Antiproliferative effect of thymosterin on KB tumor cells in vitro and h 18 R tumor development in the new-born rat.

The authors report on preliminary data concerning the antiproliferative activity of thymosterin upon the growth of the KB tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. The experiments in vitro showed an intense antiblastic action of thymosterin, which was proportional to the administered dose. The preliminary results of the in vivo experiments suggest that inhibitory effect of thymosterin on the h 18 R tumor growth in newborn rats.

The clinical forms of systemic neuroendocrine pathology (neuroendocrine cybernosis).

Six forms of regulation of neuroendocrine system pathology are here presented. For this pathogenic category it was proposed the term of "systemic neuroendocrine pathology" (1979) and that of "endocrine cybernosis (1971) for its clinical forms. Clinical and pathogenic peculiarities of endocrine blocking cybernoses with negative feed-back disappearance, substitution cybernose as in Graves-Basedow's syndrome and hormonal circadian rhythm troubles are described. The semiology of the clinical forms is partly known, but their pathogeny is still locally and regionally interpreted. There are primary and secondary lesions, characteristic of each clinical category of the systemic pathology, but the prevailing expression is the systemic one. The treatment of neuroendocrine cybernoses must be dominated by regulatory medication.

Blocking cybernosis in endocrine glands pathology.

The term cybernosis was proposed by Meerloo (1971) in order to designate the cybernetic functional disorders in senescence. Blocking cybernosis or bloking negative feedback is the term used for negative feedback perturbation in a neuro-endocrine subsystem caused by factors dwelling inside or outside it. Using the hypothalamo-hypophyso-adrenocortical subsystem as a model, the author shows that due to an excessive and anarchic secretion of corticoids by a tumor developed in the adrenocortical, the hypothalamo-hypophyseal control centers are blocked. A similar blockade occurs after longterm administration of high doses of a steroid, similar or identical to the natural corticoid hormone, which retro-acts like the latter. In the first case we deal with tumoral blocking cybernosis, in the second, with an iatrogenic one. As in both cases the subsystems are turned off without structural desorganization, the term blockade is more appropriate than that of disorder which implies the existence of a certain functional disability. Tumoral blocking cybernoses were seen by us in thyroid toxic adenoma, corticosteroid secreting adenomas and ovarian tumors; iatrogenic cybernoses occur in the long-term corticosteroid therapy in dermatoses, hirsutism, etc. Blocking cybernoses, both tumoral and iatrogenic, require great caution in their correction. Sudden removal of the blockade is followed by severe disorders producing collapse and coma with their implicit risk.

Morphology of T and B lymphocytes assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in thyroiditis and Graves's disease.

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) assessment of the T and B lymphocytic sub-population shows alterations in cell immunity in the thyroid gland pathology. The mean per cent figure in 10 normal individuals was 68.8 for T lymphocytes (variation range: 50-83%) and 19.6 for B lymphocytes (variation range: 11-26%); in 12 untreated cases of Graves's disease the mean figure was 78.08% for T and 16.25% for B lymphocytes. The 15 patients with untreated thyroiditis showed a mean of 83.43% for T and 12.78% for B lymphocytes. The increased number of T lymphocytes is a proof of cell immunity alteration.

Air ions and the urinary 17-ketosteroids.

The authors correlated the aeroions variations in January, February and March 1963 with urinary 17-KS variations in 5 adult subjects. The results revealed that the excess of positive aeroions induced an increase of the urinary 17-KS eliminations, whereas the excess of negative aeroions induced a decrease.

Aspects concerning the lymphocytic nonimmune and immune rosettes in Graves' disease and thyroiditis.

Evaluation of the role of cell-mediated immunity (CMI) in thyroid-gland pathology has been carried out by calculating the percentage of nonimmune (ER) and immune rosettes (EAC)--(erythrocyte-antibody-complement), i.e. of T--(thymus-dependent) and B lymphocytes (bursa equivalent) in the peripheral blood. The mean percentages found in the 10 normal subjects under study were of 65.8% ER (ranging between 56.6% and 74.9%) and 15.1% EAC (ranging between 12.2% and 17.9%. In the 8 nontreated patients with Graves' disease the means were of 77.5% and 12.9%, respectively. For the same parameter the following values were also found: in 6 patients in remission, 62.2% and 22.7%, respectively; in 8 patients with acute and subacute thyroiditis, 87.5% and 13.4%, respectively; in 7 patients with thyroiditis under remission, 64.1% and 24.2%, respectively.

