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Biomedical subjects

G L Bourne

Publications and source records attributed to G L Bourne.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1986

Corticotrophin-releasing factor-like immunoreactivity and bioactivity of human fetal and adult hypothalami.

Corticotrophin releasing factor-like immunoreactivity (CRF-LI) and bioactivity, and arginine vasopressin-like immunoreactivity (AVP-LI) have been measured in extracts of human fetal and adult hypothalamic tissue and their development with the gestational age of the fetuses (12-27 weeks) studied. CRF-LI was measured by a radioimmunoassay developed for ovine corticotrophin-releasing factor (oCRF-41). Corticotrophin-releasing factor bioactivity was measured in a rat isolated anterior pituitary cell perfusion system. CRF-LI and bioactivity and AVP-LI were all detectable in fetal hypothalamic extracts from 12 to 13 weeks of gestational age. CRF-LI was also present in human fetal pituitary glands from 12 weeks of gestational age. The concentration of CRF-LI in the fetal hypothalamic extracts (9.2 +/- 11.4 ng/g, mean +/- S.E.M., n = 33) showed no significant correlation with the gestational age of the fetuses. However the concentration of AVP-LI (25.0-36.8 ng/g, n = 17) did show a positive correlation (r = 0.508, P less than 0.05) with gestational age, as did the concentration of CRF bioactivity (471.3-556.3 ng ACTH released/g tissue, n = 13, r = 0.725, P less than 0.01). The CRF bioactivity of all fetal hypothalamic extracts was potentiated by the addition of synthetic human (h)AVP, but the bioactivity of the adult hypothalamic extracts was not, presumably because of the higher levels of AVP-LI already present in the adult extracts. Pretreatment of tissue extracts with antisera to oCRF-41 and/or hAVP reduced the CRF bioactivity of all hypothalamic extracts. Sephadex chromatography of fractions which co-eluted with synthetic oCRF-41 or hAVP contained CRF bioactivity and this bioactivity was potentiated when synthetic hAVP or oCRF-41, respectively, were added to the fractions. However, a larger molecular weight form of CRF-LI (8000-10 000 daltons), which was observed only in fetuses of 20 weeks of gestational age or less, did not contain any significant CRF bioactivity.

Arginine Vasopressin↗
PubMed1985

Computerized histories facilitate patient care in a termination of pregnancy clinic: the use of a small computer to obtain and reproduce patient information.

An inexpensive microcomputer has been programmed to obtain histories from patients attending a pregnancy termination clinic. The system is nurse-interactive; yes/no and multiple-choice questions are answered on the visual display unit by a light pen. Proper nouns and discursive text are typed at the computer keyboard. A neatly formatted summary of the history is then provided by an interfaced printer. The history follows a branching pattern; of the 370 questions included in the program, only 68 are answered in the course of an average history. The program contains numerous error traps and the user may request explanations of questions which are not immediately understood. The system was designed to ensure that no factors of anaesthetic or medical importance would be overlooked in the busy out-patient clinic. The computer provides a much more complete history with an average of 42 more items of information than the pre-existing manual system. This system is demanding of nursing time and possible conversion to a patient-interactive system is discussed. A confidential questionnaire revealed a high degree of consumer acceptance.

Abortion, Therapeutic↗
PubMed1984

A study of the relationship between circulating beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity and post partum 'blues'.

Plasma beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity was studied in 43 pregnant women at 36 weeks gestation and in 23 of these at delivery and 24 h post-partum; an attempt made to correlate changes with various social, psychological and obstetric factors, including the 'post-natal blues'. Beta-endorphin levels were elevated at 36 weeks gestation and term, increased to very high levels during labour and fell rapidly within 1 h of delivery. A negative correlation was observed between the woman's estimate of her pain in labour and the beta-endorphin levels post-partum, suggesting an analgesic role for beta-endorphin in labour. A positive correlation was also observed between the levels of beta-endorphin at delivery and the woman's attitude to her pregnancy at 36 weeks and a negative correlation between the 'post-natal blues score' and the beta-endorphin level at 36 weeks. However, the 'blues' did not correlate either with the beta-endorphin level at delivery or 24 h post-partum nor with its rate of fall in the first 24 h. Our general finding that there was no consistent social, psychological or obstetric factor which predisposes women to develop 'post-natal blues' still supports the hypothesis that humoral factors, of which beta-endorphin may be one, rather than psychological factors are important in the genesis of this syndrome.

