Estriol concentrations in plasma of normal, non-pregnant women

Using a rabbit antisera directed against estriol-3-0-carboxy methyl ether complexed to BSA, an immunoassay for estriol (1) was developed. The mean plus or minus SE concentration of estriol in 18 women in days 5-7 of their cycle was 7.9 plus or minus 0.6 pg/ml which was significantly (P less than 0.01) less than the mean value of 11.1 plus or minus 0.8 pg/ml in 15 women in days 20-22 of the cycle. In 3 of 6 women in whom plasma samples were drawn frequently during their cycle, an estriol peak occurred coincident with the estradiol peak. In 3 women from whom plasma was obtained several times during the course of a day estriol levels did not appear to vary significantly. In 8 women who were on oral contraceptives the mean level of estriol was 7.6 plus or minus 1.5 pg/ml. In 8 post-menopausal women the mean level was 6.0 plus or minus 1.2 pg/ml which is significantly (P less than 0.01) less than the mean luteal phase value but not less (P greater than 0.1) than the follicular phase or oral contraceptive user values. We conclude that some of the circulating estriol is directly secreted by the ovary of normal women.

Comparison of radioimmunoassay methods for human luteinising hormone

1. Four radioimmunoassay methods for the determination of luteinising hormone in serum or urine are described. 2. Evaluation of these methods (one employing laboratory prepared reagents, three utilizing commercial kits) was made to assess their routine laboratory value. Comparable precision and accuracy were found. Great economy is achieved by pruchasing LH and anti-LH preparations and by labelling one's own hormone. 3. Suggestions for future improvements in kit LH assay control and unitage are made.

Training the secretary in community mental health: a second model for integrating secretaries into the therapeutic team in community mental health

The secretaries in community mental health centers have functions that transcend their job descriptions. Their performance of these functions contributes to the success or failure of their centers' therapeutic programs. The Mental Health Training Institute of North Carolina initiated two separate pilot training programs within 1971-1972, aimed at heightening the secretaries' appreciation of their role within their centers and at facilitating their integration into the therapeutic team. This paper is a discussion of the second of these two programs.

Wound healing in potato tuber tissue: phosphon inhibition of developmental processes requiring protein synthesis

Several aspects of wound healing in tuber tissue of potato (Solanum tuberosum var. Kennebec), known to require protein synthesis, are inhibited by 2,4-dichlorobenzyltributylphosphonium chloride (Phosphon D). Cell division was completely blocked by 60 mum Phosphon and markedly reduced by concentrations as low as 3 mum. When applied at the time of wounding, 0.25mm Phosphon completely prevented the wound-induced respiratory increase. Application at 15 hours after wounding arrested respiration at the rate present at that time. The same concentrations of Phosphon inhibited auxin-induced cell expansion of the tissue, protein synthesis as measured by the incorporation of leucine-(14)C into the trichloroacetic acid-insoluble fraction of tissue disks, and the appearance of wound-induced peroxidase isozymes. None of these inhibitory effects of Phosphon could be prevented or reversed by the application of gibberellic acid. All wound-induced processes inhibited by Phosphon are also inhibited by cycloheximide. It is suggested that inhibitory effects of Phosphon on wound healing in potato and on other developmental processes in excised plant tissues which cannot be reversed by gibberellin are due to interference with protein synthesis.

Radioimmunoassay Kits for Human Placental Lactogen

Six commercially-available radioimmunoassay reagent kits for the measurement of human placental lactogen (chorionic sommatomammotrophin) have been examined. Each procedure has been studied for precision, reliability, economy, simplicity and accuracy. Satisfactory results with late pregnancy sera, obtainable within 4 h, can be achieved using the reagents supplied by Wellcome Reagents Ltd. and The Radiochemical Centre.

A comparative study of five laboratory tests for foeto-placental dysfunction in late pregnancy

Five foeto-placental function tests were studied in parallel in normal and abnormal late pregnancies with a view to establishing which test or tests is most satisfactorily able to identify the mother whose foetus is in danger.A critical examination of the levels in blood serum of two enzymes, placental phosphatase isoenzyme and cystine aminopeptidase, the polypeptide hormone placental lactogen (chorionic somatomammotrophin), and the oestrogen oestriol-17beta is described.A correlation was attempted beween clinical data and the results of the above laboratory analyses and also with the daily urine oestrogen output. The plasma and urine oestriol levels proved generally to be the more useful warning tests in late pregnancy, whilst the plasma cystine aminopeptidase was the least sensitive indicator of foeto-placental dysfunction.