Administration of Teprotide (SQ 20881), an angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitor for up to 10 weeks at a dose of 3 mg. per kg., subcutaneously, twice a day in the rat, effected no change in the ultrastructure of the adrenal cortex nor in the concentration of serum aldosterone. A significant increase (p less than 0.05) in renin granulation indices which was already apparent after 3 weeks of treatment with Teprotide was even more definitive after 10 weeks (p less than 0.01). Moderate renal hypertrophy was present in rats receiving the drug for 3 weeks. Findings pertaining to aldosterone production differed from those reported following acute administration of Teprotide wherein a decrease in the production of serum aldosterone and an increase in plasma renin activity was observed. It has been suggested that decreased aldosterone production following acute administration of Teprotide is a consequence of decreased stimulus of the zona glomerulosa due to diminished synthesis of angiotensin II. If this is the case, mechanisms other than angiotensin II stimulation of the zona glomerulosa must control aldosterone synthesis, perhaps through hormones of the adrenal cortex. Another possibility could be that angiotensin II synthesis may be obtained, after an interval, through an alternative pathway.

Adrenal Cortex↗

PubMed1980

Detection of alpha-lactalbumin in breast lesions and relationship to estrogen receptors and serum prolactin.

Alpha-lactalbumin, the B protein of lactose synthetase secreted by the mammary epithelial cells, was isolated and purified from fresh human milk and injected into rabbits for antibody production. Indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) was done on various types of breast lesions to assess the relationship, if any, between histologic type and production of alpha-lactalbumin. Fifty percent of fibroadenomas and fibrocystic disease and 63% of infiltrating ductal carcinoma showed positive reaction. No false positives were found on IIF of alpha-lactalbumin of several tumors of nonmammary tissue. These findings suggest that IIF for alpha-lactalbumin may be helpful in ascertaining the site of origin of metastatic breast tumors. However, serum alpha-lactalbumin was detected by radioimmunoassay in only 10% of women with infiltrating ductal carcinoma, indicating that this may not be a useful marker for the presence of breast cancer at least by the method employed. This discrepancy between serum and tissue alpha-lactalbumin may be due to the short half-life of serum alpha-lactalbumin or to the lack of secretion of the protein into the blood. There was no apparent relationship between the presence of estrogen receptors or serum prolactin and alpha-lactalbumin in the 27 mammary carcinomas investigated.

Adenofibroma↗

PubMed1978

Septic shock with Micrococcus luteus.

Micrococcus luteus is considered a non-pathogenic saprophyte of human skin and eye. Disease in man caused by this organism is not recorded in medical literature. We present a case of septic shock cause by M luteus. The value of this report is to document the pathogenicity of coagulase-negative staphylococci in patients without valvular heart disease, surgically implanted artifificial prosthetic devices, or polyethylene intravenous catheters.

Aged↗