Bee Venom Stimulates Hormone Secretion in Rat Somatotroph and Corticotroph Cells: Digital Image Analysis of Secretory Granules.

In this study, we characterized secretory granules in somatotroph (STCs) and corticotroph (CTCs) cells from the anterior pituitary of rats, in conjunction with different experimental treatments with bee venom (BV). In the rats injected for 30 days with daily BV doses equivalent to one sting, we found significant changes in secretory granules' diameter: reduced by 48.15% in STCs and increased by 5.

Maternal/fetal eNOS-Glu298Asp genotypes and their influence on the severity, prognosis, and lipid profile of preeclampsia.

Objectives: To analyze the contribution of maternal eNOS-Glu298Asp genotypes and also the association with fetal genotypes to the development of preeclampsia, prognosis, and maternal dyslipidemia.

Methods: Sixty-nine pairs of preeclamptic mothers/newborns and 94 pairs of normotensive mothers/newborns were genotyped for eNOS-Glu298Asp using PCR-RFLP methods.

Results: Women carriers of at least one Asp298 allele had a 1.

Correlation between the TSHRc-Asp727Glu polymorphism and plasma thyroid stimulating hormone levels in Romanian preeclamptic women.

Aim: To analyze the influence of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and/or the Asp727Glu polymorphism on the severity and perinatal outcome of preeclampsia.

Methods: Forty-nine women with preeclampsia and 58 normal pregnant women were genotyped for the TSHRc-Asp727Glu polymorphism using PCR-RFLP methods. The plasma TSH levels were measured by ELISA method.