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Biomedical subjects

J R Coutts

Publications and source records attributed to J R Coutts.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

LHRH analogues can be luteotrophic.

Seven normally menstruating women were treated with consecutive daily supraoptimal doses of the LHRH analogue Hoe 766 initiated in the mid/late luteal phase. This treatment caused immediate increases in circulating levels of LH, FSH, oestradiol (E2) and progesterone. After a few days, the pituitary became unresponsive to Hoe 766 and LH and FSH levels returned to the normal luteal phase ranges while progesterone and E2 levels did not decline to their respective pre-treatment levels until at least 24 h later. As a result of this treatment, the onset of the next menses was delayed in five of the seven women, indicating luteotrophism. These data show that the corpus luteum was responsive to increased LH/FSH during Hoe 766 therapy. Therefore, reported luteolytic effects of short-term treatment with LHRH and/or its analogues were probably not caused by direct inhibitory ovarian action but by reduction of ensuing pituitary gonadotrophin levels.

Adult↗

Prediction of ovulation in women using a rapid progesterone radioimmunoassay.

A rapid (3-h) radioimmunoassay of plasma progesterone has been developed and used successfully to predict the time of ovulation in women undergoing artificial insemination. The results obtained using progesterone levels to date the stage of the cycle were analysed retrospectively by (1) estimation of the length of the ensuing luteal phases and comparison of these with luteal phase lengths of a control group (2) comparison of the dating using progesterone levels with retrospective determination of LH values and (3) analysis of the dating in cycles in which conception occurred.

Female↗

A new systematic treatment for infertile women with abnormal hormone profiles.

Five infertile women, with normal menstrual rhythm who had been investigated previously by daily hormone analyses throughout at least one complete menstrual cycle and had shown poor luteal-phase steroid-hormone profiles were treated by a new approach. They were rendered hypogonadotrophic with large doses of a luteinizing hormone releasing-hormone analogue (Hoe 766) and were then treated with exogenous gonadotrophins to induce follicular growth and ovulation. Progesterone production after ovulation in all cases was superior to that observed in the individual patients' without treatment. One patients conceived in her first conception cycle and another in her fourth. This regimen offers a systematic approach to the treatment of unexplained infertility in women with deficient luteal-phase steroid-hormone profiles.

Buserelin↗

Forces required for surgical dilatation of the pregnant and non-pregnant human cervix.

The force required to dilate the uterine cervix to a diameter of 8 mm has been measured in 200 non-pregnant and 40 early pregnant patients. In general, the resistance offered by the cervix was lower in parous than in nulliparous subjects and in pregnant compared with non-pregnant subjects. The phase of the menstrual cycle did not appear to influence cervical resistance but the highest recordings were seen in postmenopausal subjects. Particularly low resistance was encountered in women receiving Depo-Provera for contraceptive purposes.

Cervix Uteri↗

Effects of clomiphene treatment on infertile women with normal menstrual rhythm.

Fourteen infertile women with normal menstrual rhythm were investigated; each provided daily blood samples throughout two menstrual cycles: one control cycle and another on therapy with clomiphene (50 mg/day) given either from days 1 to 5 (n = 7; group I) or from days 5 to 9 (n = 7; group II) of the cycle. The effects of this empirical clomiphene therapy on the menstrual cycles were assessed by reference to the delay from termination of clomiphene therapy to ovulation (day after the LH peak) and by comparing pre-ovulatory oestradiol levels and luteal phase progesterone indices (total progesterone levels from days 4 to 8 post LH peak) in patients' control and treated cycles. No differences were observed in the effects of the treatment on the two groups of women except that the clomiphene to ovulation delay was greater in those treated earlier in the cycle (group I). Clomiphene caused increased follicular development as indicated by elevated pre-ovulatory oestradiol levels but this was not followed by improved progesterone indices. Ovarian ultrasonography indicated that the increased follicular development was in terms of numbers of follicles and not in maturity or oestrogen biosynthetic capacity of individual follicles. The lack of increased luteal progesterone levels thereafter indicated that mean luteal progesterone production per luteinized follicle was reduced. Clomiphene therapy as given in this study was therefore not successful in stimulating increased follicular/luteal hormone production from the dominant follicle/corpus luteum in such patients.

