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Biomedical subjects

L A Distiller

Publications and source records attributed to L A Distiller.

33 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1976

Pituitary-gonadal function in men with alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver.

Fourteen adult males with alcoholic cirrhosis were studied. Gonadotrophin responses to luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LRH) and testosterone (T) responses to human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) were determined and basal 17 beta oestradiol (E2) levels were measured in each case. The mean basal luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, and the mean LH and FSH responses to LRH were not significantly different from a group of age-matched male controls. However, the five men with testicular atrophy all had an elevated basal FSH level and an exaggerated FSH response to LRH. The mean serum T of the cirrhotic men was significantly lower than that of the controls (P less than 0.05), while the mean E2 level was not significantly different. However, the mean E2 level in the eight patients with gynaecomastia was significantly higher than in those without gynaecomastic (P less than 0.05). All patients had a T response to HCG, including those 5 with low basal T levels. A significant negative correlation was found between the maximum rise in T after HCG (delta T) and the maximum LH response to LRH (delta LH), suggesting a mediating effect of T reserve on the LH response to LRH. These findings tend to exclude a suppressive effect of alcohol on the pituitary gland as a cause for the hypogonadism found in men with alcoholic cirrhosis. Furthermore, the evidence of some testicular T reserve despite low basal T levels, and the presence of normal basal LH levels, suggests that the low T production is not primarily due to leydig cell dysfunction.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

A therapeutic response to a single diagnostic dose of luteinising hormone-releasing hormone.

Luteinising hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) administration is a useful provocative test for the evaluation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Seven cases with oligomenorrhoea or amenorrhoea are reported, in which a single diagnostic injection of LH-RH produced an apparent therapeutic response. Six patients converted to a regular normal menstrual cycle, and 4 of these had evidence of ovulation. The seventh patient conceived. It is postulated that in some cases of hypothalamic menstrual dysfunction the gonadotrophic imbalance may be corrected by a single intravenous dose of LH-RH.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Pituitary-gonadal function in chronic renal failure: the effect of luteinizing hormone--releasing hormone and the influence of dialysis.

Sixteen adult male patients with chronic renal failure undergoing either chronic intermittent hemodialysis (HD) or chronic intermittent peritoneal dialysis (PD) were studied both before and immediately after dialysis. The gonadotropin responses to luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) was determined, revealing an excessive luteinizing hormone (LH) response with a delayed return to normal in both dialysis groups. No significant alteration in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) kinetics was observed. There was no significant difference in the mean gonadotropin responses to LH-RH between the HD and PD groups, and dialysis had no effect on either mean LH or FSH responses. The chronic renal failure patients with testicular atrophy had an excessive FSH response to LH-RH when compared to those patients without testosterone was significantly lower than normal. Chronic renal failure effects testicular function and testicular atrophy is associated with seminiferous tubular destruction and an excessive FSH response. Poor renal clearance may play a role in the abnormal LH response observed.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Insulin, glucose and triglyceride relationships in obese African subjects.

Aspects of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism were studied in 50 nondiabetic African subjects living in Johannesburg. Twenty-six of them were overweight, invariably associated with a high-carbohydrate intake. In general, the obese group demonstrated significantly raised serum insulin levels, normal glucose tolerance, normal fasting serum triglycerides, and significantly elevated serum cholesterol concentrations. However, the degree of obesity was not significantly correlated with any of these metabolic variables--notably basal or stimulated insulin levels. This suggests that the obese state, per se, was not the major cause of the hyperinsulinemia, and that other factors influenced individual insulin responses or sensitivity. Inconsistently excessive dietary carbohydrate ingestion and an unusual degree of physical activity may have been important. A striking correlation emerged between fasting serum triglycerides and insulin concentrations (both basal and stimulated); the possibility that this reflects acceleration of hepatic triglyceride synthesis by insulin is discussed. The concept of obesity invariably producing insulin resistance and progressive compensatory hyperinsulinism may not apply in all environmental conditions.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Assessment of pituitary gonadotropin reserve using luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LRH) in states of altered thyroid function.

