Biomedical subjects

J Balasch

Publications and source records attributed to J Balasch.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

PubMed1986

The significance of luteal phase deficiency on fertility: a diagnostic and therapeutic approach.

Luteal phase deficiency, diagnosed by endometrial biopsy, was found in 1 out of 25 control fertile women and in 46 out of 355 infertile patients, a difference that was not significant. It was also found in 19 [corrected] out of 60 patients with early recurrent abortion which was significantly higher than in controls and in infertile patients. Pregnancy outcome was evaluated in treated and untreated groups of patients diagnosed as having luteal phase deficiency. Our data suggest that treatment improved the results of pregnancy in patients with recurrent abortion, but not in infertile patients.

Abortion, Habitual↗

PubMed1986

Early luteal function following danazol therapy for endometriosis.

The luteal phase of 20 infertile women with endometriosis who were treated with danazol (600 mg daily for 6 months) was studied by basal body temperature, plasma progesterone (P), oestradiol (E2) and prolactin (PRL) determination, and endometrial biopsy, in any one of the first three cycles after discontinuation of danazol. All endometrial specimens were noted to be fundal samples and were clearly progestational after danazol therapy. Abnormal secretory phases were detected in three patients, as in the pre-danazol control cycles. Moreover, plasma levels of P, E2 and PRL in post-danazol cycles were similar to those found in control cycles and fell within the normal range in all cases except for one patient having hyperprolactinaemia. In conclusion, our study shows that endometrial inadequacy is not the cause of the increased fetal wastage previously reported among proximally conceived pregnancies after danazol therapy for endometriosis.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

PubMed1986

Nicardipine: protection against brain hypoxia.

Nicardipine, a new vasodilator and calcium antagonist, was tested for antihypoxic activity on the central nervous system. Two methods were used: hypobaric hypoxia and alteration of the electrocorticogram by asphyxic anoxia. Both survival time and the impaired electrical signal were improved by nicardipine. These results suggest brain protection by increased cerebral blood supply.

Animals↗

PubMed1985

Dissociation between adrenocorticotropin and corticosterone responses to restraint after previous chronic exposure to stress.

The effect on emotional reactivity produced by a model for chronic stress in which different types of acute stresses were randomly combined for 29 days was studied in adult male rats. Chronically stressed rats showed a slight decrease in body weight gain and an increase in relative adrenal weight. Chronic stress did not modify defecation rate but reduced exploratory activity in the holeboard. Neither basal nor acute-stress induced levels of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) were modified by previous chronic stress. Likewise, basal corticosterone levels were similar in both groups. However, corticosterone response to acute restraint stress was higher in chronically stressed than in control rats. The mechanisms underlying the dissociation between ACTH and corticosterone as well as its possible implications are discussed.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

PubMed1985

Post-weaning crowding induces corticoadrenal hyperreactivity in male mice.

The effect of various population densities on corticoadrenal function was studied in prepuberal male mice. High population densities decreased body weight gain. Neither adrenal weight nor basal serum corticosterone were modified by crowding. However, corticoadrenal response to some acute stresses such as noise and forced swimming was higher in crowded mice. As corticoadrenal response to adrenocorticotropin remained unaffected, it appears that crowding induced pituitary-adrenal hyperreactivity. Neither the defecation rate nor exploratory activity were altered by crowding, suggesting a dissociation between pituitary-adrenal responsiveness and behavioral measures presumably related to emotional arousal. These discrepancies may possibly be due to the higher sensitivity of corticoadrenal function to environmental changes. Our results suggest that crowding would be suitable as a model for chronic continuous stress.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1985

Chronic noise stress and insulin secretion in male rats.

The effect of chronic noise, followed by acute noise and forced swimming, on basal glucose and insulin levels was studied in adult male rats. Chronic noise did not modify basal levels of either measured variable before or after the exposure of rats to acute stress. Acute noise decreased serum glucose and insulin levels, although hypoglycemia was transient. Forced swimming decreased insulin and increased glucose levels. Our results indicate that: serum insulin levels were sensitive to both physiological and psychological stresses, forced swimming caused more marked glucose and insulin responses than noise exposure, chronic intermittent noise did not alter pancreatic function, and no sign of adaptation was apparent after repeated exposure to noise.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1985

Protective effects of "cerebroactive drugs" in a model of acute hypoxia.

A systematic study of the hypobaric hypoxia method was carried out, using a wide range of vasodilators and metabolic modifiers. In general cerebral metabolic modifiers have a more effective antihypoxic action than cerebral vasodilators. After a discussion, the conclusion is that hypobaric hypoxia is useful as an initial screening procedure.

Animals↗

PubMed1985

The endometrial biopsy for diagnosis of luteal phase deficiency.

We studied endometrial luteal phase in specimens from 660 biopsies done in 300 patients from our infertility clinic. A minimum of two (240 women) or three (60 women) endometrial biopsy specimens from separate cycles were taken regardless of the previous histologic findings in all patients. Statistical analysis of results by the McNemar and the Cochran Q tests for the significance of changes leads us to conclude that a minimum of two, and even three, endometrial biopsy specimens are needed for diagnosis of luteal phase deficiency.

Biopsy↗

PubMed1985

Mild endometriosis and luteal function.

The luteal function of 27 patients with mild endometriosis and infertility was compared with that of 50 infertile patients without endometriosis. The incidence of endometrial luteal phase deficiency was similar in both groups of patients. Luteal phase length and plasma levels of progesterone (P), estradiol (E2) and prolactin (PRL) in infertile patients (both groups) were similar to those in a group of 10 fertile women. We conclude that luteal phase defects should not be considered as a primary cause of infertility in mild endometriosis.

