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Biomedical subjects

R Demura

Publications and source records attributed to R Demura.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Puberty due to ectopic HCG production in a girl with suprasellar ectopic pinealoma associated with panhypopituitarism.

A 13.5-year-old girl who developed puberty due to HCG production by suprasellar ectopic pinealoma was reported. This girl appeared to be in a state of precocious puberty at the age of 5 when ectopic pinealoma was first diagnosed. Her breasts started to develop at 13 years of age in spite of hypopituitarism. Plasma LH was found to increase for several months and gave rise to suspicion of the recurrence of the tumor, which was confirmed by the detection of HCG in plasma and CSF. Precocious puberty or puberty can be a characteristic endocrinological manifestation of an HCG producing tumor not only in boys but also in girls. The measurement of plasma HCG (or LH) can be a useful tumor marker in following the clinical course of an HCG producing tumor.

Adolescent↗

A case of acromegaly associated with Graves' disease. A possible role of endogenous TRH and an effect of bromocriptine on GH and TSH secretion.

A 44-year-old man subjected to Hardy's operation for a treatment of acromegaly developed hyperthyroidism right after surgery. He had a normal thyroid function with a slightly suppressed TSH response to TRH before operation. Sudden onset of hyperthyroidism after surgery and suppressed TSH were compatible with Graves' disease. Hyperthyroidism was effectively treated with propylthiouracil (PTU) with slightly increased basal TSH level and normal response of TSH to TRH. Plasma GH level also increased after he attained euthyroidism, but inappropriate GH response to TRH persisted. It is suggested that increased endogenous TRH stimulated both TSH and GH release, but inappropriate GH response to TRH occurred irrespective of endogenous hypothalamic TRH. Bromocriptine, 5.0 mg/day, suppressed plasma GH level to a normal range with a concomitant suppression of PRL and TSH, both basal levels and responses to TRH.

Acromegaly↗

Endocrine characterization of the adrenal adenomas in a case of primary aldosteronism.

A 48-year-old man with typical clinical and biochemical features of primary aldosteronism was revealed on operation to have two adrenocortical adenomas in the left gland. An ACTH-dependent pattern of aldosterone secretion was demonstrated in terms of the parallel circadian rhythm of aldosterone with cortisol and the exaggerated response to ACTH but not to angiotensin II. Aldosterone and cyclic AMP release in vitro was studied using collagenase-dispersed cells of each adenoma. Not only the large adenoma but the small one showed basal and ACTH-stimulated releases of aldosterone greater than those by the adjacent tissue. In response to angiotensin II and potassium, the small adenoma showed a larger maximum increment of aldosterone than the large adenoma. This difference in endocrine features of the two adenomas suggests a possible transformation in their nature during development. An exaggerated cyclic AMP release by the adenomas in response to ACTH in vitro suggested the possible role of increased adenylate-cyclase activity in the hyperresponse of aldosterone to ACTH in this case.

Adenoma↗

[Carcinoembryonic antigen in serum and the tissue of patients with colon cancer].

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels in the serum and colon tissue were evaluated in 83 patients with colon cancer. The mean concentration of serum CEA increased in parallel with Dukes' stages. CEA concentrations in the cancerous and normal colon overlapped. In the same patient, however, CEA of cancerous colon tissue was always higher than that of normal colon tissue. There was no difference in CEA concentrations in colon cancer between Dukes' A and B. However, in patients with Dukes' C stage, the concentration was higher than in those with Dukes' A and B. The detection of tissue CEA concentration as well as serum CEA is a useful marker for monitoring patients with colon cancer.

Carcinoembryonic Antigen↗

Prolactin directly inhibits basal as well as gonadotropin-stimulated secretion of progesterone and 17 beta-estradiol in the human ovary.

An ovarian perifusion technique was used to determine if there is a direct suppressive effect of PRL on human gonadal steroid secretion. Ovarian tissue from nine patients was examined. Ovine PRL (0.1-10 IU/ml) directly suppressed progesterone and 17 beta-estradiol secretion by human ovaries. hCG (1-10 IU/ml) stimulated both progesterone and 17 beta-estradiol secretion. Simultaneous administration of PRL (5-10 IU/ml) suppressed the stimulatory effect of hCG. The ovarian tissue obtained from a hyperprolactinemic patient did not respond to hCG. These results indicate that PRL inhibits both basal and gonadotropin-stimulated ovarian steroid secretion by human ovaries and that this may be one cause of the hypogonadism associated with hyperprolactinemia.

Adult↗

Placental secretion of prolactin, ACTH and immunoreactive beta-endorphin during pregnancy.

