Physiological and physiopathological modulations of the balance between alpha- and beta-adrenoreceptors.

Adrenergic receptors exist as two subtypes, alpha, and beta, in various tissues. In rat liver, catecholamines exert the same effect on glycogenolysis and neoglucogenesis via either alpha or beta control. In this review we report on the modification in the balance between alpha- and beta-adrenoreceptors induced as the result of adrenalectomy and extrahepatic cholestasis.

Aniridia, male pseudohermaphroditism, gonadoblastoma, mental retardation, and del 11p13.

A 20-month-old male patient was referred because of severe growth and mental retardation, bilateral glaucoma, hypospadias, and cryptorchidism. Karyotyping revealed a de novo complex three-chromosome rearrangement as well as deletion of band 11p13:46,XY,t(4;7;15)(q212;p14;q26),del(11) (p13p14). Trabeculectomia revealed bilateral aniridia.

Aniridia, male pseudohermaphroditism, gonadoblastoma, mental retardation, and del 11p13.

A 20-month-old male patient was referred because of severe growth and mental retardation, bilateral glaucoma, hypospadias, and cryptorchidism. Karyotyping revealed a de novo complex three-chromosome rearrangement as well as deletion of band 11p13:46,XY,t(4;7;15)(q212;p14;q26)del(11)(p13p14). Trabeculectomia revealed bilateral aniridia.

The hepatic adrenergic receptors.

The presence of both alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors in liver designated the hepatic plasma membrane as a useful tool for the elucidation of the mechanisms by which the hormonal signal is transferred through the membrane via a coupling system to an amplifying entity. This process is well documented for the beta-adrenergic receptor which is linked to adenylate cyclase, whereby it modulates the cyclic AMP level. Much less is known about the alpha-adrenergic receptor.

Steroid receptors and effects of oestradiol and progesterone on chick oviduct proteins.

After a single injection of oestradiol benzoate (1.5 mg/kg) to oestrogen-withdrawn chickens, there was an increase in magnum wet weight, DNA polymerase alpha activity, adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate-dependent protein-kinase activity and estrogen-receptor concentration, as measured over 36 h. Besides these intracellular proteins, the secretory proteins ovalbumin and conalbumin were also augmented, and detailed time-course studies were performed.

[Regulation of chick oviduct DNA polymerases by steroid hormones (author's transl)].

DNA polymerase activity was measured in vitro in soluble cytoplasmic and nuclear fractions of chick oviduct, after in vivo hormone stimulation. By twelve hours after a subcutaneous injection of oestradiol, cytosolic and nuclear DNA polymerase activity had increased 2 to 5 fold over control levels ane continued to increase until 24 hours after the injection. Progesterone induced a slight rise in DNA polymerase activity and dihydrotestosterone had no effect.