摘要:

SUMMARYIn ninety‐nine patients with pituitary adenomas, forty‐six with acromegaly, the serum level of the glycoprotein hormone α subunit was elevated in eighteen cases. Thirteen of these were acromegalic and one had an FSH‐producing tumour. Alpha levels varied little during the day, from one day to the next and over a 6 month period. In twenty‐five patients with a variety of other hypothalamic‐pituitary disorders examined, one patient with a craniopharyngioma had a mildly elevated α level. External pituitary irradiation was followed by an acute and often transient fall in α level in several of these patients. Of the fifty‐four patients with pituitary adenomas who had received external irradiation before testing, only five had elevated α subunit levels compared with thirteen patients of the forty‐five who had not been irradiated. This difference in incidence of elevated α level was statistically significant (P<0·025). We conclude that external irradiation may reduce a subunit level chronically in many patients wit

ISSN:0300-0664    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2265.1980.tb01045.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1980

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SUMMARYSerum α‐lactalbumin was monitored throughout pregnancy in twelve women and in a separate group of nineteen women during the first 3 months postpartum. During pregnancy α‐lactalbumin rose significantly until the mid trimester (P<0·001). From then until term, concentrations remained stable. Concentrations during labour were significantly higher (P<0·01) than those seen at term, α‐lactalbumin, 17β‐oestradiol and progesterone concentrations behaved similarly during the first week of the puerperium in both lactating (n= 10) and non‐lactating (n= 9) subjects. A large surge of α‐lactalbumin closely followed the clearance of high circulating concentrations of sex steroids in both groups. Prolactin concentrations were significantly greater (P<0·02) in lactating subjects by the third postpartum day.By the third postpartum week α‐lactalbumin concentrations in lactating subjects had stabilized at labour levels in a milieu of high prolactin levels and depressed production on 17β‐oestradiol and progesterone. Conversely, in non‐lactating subjects α‐lactalbumin concentrations fell, as did prolactin, coincidental with a rise in 17β‐oestradiol, progesterone concentrations remaining barely detectable. The apparent control mechanisms for human α‐lactalbumin secretion and thus, lactation, are discusse

ISSN:0300-0664    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2265.1980.tb01046.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1980

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SUMMARYThe effect of cyproheptadine hydrochloride on release of prolactin (PRL), growth hormone (GH) and cortisol following insulin‐induced hypoglycaemia was investigated in a group of eight adult female and male subjects. The results of this study demonstrated that cyproheptadine does not influence the release of these three hormones under the conditions employed in this study. The conflicting observation concerning the action of cyproheptadine on pituitary function as reported in the literature, may be a reflection of the diversity of pharmacological actions of this drug. Thus, any purported influence this drug might have on pituitary hormonal release should be interpreted with cautio

ISSN:0300-0664    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2265.1980.tb01047.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1980

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SUMMARYCerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma levels of somatostatin have been measured in patients with active acromegaly and the results compared to those obtained in patients with non‐endocrine diseases. Plasma levels have also been studied in acromegalics given oral glucose. The mean CSF somatostatin level in twenty patients without endocrine disease was 76 pg/ml (range 46–112) which did not diner significantly from that found in eight acromegalics (mean 87 pg/ml, range 48–160). Plasma somatostatin in twenty‐two acromegalic patients on no medical treatment was 43 pg/ml (range 9–113), not significantly different from values in a normal control population. There were no differences in the somatostatin levels of non‐diabetic acromegalics. After oral glucose, there was a rise in circulating somatostatin in eleven out of twelve acromegalic patients, and this rise did not differ from that seen in normal subjects. It is probable that altered somatostatin secretion is neither the cause nor the result of acromegaly; however it is possible that local changes in somatostatin concentration which are not reflected in peripheral plasma or CSF levels may occur near the site of its

ISSN:0300-0664    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2265.1980.tb01048.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1980

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SUMMARYSerum progesterone and prolactin were measured in single blood samples collected from 176 mothers during a lactation period of 2 years and from fifty‐six non‐lactating, non‐pregnant and regularly menstruating women from the Kivu region (Zaire). On the basis of serum progesterone levels, evidence of corpus luteum activity was obtained in 61% of non‐lactating women; but only 20% of non‐amenorrhoeic lactating mothers. This suggests an increased incidence of anovulatory cycles and/or cycles with short luteal phases among nursing mothers. The incidence of corpus luteum activity was 8% in amenorrhoeic lactating mothers. In this 8% recurrence of ovulation preceded return of menstruation. Mean serum progesterone was significantly higher and serum prolactin significantly lower in the non‐lactating women than in the nursing mothers. This suggests that although ovulation occurs, corpus luteum activity is inadequate in hyperprolactinaemic nurs