Endorphins↗
PubMed1983

Characterisation of bombesin-like immunoreactivity in human fetal lung.

A sensitive radioimmunoassay for bombesin-like immunoreactivity (BLI) was developed and utilised in conjunction with G50 gel chromatography and reverse-phase HPLC, to study the content and molecular characteristics of bombesin-like peptides in acid extracts of human fetal lung. The antiserum, (B5), is directed towards the C-terminal region of the bombesin molecule and cross-reacts 70% with synthetic porcine GRP and the synthetic GRP fragment, GRP (14-27). Specimens of lung were collected from fetuses of gestational ages 15-22 weeks, following prostaglandin termination of pregnancy. The tissue was extracted into 0.1 N HCl at 90 degrees C. The mean BLI content was 50.2 pg/mg wet weight of tissue (range 15.5-136 pg/mg; n = 13). No correlation between gestational age and BLI content could be established. G50 gel chromatography of acid extracts, under dissociating conditions, revealed two peaks of BLI, one in the position of synthetic porcine GRP and the second, constituting greater than 90% of the immunoreactivity, eluting with synthetic amphibian bombesin. Reverse-phase ODS silica HPLC of this major G50 peak, utilising a methanol/trifluoroacetic acid gradient, indicated that this peptide was similar to the GRP C-terminal fragment, GRP (14-27). We have therefore (1) confirmed the presence and heterogeneity of BLI in human fetal lung, and (2) shown, for the first time, that the majority of this BLI more closely resembles a fragment of GRP than amphibian bombesin itself.

Bombesin↗
PubMed1983

Characterisation of immunoreactive somatostatin in human fetal hypothalamic tissue.

Levels of immunoreactive somatostatin (IRS) were measured in extracts of hypothalamic tissue from human fetuses of 12-26 weeks gestation. The IRS contents (0.7-22.5 ng) and concentrations (2.7-118.0 pg/mg wet weight tissue) both increased slightly with gestation. Sephadex G-50 chromatography of 11 extracts showed up to four peaks of IRS, one co-eluting with synthetic somatostatin-14 (S14), a second co-eluting with synthetic somatostatin-28 (S28) and two other peaks having approximate molecular weights of 6000 and 10 000, respectively. The levels of S14 and S28 increased significantly during gestation, while the levels of 6000 molecular weight IRS decreased with age. We suggest that the increase in S14 and S28 levels may be the cause of the fall in circulating growth hormone (GH) in the fetus in later gestation.

Female↗
PubMed1983

Endogenous opioid peptides in pregnancy.

Plasma levels of two endogenous opioid peptides, beta-endorphin and met-enkephalin, as well as immunoreactive N-terminal beta-lipotrophin (N-LPH) were studied in normal pregnant women from 8 to 41 weeks gestation. A total of 116 samples were assayed for beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity (C-LPH), 103 for N-LPH and 75 for met-enkephalin. Plasma beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity and N-LPH levels rose progressively throughout gestation and reached a maximum at term. Plasma met-enkephalin immunoreactivity did not significantly change throughout pregnancy. These results reflect an increasing and consistent adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH)/beta-LPH and beta-endorphin secretion throughout pregnancy, while the unchanged met-enkephalin levels are compatible with its known derivation from a separate precursor system.

Endorphins↗
PubMed1969

Incidence of toxoplasmosis in women at a London hospital.

Toxoplasmosis is an infection, congenital or acquired, caused by Toxoplasma gondii. A pilot study using toxoplasmin skin antigen was undertaken to establish the incidence of the infection in the London area as a preliminary to a larger study of the effects of the infection upon pregnancy, the foetus, and the newborn infant.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1967

Contraception.

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Cervix Mucus↗