Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G Lada.
A triphasic oral contraceptive pill was tested on fifty patients in 1200 cycles during two years. Side effects observed were minimal. The normal menstrual cycle was imitated extensively. Tests concerning lipid and protein metabolism and blood coagulation were performed. There were no significant changes. According to our data the triphasic contraceptive pill did not suggest any damaging effect on the endometrium.
In vitro application of the morphinomimetic met-enkephalin resulted in inhibition of mineralocorticoid production by aldosterone-producing adenomas. Aldosterone, deoxycorticosterone, and corticosterone production by adrenocortical cells isolated from aldosteronomas has been studied under basal conditions and after stimulation with ACTH-(1-24). The blocking effect of met-enkephalin on the rate of aldosterone, deoxycorticosterone, and corticosterone release was significant at a concentration as low as 10(-11) M (P less than 0.001, P less than 0.01, and P less than 0.001, respectively). Dose-dependent inhibition of steroid biosynthesis became more apparent with increasing amounts of met-enkephalin in the incubation medium (10(-11)-10(-5) M); at a concentration of 10(-5) M, met-enkephalin decreased the production of aldosterone by 45%, that of deoxycorticosterone by 51%, and that of corticosterone by 44%. Increased steroid biosynthesis stimulated by ACTH-(1-24) was also significantly blocked by met-enkephalin. In a concentration of 10(-5) M, met-enkephalin produced significant decreases in aldosterone (P less than 0.001), deoxycorticosterone (P less than 0.05), and corticosterone (P less than 0.001) production compared to the peak values obtained after stimulation with 0.85 X 10(-10) M ACTH-(1-24). These data allow us to conclude that the inhibitory effect of met-enkephalin on mineralocorticoid production exerted at the level of the adrenals might be complementary to the factor(s) thought to be involved in the regulation of adrenal steroid production, playing a role similar to that of the biogenic amines originating in the adrenal medulla and regulating the adrenal cortex by a peripheral neurohumoral paracrine mechanism.
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Authors studied the surgically removed adrenals of a 16 year old girl with hyperandrogenism in tissue culture. The majority of cells in the initial culture was similar to the cells of the normal human adrenal. In the 6 weeks tissue culture the morphology of the cells has shown an alteration. The majority of them contained a small number of lipid droplets, abundant quantity of lysosomes and autophage vacuole. At this period in the media the progesterone level appeared to be elevated. Two months later in the tissue culture numerous transformed cells could be seen and the progesterone level of the media was low. It is believed that alteration of the biosynthesis of progesterone may have a role in the increased production of testosterone and in virilization.
The direct effect of serotonin and antiserotonin agents on adrenal steroid biosynthesis was studied in isolated adrenal cells derived from patients with Cushing's syndrome. The results indicate that serotonin increases corticosterone production, while the serotonin antagonists cyproheptadine and methysergide depress adrenal steroid - particularly cortisol and aldosterone - biosynthesis.
The HLA antigen frequencies in 100 Caucasian patients with adrenocortical hyperfunction were compared with those found in 352 healthy unrelated subjects. Fourteen antigens on the HLA--A locus, seventeen antigens on the HLA--B locus and three antigens on the HLA--C locus were determined using the standard NIH microlymphocytotoxicity test. The frequency of HLA--A1 antigen in the patient group was 49% as compared with 28% in the controls (pcorr less than 0.01). An increased frequency of HLA--B8 and HLA-BW35 antigens was also found, but the difference was not significant. Increased A1--B8 and A1--BW35 haplotype frequencies were observed. The relationship between the HLA system and various endogenous and exogenous factors eliciting hypercorticism, together with complementary family studies indicate that the HLA system may be a useful genetic marker of the disease susceptibility gene.
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