Steroids and tissue-specific modulation of galanin gene expression in the male rat reproductive system.

Galanin is a neuropeptide widely distributed throughout the vertebrate neural and endocrine system. Galanin can influence pituitary hormone secretion, intestinal motility, and other biological activities. The precise physiological role of galanin is unknown. We studied the control of galanin gene expression in peripheral organs in the male rat using Northern blot and in situ hybridization techniques. In the adrenals and prostate, galanin mRNA was undetectable in the controls and did not change after the administration of dexamethasone (0.0001-10.0 mg/kg, ip) and diethylstilbestrol (0.1 mg/kg, ip). In the testis, thymus, seminal vesicles, medial basal hypothalamus, and colon, galanin message was detectable, but was not influenced by steroids. On the other hand, dexamethasone (0.5-10.0 mg/kg) was very effective in enhancing galanin expression in the vas deferens and epididymis (4- to 7-fold in the vas deferens), with a peak 6-9 h after the treatment. Diethylstilbestrol (0.1 mg/kg) stimulated galanin mRNA transcription only in the vas deferens (2- to 3-fold), with a peak 1-3 h after the treatment. Dihydrotestosterone treatment (0.2-0.4 mg/kg) was ineffective in all tissues examined. In the vas deferens and seminal vesicles, galanin mRNA has been localized at a cellular level by in situ hybridization. In these tissues only fibroblast-like cells contained the message. These data demonstrate that galanin is expressed in the male rat reproductive system and that steroid hormones participate in the control of galanin gene expression in a tissue- and hormone-specific fashion.

Obesity in 10-year-olds: an epidemiologic study.

With a multifactorial pathogenetic model (heredity versus environment, central nervous control, energy balance, morphology of the fat tissue), an attempt was made by this study to assess the relative importance of the various factors to the origin of overweight and obesity in school children. From an original sample of 972 children followed longitudinally from the ages of 7 to 16 years, and with retrospective weight data from the first year of life, 550 were selected for this study at age 10. Information concerning the children's habits (physical activity and appetite), social conditions, and parental heights and weights were obtained from the parents by questionnaire (response rate 94%). The major results of a multiple regression analysis were: (1) clear-cut sex differences; heredity and physical inactivity having the greatest explanatory power for both overweight and obesity at 10 years in girls, whereas appetite and environmental conditions were more prominent predictors in boys; (2) an analysis of the main predictors of the variable "change in relative weight between 7 and 10 years"--a variable with possible implications for preventive school programs--indicated that markedly inactive only children from lower class families are particularly at risk of developing obesity during the first years at school; and (3) in the absence of all the risk factors considered in this study, obesity does not occur; at the other extreme, even a high risk score still implies a 50% chance of escaping the fate of obesity.

Rat prolactin-like protein A partial gene and promoter structure: promoter activity in placental and pituitary cells.

Rat prolactin-like protein A (rPLP-A) is a member of a rapidly expanding family of prolactin-related proteins that are expressed during pregnancy by the rat placenta according to specific developmental patterns. Although the factors involved in the pituitary-specific expression of the prolactin and growth hormone genes themselves have been extensively studied, essentially nothing is known of the factors responsible for the placental expression of these new family members. In this paper we describe the isolation of rPLP-A genomic clones, analyze a portion of the 5' flanking sequence of this gene and use the recently described rat choriocarcinoma cell line, Rcho, in transient transfection studies to show that a 975 base-pair (bp) fragment of 5' flanking sequence is sufficient to specify placental expression of the rPLP-A gene.

Comparison of responses to an asthma symptom questionnaire (ISAAC core questions) completed by adolescents and their parents. SCARPOL-Team. Swiss Study on Childhood Allergy and Respiratory Symptoms with respect to Air Pollution.

The primary objective of the study was to determine the impact of the identity of the respondent (parents versus adolescents) on prevalence estimates of asthma symptoms in Swiss adolescents. In addition, factors influencing agreement between parents' and adolescents' responses to the same questions were analysed. One thousand three hundred and seventy-four (78.4%) adolescents, aged 14 years, self-completed a questionnaire at school based on the International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood (ISAAC) core questions on wheezing and asthma. The same questions were incorporated into a questionnaire to be completed by the parents at home. The adolescents' self-reported prevalence rates of current asthma symptoms and "asthma ever" were significantly higher than those obtained from the parental questionnaires. 856 (62.6%) parental questionnaires were filled in by parents without the help of the adolescents, 460 (37.4%) were completed by parents and adolescents and 51 (3.7%) were completed by the adolescents without the parents. Prevalence rates were higher when parents and adolescents completed the questionnaire jointly than when questionnaires were completed by parents alone. The level of agreement between parental and self-completed questionnaires was moderate to low (kappa coefficients 0.22-0.68). Agreement between parental and adolescents reports of asthma symptoms was best when questionnaires were completed jointly by parents and adolescents, when the adolescent was a girl, when a family history of asthma was recorded, when the adolescent was a non-smoker, and when the parental education was high. We conclude that the higher reporting of prevalence rates of current asthma symptoms by adolescents compared to reporting by their parents demonstrates the need to take the respondent to a questionnaire into account when comparisons are made between prevalence studies. The results also suggest that factors related to the family milieu influence symptom reporting.

