Dexamethasone suppression and multiple hormonal responses (TSH, prolactin and growth hormone) to TRH in some psychiatric disorders.

Baseline and TRH-induced changes of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), prolactin (PRL), and growth hormone (GH) were measured in 15 healthy control subjects and 63 psychiatric inpatients with DSM-III diagnoses of major depression (n = 19), schizophrenic disorder (n = 20), alcohol dependence (n = 10), and adjustment disorder (n = 14); baseline and postdexamethasone cortisol (CS) were also determined 3-6 days after the TRH-challenge. All patients and controls were women of similar mean age, weight, height, and they were free from interfering illness or drugs. Baseline TSH and PRL were lower in depression, TRH-induced TSH and PRL responses were lower in the whole patient group, but most markedly in depression and alcohol dependence.

Homologies between a brain-specific identifier (ID) sequence and regions of Harvey murine sarcoma virus and Rous sarcoma virus genomes. Putative role of identifier sequences in the tissue specificity of malignant transformation by RNA tumor viruses.

As a step toward understanding of the tissue specificity of cellular transformation by RNA tumor viruses were looked for the presence of a putative brain specific regulatory (identifier) sequence (C82B) in the genome of various oncornaviruses. The genomes of Harvey murine sarcoma virus and Rous sarcoma virus contain sequences flanking the viral oncogenes with greater than 80% and greater than 60% homology to C82B, respectively. We suggest that identifier sequences acquired by oncoviruses may determine the potential target cells of malignant transformation after virus penetration.

Short-term effect of morphine on the thyroid gland in male rats.

Experiments were designed to demonstrate that morphine may exert a direct short-term effect on the hormone release of the thyroid gland. Groups of male rats were injected with single doses of 1, 5 and 10 mg/kg morphine, or with 2 mg/kg naloxone and in addition with morphine 30 min after naloxone and/or with naloxone 30 min after morphine pre-treatment. The rats were killed by decapitation 15, 30 and 60 min after the injection and serum was collected and stored for subsequent TSH, T4 and T3 radioassays.

Thyrotrophin and prolactin responses to thyrotrophin-releasing hormone in patients with streak gonad syndrome.

Plasma TSH and Prl responses to iv TRH (200 micrograms) were studied in 21 euthyroid patients with streak gonad syndrome which is characterised by high levels of FSH and LH and low level of oestrogen and in 9 healthy women. The syndrome is associated with a variety of chromosome complements. Basal TSH and Prl responses to TRH were normal in patients with streak gonads irrespective of their chromosomal complements.

The possible reason for serum 3,3'5'-(reverse) triiodothyronine increase in old people.

Healthy subjects aged 70-90 and 20-40 years were investigated for the level of reverse triiodothyronine (rT3). The mean level in 57 old subjects was higher and the triiodothyronine (T3) level lower than in 30 young persons. No negative correlation was observed.

Proteases and proteinase inhibitors in experimental glucocorticosteroid myopathy.

The unknown enzymatic mechanism of enhanced protein breakdown in steroid myopathy was studied in functionally and biochemically different muscles of rabbits treated with dexamethasone for three weeks. After glucocorticoid administration the fast-twitch glycolytic semimembraneous muscle of treated animals was atrophied, whereas the weight of the slow-twitch oxidative soleus muscle was not altered. The specific activity of the lysosomal endo- and exopeptidases (cathepsin D, E, B and L, lysosomal carboxypeptidase A and dipeptidylpeptidase I) was increased about 2-fold in the atrophied white muscle.

Gastric bypass operation in morbid obesity.

During the period 1979-80, 20 patients with morbid obesity underwent a gastric bypass procedure in our department. The selected patients were under 50 years old and were overweight by 45 kg or more. Previously, all the patients had unsuccessfully followed prolonged dietary regimes, some had tried dental splinting, and one had undergone three unsuccessful jejunoileal bypasses.

On the lipid granularity of renomedullary interstitial cells in benign and malignant courses of renal hypertension.

The number of lipid droplets of the renal medullary interstitial cells was registered in 40 rats with "two-kidney Goldblatt hypertension" and in 27 sham operated normotensive controls. A strong degranulation in the unclaimed kidneys was always associated with the malignant course of hypertension, characterized by a disturbance in the sodium and water balance. Giving 2 per cent saline in addition to demineralized water as a drinking fluid the decrease in the number of granules was prevented in most of the malignant cases.

Parenchymal destruction and arterial changes (haemodialysis intimal fibrosis) of glomerulonephritic kidneys in chronic intermittent haemodialysis.

The kidneys of 13 chronic diffuse glomerulonephritis patients who had been subjected to chronic intermittent haemodialysis were compared with those of 6 patients treated in the conservative way. Their renal parenchyma was examined with a semiquantitative histological method and advanced complete destruction of the glomeruli was demonstrated in the dialysed cases. There was no perceptive difference in the distribution of the various grades of damage of the recognizable glomeruli and tubules.