amino acids/aromatic amino acids were very similar. By hy-drolyzate method Aspartic acid was not detected and Threonine, Glutmic acid, Cystine, Methionine and Arginine were higher than physiological fluid analysis.The reasons for such higher values were discussed.

Forty-two male rats were fed with normal vitamin E( VE)requirement diet, i.e. 0.2mg?100gbw?-1d-1 for one week and then thirty-five rats were induced a 3rd degree burn of 20% BSA, another 7 uninjured rats served as normal contrsol. The burned rats were divided into 5 subgroups receiving VE at the dosage of 0.2, 1, 2, 5,10mg. 100gbw-1?d-1 respectively for 14 days. The re-ults showed that the serum and liver VE contents were lower and the serum LPO higher significantly in the burned rats as compared with the normal control,it wao also found that thymus was atrophic, the thymic cortex become thinner thymocytes constricted, and the splenic corpuscles decreased, the sperm and spermatocytes were markedly decreased with testis atrophy. Whet burned rats were fed VE, as the dosage increased to 2mg?100gbw-1?d-1, the serum and liver VE levels significantly raised and the serum LPO returned to control level. The histological changes of thymus, spleen and testes were nearly similar to the normal control rats.