Identification of macroprolactin in a patient with asymptomatic hyperprolactinemia as a stable PRL-IgG complex.

We characterize the molecular form of PRL in a female patient with asymptomatic, idiopathic hyperprolactinemia. Size exclusion chromatography revealed that PRL was present exclusively in the form of macroprolactin (> 200 kD mol wt). By immunoaffinity purification, Western blot analysis, and binding studies the molecule was identified as a PRL-IgG complex of extremely high stability. Sequence analysis revealed no mutations in the protein coding region of the hPRL gene using hPRL cDNA amplified from the patient's peripheral blood lymphocytes. In spite of full bioactivity in vitro, as determined by Nb2 bioassay, the complex apparently lacks bioactivity in vivo. Its high molecular weight may reduce its access to target organs in the periphery as well as centrally.

[Prevention of behavior disturbances in small children within the scope of public health care]. / Prävention der Verhaltensstörungen im Kleinkindesalter im Rahmen der öffentlichen Gesundheitspflege.

Four approaches in secondary prevention are described: the personal initiative of the parents, a risk strategy based on social indicators, crisis intervention, and systematic screening. With the exception of the risk strategy, which--at least in a Swiss urban setting--appears to be rather ineffective, these approaches could make a significant contribution, but cannot be considered as sufficient by themselves. Primary prevention in the form of structured group work stimulating the parents to display own activity is an important part in a combined strategy. Some conditions for such a strategy to be successful are mentioned. The necessity of team work and of personal continuity is stressed. Well baby clinics provide the optimal organisational base on which to build the necessary cooperation between professionals of different fields and appropriate lay organisations.

[Preschool screening examinations in medical practice]. / Vorsorgeuntersuchungen im Vorschulalter durch den praktizierenden Arzt.

In most European countries systematic screening programs for infants and preschool children are being introduced or are already established as a routine procedure. The contents and the possible effects of such programs are discussed critically in this paper, which also describes the present state in Switzerland as well as a pilot project initiated by the Bernese Pediatric Association.

[Integration of chronically ill and handicapped children in Sweden]. / Integration chronischkranker und behinderter Schulkinder in Schweden.

A differentiated system is applied in Sweden with individual integration for some children, special classes in normal schools for others and special schools for the rest.

[Age at onset of obesity in children]. / Alter beim Beginn der kindlichen Adipositas

The majority of the obese children among 965 ten-year olds were overweight already at 7 yrs, but had not gained weight excessively during the first year of life. The most critical period therefore is the age between 1 and 7 yrs.

[Nutrition and somatic development of infants in the canton of Berne (with special emphasis on the question of obesity)]. / Ernährung und somatische Entwicklung von Säuglingen im Kanton Bern (mit besonderer Betonung der Frage nach Ubergewicht).

160 babies of 3, 6 or 9 month were investigated in weight, length, subscapular and triceps skinfolds and a history of their nutrition since birth was taken. At the age of three month purely breast-fed babies are significantly lighter and show less weight gain since birth than purely bottle-fed ones. Girls fed on demand are significantly lighter and show thinner subscapular skinfolds than girls fed in fixed intervals. Boys show a similar tendency in weight, but the opposite tendency in skinfolds. The results suggest that feeding on demand supports the natural course of somatic growth of babies. The frequency of feeding on demand and the source of information about baby-foods vary greatly with social class.

[Preventive parent training: results in the cognitive area]. / Präventives Elterntraining: Ergebnisse im kognitiven Bereich.

In an intervention study, parents were offered courses on interpersonal interaction and child education. The evaluation procedures are briefly described and results concerning two types of course contents (knowledge of definition of a technical term; familiarity with an educational concept) are presented. It appears that after 45 months, knowledge transmitted in the course is still present, although with a loss of differentiation, depending on practical relevance of the course materials.

[Registration and care for multi-handicapped children in the canton of Bern]. / Erfassung und Betreuung der mehrfach behinderten Kinder im Kanton Bern.

