Individual 17-Hydroxyprogesterone Responses to hCG Are Not Correlated With Follicle Size in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Context:In women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) responses to gonadotropin stimulation vary from increased to indistinguishable compared with normal controls. Objective:To determine whether 17-OHP responses to recombinant-human chorionic gonadotropin (r-hCG) are individually correlated to the size of antral follicles among women with PCOS. Design Setting and Participants:A prospective study conducted in 19 women with PCOS and 20 normal controls at an academic medical center. Interventions:Blood samples were obtained before and 24 hours after administration of 25 μg of r-hCG. Ovarian imaging was conducted with three-dimensional pelvic ultrasonography. Each subject underwent a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test. Main Outcome Measures:Basal and stimulated levels of 17-OHP, androgens, estradiol, progesterone, anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), insulin, glucose, follicle number, and size. Results:In women with PCOS, mean antral follicle count (AFC) was greater than that of controls, although the size of cohort follicles within individual subjects was not correlated to 17-OHP responses. The numbers of 2- to 3-mm and 3- to 4-mm follicles in PCOS were significantly greater than in controls, whereas differences between larger follicles were not observed. Increased AMH in PCOS was correlated to AFC, but not 17-OHP responses. Insulin sensitivity did not correlate to r-hCG‒stimulated 17-OHP after adjustment for body mass index. Conclusions:17-OHP responses to hCG in individuals with PCOS were not correlated to the distribution of antral follicles. Greater numbers of small antral follicles in women with PCOS than in controls suggest an extension of accelerated growth from the preantral stage

Amorphous VOx_x films with high temperature coefficient of the resistivity grown by reactive e-beam evaporation of V metal

Amorphous VO$_x$ films without a hysteretic phase transition are stable with respect to thermal cycling and highly demanded as sensitive elements of the resistive thermometers and microbolometers. In this paper we present simple and low-temperature growth of amorphous vanadium oxide films by reactive electron beam evaporation of vanadium metal in $\sim 10^{-4}$ mBar oxygen atmosphere. The temperature coefficient of the resistivity (TCR) of the films is weakly sensitive to substrate material and temperature and could be tuned by oxygen pressure in the growth chamber up to -2.2\% /K. The resistivity value is stable for months. It depends on the substrate material and substrate temperature during the evaporation. Simplicity and controllability of the method should lead to various laboratory and industrial applications

Volume de madeira e ganho genético de progênies de grevílea (Grevíllea robusta Cunn.) de segunda geração na região de Londrina, Paraná.

Em 1993, a Embrapa Florestas importou da Austrália sementes de 20 procedências de grevílea e, em 1994, importou sementes de 126 progênies oriundas de 23 procedências daquele país. Com o material, foi desenvolvido um programa de melhoramento em regiões dos Estados do Paraná, São Paulo e Mato Grosso do Sul. A área experimental total da Embrapa é de 27,13 ha, sendo que, em 1993, foram implantados os testes de procedências com 11,22 ha e, em 1994, os testes de progênies com 15,91 ha. Em 1994, no Município de Presidente Castelo Branco, PR, foi implantado um teste combinado de procedência/progênie com 104 progênies de 20 procedências. Em 2001, foram selecionados os melhores indivíduos e a área foi transformada em Área de Produção de Semente – APS. Em 2002, foram selecionadas 37 matrizes desta área e, após produção de mudas, instalou-se em junho do mesmo ano, no Município de Londrina, PR, teste de segunda geração. O teste foi instalado em blocos ao acaso, com parcelas lineares de cinco plantas, no espaçamento de 3 m x 3 m, com oito repetições. As avaliações constaram de medições da altura total e DAP (diâmetro na altura do peito) no terceiro ano. A altura foi mensurada com régua telescópica, e o DAP com suta. Com a obtenção dessas variáveis, calculou-se o volume cilíndrico de madeira com casca das plantas mensuradas. A estimação dos componentes de variância e parâmetros genéticos foi feita pelo modelo 1 do SELEGEN – REML / BLUP para fins de seleção. Duas conclusões foram obtidas neste trabalho: 1 - Na transformação do experimento em Área de Produção de Sementes (APS), ganho genético superior a 55% podem ser obtidos pelo desbaste, utilizando 266 indivíduos que correspondem a aproximadamente 18% do total testado, em relação à média do experimento; 2 - No caso de formação de um pomar de sementes clonal através da seleção dos 50 melhores indivíduos, o ganho genético seria superior a 120%. A instalação de um pomar clonal a partir dos indivíduos selecionados proporcionaria maior produção de pólen e de sementes pela melhor distribuição espacial dos clones, o que não aconteceria numa APS oriunda de progênies instaladas no delineamento de blocos ao acaso