The placental secretion of Prl, ACTH and immunoreactive (IR)-beta-endorphin were examined in early and later pregnancy with a perfusion method and by determining tissue concentrations of these hormones. Prl was secreted mainly from decidual tissue during 5-6 h long perfusions. Tissue concentrations of Prl were also significantly higher in decidual than in trophoblastic tissue. In contrast, the tissue concentrations of hCG, hPL, ACTH and IR-beta-endorphin were significantly higher in decidual than in trophoblastic tissues. In contrast, the tissue concentrations of hCG, hPL, ACTH and IR-beta-endorphin were significantly higher in trophoblastic than in decidual tissues. Production of hCG and hPL was predominantly demonstrated in trophoblastic tissues by the perfusion method but ACTH and IR-beta-endorphin were too low to be detected by perfusion.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

Plasma LH, FSH and TSH responses to the synthetic enkephalin analog (FK 33-824) in normal subjects and patients with pituitary diseases.

D-Ala, Mephe, Met, enkephalin (Sandoz FK 33-824), 1.0 or 0.5 mg, was administered by i.v. infusion to normal subjects, patients with acromegaly and hyperprolactinemia due to pituitary adenoma and patients with pituitary dwarfism. FK 33-824 induced no significant change in plasma level of LH, FSH or TSH in any of the subjects studied. These results suggest a lesser role of opioid regulation in the release of above pituitary hormones compared with that in GH, PRL and cortisol.

Acromegaly↗

[The changes of human plasma ACTH, immunoreactive-beta-endorphin and cortisol during pregnancy, labor and delivery (author's transl)].

Immunoreactive (IR)-beta-endorphin, ACTH and cortisol from the plasma of 88 pregnant women during gestation, and 28 women with spontaneous labor were measured. The concentrations of ACTH, IR-beta-endorphin and cortisol gradually increased during gestation. There were significant correlation between ACTH and IR-beta-endorphin (r = 0.79, p less than 0.0001), as well as between ACTH and cortisol (r = 0.54, p less than 0.0001) during gestation. Maternal ACTH and IR-beta-endorphin concentrations rapidly increased during the course of labor, peaked immediately after delivery at 671.3 +/- 136.1 and 513.9 +/- 85.5 pg/ml, respectively, and then decreased two hours later. There was a highly significant correlation (r = 0.89, p less than 0.0001) between ACTH and IR-beta-endorphin during labor. The levels of cortisol were elevated during labor and showed no difference during labor, or two hours later. However, there was no significant relationship between ACTH and cortisol (r = 0.24) during labor. Chromatographic analysis was performed on the pooled plasma extracts from pregnant women at the various stage of labor. In ACTH analysis, a single peak was seen at the position of native ACTH in each case. All detectable immunoreactivities eluted in two peaks at the position of beta-LPH and beta-endorphin. However, beta-LPH to beta-endorphin ratio was almost the same in each case. These results suggest that 1) ACTH and IR-beta-endorphin are secreted concomitantly, probably by the maternal pituitary gland during gestation as well as in response to the stress of labor; 2) the lack of correlation between ACTH and cortisol is due to the difference in metabolic clearance rate of these hormones during labor; 3) neither peripheral nor intrapituitary conversion of beta-LPH to beta-endorphin is seen during gestation and labor.

Adolescent↗

[The changes of human plasma ACTH and immunoreactive beta-endorphin during spontaneous or oxytocics induced/maintained labor and delivery (author's transl)].

To evaluate the effects of oxytocics on ACTH and Immunoreactive (IR)-beta-endorphin release, concentrations of these hormones in the plasma of 22 women during spontaneous labor, 22 women in labor who had received oxytocin and 19 women in labor who had received PG.F2 alpha at the time of vaginal delivery, were measured. Maternal ACTH and IR-beta-endorphin concentrations were elevated during spontaneous or oxytocics induced/maintained labor and peaked immediately after delivery and decreased two hours later. There were significant correlations between ACTH and IR-beta-endorphin concentrations during spontaneous labor and delivery (r = 0.921, p less than 0.0001), as well as in oxytocin or PG.F2 alpha induced/maintained labor and delivery (r = 0.833, r = 0.916, p less than 0.0001, respectively). The concentrations of ACTH and IR-beta-endorphin during PG-F2 alpha infusion were slightly higher than those seen in the other two types of labor. However, there was no significant difference in the levels of ACTH and IR-beta-endorphin among the three types of labor. Simultaneous maternal and umbilical cord plasma samples were obtained in 25 cases at delivery. However, there was no significant correlation between ACTH or IR-beta-endorphin concentrations in paired samples. These results suggest that 1) IR-beta-endorphin is secreted in parallel with ACTH, into the peripheral blood by the maternal pituitary gland in response to the stress of labor during all types of labor and delivery; 2) there is no significant difference in the response of ACTH and IR-beta-endorphin between spontaneous and oxytocics induced/maintained labor and delivery: 3) ACTH and IR-beta-endorphin in cord blood are not of maternal origin.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