The neuropeptide substance P regulates aldosterone secretion in human adrenals.

Aldosterone, produced by the adrenals and under the control of plasma angiotensin and potassium levels, regulates hydromineral homeostasis and blood pressure. Here we report that the neuropeptide substance P (SP) released by intraadrenal nerve fibres, stimulates aldosterone secretion via binding to neurokinin type 1 receptors (NK1R) expressed by aldosterone-producing adrenocortical cells. The action of SP is mediated by the extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway and involves upregulation of steroidogenic enzymes.

Clinical Value of Natriuretic Peptides in Predicting Time to Dialysis in Stage 4 and 5 Chronic Kidney Disease Patients.

Background: Anticipating the time to renal replacement therapy (RRT) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients is an important but challenging issue. Natriuretic peptides are biomarkers of ventricular dysfunction related to poor outcome in CKD. We comparatively investigated the value of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) as prognostic markers for the risk of RRT in stage 4 and 5 CKD patients, and in foretelling all-cause mortality and major cardiovascular events within a 5-year follow-up period.

Head-to-head comparison of 10 natriuretic peptide assays.

Background: The aim of the study was to compare NT-proBNP and BNP levels in fresh samples from heart failure (HF) patients measured using 10 immunoassays and to assess their agreement.

Methods: NT-proBNP (CobasH232(®), Elecsys(®), Vidas(®), Vista(®), XPand(®), Vitros(®)) and BNP (Triage(®), Access(®), CentaurXP(®), Architect(®)) levels were measured in 39 heparin and 19 EDTA samples, respectively.

Results: The Pearson correlation coefficient ranged between 0.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of serum procalcitonin concentrations in primary lung cancers.

Objectives: Procalcitonin (PCT) is widely used for the diagnosis of bacterial infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate PCT as a tumor and as a prognostic marker in patients with primary lung cancer.

Design And Methods: We retrospectively performed a PCT dosage in the frozen serum samples of 147 patients with pulmonary neoplasia for whom a test of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) had been conducted at the time of diagnosis.

Effects of vitamin A on in vitro maturation of pre-pubertal mouse spermatogonial stem cells.

Testicular tissue cryopreservation is the only potential option for fertility preservation in pre-pubertal boys exposed to gonadotoxic treatment. Completion of spermatogenesis after in vitro maturation is one of the future uses of harvested testicular tissue. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of vitamin A on in vitro maturation of fresh and frozen-thawed mouse pre-pubertal spermatogonial stem cells in an organ culture system.

Study of the involvement of pancreastatin in the physiopathology of diabetes mellitus associated with nonsecreting pituitary adenomas.

Pancreastatin, derived from chromogranin A, inhibits insulin and stimulates glucagon secretion in rodents. Immunohistochemistry localised pancreastatin in human pancreatic islet cells and gonadotroph pituitary cells. Nonsecreting pituitary adenomas, frequently associated with diabetes mellitus, arise quasi-constantly from gonadotroph cells.

[Inventory of the use of natriuretic peptides in France].

Since the introduction of routine assay for natriuretic peptides (NP), there is an increasing number of clinical applications for these assays. Due to the continuously increasing number of prescription of those tests, a reappraisal of the use of natriuretic peptide assays, namely BNP and NT-proBNP in France was necessary. This was achieved through a national survey to obtain a detailed description of NP prescription and realization by French laboratories.

Simultaneous suprasellar and pineal germ cell tumors in five late stage adolescents: endocrinological studies and prolonged follow-up.

Primary germ cell tumors (PGCT) of the central nervous system usually develop in the third ventricle area, and most frequently in the pineal region. The suprasellar region is the second preferential site for development of these tumors which are rarely simultaneously present in these two sites. We report five new cases of PGCT with pineal and suprasellar localizations, which appeared in late puberty in four boys and one girl aged 17-19 years.

Ectopic expression of serotonin7 receptors in an adrenocortical carcinoma co-secreting renin and cortisol.

Abnormal expression of membrane receptors has been previously described in benign adrenocortical neoplasms causing Cushing's syndrome. In particular, we have observed that, in some adreno corticotropic hormone (ACTH)-independent macronodular adrenal hyperplasia tissues, cortisol secretion is controlled by ectopic serotonin(7) (5-HT(7)) receptors. The objective of the present study was to investigate in vitro the effect of serotonin (5-hydroxy tryptamine; 5-HT) on cortisol and renin production by a left adrenocortical carcinoma removed from a 48-year-old female patient with severe Cushing's syndrome and elevated plasma renin levels.

