[18-Hydroxycorticosterone, 18-hydroxydesoxycorticosterone. Why, when, how to determine plasma levels in some adrenal pathologies].

The authors review some current ideas concerning the role of 18-hydroxylated corticosteroids as mineralocorticoids themselves and as possible precursors of the principal mineralocorticoid, aldosterone. In particular, the physiological and pharmacological agents affecting their secretion are discussed together with a description of the methods used for their analysis in plasma in the department of Clinical Biochemistry Pitié-Salpétrière. Finally, the value of these assays in the differential diagnosis of mineralocorticoid hypertension and inborn errors of corticosteroid biosynthesis is assessed and the constraints on sampling technique listed.

Atrial natriuretic factor in patients with acromegaly.

In acromegaly the plasma volume is chronically elevated and it returns to normal when the disease is successfully treated. To define the role of ANF in such a chronic disorder of extracellular fluid volume homeostasis the plasma level was assayed in 37 acromegalic patients with active or inactive (successfully treated) disease. Five patients were studied before and after therapy.

Atrial natriuretic peptide level and intracardiac pressure in cardiac transplant recipients.

Blood pressures and plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentrations have been measured in venous and intracardiac sites in 11 patients (10 men and 1 woman) given cardiac transplants. The mean plasma ANP level was 214.4 pg.

Renal and hemodialysis clearances of endogenous natriuretic peptide. A clinical and experimental study.

The purpose of the present study was to assess the plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in chronically uremic patients not submitted to dialysis and to determine the predialysis plasma concentration of ANP, the effect of ultrafiltration on plasma levels of ANP (hemodialysis, (HD), and the HD clearance of ANP in a population of adult patients treated with maintenance HD. The mean plasma ANP concentration (pg/ml) in HD was 370.2 +/- 35.

Beta-adrenoceptor blockade potentiates exercise-induced release of atrial natriuretic peptide.

The effect of a non selective and a cardio-selective beta-blocker on basal and exercise-stimulated plasma atrial natriuretic peptide concentrations in healthy volunteers has been studied. Nine healthy volunteers received single oral doses of 5 mg tertatolol, 100 mg atenolol or placebo, at one week intervals, in a double blind cross over trial. At rest plasma atrial natriuretic peptide, aldosterone, antidiuretic hormone and cyclic GMP concentrations and plasma renin activity were not modified by the treatments.

Cicletanine does not affect plasma atrial natriuretic peptide concentration in healthy subjects.

The effect of 50 and 150 mg cicletanine, a new vasodilator antihypertensive, on plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), cyclic GMP and antidiuretic hormone has been investigated at rest and during standardized exercise, in a double blind cross over study in healthy subjects. Exercise significantly increased in plasma ANP, cyclic GMP and antidiuretic hormone concentrations, and cicletanine did not affect any of them either at rest or during exercise. Since the alpha-1 adrenoceptor blocker prazosine decreases, beta-adrenoceptor blockers increase and the vasodilator cicletanine does not alter the plasma ANP response to exercise, it is suggested that adrenergic receptors may be directly involved in the regulation of ANP secretion.

[An assay for aldosterone precursors: a tool for clinical diagnosis and adrenal physiopathology].

After their contribution to the study of 18 hydroxycorticosterone as an intermediate in aldosterone biosynthesis the authors present here a new series of assays for the measurement of plasma aldosterone precursors as a pertinent tool in the extensive study and clinical evaluation of the mineralocorticoid function of the adrenal. These radioimmunoassays must be undertaken under strict technical conditions: time of blood withdrawal and also posture. Their use is irrelevant in any other clinical feature but the salt loss syndrome and hyper mineralo-corticism together with or without high plasma aldosterone.

Gardnerella vaginalis bacteremia from pulmonary abscess in a male alcohol abuser.

A case of Gardnerella vaginalis bacteremia is reported. This bacteremia occurred in a male alcohol abuser who developed definite signs of pulmonary abscess and empyema. Streptococcus milleri grew from another blood culture, but Gardnerella vaginalis was also isolated from a bronchoscopic aspirate and pleural drainage sample as part of mixed flora containing anaerobes, Streptococcus species, Neisseria sicca, and a Haemophilus sp.

Normal and growth hormone (GH)-secreting adenomatous human pituitaries release somatostatin and GH-releasing hormone.

Neuropeptides such as vasoactive intestinal peptide, LHRH, or TRH have been found in rat pituitary tissue and could act via paracrine or autocrine actions in this tissue. In this study we investigated whether normal human pituitary tissue and GH-secreting human pituitary adenomas could release somatostatin (SRIH) and GHRH. Fragments from three human pituitaries and dispersed cells from six GH-secreting adenomas (four adenomas were studied for GHRH release and five for SRIH release) were perifused using a Krebs-Ringer culture medium, and the perifusion medium was collected every 2 min (1 mL/fraction for 5 h).

