[Changes in the glucose tolerance parameters in non-diabetic hypertensive patients treated with cicletanine]

The effects of cicletanine hydrochloride on glucose tolerance parameters were studied in a two-phase trial in which patients received a placebo for 2 weeks, followed by cicletanine 50 mg/day for 3 months. Ten patients with mild to moderate hypertension, who were neither obese nor diabetic and had no disorder of glucose tolerance entered the study. None of the patients was withdrawn. Glucose tolerance was evaluated by two oral glucose tolerance tests performed at 90 days' interval, each with half hourly blood glucose and insulin assays. The clinical effectiveness of the drug was assessed by monthly blood pressure measurements. No significant change in glycaemia and insulinaemia was observed. There was a significant decrease of supine SBP from 170.7 +/- 9.1 mmHg to 150.3 +/- 6.7 mmHg (p less than 0.0001) and of supine DBP from 101.3 +/- 4.1 to 80.3 +/- 7.7 mmHg (p less than 0.0001). At the end of the study, 9 of the 10 patients had normal blood pressure values. No undesirable clinical or biochemical effect was noted. thus, cicletanine, an antihypertensive drug derived from furopyridine, proved to be devoid of adverse effects on glycoregulation and clinically effective on hypertension.

Secretion of transferrin by human breast cancer cells

Transferrin (Tf), the major iron-binding protein in the plasma of vertebrate species is an essential growth factor for cells in serum-free media and appears to be involved in the regulation of growth and differentiation of human tissues. We report here that human breast cancer cells secrete a factor immunologically similar to Tf. The secretion of Tf by the hormone-responsive cell-line MCF-7 is stimulated by 17 beta-estradiol and reduced by the antiestrogen 4-hydroxy tamoxifen. These data suggest that Tf secreted by breast cancer cells may be an additional autocrine growth factor confering selective advantages to rapidly proliferating breast cancer cells and perhaps permit tumor cell growth in poorly vascularized areas.

Altered erythrocyte cation permeability in familial pseudohyperkalaemia

1. Erythrocyte cation transport pathways have been investigated in a family with pseudohyperkalaemia. 2. Ouabain- and bumetanide-resistant Na+ and K+ effluxes in three pseudohyperkalaemic patients were not different from those of control subjects when assessed at 37 degrees C. 3. When the temperature was decreased to 20 degrees C and 9 degrees C, K+ passive permeability markedly increased and Na+ permeability remained unchanged in these patients. In contrast, in control subjects a reduction in temperature caused a marked reduction in Na+ and K+ passive permeability. 4. These findings could account for the marked increase in plasma K+ concentration observed at subphysiological temperatures. 5. The Na+-K+ co-transport pathway was reduced in all members of the family, but the Na+-K+ pump was reduced in only two of them. These alterations were independent from the pseudohyperkalaemic state.

Structure of citrus pectins and viscometric study of their solution properties

Citrus pectins with degrees of methylation between 30 and 72% were carefully characterized in order to determine their charge density and molecular weight distribution, the content in galacturonic acid and in neutral sugars, the degree of methylation and acetylation. Using enzymic degradation it has been found that pectin molecules consist mainly of long homogalacturonan regions with some regions of neutral sugars as side chains attached on rhamnose residues. The viscometric behaviour of the different samples indicates that 0.1 M NaCl, at 25 degrees C, is a good solvent of sodium pectinates. From the evolution of the Huggins parameter, it appears that pectins with 50% of methylated galacturonic groups exhibit a maximum flexibility. A Mark-Houwink exponent of 0.8 has been found in good agreement with theoretical predictions for flexible polymers in a good solvent.