Evaluation of endocrine testing of Leydig cell function using extractive and recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin and different doses of recombinant human LH in normal men.

Background: The functional testing of endocrine testis uses extractive human chorionic gonadotropin (ehCG). Recombinant human hCG (rhCG), avoiding any contamination, should replace ehCG. Moreover, a functional evaluation with recombinant human LH (rhLH) would be closer to physiology than a pharmacological testing with hCG.

Two-year stability of NT-proBNP in frozen samples using the Roche Elecsys system.

Background: The in vitro stability of N-terminal (NT)-proBNP (brain natriuretic peptide) at room temperature and at 4 degrees C is excellent and has been well studied. However, less is known concerning its stability after a long-term frozen storage. This notion could be of major interest in the context of clinical evaluations.

[Evaluation of NT-proBNP as an early biological marker of cardiac dysfunction in septic shock].

Objective: To evaluate the NT-proBNP as a biological diagnosis marker of the myocardial dysfunction in septic shock.

Study Design: Non-randomized prospective clinical study with written assent. The analysis of the data obtained was retrospective.

Comparison of conditions for cryopreservation of testicular tissue from immature mice.

Background: Cryopreservation of immature testicular tissue could be considered as a major step in fertility preservation for young boys with cancer. In the present study, eight different freezing protocols were evaluated in immature mice testis.

Methods: Testis from six-day-old mice were frozen using either 1,2-propanediol (PROH) or dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO: D) at 1.

[NT-proBNP measurement on Immulite 2500 (DPC): analytical performance and comparison with Roche Diagnostics and Dade-Behring NT-proBNP immunoassays].

The measurement of the N-terminal part of the proBNP (NT-proBNP) may be used to assess the secretion of the B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), a marker of heart failure. In this study, we have evaluated the NT-proBNP immunoassay proposed by DPC Company for the Immulite 2500 analyzer and compared the results with those obtained with the two other immunoassays respectively commercialized by Roche Diagnostics (Elecsys 2010 analyzer) and Dade-Behring (Dimension RXL). The obtained results show very good general performance of the DPC's technique with a CV inferior to 8% for the values superior to 40 ng/L.

[Macromolecular complex of cardiac troponin I: differences of reactivity with DPC and Dade-Behring assays].

We have recently identified a macromolecular 440-kDa cardiac troponin I (cTnI) complex after successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) (Clin Chem 2003; 49: 505-7). The aim of the work was to confirm the existence of such a complex by using another cTnI assay (Dimension RXL, Dade-Behring). We have first studied the correlation between the two assays by using heparinized samples [cTnI(Immulite) = 2.

[Brain natriuretic peptide: physiological, biological and clinical aspects].

Brain natriuretic peptide is one member of the natriuretic peptide family, including also ANP, CNP, DNP and urodilatin. In human, brain natriuretic peptide is mainly secreted by the cardiac ventricles. BNP is synthetized as pre-proBNP form, secondary cleaved in proBNP, itself equimolarly cleaved in BNP and NT-proBNP.

Osmotic stress, a proinflammatory signal in Caco-2 cells.

Hyper- (450 mOsm/l) and hypoosmotic exposure (150 mOsm/l) of Caco-2 cells, a human intestinal epithelial cell line, induced a twofold- and a fivefold increase in the production of IL-8, a constitutively expressed cytokine, respectively. This was observed both in the presence or in the absence of added proinflammatory cytokines and the stimulatory effect of osmotic stress was additive to that induced by the cytokines. Thus, IL-8 production appeared minimal around isoosmolarity, i.

[Cardiac troponin I and CK-MB mass after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass].

Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) assay is used in the diagnosis of myocardial infarction after cardiac surgery. Variations in the cut-off value have been reported even with the same assay method. The aim of this work is to investigate the release profile of cTnI and CK-MB mass after cardiac surgery and to determine the cut-off value of cTnI and CK-MB mass allowing the diagnosis of perioperative myocardial infarction.

[Cardiac troponin I and T: specific biomarkers of cardiomyocyte].

Purpose: Cardiac troponin I and troponin T have replaced creatine kinase MB (CK-MB) for the diagnosis of cardiomyocyte necrosis. Cardiac specificity of these new markers leads to a change in our practice.

Current Knowledge And Key Points: Following necrosis, intracellular proteins are released into blood.