Immobilization-induced hypercalcemia and regional osteoporosis

Immobilization hypercalcemia accompanied by unusual hormonal and bony changes complicated the Guillain-Barre syndrome in a 21-year-old woman. Metaphyseal rarefaction appeared in many sites and was severe in the lower limbs. A bone scan showed increased uptake of Tc methylene diphosphonate at these sites and throughout the axial skeleton. The literature on experimental metaphyseal rarefaction suggests that osteoclastic resorption and enhanced regional blood flow are associated with immobilization. Suppression of this osteoclastic component of the increased bone turnover, especially if it is widespread, was the rationale for treatment with calcitonin (CT). The patient also became amenorrheic, with low plasma gonadotropin and estrogen levels. Estrogen therapy coincided with a return of plasma calcium to normal

The angiotensinogen gene is located on mouse chromosome 8

AbstractWe have recently identified a cis-acting genetic lesion affecting angiotensinogen gene expression in testis and salivary gland. Accordingly, the angiotensinogen gene was assigned to mouse chromosome 8 by screening a series of hybrid cell lines for retention of mouse angiotensinogen sequences by genomic Southern analysis. In AKXD recombinant inbred mice, the angiotensinogen gene is 2.4 ± 1.8 centiMorgan from Rn7S-8, a 7S RNA gene located on chromosome 8 (Taylor, B.A., personal communication). However, the segregation of salivary and testicular angiotensinogen expression phenotypes into inbred mouse strains was not concordant with the known chromosome 8 proviruses Emv-2, Mtv-21, Xmv-12 or Xmv-26