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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 9, 1986)
Wednesday, July 9, 1986/The Battalion/Page 3 State and Local Jlifitl seofii '' the I ipheij >n dthei Stale- hAfru aahui taken; eyesol i there tasic ethe aner her tobe | with ill weal ? let pale the smar a n's onss ike areme ena dole .The ry awn theBi owed musi msie iarent from irst i see. gas 'er, I of juiti 5 e iw ,5^' lerlai* Mallf [ ; nS^ »-(M CXJ® 1 * 1 rjirt Protein causes liver damage A&M professors discover new effects of sleeping aid By Scott Sutherland (7//v Editor Texas A&M medical research ers have discovered that a pre viously believed harmless protein sold in health food stores as a sleeping aid causes severe dam age to the liver. Dr. Michael E. Trulson and Dr. IT. Wayne Sampson, professors of anatomy in the Texas A&M College of Medicine, studied the effects of large doses of the essen tial amino acid L-tryptophan on the liver. Tryptophan has become popu lar as a natural sleep aid and is sold primarily in health food stores. Trulson says former medi cal research had concluded that large doses of tryptophan did en courage sleep. FDA spokesman Brad Stone said the FDA does not monitor the sale of tryptophan because it is neither a controlled nor pre scription drug. Trulson and Sampson focused their research on the liver be cause it is the organ which metab olizes amino acids found in food. It has been widely accepted that since tryptophan is an essen tial amino acid found in nearly all foods, administration even in high doses wouldn’t cause organ damage, Trulson says. Normally the liver derives tryptophan from proteins in gested in foods. The new A&M research shows that excess doses cause a dangerous buildup of fat in the liver. But Trulson’s and Sampson’s experiment shows that rats which ingested tryptophan for three consecutive days showed an in crease in the size of hepatic sinu soids, channels that carry blood throughout the liver. Also, some of the important cells in the liver had virtually disappeared. In place of those cells, Trulson says lipid, or fat, appeared. The lipid appeared in varying sizes of droplets that increased in size and abundance as the dosage of tryp tophan increased. Trulson says this fat was grow ing in place of much more impor tant cells that perform vital func tions in the liver. The lipid droplets eventually combined to make large masses throughout the liver, occupying more and more space and preventing the important interaction between Art by Mindy Casper White globules shown near point of contact between cell and si nusoids. Mass of fat eventually can choke off exchange of cell material between blood and cell. blood in the sinusoids and sub stances in the cells, he says. All the treated rats displayed this accumulation of fat while the control group displayed only small amounts of lipid in the liver. Rats that were treated for three days and then examined 14 days later showed slightly decreased levels of lipid but the majority of the lipid was still present. Some tests indicate that the fat remains in the liver. Rats that were given trypto phan every other day for 14 days and examined after three days showed the highest fat concentra tion. The liver is the largest internal organ and is the site of fat and carbohydrate metabolism, regu lates blood sugar, synthesizes vita min A and detoxifies otherwise poisonous substances. Trulson and Sampson con clude their report, published in the June edition of Life Sciences Journal, saying that taking tryp tophan for sleep induction is not advisable until further research is completed. Arlington woman kills self following daughter’s death ARLINGTON (AP) — The mother of an 18-year-old girl shot to death in April decided not to live be cause of unconsolable grief over her daughter’s death, her son says. Mercedes Branch, 50, of Arling ton, died Saturday from amytripty- line intoxication. Amytriptyline is a prescription antidepressant drug. Her death was ruled a suicide