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Biomedical subjects

A Parra

Publications and source records attributed to A Parra.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1975

Familial true hermaphrodism in three siblings: clinical, cytogenetic, histological and hormonal studies.

Three affected siblings with the hermaphrodism are described. The propositi showed the following characteristics: male phenotype and gender role, hypospadias, bilateral scrotal ovotestes with palpable nodules, and absence of müllerian structures. The X chromatin was positive and the Y chromatin was negative in the 3 affected subjects. Their karyotype in peripheral blood lymphocytes and in gonadal fibroblasts was 46,XX and no Y chromosome fluorescence was observed. Plasma FSH was elevated in the 2 older patients and plasma LH was elevated only in the oldest. Plasma testosterone was low and plasma estradiol high in the 3 siblings; plasma progesterone was elevated in 2, but normal in 1 sibling. Since some of the clinical characteristics of these 3 affected siblings are not the most common features in the majority of sporadic cases of true hermaphrodism, it is suggested that the presence of all of them may be the first clue for the clinical suspicion of the familial type of true hermaphrodism.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Energy metabolism and hormonal profile in children with edematous protein-calorie malnutrition.

Modifications in energy metabolism and endocrine homeostasis (plasma insulin and growth hormone values, glucose and free fatty acid levels, serum thyroxine and TSH, free thyroxine index, and urinary catecholamines) were investigated in eight children with edematous protein-calorie malnutrition. Caloric expenditure was low at admission and correlated linearly with increased caloric intake throughout the study. The hormonal changes at admission were characterized by a negligible insulin response to intravenous arginine or glucose and by markedly elevated growth hormone levels which were neither increased by arginine nor suppressed by intravenous glucose. Serum thyroxine values were low, but free thyroxine index and serum TSH levels were within normal limits. At admission to the study, 24-hour urinary excretion of dopamine and norepinephrine was relatively reduced in relation to the excretion of epinephrine. All these modifications were corrected at time of the recovery study. It is suggested that in edematous protein-calorie malnutrition, insulin acts as the primary regulator of peripheral fuel release and that the high, nonsuppressible growth hormone levels may form part of an important homeostatic mechanism to provide substrates for brain metabolism via lipolysis.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed1975

Effect of paramethasone acetate on ovarian steroids and gonadotropins. I. Normal menstrual cycle.

In an attempt to elucidate the effect of paramethasone acetate on the hormonal profile of the normal menstrual cycle, 5 clinically healthy women, aged 24-36 yr, with ovulatory cycles were studied during a control menstrual cycle and during treatment with paramethasone acetate (6 mg/day). The length of the untreated cycle was 29.2 +/- 2.3 days as compared to 29.0 +/- 3.1 days during the paramethasone-treated cycle. Peak plasma E-2 level was 188.2 +/- 42.1 pg/ml in the control cycle and 74.4 +/- 15.3 pg/ml during paramethasone treatment (P is less than 0.05). Peak plasma 17 OH-P was 4.0 +/- 0.4 ng/ml in the control cycle and 1.6 +/- 0.2 ng/ml during the paramethasone treated cycle (P is less than 0.005). No significant differences in plasma progesterone were observed during the luteal phase of both cycles. Minimal and scattered differences were observed in plasma FSH. However, plasma LH levels were lower in the paramethasone acetate than in the control cycle almost throughout the entire period of study. Furthermore, midcycle LH peak in the control cycle was 958 +/- 104 ng/ml as compared to 283 +/- 24 ng/ml during the paramethasone treatment (P is less than 0.005). Despite these differences, ovulation occurred during paramethasone treatment based upon the observed rise in BBT, the plasma progesterone levels above 6 ng/ml and the secretory changes in the endometrium. These results suggest that: 1) Paramethasone may block E-2 synthesis at the ovarian level and , 2) Ovulation may still occur even in the presence of E-2 and LH plasma concentrations lower than those occurring in the normal menstrual cycle.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

[Quantitative analysis of the electroencephalographic activity during human sleep].

Correlation of hormonal changes and EEG activity requires objective measurements to define the behavior of the different frequency bands during sleep. With this purpose, EEG activity of six healthy male volunteers (19-22 years) was recorded throughout all night during spontaneous sleep. The C4-left mastoid EEG combination was channeled to a frequency analyzer with four band pass filters (beta, alpha, theta, and delta) using a one minute averaging interval. Analyzer data were fed to an IBM-1130 computer, programmed with RC filter recursive algorithm. Sleep stages were characterized in the polygraphic record (Rechtshaffen criteria), and identified in the smoothed profile. The latter was computed for mean voltage value of each band during the sleep stages. Differences in the behavior of each band throughout sleep stages were statistically tested. Delta activity showed the highest discriminatory capacity characterized by a statistically different mean voltage value in all sleep stages, with the exception of R-I. The method is proposed for quantitative correlation of the EEG sleep phenomena with another physiological parameters.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

[Effect of chlormandinone acetate upon seizures in epileptic children with latent signs of hyperandrogenism].

The effect of chlormadinone acetate (24 mg/day) upon the plasma levels of pituitary gonadotropins and gonadal hormones on the number of generalized convulsions and spike EEG density was investigated in a group of epileptic children with intractable seizures and with clinical signs suggestive of hyperandrogenism. In each case, the effect of chlormadinone was evaluated in relation to hormonal levels and seizures observed during a control period and under the effect of placebo as follows: Control (PC)-Chlormadinone acetate (PCL1)-Placebo (PP)-Chlormadinone acetate (PCL2). In a male child (4MS), the number of convulsive attacks observed in the control period (26/month) was reduced during PCL1 (2/month) increased during PP (12/month) and was reduced again during PCL2 (0/month). Spike EEG density showed a parallel course to the clinical attacks. In this case, control levels of testosterone were markedly elevated (40 ng/ml) and were decreased during PCL1 to 4.0 increased again during PP to 34.0 and decreased again during PCL2 to 1.2 ng/ml. Plasma levels of pituitary gonadotropins were unchanged throughout the entire period of study. In other cases, neither the number of epileptic attacks nor spike EEG density were apparently affected by this regime and plasma levels of pituitary gonadotropins and gonadal hormones were also unmodified. These results suggest that a latent state of hyperandrogenism may be detected in some epileptic patients with intractable seizures and that chlormadinone may reduce convulsive attacks in these patients, probably by decreasing testosterone plasma levels.

Androstenedione↗