[Features of the hormonal status in patients with temporomandibular joint dysfunction and class II malocclusion].

The article presents data on androgen levels in female patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction of varying degree and class II malocclusion. The study revealed significant correlation between degenerative and inflammatory TMJ changes and androgens level in patients with stigmas of connective tissue dysplasia (p<0.05), probably due to indirect proinflammatory action of androgens as they stimulate inflammatory mediators expression.

Humoral immune response to recombinant viral NS3 protein in patients with hepatitis C.

Full-length recombinant NS3 protein was used in a test system for detection of specific antibodies in the sera from patients with hepatitis C. Possible antigenic determinants in NS structure were predicted. It was demonstrated that serological analysis requires enzyme immunoassay with full-length NS3.

Structure of C-reactive protein excreted in urine during acute rejection episodes.

During acute rejection of renal allografts C-reactive protein is excreted in urine in a monomeric form. We developed an immunochemical method for detecting monomeric C-reactive protein in human physiological fluids, which is based on latex agglutination.

[Molecular forms of human growth hormone and prolactin, secreted by cultured pituitary tumor cells].

Functionally active cultures of human pituitary adenoma cells producing excessive amounts of the growth hormone (somatotropinomas), of prolactin (prolactinomas) or of the both hormones (mixed type adenomas) have been prepared and their secreted molecular forms studied. SDS-PAAG electrophoresis combined with immunoblotting making use of poly- and monoclonal antibodies revealed that the growth hormone and prolactin are secreted by adenoma cells in several molecular forms typical of normal human pituitary. The major form secreted by the growth hormone is 22K; the minor forms are 20K (the product of alternative splicing of pre-mRNA) and the split-off two-chain form 25K.

[The hypothalamo-hypophyseal system in patients with multinodular colloid euthyroid goiter].

Eighty patients with multinodular colloidal euthyroid goiter were examined. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) test was carried out in 22 patients and 7 healthy women. The results of the test indicate a clear-cut tendency to reduction of hypophyseal TTH reserve in patients with multinodular euthyroid goiter with enlarged thyroid.

[Humoral autoimmunity markers in autoimmune endocrine diseases].

To clarify the value of autoantibodies as risk factors of complications in various endocrine abnormalities, the incidence of autoantibodies to thyroid microsomal antigen (ATMA), thyroglobulin, and the surface antigens of the rat islet, adrenal cortex, adenohypophyseal cells and human skin fibroblasts was studied in patients with insulin-dependent mellitus (IDDM), at the onset of the disease and during one-year insulin therapy, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), Hashimoto thyroiditis, Graves' disease, diabetes associated with thyroidal dysfunction, euthyroid polynodular goiter, Schmidt and polyglandular syndromes and in the population. The antibodies were determined by ELISA. Polyclonal activation of the immune system was found in all abnormalities, except in polyglandular in children.

[Obtaining and morphological characteristics of primary monolayer cell cultures of human somatotropinomas].

This paper describes the development of method of preparing cell suspension obtained from surgical material of patients with pituitary adenomas and acromegaly as well as the procedure of subsequent long-term cultivation in monolayers of the cells isolated. As judged by visual inspection and measurement of growth hormone and prolactin secretion, tumor pituitary cells kept viability and functional activity for at least 6 days of growing in vitro. Immunocytochemical visualization of somato- and lactotrophs of the same histological preparations permitted us to show that vast majority of cultured cells is represented by somatotrophs; however, a small portion of cell population is represented by lactotrophs and lactosomatotrophs.

[Regulation of hormone secretion in primary cell cultures of human somatotropinomas].

The effects of somatostatin and thyroliberin (thyrotropin-releasing hormone; TRH) on growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) secretion were studied in short-term (0.5-3h) or long-term (21-24h) incubations using monolayer cell cultures of somatotropin obtained from surgical material of patients with acromegaly. High sensitivity of both GH and PRL release to inhibitory action of somatostatin (10(-11) M) was established.

[Secretory activity of lactotrophs and its regulation by hypothalamic hormones in primary cultures of pituitary cells of rats of different ages].

Basal prolactin (PRL) secretion and the responses of lactotrophs to thyroliberin, dopamine and somatostatin were studied in the experiments employing primary monolayer cultures of pituitary cells obtained from developing rats of different ages. High responsiveness of PRL-secreting cells to the action of hypothalamic hormones was observed in the group of neonatal rats, although basal PRL release was about two orders lower in pituitary cultures of neonatal rats as compared to the cultures of immature, pubertal and adult animals. The investigation performed could reveal quantitative, but not qualitative differences in the reactions of lactotrophs of various age groups.

