17 Beta-estradiol-stimulated nitric oxide production by neutrophils: effect on platelet activation.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of 17beta-estradiol (E2) on the ability of human neutrophils to produce nitric oxide (NO) and its effects on platelet activation. METHODS: The expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) protein and the formation of NO by 17beta-E2-incubated neutrophils from men were studied in vitro (ten male volunteers, no medical-surgical antecedents, aged 25-45 years). Platelet aggregometry and changes in cyclic guanosine monophospate (cGMP) levels were used to bioassay the functionality of NO released from neutrophils. RESULTS: Incubation of neutrophils derived from men with physiologic concentrations of 17beta-E2 (10(-10) to 10(-8) mol/L) enhanced the expression of nNOS protein. 17Beta-E2-incubated neutrophils also showed a significant increase in their ability to generate NO measured by the conversion of [3H]-L-arginine to [3H]-L-citrulline. Furthermore, 17beta-E2-incubated neutrophils showed a greater ability to prevent adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced platelet activation. Moreover, increased levels of cGMP were found in the coincubation of platelets with 17beta-E2-treated neutrophils. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that 17beta-E2 increases the ability of human neutrophils to produce NO and therefore may contribute to cardiovascular disease protection.

Congenital aneurysm of the muscular interventricular septum.

Cardiac aneurysms are rare in the paediatric age group, and are classified as congenital when the aetiology cannot be demonstrated. We report a 1-year-old patient with a congenital aneurysm of the muscular interventricular septum. Ventricular septal aneurysmectomy was performed successfully.

[Cataracts and atopic dermatitis in children. A study of 68 patients]. / Cataratas y dermatitis atópica en niños. Estudio de 68 pacientes.

We choose 68 children with diagnosis of atopic dermatitis according to Hanifin's criteria, then they were sent to ophthalmologic exploration and were investigated other clinical data that could be related with ocular disturbances. The positive result for cataracts was found in three patients (4.4%) all of them females, 11, 12 and 18 years old respectively, with around 9 years of the onset of the disease. They were considered as severe according to the same criteria, all of them had familiar history of atopic diseases and tendency to generalize and to present eczematous phase in any moment of the evolution. These findings are similar to those reported by other authors and we remark the importance of recognizing risk factors in patients with this dermatosis to send opportunely to a periodic ophthalmologic evaluation.