Corpus Luteum↗

PubMed1985

Gill metabolism after chronic subacute zinc treatments.

ATP and lactate concentration of the gill tissue of Scyliorhinus canicula were determined after short-term and long-term subacute zinc exposure. Increase of lactate and decrease of ATP levels were detected after short-term exposure, while no significant changes were observed after long-term treatment, suggesting a recovery process or an activation of compensatory mechanisms.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1984

Endometrial biopsy inadvertently taken in the cycle of conception.

Endometrial data, plasma progesterone levels and the outcome of pregnancy were analyzed in 22 infertility patients from whom endometrial biopsies had been inadvertently taken in early pregnancy. We found 22.7% (5 cases) of defective endometria in association with normal plasma progesterone levels (available in four patients). Daily plasma progesterone during the first 21st postovulatory days in the cycle of conception is reported in one of our patients. Fourteen of the 22 women delivered normal infants at term, 1 woman had a hydatidiform mole and 7 women aborted (31.8%). The relevance of endometrial biopsy in the cycle of conception and its influence on the outcome of pregnancy are discussed.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

PubMed1984

Effect of crowding on some physiological and behavioral variables in adult male rats.

The effect of two population densities on body weight gain, food and water intake and the weight of some organs and glands was studied in adult male rats. Behavioral reactivity to open field was also assessed. Crowded rats (10 animals per cage) showed lower body weight gain than control rats (3 per cage) throughout all the experimental period. Crowding decreased food intake and increased water intake. Any effect of crowding on the weight of thymus, liver and endocrine glands (except testes) was found. Open field defecation and activity were the same in control and crowded rats. Discrepancies from earlier works could likely be due to methodological differences and these are discussed in the text.

Animals↗

PubMed1984

Dogfish liver and kidney tissue respiration after zinc treatment.

Tissue oxygen consumption in liver and kidney of dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula L. were measured by manometric techniques after two types of zinc treatment: in vitro (1, 15, 60 and 180 ppm) and in vivo (subacute 10 ppm/21 days, and acute 80 ppm/24 hr). All in vitro treatments exert a strong inhibitory effect in both tissues. In vivo treatment affects liver tissue respiration at the acute dose. Subacute treatment shows no effects in both tissues. Results are discussed related to previous data on gill tissue respiration and zinc tissue accumulation in the dogfish.

Animals↗

PubMed1984

Adaptation of anterior pituitary hormones to chronic noise stress in male rats.

We have studied the effects of acute and chronic noise on serum levels of pituitary hormones in male Wistar rats. Acute noise increased serum levels of corticosterone, prolactin, and luteinizing hormone and decreased serum GH. FSH was unaffected by this stressor. Chronic noise did not modify basal levels of any hormone studied, however responsiveness of some hormones to the same stimuli was altered. Reduced corticosterone, prolactin, and GH responses to noise was observed after previous chronic exposure to this stimuli. LH response followed the same pattern although it did not reach statistical significance. It might be concluded that adaptation to a repeated stress stimulus is not confined to the pituitary-adrenal axis, however, the degree of adaptation could vary between different hormones.

Animals↗

PubMed1984

Dissociation between corticosterone and growth hormone adaptation to chronic stress in the rat.

We have studied the effect of acute and chronic stress on corticosterone and growth hormone (GH) serum levels in male Wistar rats. Both acute noise-light stress and the presence of a dog elicited an increase in corticosterone and a decrease in GH levels in serum. While previous chronic stress induced a reduction of corticosterone response to the same stimuli, no reduction was observed in GH response. In addition, chronic exposure to noise-light stress induced modifications in corticosterone but not in GH response to dog presence. The results suggest that GH and corticoadrenal response mechanisms of adaptation to chronic stress are dissociated. This is further corroborated by the study of the correlation between both hormones.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed1984

Effect of crowding on emotional reactivity in male rats.

The effect of two different population densities (3 and 9 animals/cage) on emotional reactivity, measured by their performance in an exploratory box, and pituitary-adrenal response to acute noise stress are compared. The crowded rats showed a higher defecation rate and lower exploratory activity than the control rats. Adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) response to noise was higher in the crowded than in the control rats. The results clearly indicate that crowding increased emotional reactivity in adult male rats.

Adrenal Glands↗

PubMed1984

Effect of acute and chronic psychogenic stress on corticoadrenal and pituitary-thyroid hormones in male rats.

The effects of acute and chronic stress on serum corticosterone and pituitary-thyroid hormones were studied in male Wistar rats. Acute noise activated both the pituitary-adrenal and pituitary-thyroid axes. Chronic noise did not modify the basal serum levels of either corticosterone or pituitary-thyroid hormones. A decreased corticosterone response to noise was observed in chronically stressed rats, but the pituitary-thyroid response was the same in control and chronically stressed rats, suggesting that the mechanisms which control the responsiveness of both axes to a repeated stimulus are dissociated.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

PubMed1984

Effects of chronic noise or daily water restriction on the pituitary-adrenal axis in male rats.

Pituitary-adrenal function was studied in male rats chronically stressed with noise as well as under water restriction regimen. Chronic noise did not modify either in vivo or in vitro corticoadrenal function. Daily water restriction decreased body weight and increased relative adrenal weight as well as the serum levels of ACTH and corticosterone. In vitro corticoadrenal responsiveness to ACTH was similar in control and water restricted rats. Thus, no evidence for increased adrenal sensitivity to ACTH in the pre-watering period was found in water restricted rats.

Adrenal Cortex↗