Oxytocin, vasopressin and neurophysins in the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system of the human fetus.

The content of vasopressin, oxytocin and their related neurophysins was measured in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland of mid-trimester human fetuses. Vasopressin was present in both tissues approximately 3-4 weeks before oxytocin. The levels of the hormones in the pituitary gland increased 1000-fold over the next 3-4 months. During this time, the very high vasopressin/oxytocin ratio gradually deceased but did not reach unity in the period studied. In contrast, both the vasopressin-associated neurophysin and the oxytocin-associated neurophysin appeared in the pituitary gland at the same gestational age and showed the same exponential increase with fetal age. Lower levels of the neurophysins and the nonapeptides were found in the hypothalamus and the levels increased more slowly with fetal age. Our results suggest that the high vasopressin/oxytocin ratios observed in fetal life are due to differences in the rate of maturation of the hormone precursor, rather than to differences in the rate of de-novo synthesis.

Identification of oxytocin and vasopressin in the testis and in adrenal tissue.

Oxytocin, vasopressin and neurophysin-like immunoreactivity have been identified and measured by radioimmunoassay in extracts of human and rat testis and human fetal adrenal tissue. The authenticity of these polypeptides has been confirmed by their behaviour on high performance liquid chromatography. The concentrations of the hormone were too great to be explained by known circulating levels of the polypeptides, and their presence in steroid secreting organs suggests a possible role for them in steroidogenesis. The peptides may be taken up and concentrated by the tissues but the co-localisation of neurophysins with the hormones points towards local synthesis.

Stimulation of multiple follicular growth for in vitro fertilization by administration of pulsatile luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone during the midfollicular phase.

Pulsatile subcutaneous administration of LH-RH (14.4 micrograms/pulse/90 minutes) during the midfollicular phase (days 7 to 11) of the cycle induced significant increases in circulating LH, FSH, and E2 in all eight women treated. When CC (150 mg/day on days 2 to 6) was administered prior to the LH-RH, multiple follicular development occurred, five to seven mature follicles (greater than 16 mm) being found on day 12 of the cycle. The administration of pulsatile LH-RH in this manner may prove to be an additional regimen for use in IVF programs.

Assessment of the relevance of zona pellucida antibodies in serum and cervical mucus in patients who have fertilization failure during in vitro fertilization.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether antibodies to the zona pellucida can cause fertilization failure during in vitro fertilization (IVF). DESIGN: Two methods for detecting zona pellucida antibodies were used to assess 20 women undergoing IVF. Nine patients had failed fertilization during the treatment cycle. SETTING: Academic IVF department of a teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Infertile patients previously assessed as requiring IVF. INTERVENTIONS: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue to achieve pituitary down regulation and human menopausal gonadotropin for superovulation. Transvaginal ultrasound directed oocyte recovery. Cervical mucus and serum samples were obtained. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The presence of antizona pellucida antibodies in serum or cervical mucus in relation to fertilization. RESULTS: Seven of 20 patients had antizona antibodies in serum and 7 of 20 patients had antibodies in mucus. Only 1 patient had antibodies in both samples. No correlation between the presence of antibodies in either sample and failure of fertilization was found. CONCLUSION: Detection of antizona pellucida antibodies by the methods described have no role in the prediction of IVF.

Endocrinologic and clinical evaluation following a single administration of a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist (Zoladex), in a depot formulation, to premenopausal women.

A single 3.6-mg Zoladex subcutaneous depot injection was effective in suppressing the pituitary-ovarian function for about 5 weeks in nine regularly menstruating, premenopausal volunteers. Menses returned approximately 9 weeks after the injection. Zoladex depot is a novel approach in the administration of GnRH agonists and offers great therapeutic potential.

A randomized comparative study of purified follicle stimulating hormone and human menopausal gonadotropin after pituitary desensitization with Buserelin for superovulation and in vitro fertilization.