Клинический опыт ведения кризов у больных миастенией в Амурской области

Background. Management of the myasthenic crisis remains one of the issues in clinical neurology.Objective. Analysis of the timeframes of the myasthenic exacerbation since the disease onset, sex distribution, age predominance, specific clinical features, precipitating factors in order to investigate the efficacy of the management algorithm of the myasthenic crisis.Materials and methods. Medical histories of 33 female and 19 male patients with myasthenia for the period of 2000 to 2003 were analyzed.Results. In comparison with the literature data the number of mysthenic crisis in myasthenic patients was lower and did not exceed 25 %. Sex distribution 1,2 (male): 1 (female). In 70 % worsening of myasthenia appeared in the first two years of the disease: in 6 patients (46.2 %) at the age of 22–35 y. o.; in 5 patients (38.5 %) – at the age of 36–60 y. o. All patients suffered from generalized myasthenia, in three of them ocular and bulbar muscle weakness predominated. In 46.2 % of patients with crisis, thymus abnormalities were present (thymoma / hyperplasia). The most common precipitating factors were: infection (36.9 %), stress (26.3 %), misuse of the anticholinesterase drugs (15.8 %). In 5.2 % the worsening of myasthenia followed the delivery. The crisis triggering factor was not identified in 15.8 % of cases.Conclusion. In order to prevent the exacerbation of myasthenia, generalized forms of myasthenia with poor response to anticholinesterase drugs require special attention towards patients in their first two years of the disease, including patient’s educational program on appropriate mode of drug administration and avoiding initiating factors, as well as thymectomy.Введение. Ведение кризовых состояний у больных миастенией является одной из насущных проблем клинической неврологии.Цель работы – уточнение сроков развития кризов от дебюта заболевания, соотношения полов, возрастного распределения, особенностей эволюции симптоматики и провоцирующих факторов в рамках исследования эффективности алгоритма ведения криза.Материалы и методы. Были проанализированы истории болезней 52 пациентов с миастенией (33 женщин и 19 мужчин) в пе риод с 2000 по 2013 г.Результаты. Доля кризового течения составила 25 %, что относительно ниже, чем по данным других исследований. Соотношение мужчин и женщин 1,2:1,0. В 70 % случаев кризовые состояния возникали в первые 2 года заболевания: у 6 (46,2 %) больных в возрасте 22–35 лет, у 5 (38,5 %) – 36–60 лет. Все больные с кризовым течением имели генерализованную форму миастении, у 3 пациентов преобладал краниобульбарный паттерн распределения мышечной слабости. У 46,2 % больных с кризовым течением выявлены изменения вилочковой железы (тимома/гиперплазия). Чаще всего кризовые состояния развивались на фоне острых инфекционных заболеваний (36,9 %), стрессовых ситуаций (26,3 %), а также вследствие нарушения режима приема антихолинэстеразных препаратов (15,8 %). В 5,2 % случаев криз развился после родов. У 15,8 % пациентов выявить провоцирующий фактор развития криза не представлялось возможным.Заключение. Профилактические мероприятия по предотвращению миастенических кризов у больных с генерализованной формой и недостаточной реакцией на антихолинэстеразные препараты должны проводиться с особенной тщательностью в первые 2 года заболевания и включать разъяснительную работу с пациентами по режиму дозирования препаратов и избеганию провоцирующих факторов, своевременное оперативное лечение при соответствующих изменениях вилочковой железы

Resveratrol Is Not as Effective as Physical Exercise for Improving Reproductive and Metabolic Functions in Rats with Dihydrotestosterone-Induced Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a reproductive and metabolic disorder associated with obesity and insulin resistance that often precedes the development of type-2 diabetes. Rats continuously exposed to dihydrotestosterone from prepuberty display typical reproductive and metabolic PCOS characteristics including anovulation, polycystic ovaries, insulin resistance, and obesity. Our aim was to investigate if resveratrol improves reproductive and metabolic functions in PCOS rats. The effect was compared to exercise. Control and PCOS rats were treated with vehicle or resveratrol (400 mg · kg−1 · day−1) for 5-6 weeks. Another group of PCOS rats received vehicle treatment and exercised for 5-6 weeks. Insulin sensitivity was determined by euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp. The glucose infusion rate was lower in the PCOS-vehicle group compared to control-vehicle rats (P<0.05). Exercise increased insulin sensitivity compared with PCOS-vehicle rats (P<0.05), but resveratrol did not. Resveratrol treatment and exercise resulted in smaller adipocytes, upregulated estrogen-related receptor α gene expression in subcutaneous fat, and improved estrus cyclicity in the previously acyclic PCOS rats. Although resveratrol had positive effects on adiposity and cyclicity in a similar manner to exercise, resveratrol does not seem to be a good candidate for treating insulin resistance associated with PCOS because no improvement in insulin sensitivity was observed in PCOS rats on normal chow

Inhibin removes the inhibitory effects of activin on steroid enzyme expression and androgen production by normal ovarian thecal cells

Activin and inhibin are important local modulators of theca cell steroidogenesis in the ovary. Using a serum-free primary theca cell culture system, this study investigated the effects of inhibin on theca cell androgen production and expression of steroidogenic enzymes. Androstenedione secretion from theca cells cultured in media containing activin, inhibin and follistatin was assessed by RIA over 144 h. Activin (1–100 ng/ml) suppressed androstenedione production. Inhibin (1–100 ng/ml) blocked the suppressive effects of added activin, but increased androstenedione production when added alone, suggesting it was blocking endogenous activin produced by theca cells. Addition of SB-431542 (activin receptor inhibitor) and follistatin (500 ng/ml) increased androstenedione production, supporting this concept. Infection of theca cells with adenoviruses expressing inhibitory Smad6 or 7 increased androstenedione secretion, confirming that the suppressive effects of activin required activation of the Smad2/3 pathway. Activin decreased the expression levels of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (STAR), whereas STAR expression was increased by inhibin and SB-431542, alone and in combination. CYP11A was unaffected. The expression of CYP17 encoding 17α-hydroxylase was unaffected by activin but increased by inhibin and SB-431542, and when added in combination the effect was further enhanced. The expression of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) was significantly decreased by activin, while inhibin alone and in combination with SB-431542 both potently increased the expression of 3β-HSD. In conclusion, activin suppressed theca cell androstenedione production by decreasing the expression of STAR and 3β-HSD. Inhibin and other blockers of activin action reversed this effect, supporting the concept that endogenous thecal activin modulates androgen production in theca cells