A monoclonal antibody that induces neuronal apoptosis binds a metastasis marker.

The cell surface molecules controlling apoptosis in cortical neurons are largely unknown. A monoclonal antibody was derived that induces cultured neocortical neurons to undergo apoptosis. A Fab fragment of the antibody, however, lacked the ability to induce cell death.

[Relationship between platelet hyperactivation and dyslipoproteinemia in diabetic nephropathy].

The relationship between the secundaer hyperlipidaemia and pathological platelet activation was examined in 40 insulin-treated diabetic patients without nephropathy and 21 with nephropathy. Diabetic nephropathy was recorded with the measurements of serum creatinine, serum beta 2-microglobulin, and urine albumin excretion. Haemostasis and lipoprotein metabolism were characterized with determination of platelet aggregation, plasma beta thromboglobulin, thromboxane-B2, serum triglyceride, HDL and LDL cholesterol concentration, respectively.

[Plasma and urine beta-thromboglobulin determination in the detection of thrombocyte hyperactivation in diabetic nephropathies].

Serum creatinine, immunoreactive serum and urine beta-2-microglobulin, plasma and urine thromboglobulin, plasma thromboxane-B2 levels and daily protein excretion were determinated in 61 insulin treated diabetic patients, comparing the different patient groups (complication free, nephropathy without azotaemia and nephropathy with azotaemia) with the control subjects. In the groups of all diabetic patients plasma and urine beta-thromboglobulin and plasma thromboxane-B2 levels were higher that in the controls. There was a positive significant correlation between urine beta-thromboglobulin and beta-2-microglobulin in the group without complication, and between the plasma beta thromboglobulin and beta-2-microglobulin, and plasma beta thromboglobulin and thromboxane levels in the diabetic group with azotaemia.

The possible role of tear fluid thyroxine in keratoconus development.

The normal thyroxine level in tears was found to be two orders of magnitude lower than in serum. In thyroxine function tests, keratoconus patients were found to be hypothyreotic, euthyreotic or hyperthyreotic. However, independently of their thyroid function, the tear thyroxine levels of keratoconus patients were 2-50 times higher than that of subjects free of ocular pathology.

Late effect of tobanum and tobanum + furosemide therapy on the glucose tolerance of patients and on the insulin response to oral glucose doses.

The authors examined the effect of beta-blocker monotherapy (Tobanum tab = 5 mg cloranololum hydrochloricum) and beta-blocker + diuretic (Tobanum + Furosemide) combination therapy on glucose tolerance and insulin secretion in response to oral glucose doses in hypertensive non-diabetic patients. Twenty-six patients were examined (13 men, 13 women). The patients were followed up for 28 weeks after a 2-week drug-free period.

Carbohydrate metabolism in various types of hyperlipoproteinaemia.

Insulin secretion has been studied after an oral glucose load in 81 patients with primary hyperlipoproteinaemia and 15 control sugjects. Glucose tolerance was reduced mainly in Type IV, and to a lesser extent in Type IIB hyperlipoproteinaemia. Insulin secretory response to glucose was reduced in Type V and heterogeneous in Type IV hyperlipoproteinaemia.

Basal and insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism of isolated human fat cells.

Glucose-U-14C-activity added to the incubation medium of isolated human fat cells was studied for its conversion to CO2 and its incorporation into fat cell triglyceride. In view of the wide scatter of the figures found under basal conditions as well as in the presence of 100 muU/ml of insulin, the correlations of fat cell glucose metabolism to ponderal index, total body fat mass weight, mean fat cell diameter, fat cell TG-content and age were analysed. The activity of glucose metabolism in obese individuals was found to be inversely related to the degree of obesity under basal conditions as well as under the effect of insulin.

Effect of methandrostenolone on serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels in diabetic patients.

Eighteen adult diabetic patients were treated with methandrostenolone in daily doses of 15 mg for 3 weeks. Serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels and lipoprotein lipase activity were determined before and after treatment. In patients with intense hypertriglyceridaemia, triglyceride concentration decreased and, with the exception of a single patient, lipoprotein lipase activity returned to normal.