[Effect of fibroblast growth factor and nerve growth factor on the cellular proliferation and functional activity of isolated islands of Langerhans].

The effects of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) on DNA synthesis and insulin secretion were studied in 4-5-day cultures of the isolated neonatal rat islets. FGF (0.1 ng/ml) stimulated significantly the incorporation of 3H-thymidine into DNA of the isolated islets, but failed to change either insulin content in the islets or the rate of insulin secretion.

[Regulation of hormonal secretion and DNA synthesis in the lactotrophs of the rat adenohypophysis in vitro in primary cell cultures].

Changes in DNA synthesis in lactotrophs of primary monolayer cultures of the rat pituitary cells were studied, using immunoperoxidase staining in combination with autoradiography. Pituitary cell cultures were treated for 3 days with thyroliberin (TRH), bromocriptine (CB154) or somatostatin (SRIF). The proportion of lactotrophs labelled with 3H-thymidine in the total pool of labelled cells served as a criterion for the estimation of DNA synthesis in prolactin-secreting cells.

[Effect of a conditioned medium of pinealocytes on prolactin secretion in primary culture of adenohypophyseal cells of male rats].

Conditioned medium of pinealocytes (CMP, 18-20%) added to primary cultures of rat pituitary cells for 1.5 h changed neither the basal rate of PRL secretion nor dopamine-inhibited release. However CMP markedly attenuated PRL secretion induced by thyroliberin or isobutyl-menthylxanthine.

[Relation between the labeling index and thymidine incorporation in cultured islands of Langerhans of the rat: stimulation of DNA synthesis by EGF-S3].

DNA synthesis and labelling index of isolated neonatal rat islets were investigated during a 4 to 5 culture period in TCM 199 (10 mmol/l glucose) under selected conditions, as change of serum concentration in the medium or addition of a proliferation stimulating fraction. Additionally it should be proved whether the DNA-synthesis of pancreatic islets, measured as [3H]-thymidine incorporation, is representative for the amount of cells during the S-phase (= "growth fraction"). There is a correlation between the incorporation of [3H]-thymidine into the TCA-precipitate and the labelling index of islets determined on HE-stained radioautographs.

[Biological properties of structural analogs of thyroliberin].

Effects of 8 synthetic tripeptides--structural analogues of thyroliberin (TRH)--in basal and TRH-induced secretion of prolactin (PRL) and thyrotropin (TSH) were studied in primary cultures of rat pituitary cells. 7 tripeptides had chemical structure Pyr-Ser-X-NH2, where X was Leu, Val, Asn, Ala, Ile, Met, Phe. One tripeptide had the structure Pyr-Ser-Gly-OCH3.

DNA synthesis in lactotrophs of primary rat anterior pituitary cell cultures. Effects of thyroliberin, bromocriptine and somatostatin.

Prolactin immunostaining in combination with thymidine autoradiography was used to characterize changes in the DNA-synthesizing activity of lactotrophs in primary monolayer cultures of the rat anterior pituitary gland treated for 3 days with thyroliberin (TRH), somatostatin (SRIF) and bromocriptine (CB 154). The number of lactotrophs labelled with 3H-thymidine within the total pool of labeled pituitary cells was used to estimate DNA synthesis in prolactin-producing cells. TRH (10 ng/ml) stimulated DNA synthesis in the whole population of cultured cells but not in lactotrophs.

[Endocrine pancreas function in rats in the early postnatal period. The effect of feeding and litter size].

The rat pancreatic endocrine region during the early postnatal period was evaluated depending on the litter size. The body and pancreatic weight lowers and the blood glucose content tends to rise alongside with the litter size increasing. Insulin levels are augmented and glucagon content is reduced in the pancreas of newborn rats with the large litter.

Calcium modifies the effects of thyroliberin and somatostatin on hormone release from cell cultures of the rat anterior pituitary.

Role of calcium (Ca2+) in the effects of thyroliberin (TRH) and somatostatin (SRIF) on the release of growth hormone (GH), prolactin (PRL) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) from the rat adenohypophyseal cells in primary monolayer cultures has been studied. Decrease of extracellular Ca2+ diminished the stimulatory effects of TRH on TSH and PRL release. Ca2+ is also an important factor in the mechanism of SRIF action.