by the Dallas County medical examiner. Mrs. Branch’s son Claudio, 20, said, “It had everything to do with Teresa. I was expecting it. I wasn’t expecting it this soon. To tell the truth, I’ve been watching my mother die, the deterioration of her person ality. “My mom didn’t have many material possessions. Teresa was all she had. She was very proud of her. If she couldn’t have Teresa, she didn’t want to live.” After the slaying, Mrs. Branch would walk around the house crying and saying, “I want Teresa back,” he said. Miss Branch’s car broke down on April 19 while she was on her way to her parents’ house. She left a class mate in the car and began jogging to the house, a few blocks away. The friend called police after Miss Branch did not appear for 1 'At hours. Miss Branch’s body was found in a church parking lot across the street from where she was parked at about 10:30 p.m. Arlington police believe she was forced into a car, shot and her body was dumped in the lot. No arrests have been made. “I don’t think it would have mat tered if they had made an arrest,” Branch said. “It would never bring Teresa back.” He said Mrs. Branch seemed to take the news well at first, although she thought about the slaying con stantly. “The paranoia started,” the son said. “She was afraid the same thing was going to happen to her that hap pened to Teresa.” She became more distant toward him, his 15-year-old brother John and their father, Kenneth, Branch said. Mrs. Branch was admitted to Psy chiatric Institute of Fort Worth but insisted on leaving after about four days. She went with her husband to a friend’s house for Fourth of July weekend and was found suffering from convulsions Saturday night. She died later at a hospital. 5 fast food chains to give nutrition information AUS'I IN (AP) — Some fast food fans might cut down on burgers and chicken as a result of nutrition infor mation that five major chains have agreed to provide, Texas Attorney General Jim Mattox said Tuesday. “They’ll find many of the fast foods are extremely nutritious, but at the same time they may also be very high in calories,” he said. Burger King, Jack in the Box, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Wendy’s and McDonald’s — at the urging of several attorneys general — have agreed to provide nutrition and in gredient information at their stores. Mattox and California Attorney General John Van de Kamp led the effort. Ed Rensi, president of McDon ald’s USA, said in a Monday statement that his company decided to offer the information because of consumer interest. “We want our customers to know that we use the same quality ingredients they trust when shopping at their local super market,” he said. Mattox said negotiations with the five chains showed two major con cerns on the part of company offi cials. “Some were concerned about the cost of providing the information,” he said. “There were some of them that were concerned about the pub lic’s desire perhaps not to consume as many calories and as much salt.” Negotiations are continuing with several other fast food chains. “We hope the competitive pres sure will take place that will bring the other fast food chains to the point of publishing this information. Sooner or later, we may ask some of the others to do it, and if they don’t, we may encourage people to just eat at these that do publish the informa tion,” Mattox said. “We hope they haven’t got any thing to hide,” he added. The attorney general said that as a “single adult male who can’t cook, I consume a lot” of fast food. “If these foods were not part of the normal American’s diet, that would be one thing,” he said. “But it is what makes up a large portion of our diet in this country.” Whole Sale Diamonds! We’re Expanding! Ws will be expanding soon to a larger location In the same shopping center. To celebrate, we are giving away FREE memberships to Brazos Valley Entertainment Club with a minium $25.00 jewelry purchase. Make your selection now and wear It out on the town, compliments of Texas Coin Exchange and Brazos Valley Entertainment Club. Limit 1 per family. Also look for our private safe rentals available soon! © m ’V v; w/ ‘4\ $;■ 7 & 1 ROUND ■ ROUND I Our Price Compare at Our Price Compare at .59 pts. $930.