In spite of their greatly increased needs, multi-handicapped children as a group are not assessed earlier nor are they at a disadvantage in terms of quality of care if compared with other categories of handicapped. The group is not homogenous, however. Every subgroup has to be studied separately in planning strengthened services.

[Cooperation between school physicians and teachers]. / Die Zusammenarbeit zwischen Schulärzten und Lehrerschaft

Out of a comprehensive study of school health service in the German speaking region of the Canton of Berne, details are given concerning the cooperation between school doctors and teachers. Considerable gaps were detected and possible ways for improvement are proposed.

[Arguments and basic principles for continuous monitoring of social differences in the health of Swiss children]. / Argumente und Grundlagen für eine kontinuierliche Erfassung sozialer Unterschiede in der Gesundheit der Schweizer Kinder.

On the basis of the thesis that social inequality has increased during the nineties in all western societies, and that this development is a reason for considerable concern with respect to public health, the authors propose the establishment of a long term monitoring system within the Swiss school health services. A re-analysis of the data obtained in a Swiss epidemiological study of seven-year-olds in the eighties demonstrates that social class was an important determinant of health and development of these children also during a period of economic boom. For various health and developmental problems odds-ratios (lower class vs. upper class) between 1.7 and 6.4 were found. Social class of the parents is considered as a reliable indicator of the socio-economic situation of children also for future long term observations. The number of significant somatic health problems as well as disorders of motor and speech development of six- or seven-year-olds are proposed as indicators of health status which can be assessed repeatedly at reasonable cost and with standardised methodology. This project could be started rather easily within the newly established Swiss "Health Observatory".

[Health education through the teacher: recent development in the canton of Berne]. / Gesundheitserziehung durch den Lehrer: Neue Entwicklungen im Kanton Bern.

In the Canton of Berne, two working groups are currently developing a concept of school health education, in which the individual teacher assumes the principal role. In terms of documentation and availability of teaching aids, he is assisted by three addiction information centers, as well as other health institutions. Teaching goals are being formulated, socio-cultural conditions are being considered, and based on these, age specific lesson plans and exercises are being developed. On the other hand, the opportunity of a general reform of teacher training is being taken advantage of, in order to define main ideas, teaching goals and instructional contents for teacher training in human biology and health. The aim of teacher training in health education is twofold: on the one hand, it is to prepare the future teacher to include health education in his teaching skills; on the other hand, it is to enable the teacher to act appropriately, when faced with diseased or disabled pupils. The latter point becomes particularly important, as disabled children are being integrated into normal classes.

Growing up in Uppsala: the "new morbidity" in the adolescent period. A longitudinal epidemiological study based on school data and some external sources.

The study comprised all 1805 children, most born in 1967, who were in grade 9 of the compulsory school in Uppsala in the spring of 1983 (cross-sectional population) and all 1723 children born in 1967 and resident in Uppsala at ages 10 and 15 years (longitudinal population). The aims were (1) to describe and analyse a normal population of 9th graders in social, medical, educational and psychological respects, (2) to assess relationships between risk level at 10 years, school-identified difficulties at 15 years and psychosocial problems up to age 18, (3) to assess relationships between intervention in school at 15 years and psychosocial problems up to 18 years. Ten-year data had been collected through teacher interviews and analysis of school health records in grade 3. Fifteen-year data were collected through interviews with school health staff and analysis of school health records in grade 9. School marks were gathered at the end of grade 9. Psychosocial problems up to 18 years were assessed on the basis of all registered contacts with official institutions outside school (authorities for care of the handicapped, Department of Child Psychiatry, social agencies, legal authorities). CROSS-SECTIONAL POPULATION. Children older than the grade norm and children of lower social class manifested a more problematic school adjustment and had lower mean marks than younger children and those of higher social classes. Twenty-five per cent of the population had entries in official registers up to age 18, indicating psychosocial problems. Social conditions were related both to the learning process and to psychological health. Educational and psychological problems were mutually correlated. Social problems increased the risk of a number of medical conditions. There were certain relationships between medical and educational problems as well as between medical and psychological problems. LONGITUDINAL POPULATION. Both 10- and 15-year data, particularly the latter, contributed independently to the prediction of psychosocial problems up to age 18. There was a considerably increased risk of psychosocial problems if there had been numerous school difficulties at age 15. Children who had been offered intervention in school at 15 years did not escape psychosocial problems up to 18 years more frequently than children without interventions. In fact, the contrary was the case: with more interventions, the frequencies of psychosocial problems up to age 18 increased.