Effect of naltrexone treatment on the treadmill exercise-induced hormone release in amenorrheic women.

The effect of an acute physical stress on hormone secretions before and after a 10-day naltrexone treatment in untrained healthy and amenorrheic women was investigated. Plasma levels of pituitary (LH, FSH, prolactin, GH, ACTH, beta-endorphin) and adrenal (cortisol, androstenedione, testosterone) hormones were measured at rest and in response to 60 min of physical exercise. The test was done both before and after a 10-day naltrexone (50 mg/day) treatment. Graded levels of treadmill exercise (50, 70 and 90% of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2) every 20 min) was used as physical stressor. While mean +/- SE plasma LH levels in control women were higher than in amenorrheic patients and increased following the naltrexone treatment (p < 0.01), no significant differences of basal plasma hormonal levels were observed between amenorrheic and eumenorrheic women, both before and after naltrexone treatment. Physical exercise at 90% VO2 induced a significant increase in plasma GH, ACTH, beta-endorphin, cortisol, androstenedione and testosterone levels in controls before naltrexone treatment (p < 0.01). The mean increase in plasma androstenedione and testosterone levels in control women was significantly higher after naltrexone treatment (p < 0.01). In amenorrheic patients before naltrexone, physical exercise induced an increase in plasma prolactin and GH levels, but not in plasma ACTH, beta-endorphin, cortisol, testosterone and androstenedione. After naltrexone treatment, the exercise induced a significant plasma ACTH, beta-endorphin and cortisol levels, while the increase of plasma prolactin levels was significantly higher than before treatment (p < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Spontaneous release of interleukin-I and interleukin-6 by peripheral blood mononuclear cells after oophorectomy.

1. We studied the changes in interleukin-1 and interleukin-6 secretion by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 12 premenopausal women after oophorectomy and seven premenopausal women who had undergone simple hysterectomy. 2. The results showed that 1 month after surgery interleukin-1 secretion increased by 414 +/- 171% (mean +/- SEM) and interleukin-6 secretion increased by 1354 +/- 481% in oophorectomized women, whereas only non-significant fluctuations in the secretion of both cytokines (-9% +/- 29% for interleukin-1 and -31% +/- 19% for interleukin-6) were seen in the women who had undergone simple hysterectomy. The difference between the two groups was significant (P = 0.035 for interleukin-1 and P = 0.003 for interleukin-6). In addition, oophorectomy, but not simple hysterectomy, was followed by significant increases in plasma ionized calcium concentration (P < 0.05), plasma alkaline phosphatase activity (P < 0.01) and plasma osteocalcin concentration (P < 0.02), and a reduction in plasma parathyroid hormone level (P < 0.01). 3. We conclude that ovary ablation may modify cytokine secretion by peripheral blood mononuclear cells. If this phenomenon occurs in the bone microenvironment, it could be important in the loss of bone observed after oophorectomy. However, the possibility of an independent alteration induced by the lack of gonadal hormones but unrelated to bone turnover cannot be excluded.

Postpartum thyroid dysfunction in an Italian population residing in an area of mild iodine deficiency.

We have evaluated the occurrence of postpartum thyroid dysfunction (PPTD) in a group of 372 women residing in area of mild iodine deficiency. Thyroid function and autoimmune status were evaluated by means serum T4, T3, TSH measurement and detecting the presence of positive antithyroglobulin antibodies (AbTg), antimicrosomal antibodies (AbM) and thyroid-peroxidase antibodies (AbTPO) titers in women at parturition, at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months postpartum. New onset transient hypothyroidism occurred in 6.4% of women whereas transient thyrotoxicosis in only 1.8% of women. Transient hypothyroidism was not preceded by thyrotoxicosis as indicated by thyroid function tests and serum Tg concentrations. At parturition, the positivity of AbM and AbTPO titers and the presence of goiter appeared to be a risk factors for the development of PPTD.

Effects of ovariectomy on blood and plasma viscosity, fibrinogen and whole blood filterability.

Blood and plasma viscosity, fibrinogen concentrations and whole blood filterability (VB) were evaluated before surgery and 7 and 30 days postoperatively in 2 groups of subjects, one of which comprised 10 hysterectomized women and the other 14 women who had undergone both hysterectomy and ovariectomy. Oestrogens and various metabolic haematological parameters were measured and correlated with the haemorrheological data. By day 7 after surgery fibrinogen concentrations and plasma viscosity had increased, while VB had decreased. Plasma viscosity and fibrinogen levels correlated negatively with VB in the non-ovariectomized women. Three weeks later almost complete normalization of all parameters was observed in all of the subjects, except for the persistence of low oestrogen concentrations and a further decrease in VB values in the ovariectomized patients, these parameters showing a positive correlation. This study demonstrates that haemorrheological alterations occur after hysterectomy (with or without ovariectomy) in the early post-operative period. The striking decrease in VB values and its correlation with the oestrogen concentrations observed 1 mth after ovariectomy suggest that the fall in oestrogen levels might be responsible for the decrease in whole blood filterability.

Different reactivities of free and bound amino groups in deoxy-and liganded haemoglobin.

The technique of competitive double-labelling [H. Kaplan, K.J. Stevenson & B.S. Hartley, (1971) Biochem. J. 124, 289-299; L.P. Visentin & H. Kaplan (1975) Biochemistry 14, 463-468] was used to determine the reactivity of some amino groups towards acetic anhydride in deoxy-and liganded haemoglobin. Only those amino groups known to form salt bridges in deoxy-but not in liganded haemoglobin (i.e. the alpha-amino group of valine-1 alpha and the xi-amino group of lysine-40 alpha and lysine-127 alpha [M. F. Perutz (1970) Nature (London) 228, 726-739]) and different reactivities in the two structures.

The binding of CO2 to human hemoglobin.

CO2-dissociation curves of concentrated human deoxy- and carbonmonoxyhemoglobin at 37 degrees, pH 7.6 to 7.0, PCO2 equal to 10 to 160 mm Hg, have been obtained by a rapid mixing and ion exchange technique. The CO2-dissociation curves for deoxyhemogloblin can only be fitted by assuming two classes of binding sites for carbon dioxide. The simplest way to account for the experimental data is to assume that the alpha-amino groups of the alpha and beta chains react with carbon dioxide with affinities that differ by at least a factor of 3. No difference in reactivity with CO2 was found among the four terminal alpha-amino groups of carbonmonoxyhemoglobin.