Menstrual irregularities commonly accompany hyper- and hypofunction of the thyroid gland. Investigation of the pituitary-ovarian axis was undertaken in 14 hyperthyroid and 8 hypothyroid patients. The pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) responses to 100 mug luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LRH) was assessed. These responses were found to be similar to matched control groups in hyperthyroid premenopausal women with and without menstrual disturbances and in hyperthyroid men. The postmenopausal hyperthyroid women had an exaggerated LH response, although the FSH response was comparable to that of the control group. These results indicate normal pituitary LH and FSH reserve in hyperthyroidism. In hypothyroidism a gradation of gonadotropin response to LRH was found. In 2 of the patients there was an inadequate LH response in the presence of a normal FSH response. This demonstrates that in some cases of primary hypothyroidism there is limited pituitary LH reserve.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Somatomedin activity in cerebrospinal fluid.

Somatomedin activity has been demonstrated in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 12 normal subjects and one patient with acromegaly. In all cases the concentration was lower in the CSF than in the corresponding serum, and a significant correlation was demonstrated between the somatomedin activity in the two body fluids (p smaller than 0.01).

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1975

Myotonia dystrophica: Studies on gonadal function using luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LRH).

Eight men and four women with myotonia dystrophica were investigated. The gonadotropin responses to 100 mug luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LRH) were studied, and serum testosterone assayed. In the men with testicular atrophy a high basal follicle stimulating hormone was found with an exaggerated response to LRH. Although the mean basal luteinizing hormone was not significantly elevated, there was an excessive response to LRH, which was possibly conditioned by the lower mean testoerone levels in this group. This study provides biochemical indices of both the primary nature of the testicular damage and the disproportionately greater involvement of the seminiferous tubules. The pituitary-gonadal axis was normal in the women.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Pituitary responsiveness to luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Impaired fertility and menstrual disturbances are common in diabetes mellitus. In order to study the effect of diabetes on gonadotropin secretion by the pituitary gland, twenty premenopausal diabetic females and seven diabetic males were investigated using luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH). Although the gonadotropes responded to LH-RH in the patients studied, a relative impairment was apparent when compared to normal matched control groups. In the female diabetic patients there was no difference in the gonadotropin responses obtained in those with oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea when compared to those with normal menses. A significant inverse relationship was found between the maximum rise in plasma luteinizing hormone and the fasting plasma glucose. These findings suggest an influence of glucose metabolism on pitiutary gonadotropin function. However, the reduced gonadotropin response is unlikely to be the sole cause of the abnormal gynecologic function.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Pituitary gonadotropin response to luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) in males with azo- and oligospermia.

Twenty-one males with azo- or oligospermia presenting with infertility and with no evidence of organic disease were studied with luteinizing hormone - releasing hormone (LH-RH). A pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) response was present in all cases and was normal in the majority of the subjects. Serum testosterone and 17 beta estradiol levels were normal in all cases studied. No significant correlations were found between the gonadotropin estimations and sperm count, basal serum testosterone or testosterone response to human chorionic gonadotropin. It is concluded that LH-RH is of limited diagnostic use in the investigation of this group of patients with male infertility and provides no further insight into the pathogenesis of this condition.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of alrestatin on alanine-stimulated release of insulin and glucagon in man.

Alrestatin, an aldose reductase inhibitor, was administered orally to 10 normal men. Its effect on basal plasma glucose, insulin and glucagon levels and on the response of glucose, insulin and glucagon to an oral alanine load was assessed and compared to that of a placebo. There was a significant suppression of both the mean basal insulin level and the mean insulin response to alanine in the group pretreated with alrestatin as compared to the placebo group (p less than 0.05 at 0 and 60 min). Glucagon levels rose slightly in both groups but tended to be lower in the alrestatin-treated subjects, and blood sugar levels fell slightly. There was a significant inverse correlation between the mean insulin and glucose levels in individual subjects. The possible significance and mechanisms of insulin suppression are discussed.

Adult↗