The role of opioidergic system in controlling gonadotropin secretion in elderly men still remains uncertain. In the present study, we attempted to examine the opioidergic inhibitory tone imposed on GnRH release mechanism in elderly men by monitoring the plasma gonadotropin response to the opiate receptor antagonist naloxone hydrochloride. Six normal young men and 10 elderly men with no endocrinological diseases volunteered for the present study. In young men, plasma LH showed a biphasic increase in response to naloxone and plasma LH level during naloxone treatment was significantly higher than the mean of prenaloxone control levels. In contrast, plasma LH in elderly men was not affected by naloxone. The ratio of the peak plasma LH response during naloxone treatment to the mean pre treatment LH level (plasma peak/basal LH ratio) declined with the advance of age (r = -0.74, P < 0.005) and also correlated significantly with plasma free testosterone level (r = 0.45, P < 0.05). These data suggest (1) that the hypothalamic opioidergic tone is reduced in elderly men and (2) that the primary testicular insufficiency with the advance of age may play a major role in the decline of the hypothalamic opioidergic tone in elderly men.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Kupffer cell targeting by intraportal injection of the HVJ cationic liposome.

The aim of this study was to target Kupffer cells (KCs) selectively and efficiently by the intraportal injection of fusigenic cationic liposomes with hemagglutinating virus of Japan components (HVJ cationic liposomes). Phosphorothioate FITC-oligodeoxynucleotides (FITC-ODNs) encapsulated in either HVJ cationic liposomes, HVJ anionic liposomes or conventional cationic liposomes without HVJ were transferred to the rat. FITC-ODNs in HVJ cationic liposomes administered via portal vein were selectively transfected to KCs for up to 24 h with no apparent cytotoxicity at higher transfection efficiency than FITC-ODNs in conventional cationic liposomes without HVJ administered via portal vein or tail vein. On the other hand, FITC-ODNs in HVJ anionic liposomes were observed mainly in hepatocytes, not KCs. This new method will be useful for the modulation of KCs activity in both basic research and clinical applications.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Restoration of testicular transferrin, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and spermatogenesis by exogenously administered purified FSH and testosterone in medically hypophysectomized rats.

To investigate the relation between testicular transferrin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) secreted by Sertoli cells and the differentiation of germ cells in the rat, testosterone and/or purified FSH was administered to rats medically hypophysectomized by an LH-RH agonist. Spermatogenesis was quantitatively analyzed and concentrations of intratesticular transferrin and IGF-1 were measured by radioimmunoassays. The last step of spermatogenesis was quantitatively restored by combined administration of testosterone and purified FSH. Intratesticular IGF-1 concentrations were significantly increased by combined administration of testosterone and purified FSH. From these observations, it is surmised that IGF-1 may have a stimulatory effect on the last step of spermatogenesis.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prognostic significance of telomeric repeat length alterations in pathological stage I-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer.

This study was performed to evaluate the prognostic significance of alteration in telomere length in pathological stage (p-stage) I-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Paired cancer and normal lung tissues were obtained from 72 patients with histologically confirmed p-stage I-IIIA NSCLC. Terminal restriction fragment (TRF) length, which indicates telomere length, was measured by Southern blot analysis. Tumor telomerase activity was also assayed by non-radioactive PCR-ELISA in 55 patients. TRF length (mean +/- SD) in normal tissue was 6.2 +/- 1.1 Kb. Therefore, upper and lower limits of normal range in TRF length was set at 8.4 (mean + 2SD) Kb and 4.0 (mean-2SD) Kb, respectively. A tumor showing TRF length over normal range was defined as positive for the alteration. In 72 patients, 25 (34.7%) with alteration in TRF length had significantly shorter survival durations than those of the others. Telomerase activity did not correlate with survival duration. In multivariate analysis, alteration in TRF length (P = 0.0033) was second to p-stage (P = 0.0004) in importance among the various parameters.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Telomerase activity in endoscopically visible lung cancer.

To examine the correlation between telomerase activity and clinical features in patients with lung cancer, we examined 86 patients with endoscopically visible lung cancer including 61 with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 25 with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Telomerase activity was detected by using Telomerase ELISA Kit (Böhringer Manheim, Germany). The median and interquartile ranges of telomerase activity in normal lung, NSCLC and SCLC were 65 and 51-75, 106 and 58-349 and 285 and 117-2214, respectively. Normal lung, NSCLC and SCLC had significantly different telomerase activity (p < or = 0.0001). Between NSCLC and SCLC, SCLC exhibited higher telomerase activity than did NSCLC (p=0.0029). A cut-off level of absorbance [A450nm-A690nm] of 86 derived from 90% specificity in normal lung was used; sensitivity for overall lung cancer, NSCLC and SCLC was 62.8%, 54.1% and 84.0%, respectively. There was no significant difference in telomerase activity between each stage in NSCLC (p=0.9243). In SCLC, however, the median and interquartile range of telomerase activity in extensive disease (2128 and 292-2681) was significantly higher than those in limited disease (207 and 97-252) (p=0.0285).

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Changes in the endocrinological milieu after clomiphene citrate treatment for oligozoospermia: the clinical significance of the estradiol/testosterone ratio as a prognostic value.

We have already reported that the rate of increase in the estradiol/testosterone ratio (E2/T ratio) following human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) injection has prognostic value in the treatment of oligozoospermia. It was found that the rate of increase in the E2/T ratio was statistically greater in the therapeutically ineffective cases compared to the therapeutically effective cases. The present study was planned in order to elucidate the relationship between the changes in the endocrinological milieu, especially the change in the E2/T ratio, and the therapeutic efficacy when clomiphene citrate was administered. Thirty-eight oligozoospermic patients were administered 25 mg of clomiphene citrate daily for 3 months. Sixteen of the 38 (42.1%) cases showed improvement of more than 10 x 10(6)/ml in sperm concentration. The rate of increase in the E2/T ratio of the effective cases (0.90 +/- 0.43) during the administration of clomiphene citrate was statistically (P = 0.02) lower than that of the ineffective cases (1.44 +/- 0.80). The rate of increase in the E2/T ratio during clomiphene citrate treatment showed a statistically positive correlation (r = 0.542) with the rate of increase following hCG injection performed before clomiphene citrate treatment. The rate of increase in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in the ineffective cases (2.16 +/- 1.01) was statistically higher than in the effective cases (1.50 +/- 0.43).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Chorionic Gonadotropin↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prognostic significance of CYFRA 21-1 in non-small cell lung cancer.

Between July 1991 and February 1993, CYFRA 21-1 levels of 149 newly diagnosed patients with histologically proven non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at Osaka Prefectural Habikino Hospital were measured with an enzyme immunoassay method developed by Boeringer Mannheim (Enzymun-Test CYFRA 21-1). NSCLC patients with CYFRA 21-1 serum levels over 3.5 ng/ml had a significantly poorer prognosis than did patients with normal CYFRA 21-1 levels (P < 0.001). Univariate analysis revealed that CYFRA 21-1 levels above 3.5 ng/ml, poor PS, advanced stage and serum LDH over 450 U/l strongly correlated with survival period. In multivariate analysis, however, only CYFRA 21-1 was found to be an independent prognostic factor compatible with Stage and PS (P = 0.0040 for CYFRA 21-1, P < 0.001 for PS, P = 0.0052 for Stage).

Adult↗