Clomiphene↗

Ovarian function in women immediately post partum.

Ovarian function in pregnant women at term was investigated by obtaining plasma samples from both ovarian veins simultaneously with a peripheral sample from the antecubital vein. All samples were analyzed by radioimmunoassay to determine the concentration of progesterone, estradiol, estrone, androstenedione, testosterone, and human chorionic gonadotropin. The corpus luteum was found to secrete progesterone and not significant amounts of estrogens or androgens. Extraluteal tissue secreted estrogens and androgens and also progesterone. No quantitative relationship was found between the concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin and any ovarian steroid, and estradiol appeared to be produced from both estrone and testosterone.

Androgens↗

Correlation of ultrasonic and endocrinologic assessment of human follicular development.

Human ovarian follicular development measured by peripheral plasma hormone levels and ovarian follicular growth assessed by ultrasonic visualization of the ovary were compared and contrasted in apparently normally menstruating women. The linear correlation coefficient between the mean values for plasma estradiol and follicular diameter on day -5 to day 0 of 15 normal cycles was r = 0.968. When the individual paired data were subjected to multiple linear regression analyses (on days -5 to 0), r = 0.771. These good correlations show that ultrasound measurements of follicular diameter are valuable in the assessment of follicular growth and development. Observations on apparently abnormal cycles are also discussed. Ultrasound measurement of follicular diameter offers an additional technique for the study of ovarian function.

Adolescent↗

The effect of human pregnancy on the pulmonary transfer factor for carbon monoxide as measured by the single-breath method.

1. The pulmonary transfer factor for carbon monoxide was measured by the single-breath method in 21 pregnant women with no previous history of cardiac or respiratory disease. Measurements were made at monthly intervals throughout pregnancy and once post partum. 2. The transfer factor was higher in the first trimester of pregnancy than in the non-pregnant state. There was a fall in the transfer factor during pregnancy until 26 weeks gestation, after which no further decrease was observed. 3. The changes in transfer factor were not explained by alterations in haemoglobin concentration or alveolar volume. 4. Simultaneous serial estimation of plasma 17beta-oestradiol were performed in all the subjects. There was no obvious direct relation between changes in the concentration of this hormone and transfer factor measurements.

Adult↗

The effect of endogenous oestrogen on plasma and urinary calcium and phosphate in oophorectomized women.

Using a specific radioimmunoassay, significant levels of plasma oestradiol can be detected in the blood of oophorectomized women. In these women the plasma concentration of oestradiol correlates positively with body fat content. Low circulating concentrations of oestradiol are associated with increased values for serum phosphate and alkaline phosphatase, but no significant change in serum calcium. The fasting urinary calcium creatinine ratio is inversely related to circulating plasma oestradiol concentration which also correlates, in a more complex way, with the renal threshold for phosphate (TmPO4/GFR). It is suggested that oestrogen production may be an important factor in determining bone loss in postmenopausal women.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Plasma sex steroid and gonadotrophin patterns in human menstrual cycles.

Sensitive and specific displacement analysis methods for the assay of steroid hormones in small volumes of plasma are described. Plasma sex steroid and gonadotrophin hormone patterns were determined throughout a number of normal menstrual cycles. The mean cycles showed patterns which were similar to those described by other workers. However, examination of individual cycles provided information which may contribute to our understanding of menstrual cycle regulation with particular reference to the pattern of 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone and steroid-gonadotrophin interactions.

Adolescent↗

Infertility in women with apparently ovulatory cycles. I. Comparison of their plasma sex steroid and gonadotrophin profiles with those in the normal cycle.

Serial daily plasma profiles of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), progesterone, 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone and oestradiol 17beta throughout single menstrual cycles from seven patients with a history of infertility but with normal menstrual rhythm and no apparent ovarian dysfunction were compared with those from apparently normally menstruating women. This comparison showed that the infertile group produced poor corpora lutea after poor follicular growth. The poor follicular growth may be related to depressed pituitary release of FSH in response to a negative feedback effect of elevated progesterone levels.

Anovulation↗