Twenty patients entered a randomized, crossover study of purified follicle-stimulating hormone (pure-FSH) or human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) superovulation, 2 ampules per day after pituitary desensitization with the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) analogue Buserelin (D-Ser tBu6 LH-RH 1-9 ethylamide) nasal spray. There were no cycles cancelled. Six patients conceived (five on pure-FSH, one on hMG). There were 24.2 +/- 2.5 (mean +/- standard error of the mean [SEM]) ampules of pure-FSH and 24.3 +/- 3.6 ampules of hMG stimulation required. There were similar numbers of preoperation follicles: 6.9 +/- 1.0 on hMG and 6.6 +/- 1.1 on pure-FSH, of oocytes collected; 8.5 +/- 1.4 on hMG and 5.8 +/- 1.4 on pure-FSH, and of pre-embryos achieved; 5.1 +/- 0.9 on hMG and 3.4 +/- 1.0 on pure-FSH; on either treatment. The fertilization rate on hMG was 60% and on pure-FSH was 55%. Pre-embryo transfer rates were 3.2 +/- 0.3 in the hMG group and 2.7 +/- 0.4 in the pure-FSH group. There were no differences in serum FSH, LH, estradiol, or progesterone levels between the hMG and pure-FSH groups. Mean +/- SEM luteal phase length was 10.6 +/- 0.4 days in the nonpregnant cycles.

CA 125 levels in endometriosis patients before, during and after treatment with danazol or LHRH agonists.

The levels of CA 125 in the serum of 54 patients with endometriosis were measured before, during and after treatment with Danazol or LHRH analogues. Patients with minimal and mild endometriosis had mean pre-treatment values significantly higher than control subjects in the luteal phase of the cycle or postmenopausal women (p less than 0.05), but levels were within the overall control range. In contrast, 78.6% of patients with moderate or severe endometriosis had levels in excess of 30 mu/ml and the mean values for these groups were significantly elevated (p less than 0.005). Levels of CA 125 fell, to those found in normal controls, during treatment, but rose again following cessation of treatment. Six of 12 subjects whose follow-up values of CA 125 exceeded 30 U/ml had a proven recurrence of endometriosis, whilst only 2 of 31 patients with values less than 30 U/ml had laparoscopically proven recurrence.

The forest retreat of orpul: a holistic system of health care practiced by the Maasai tribe of East Africa.

The orpul healing retreat practiced by the Maasai of East Africa, in which decoctions of medicinal plants are taken with large quantities of meat, provides an example of a holistic indigenous system of primary health care. Most of the plants utilized in orpul medicines by the Maasai of Eluwaii, northern Tanzania, have already been empirically demonstrated to possess pharmacologic activities in vitro and/or in vivo. In addition, the songs, meditation, and prayers that form part of the orpul experience are likely to contribute significantly to recovery, particularly in the case of psychosomatic and stress-related illness. This community-based health practice should be preserved and evaluated.

Family group decision making: protecting children and women.

With rising demands on child welfare, workers need to consider new options, including strategies that promote a collaborative effort of family, community, and government. Family group conferencing integrates efforts to advance child and adult safety and strengthens family unity while expanding its meaning. The conclusions in this article are based on family interviews and child protective services' file comparison from an outcome study of the Family Group Decision Making Project.

Intra-axonal transport and turnover of neurophysins in the rat. A proposal for a possible origin of the minor neurophysin component.

1. Radioactivity associated with the three neurophysins in the neural lobe of the rat was determined at intervals up to 5 weeks after an intracisternal injection of [(35)S]cysteine. 2. The radioactivity associated with the two major neurophysins (one supposedly associated with vasopressin and the other with oxytocin) increased linearly for 12h after the injection and the ratio of the rates of increase in the two proteins was very similar to the ratio of vasopressin to oxytocin in the gland. 3. From 12h onwards the radioactivity associated with each major neurophysin declined exponentially but the half-life of the supposed oxytocin-neurophysin (13.3 days) was shorter than that for the supposed vasopressin-neurophysin (19.8 days). 4. The kinetics of labelling of the minor neurophysin was quite different from that of the two major ones. It became slowly labelled during 3-5 days after injection and the radioactivity hardly decreased during the following 4 weeks. 5. The data could support the hypothesis that the minor neurophysin is a metabolic product of oxytocin-neurophysin. The exponential rate of disappearance of radioactivity from oxytocin-neurophysin and the minor component taken together has a rate constant similar to that for vasopressin-neurophysin (e.g. half-life=18.9 days).

The number of neurophysins in the rat. Influence of the concentration of Bromophenol Blue, used as a tracking dye, on the resolution of proteins by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis.

1. The concentration of Bromophenol Blue used as tracking dye in polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis affected the resolution of rat neurophysins. 2. A final dye concentration of 1mug/ml in the tris-glycine running buffer was found to give the best results. 3. The presence of two major and one minor neurophysin(s) in the rat was confirmed. 4. The two major proteins were found to re-run as single discrete bands, which had the same mobilities in the absence of dye and different mobilities in its presence.