Effect of beta-endorphin and naloxone on rat testicular steroidogenesis.

With a view to examine the possibility of a direct role of opioids in the regulation of testicular steroidogenesis, the following in vivo and in vitro experiments were conducted in male rats of different age groups. Intratesticular (i.t.) injections of beta-endorphin (beta-EP) and its antagonist naloxone (nal) were given bilaterally to adult (80-100 days), peripubertal (40 days) and juvenile (20 days) rats and blood was collected at different time intervals up to 90 min and assayed for testosterone (T). beta-EP suppressed T levels in all age groups of rats while naloxone stimulated T secretion only in adult rats. In another experiment, adult rats were also injected with 60 IU of hCG (sc) after 30 min. of beta-EP/nal treatment. Naloxone induced a greater rise in T in the presence of hCG while beta-EP blocked the hCG induced rise in testosterone. In the in vitro sets of experiments, isolated interstitial cells from testes of adult, 40 and 20 days old rats were incubated for 4 hr with hCG (25 IU), beta-EP (0.5ng) and nal (5.0ng) alone or in combinations. Naloxone alone was ineffective although it significantly enhanced hCG stimulated T release. beta-EP decreased both basal and hCG stimulated T release. Based on these results we postulate that opioids may influence steroidogenesis possibly by altering the response of interstitial cells to LH.

Participación de hormonas y factores reguladores de la implantación y el desarrollo de la unidad fetoplacentaria / Hormonal participation and regulating factors of implantation and the fetoplacentary unity development

Si bien el embrión tiene un programa genético de su propio desarrollo, para que se lleven a cabo el desarrollo y diferenciación embrionaria, así como la gestación normal, deben establecerse una serie de interacciones coordinadas entre el concepto y la madre, las cuales son mediadas por mensajeros químicos mediante mecanismo autocrinos, paracrinos y endocrinos. En el presente trabajo se analiza la participación de hormonas y factores réguladores de la implantación y el desarrollo de la unidad feto-placentaria

Clinical and hormonal response to laparoscopic ovarian cautery in polycystic ovary syndrome

This study was proposed to evaluate the clinical and hormonal response to laparoscopic ovarian cautery in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome [PCOS]. Seven infertile women with positive criteria of PCOS who consistently failed to ovulate with clomiphene citrate [CC] and human chorionic gonadotropin [hCG] were the subjects of this study. Laparoscopic ovarian cautery was performed with the use of a three puncture techniques. Eight to ten cautery points 3 - 4 mm in diameter were created in each ovary. Serum levels of luteinizing hormone [LH], follicle stimulating hormone [FSH], estrone [E1], estradiol [E2], androstenedione [A] and testosterone [T] were estimated before the operation, 4 days after the operation and 6 weeks after the operation. All patients were evaluated clinically for up to 18 months. The results showed significant reduction of A and T [P < 0.01], LH and E1 [P < 0.05] levels 4 days after the operation and 6 weeks after the operation. The level of E2 and FSH did not change significantly. Six of the seven patients [85.7%] ovulated and menses occurred 17 to 36 days after the operation. Five continued to have regular menses and all of these women became pregnant [71.4%]. One patient [14.3%] ovulated only once after operation and then became amenorrheic but she responded to CC 50 mg and is ovulating regularly on this dosage. One patient [14.3%] did not respond and was treated with human menopausal gonadotropins. So, it is concluded that laparoscopic ovarian cautery holds promise for infertile women with PCOS who experience failure of initial medical therapy