Impaired physiological function

The response in sepsis depends on the extent of infection. If severe, the loss of skeletal muscle can be large enough to impair physiological function and this increases mortality, for reasons given in Chapter 16. The loss can be as much as 150-200 g per day, despite adequate enteral or parenteral nutrition. Because this is detrimental to the recovery of the patient, there is considerable emphasis on development of treatments that could reduce this loss provision of... 

Mice models reveal that both PR foims are physiologically important. Mice lacking the PR gene fail to ovulate, are infertile, and have impaired thymic function. Selective PRA-deficient female mice are infertile due to reduced oocyte and uterine deficiency... 

The filtration coefficient is determined by the surface area and permeability of the filtration barrier. An increase in the filtration coefficient leads to an increase in GFR if the filtration coefficient decreases, then GFR decreases. However, this factor does not play a role in the daily regulation of GFR because its value is relatively constant under normal physiological conditions. On the other hand, chronic, uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes mellitus lead to gradual thickening of the basement membrane and therefore to a decrease in the filtration coefficient and GFR, and impaired renal function. 

When the blood concentration of glutamine decreases below that which is physiological, functional impairment can result poor proliferation of immune cells and poor phagocytosis by macrophages. 

Change in the morphology, physiology, growth, development, reproduction or life span of an organism, system, or (sub)population that results in an impairment of functional capacity, an impairment of the capacity to compensate for additional stress, or an increase in susceptibility to other influences. 

Studies identifying endocrine effects in animals do not clearly identify a dose-response relationship. In addition, it has been suggested that nickel has a physiological role in endocrine gland function, affecting prolactin levels (Kenney and McCoy 1992). Therefore, further research is required to differentiate levels of nickel required by humans for normal endocrine function, compared to levels that may impair endocrine function leading to adverse effects. It is unlikely that environmental exposure or exposure to nickel at hazardous waste sites will result in endoerine effects. 

Since alcohol dehydrogenase is required for the conversion of retinol to retinal, excessive and prolonged ethanol ingestion can impair the physiological function of vitamin A. The decreased conversion of retinol to retinal results from competitive use of the enzyme by ethanol. Night blindness may result, since the visual cycle is a retinol-dependent physiological process. 

A major physiological function of the kidney is to remove toxic metabolic wastes and excess fluids from the blood stream. This function may be impaired through chronic degeneration or as a result of injury. Hemodialysis is the most commonly prescribed means of blood purification for end-stage renal disease. The worldwide dialysis patient population approached 1 million at the end of the 20th century. 

Toxic effect Any change in an organism that results in impairment of functional capacity of the organism (as determined by anatomical, physiological, biochemical, or behavioral parameters) causes decrements in the organism s ability to maintain its normal function or enhances the susceptibility of the organism to the deleterious effects of other environmental influences. 

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