Impact on energy metabolism of quantitative and functional cyclosporine-induced damage of kidney mitochondria.

In this study we have measured, under experimental conditions which maintained efficient coupling, respiratory intensity, respiratory control, oxidative phosphorylation capacity and protonmotive force. Succinate cytochrome-c reductase and cytochrome-c oxidase activities were also studied. These investigations were carried out using kidney mitochondria from cyclosporine-treated rats (in vivo studies) and from untreated rats in the presence of cyclosporine (in vitro studies).

Biochemical mapping of cholecystokinin-, substance P-, [Met]enkephalin-, [Leu]enkephalin- and dynorphin A (1-8)-like immunoreactivities in the human cerebral cortex.

The distribution of immunoreactive cholecystokinin, substance P, [Met]enkephalin, [Leu]-enkephalin and dynorphin was determined in the cerebral cortex of the human brain post mortem. Peptide radioimmunoassays in three selected zones of the cortical gray mantle (frontal, temporal, occipital) revealed significant regional differences, prompting to the development of a new dissection procedure for the complete mapping of peptide-like materials throughout the entire cerebral cortex. For this purpose, frozen cerebral hemispheres were cut rostrocaudally in 21 verticofrontal serial sections, from which the cortical gray matter was divided into 4-5 distinct zones.

Levels of Met-enkephalin, Leu-enkephalin, substance P and cholecystokinin in the brain of the common marmoset following long term 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6,-tetrahydropyridine treatment.

Common marmosets were treated daily with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP, 7-9 mg/kg i.p.) for 25 days, and then kept out of drug for three months before biochemical measurements in various brain areas.

[Atrial natriuretic factor, catecholamines and the renin-angiotensin system in cardiac insufficiency. Relation to hemodynamic parameters].

Plasma concentrations of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), catecholamines (adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine) and aldosterone, and plasma renin activity (PRA) were measured in a group of 20 patients with moderate to medium heart failure (NYHA class II 7 patients, class III 13 patients), 24 hours after treatment was discontinued. Compared with a control group, plasma concentrations of ANF (p less than 0.01), noradrenaline (p less than 0.

Lack of hypoglycemic symptoms and decreased beta-adrenergic sensitivity in insulin-dependent diabetic patients.

Plasma epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine responses were studied in insulin-dependent diabetic patients at rest, on standing and during insulin-induced hypoglycemia. beta-Adrenergic sensitivity was evaluated by the isoproterenol sensitivity test. Five men who had adrenergic symptoms during hypoglycemia and no severe hypoglycemic accidents (coma, seizures) (group A) and five men who had repeated severe hypoglycemic accidents but lack of adrenergic symptoms of hypoglycemia (group B) were studied.

Salmonella endarteritis, about two cases and their management.

Mycotic aneurysms due to Salmonella are a classical but uncommon complication of Salmonella infections. We report two cases of such aneurysms, the first one having developed two successive aneurysms of the iliac arteries due to Salmonella typhimurium. The literature on Salmonella endarteritis is briefly reviewed.

Brain neuropeptides in progressive supranuclear palsy.

No significant alterations in the levels of Met-enkephalin-, Leu-enkephalin-, cholecystokinin- and substance P-like immunoreactive materials were found in 10 areas of postmortem brains from patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) when compared to controls. These results are at difference with the marked decrease in the levels of enkephalin-, cholecystokinin- and substance P-like immunoreactive materials previously reported in the basal ganglia of parkinsonian patients. Since PSP and Parkinson's disease are both characterized by a severe dopamine nigrostriatal deficit, these results suggest that the decreased brain peptide concentrations found in Parkinson's disease do not simply result from a dopaminergic neuronal loss.

Opposite effects of delta and mu opioid receptor agonists on the in vitro release of substance P-like material from the rat spinal cord.

Superfusion of slices from the dorsal half of the lumbar enlargement of rat spinal cord with Krebs-Henseleit medium supplemented with 30 microM bacitracin allowed the collection of substance P-like immunoreactive material (SPLI), which was released at a rate of approximately 10 pg/4 min. Tissue depolarization by an excess of K+ (30-60 mM) or veratridine (50 microM) induced a marked increase in SPLI outflow, provided that Ca2+ was present in the superfusing fluid. K+- or veratridine-induced SPLI overflow could be modulated in opposite directions by mu and delta opioid receptor agonists.

Infective endocarditis on mitral valve prolapse (IEMVP): report of one case due to H. paraphrophilus and discussion of IEMVP with emphasis on its prophylaxis.

We describe one case of infective endocarditis on mitral valve prolapse (IEMVP) due to H. paraphrophilus and briefly discuss this pathogen and the valvulopathy. We than enhance some notions on IEMVP and especially on its controversial prophylaxis.