Endocrine and metabolic response in the human newborn to first feed of breast milk

The hormonal and metabolic response to the first feed of breast milk was studied in 12 infants at 4-6 hours of age. After the feed there was an increase in blood glucose concentration but no changes in the concentrations of lactate, pyruvate, alanine, or ketone bodies. The feed was followed by an increase in the concentrations of plasma insulin, growth hormone, gastrin, and enteroglucagon, but no change in levels of plasma glucagon or gastric inhibitory peptide. Several hormone systems are functionally active at birth and are stimulated by the first feed of milk.     

Modulation of implantation-associated integrin expression but not uteroglobin by steroid hormones in an endometrial cell line

In order to test the hypothesis that integrin and uteroglobin (UG) expression in cultured endometrial cells are affected by hormone treatment, Ishikawa-CH endometrial cancer cells were cultured and exposed to oestradiol or oestradiol and progesterone regimens and assayed using immunohistochemistry. We evaluated the intensity of immunohistochemical staining for the integrin monomers alpha(v) and beta1, the dimers alpha(v)beta3 and alpha(v)beta6, and for the secretory protein uteroglobin under various experimental conditions. Cells grown in control media stained positively for the integrin monomers alpha(v) and beta1, the dimer alpha(v)beta3, and for UG. Oestradiol and sequential oestradiol/progesterone reversibly suppressed staining for the dimer alpha(v)beta3. Hormone treatment had no effect on the staining of the beta1 and alpha(v) monomers or UG. The alpha(v)beta6 dimer antibody did not stain under any experimental treatment conditions. These data indicate that expression of the integrin complex alpha(v)beta3 is reversibly suppressed by oestradiol in Ishikawa cells and that these cells may be a good model for studying hormone-driven molecular changes in endometrium.      

A five-drug remission induction regimen with intensive consolidation for adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: cancer and leukemia group B study 8811

The goal of this phase II multicenter clinical trial was to evaluate a new intensive chemotherapy program for adults with untreated acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and to examine prospectively the impact of clinical and biologic characteristics on the outcome. One hundred ninety-seven eligible and evaluable patients (16 to 80 years of age; median, 32 years of age) received cyclophosphamide, daunorubicin, vincristine, prednisone, and L-asparaginase; 167 patients (85%) achieved a complete remission (CR), 13 (7%) had refractory disease, and 17 (9%) died during induction. A higher CR rate was observed in younger patients (94% for those < 30 years old, 85% for those 30 to 59 years old, and 39% for those > or = 60 years old, P < .001) and in those who had a mediastinal mass (100%) or blasts with a T-cell immunophenotype. Eighty percent of B-lineage and 97% of T-cell ALL patients achieved a CR (P = .01). The coexpression of myeloid antigens did not affect the response rate or duration. Seventy percent of those with cytogenetic or molecular evidence of the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome and 84% of those without such evidence achieved a CR (P = .11). Patients in remission received multiagent consolidation treatment, central nervous system prophylaxis, late intensification, and maintenance chemotherapy for a total of 24 months. After a median follow-up time of 43 months, the median survival for all 197 patients is 36 months; the median remission duration for the 167 CR patients is 29 months. Favorable pretreatment characteristics relative to remission duration or survival are younger age, the presence of a mediastinal mass or lymphadenopathy, a white blood cell count (WBC) less than 30,000/microL, L1 morphology, T or TMy immunophenotype, and the absence of the Ph chromosome. The estimates of the proportion surviving at 3 years are 69% for patients less than 30 years old, 39% for those 30 to 59 years old, 89% for those who had a mediastinal mass, 59% with WBC less than 30,000/microL, 63% with L1 morphology, 69% for T or TMy antigen expression, and 62% for those who lack the Ph chromosome. Fifteen patients (8%) had no unfavorable prognostic factors and have an estimated probability of survival at 5 years of 100% (95% confidence interval, 77% to 100%). This intensive chemotherapy regimen produces a high remission rate and a high proportion of durable remissions in adults with ALL.     

羽叶三七叶中甙类成分的研究

从羽叶三七叶中分离到十三种甙类成分,经FAB-MS,¹³CNMR谱,双照射¹HN-MR谱,¹H-¹H COSY谱及与标准品直接对照,证明十一种为已知化合物,分别为人参皂甙F₁(Ⅰ),F₂(Ⅱ),F₃(Ⅲ),R_g2(Ⅳ),R_a(Ⅴ),R_d(Ⅵ),R_b1(Ⅷ),R_b3(Ⅷ),24(S)-假人参甙F₁₁(Ⅸ),人参黄酮(Ⅹ)和珠子参甙F₁(Ⅺ);另外两种为新的达玛烷型皂甙,命名为羽叶三七甙F₁(Ⅻ)和F₂(ⅫⅠ),并确定其化学结构。同时修正珠子参甙F₃的结构。进一步阐明人参黄酮甙结构中的两个糖的连接方式。     

Absence of the ductus venosus: report of 10 new cases and review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical significance of the absence of the ductus venosus. DESIGN: A retrospective study with a review of the literature. METHODS: The archives of our ultrasound laboratory and the English literature were searched for cases with a prenatal diagnosis of absence of the fetal ductus venosus. RESULTS: Between 1985 and 2000, 10 fetuses were diagnosed in our center as having absence of the ductus venosus. The review of the literature revealed 23 cases. Three main patterns of abnormal venous circulation were documented: (1) umbilical vein bypassing the liver and connecting directly to the right atrium (46%); (2) umbilical vein bypassing the liver and connecting to the inferior vena cava mostly through one of the iliac veins (25%); (3) umbilical vein connecting to the portal circulation without giving rise to the ductus venosus (21%). Major anomalies, including chromosomal aberrations, were found in 8/33 (24%) cases. Hydrops developed in 11/33 (33%) cases. Twenty fetuses with isolated absence of the ductus venosus were delivered, and 5 (20%) died. The portal vein was found to be absent in half of the infants examined after birth. CONCLUSIONS: Our results and the review of literature suggest that absence of the ductus venosus is associated with a high incidence of fetal anomalies and adverse outcomes, including associated malformations, chromosomal aberrations, in utero heart failure and absence of the portal vein. Heart failure and absence of the portal vein seem particularly frequent when absence of the ductus venosus is associated with a connection of the umbilical vein to either the inferior vena cava or the right atrium.     

Ligamentary structure of the base of the nail

Summary The authors report the results of 115 dissections of the base of the distal phalanx of fingers and toes. In 85% of cases including hypoplastic supernumerary digits, there is a connective ligament-like structure. It is a dorsal expansion of the lateral ligament of the distal inter-phalangeal joint arising from the intermediate phalanx and ending in the matrix and the lunula. This ligament may have a role in biomechanical strains on the nail. It can explain some dystrophic nails associated with some malpositioned joints in fingers or toes.

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Structure ligamentaire de la base de l'ongle

Résumé Les auteurs rapportent les résultats de 115 dissections portant sur la base de la phalange distale des doigts ou des orteils. Ils retrouvent dans 85 % des cas, y compris sur des doigts hypoplasiques surnuméraires, une formation conjonctive de type ligamentaire. Il s'agit d'une expansion dorsale du ligament latéral de l'articulation interphalangienne distale, naissant de l'extrémité distale de la phalange intermédiaire et se terminant au sein de la matrice et sur la lunule. Ce ligament ostéomatriciel peut jouer un rôle dans la transmission des contraintes biomécaniques sur l'ongle et expliquer les dystrophies unguéales stéréotypées associées à certaines malpositions articulaires des doigts ou des orteils.