ISSN:0300-0664    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2265.1980.tb01049.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1980

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SUMMARYOne hundred μg of LHRH was given intravenously to two male and two female subjects. Plasma noradrenaline did not change following LHRH, in contrast to findings reported by others. There was no change in heart rate and systolic arterial blood pressure. LH increased significantly as expected

ISSN:0300-0664    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2265.1980.tb01050.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1980

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SUMMARYThyrotrophin (TSH) responses to 200 μg ofintra venous thyrotrophin releasing hormone (TRH) were measured in fifteen healthy women in normal early pregnancy before and at the end of a bromocriptine treatment of 5·0–7·5 mg daily for 1–2 weeks. Bromocriptine did not change the basal levels of TSH, triiodothyrone (T3) and thyroxine (T4) during pregnancy. Before the start of bromocriptine, TRH caused a significant TSH elevation from 12·8 ±0·5 μu/ml (mean±SE) to 21·2 ±1·9 μu/ml after 20 min. During bromocriptine intake, TRH caused a TSH elevation from 11·9±0·4 μu/ml to only 15·5±1·1 μu/ml which is significantly less (P<0·001) than before bromocriptine. Similarly, the mean maximal TSH increment of 8·4±1·5 μu/ml before bromocriptine was greater (P<0·001) than that of 3·8±60 μu/ml during bromocriptine intake. When women were retested with TRH before and during bromocriptine after legal abortion, bromocriptine did not change the basal levels of TSH, T3 and T4 or the TSH response to TRH. Therefore, the TSH inhibition caused by bromocriptine is specifically related to the pregnancy itself, but the mechanism for

ISSN:0300-0664    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2265.1980.tb01051.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1980

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SUMMARYThe cardiovascular response and the changes of plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) concentration following graded doses of AVP infused intravenously have been defined in six normal young men.The same measurements were also made during fluid deprivation in a patient with both nephrogenic diabetes insipidus and systemic hypertension. When, following AVP infusion, mean diastolic arterial pressure increased from 72·3 mmHg (SEM) to 78·2 mmHg (SEM) in the normal subject group, mean plasma AVP increased by 14·5 fmol/ml. When the patient was deprived of water, diastolic pressure increased, despite the fluid loss, from 90 to 105 mmHg, with a comparable increase of plasma AVP concentration of 15·3 fmol/ml. Further increases of plasma AVP concentration in either the normal subjects or in the patient were not associated with further increments of arterial pressure. We suggest that under pathophysiological circumstances in man plasma AVP concentrations may achieve levels which have a significant cardiovascular eff

ISSN:0300-0664    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2265.1980.tb01052.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1980

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SUMMARYMalignant and benign human breast tumours as well as rabbit breast tissue were examined for specific receptors for 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3using competitive binding studies and sucrose density gradient analysis. Classical high affinity, low capacity receptors for 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3were found in breast and node tissue in seven of ten patients with breast cancer and in all three patients with benign neoplasms. An inflammatory breast mass showed no binding. Similar receptors were found in breast tissue from pregnant and lactating rabbits. Taken with other recent data, these results suggest that 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3may activate calcium transport in the malignant as well as in the normal lactating b

ISSN:0300-0664    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2265.1980.tb01053.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1980

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SUMMARYIn view of recent evidence that spironolactone may inhibit synthesis of corticosteroids by a direct effect on the adrenal cortex, adrenocortical function was studied in eight patients with essential hypertension who had been treated with spironolactone from 3 months to 14 years. Their 24 h renal excretion of adrenocorticoid metabolites and the responses of cortisol, aldosterone and 18‐hydroxy‐1 l‐deoxycorticosterone (18‐OH‐DOC) to an incremental infusion of tetracosactrin (1–24 ACTH) were compared with those in eight patients with recently diagnosed essential hypertension who had received no spironolactone. The spironolactone‐treated group had a significantly higher excretion of aldosterone, whilst the excretion of other adrenocorticoid metabolites did not differ. The same group also required less tetracosactrin to stimulate a detectable rise of plasma cortisol and 18‐OH‐DOC, they had greater plasma 18‐OH‐DOC responses at all infusion rates and, at the lowest infusion rates, had greater aldosterone responses. These results indicate that long‐term spironolactone therapy does not inhibit adrenocortical function and may have s

ISSN:0300-0664    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2265.1980.tb01054.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1980

数据来源: WILEY