[Evaluation of FSH and Leydig cells function in patients with varicocele].

The endocrine alterations in patients affected with varicocele are heterogenous in relation to some clinical aspects: orchidometry, bilateral lesion, decreased spermatozoa count and disease history. The decreased function of Leydig cells in patients affected with varicocele is related to alterations of the serotonin metabolism and to the impairment of testosterone biosynthesis. An exaggerated increase of FSH and LH after GnRH stimulation can be observed.

Long-lasting lowering of serum growth hormone and prolactin levels by single and repetitive cabergoline administration in dopamine-responsive acromegalic patients.

Cabergoline, the new long-acting dopaminergic ergoline derivative, was given orally in single doses of 0.3 and 0.6 mg to eight dopamine-responsive acromegalic patients.

Prolactin-lowering effect of acute and once weekly repetitive oral administration of cabergoline at two dose levels in hyperprolactinemic patients.

To further evaluate the potency and time course of the PRL-lowering effect of single oral doses of cabergoline, two doses of the drug were given to 51 hyperprolactinemic patients who also received 2.5 mg bromocriptine according to a randomized cross-over design. One group (n = 26) received 0.

Serum free thyroid hormones in different degrees of hypothyroidism and in euthyroid autoimmune thyroiditis.

Serum total and free T4 and T3, thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) and TSH, basal and 20, 30 and 60 min after TRH (200 micrograms, iv), were evaluated in 125 hypothyroid patients (38 with severe, 23 with mild, and 64 with subclinical hypothyroidism), in 35 euthyroid subjects with autoimmune thyroiditis, and in 51 healthy controls. T4/TBG and T3/TBG ratios were also calculated. A significant decrease in all indices of thyroid function except for T3 occurred simultaneously with a significant increase in basal and TRH-stimulated TSH levels from healthy subjects to subclinical hypothyroids, from subclinical to mild and from mild to severe hypothyroids; euthyroid patients with autoimmune thyroiditis did not differ from healthy subjects.