°° 1800.°° 1/2 pts. $2.75 00 6.°° .60 pts. 945.°° 1700.°° .01 pts. 5.50 00 11. 00 .61 pts. 975. 00 1800.°° .02 pts. 9.95 00 20.°° .61 pts. 775.°° 1500.°° .03 pts. 14.95°° 29.°° .61 pts. 975.°° 1800.°° .04 pts. 19.95°° 40.°° .65 pts. 815. 00 1700.°° .05 pts. 29.95°° 65. 00 .67 pts. 975.°° 1790.°° .06 pts. 33.00°° 70.°° .67 pts. 1295.°° 2600.°° .07 pts. 38.°° 75.°° .70 pts. 1465.°° 2850.°° .08 pts. 41 00 82.°° .71 pts. 1195.°° 2300.°° .10 pts. 63.°° 125.°° .76 pts. 1125.°° 2350.°° .14 pts. 105.°° 200.°° .84 pts. 1625.°° 2900.°° .15 pts. 111.°° 225.°° .86 pts. 1650.°° 2900.°° .16 pts. 118.°° 235.°° .93 pts. 1560.°° 2900.°° .18 pts. 135. 00 270.°° .96 pts. 1950.°° 3450.°° .19 pts. 140.°° 280.°° .97 pts. 1880.°“ 3400.°° .20 pts. 165. 00 250. 00 .97 pts 1520.°° 3200.°° .23 pts 235.°° 470.°° 1.00 cts 2100.°° 4200.“° .27 pts. 270.°° 500.°° 1.00 cts 2150.°“ 4000.“° .28 pts. 325. 00 525. 00 1.00 cts 2095.°° 4100.°° .34 pts. 445.°° 695.°° 1.03 cts 2775.°° 4400.°° .35 pts. 445.°° 695.°° 1.06 cts 1875.°° 3700.°° .42 pts. 660.°° 1275.°° 1.08 cts 2795.°° 4800.°° .43 pts. 550.°° 1100.°° 1.08 cts 2395.°° 4700.°° .45 pts. 695. 00 1375.°° 1.09 cts 2825.°° 4900.°° .46 pts. 595.°° 1250.°° 1.09 cts 2825.°° 4900.°° .46 pts. 585.°° 1200.°° 1.24 cts 2875.°° 5300.°° .48 pts. 795.°° 1550.°° 1.33 cts 3495.°° 6900.°° .49 pts. 795.“° 1550.°° 1.41 cts 3900.°° 7900.°° .50 pts. 785.°° 1500.°° 1.51 cts 4975.°° 8500.°° .50 pts. 750. 00 1500.°° 1.54 cts 4150.°° 8200.°° .50 pts. 765.°“ 1575.°° 2.02 cts 8395.°° 17000. 00 .52 pts. 675.°° 1350.°° 2.03 cts 6875.°° 13500. 00 .52 pts. 875.°“ 1695.°° 2.04 cts 7695.°° 14250. 00 .53 pts. 810.°° 1575.°° 3.00 cts 12900.°° 26000. 00 .54 pts. 845.°° 1695.°° .54 pts. 695.°° 1425.°° .55 pts. .55 pts. 875. 00 865.°° 1650.“° 1650.°° 1 OVAL I .56 pts. 895.°° 1625.°° .56 pts. 735. 00 1495.°° Our Price Compare at .56 pts. 895.°° 1750.°° .25 pts. $195.°° $450.°° .57 pts. 725.°° 1450.°° .27 pts. 200. 00 475.°° ) .58 pts. 895.°° 1700.°° .38 pts. 285.°° 525.°° .59 pts. 850.°° 1700.°° .44 pts. 335.°° 750.°° .59 pts. 675. 00 1300.°° .71 pts. 1495.°° 2900.°° OVAL Our Price Compare at .78 pts. $1650.°° 3300.°° .83 pts. 1650.°° 3300.°° 1.15 cts. 2495.°° 5250.°° MARQUISE Our Price Compare at .27 pts. $325.°° 725.°° .30 pts. 365.°° 725.°° .30 pts. 365.°° 725. 00 .33 pts. 395°° 725°° .35 pts. 425.°° 850 00 .37 pts. 450.°° 950°° .49 pts. 975°° 1800.°° .50 pts. 895.°° 1700.°° .70 pts. 1195.“° 2300.°° .73 pts. 1235.°° 2500.°° 1.10 cts. 4340.°° 8500.°° 1.46 cts. 3750.°° 7500.°° 1.52 cts. 2750.°° 5500.°° PEAR m Our Price Compare at .30 pts. $350.°° 725. 00 .47 pts. 1050.°° 2100°° .54 pts. 1195.°° 2350.°° .62 pts. 1395.°° 2750.°° 1.80 cts 2965.°° 6200.°° MODIFIED RADIANT -1 Our Price Compare at .35 pts. $635.°° 1350.°° .93 pts. 1945.°° 3800.°° 1.03 cts. 2600.°° 5500.°° 2.01 cts. 4350.°° 6900.°° EMERALD Our Price Compare at 1.02 cts. $2495.°° 4500.°° yv © W •y' a« Ip Ms'' Largest Stock of Gold Coin Jewelry in the Area! All gold chains sold by weight {IS 30 ^ 95 penny weight (S^-IB 68 a gram) =>’<V IM > r 3 TEXAS COIN 404 University Or. East • College Station • 846 8905 <• 3202 A Texas • Bryan • 779*7662 i Smce - J958 J _One_2f ii TexasMJIdest_Rare_Couj_Dealers^ Bryan Store Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9:30-5 Sat. 9:30-3 College Station Store Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9-5:30 Sat. 9-3 Next to Cenare Mattox said he has some other concerns about the fast food indus try — particularly about the pack aging in which some hamburgers are served. “I’m trying to figure out how much they charge for that little box,” he joked. “I feel real wasteful after I finish one of those things. What do I do with this perfectly good little box?” STRETCH Your Dollars! WATCH FOR BARGAINS IN THE BATTALION!! Battalion Classifieds Call 845-2611