Circadian rhythms of corticosterone and nucleic acids in the rat adrenal in relation to age.

For 3 successive days, at 0600, 1200, 1800 and 0000, the circadian variations of corticosterone, RNA and DNA were followed up in the adrenals of 3 lots of prebuertal (30 days old), adult (120 days old) and old (28 months old) white Wistar male rats. There is a correlation between the circadian rhythm of corticosterone secretion and the circadian rhythms of RNA and DNA synthesis all along ontogenesis. These rhythms appear to be formed at 30 days of life, but they still differ from the ones in the adult rats by the levels recorded in the second half of the nocturnal period. In old rats the adrenal circadian variations have a considerably smaller amplitude, their curve taking a plateau form. The results support the hypothesis of the circadian rhythm ontogenesis in the rat adrenal.

The endocrine syndrome of occult tuberculosis.

Based on clinical observations made in the "C.I. Parhon" Institute of Endocrinology and in a clinic of catching diseases in Bucharest, the authors have isolated an endocrine syndrome of occult tuberculosis. The disease shows signs and symptoms of endocrine glands involvement. The paper presents the pathogenesis, epidemic spread and endocrino-tuberculostatic management.

Changes in the bioelectric activity of the lateral septal nucleus, dorsal hippocampus and medial habenular nucleus after administration of the pineal peptide extract "crinofizin".

New Zealand rabbits with pairs of electrodes implanted chronically in the RFM, dorsal hippocampus, LSN and HM were tasted for electroencephalographic changes in the dorsal hippocampus, lateral septal nucleus and medial habenular nuclei in response to electric stimulation of the mesencephalic reticular formation and after slow i.v. and i.m. injection with the pineal peptidic extract "Crinofizin". Stimulation of RFM with a rectangular current of variable tension (1.5--4 volts) induced synusoidal waves on the EEG of the dorsal hippocampus, LSN and HM with a frequency of 4 to over 8 c/s persisting throughout the electric stimulation. Intramuscular administration of 10 ml pineal extract in doses of 2 ml every 48 hrs led to changes in the EEG traces in that the mean frequency of the synusoidal waves decreased from 3.8 c/s to 1.4 c/s whereas the mean amplitude of the waves was almost threefold the mean amplitude of the background traces.

Influence of the thymus polypeptide (TP) extracts on the mouse inoculated with influenza virus.

Administration of thymus polypeptide (TP) extracts to the mouse inoculated with the A2 AICHI influenza virus strain, causes a significant decrease in hemagglutination titres in the lung cells suspensions of the treated animals as compared to the nontreated controls.

A statistical and pathological correlative study of 434 thyroid carcinomas observed between 1967 and 1975.

The authors studied 434 cases of thyroid carcinoma. The sex distribution showed a strong predominance of women (67%). The highest percentage (47%) appeared between 30 and 49 years. Histologically the folliculo-papillary aspect predominated. Thyroid cancer was associated with the following thyreopathies: in 75% of the cases with an anisofollicular adenomatosis, in 12% with a chronic thyroiditis, and in 0.4% with Graves's disease. Only in 13% of the cases no association was found with other thyreopathies. Between 1967 and 1975 no increase of the number of thyroid carcinomas was found.

Tuberculous thyroiditis cured by drug therapy.

A 73-year-old patient suffering from evolutive nodular goiter, free of other local complaints or changes in the general status is presented. A diagnosis of tuberculous thyroiditis with hypothyroidism is reached. This diagnosis is justified by the antecedents of the patient, positive IDR, low iodine uptake, characteristic scintigraphic and echographic picture of the thyroid. Following a treatment with tuberculostatics, potassium iodide and controlled life regimen for a year, thyroiditis was cured as proved by scintigraphic and echographic evidence, and normal iodine uptake and PBI.

Influence of a thymus polypeptide extract (TP1) on immunogenesis and on experimental influenza infection in x-rayed animals.

The thymus polypeptide extract TP1 administered to X-rayed animals shows a protecting effect on the level of serum anti-influenza antibodies in the rats inoculated with A2 influenza vaccine and reduces the haemagglutinating titres in the mice inoculated with the A PR8 influenza virus.

Research on the radioprotecting action of thymic polypeptides and timosterin B.

Administration of the TP2 polypeptidic thymic extract results in normalization of the rosette-forming capacity of the T spleen cells in the X-ray irradiated mouse. The radioprotecting effect was also noticed on the inhibition of macrophages migration in the X-ray irradiated rat inoculated with TH Salmonella typhi vaccine and treated with TP2 or with lipidic extract Timosterin B.