[Postpartum thyroiditis. 31 cases]

Postpartum thyroiditis. 31 cases. Between 1977 and 1986, 29 women consulted in three internal medicine and endocrinology departments for clinical disorders which could be ascribed to 31 episodes of thyroiditis developed within 9 months of giving birth. Thyroiditis was diagnosed clinically on the basis of acute diffuse (11 cases) or nodular (7 cases) goitre formation, signs of dysthyroidism (16 cases) revealed by menstrual disturbances and/or galactorrhoea (11 cases). A thyrotoxic episode was observed in 9 patients; it was either without sequelae (5 cases) of followed by transient hypothyroidism (4 cases). In other patients transient hypothyroidism was observed in 11 cases and permanent hypothyroidism in 5 cases. Six patients showed no sign of dysthyroidism, and the diagnosis was made by immunological, cytological and/or histological examination of the thyroid gland. Circulating anti-thyroid antibodies were present in two-thirds of the patients. The results of radioisotope scanning varied according to the stage of the disease. In these patients, only the absence of goitre was predictive, in 4 out of 5 cases, of subsequent permanent hypothyroidism; in all other patients the prognosis was highly favourable, even without specific treatment.

Opposite effects of estrogen and catecholestrogen on hormone-sensitive breast cancer cell growth and differentiation

Catecholestrogens and especially 2-hydroxyestrone (2OH-E1) are estradiol metabolites locally formed in breast cancer cells. The present study demonstrates that the two parent compounds, estradiol (E2) and its metabolite 2OH-E1, exert opposite effects on hormone-sensitive breast cancer cell growth assessed by cell counts and transferrin receptor levels, and also on cell differentiation assessed by secreted proteins such as alpha-lactalbumin and gross cystic disease fluid protein (GCDFP-15). The present findings may highlight estradiol regulation in hormone-sensitive breast cancer cells.

Possibilities and limits of the medical treatment for primary hyperparathyroidism

Clinically obvious primary hyperparathyroidism is only curable by surgery. Medical treatment is debatable under other circumstances: mild chronic hypercalcemia, patients who refuse surgery, serious coexisting medical problems and recurrence or persistence of PHPT after surgical treatment. Prior to medical treatment, the usual common management of any mild hypercalcemia must be taken. The potential medical treatments are: (1) the inhibition of parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion, and (2) the inhibition of the effects of PTH. The substances of these two main types are successively described. Nevertheless, no ideal medical treatment of PHPT is actually available.

Assay of Gcdfp-15 by Elisa: An Available Method for in Vitro Studies of Functional Differentiation in Human Breast Cancer

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was applied to a light protein, isolated from human breast cyst fluid (BCF) termed « gross cystic disease fluid protein - 15 Kda » (GCDFP-15), a potential differentiation marker in in vitro human breast cancer studies. The detection limits of this procedure, performed in microtiter plates, were 0.5 to 250 ng/well corresponding to 10 ng/ml to 5 ng/ml of sample or antigen solution. Possible cross-reaction with various antigens, especially those found in culture media, were investigated. The correlation coefficient between enzymoassay and radioimmunoassay was 0.978. The results showed that quantification of GCDFP-15 by ELISA is a specific and highly sensitive method. This procedure may be of interest in in vitro studies on the functional differentiation of breast cancer cells.

Involvement of cell surface transferrin receptor in the assessment of estradiol stimulating effect on cultured breast cancer cells

In order to find the reasons for the conflicting results depicted during the estradiol stimulations of cultured MCF7, breast cancer cells we investigated, besides cell counts, the cell surface transferrin receptor as an additional means of assessing the effect of estradiol. In this study we report results obtained using different culture conditions, i.e. short-term or long-term phenol-red withdrawn cells grown either in calf-serum supplemented media or defined media. Our results point out concurrent variations of cell counts and transferrin receptors when short-term phenol-red withdrawn cells were grown in defined media. Discrepancies were, however, observed when short-term phenol-red withdrawn cells were grown in serum-supplemented media or when long-term phenol-red withdrawn cells were grown in defined media. In both cases, only transferrin receptors account for estradiol stimulation. These results highlight the importance of transferrin receptor measurement in cultured breast cancer cell experiments and suggest cell kinetic perturbations due, in all likelihood, to serum factors or factors secreted by long-term phenol-red withdrawn cells.

Comparison of three techniques for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in endocervical specimens from asymptomatic women

Culture in DEAE-dextran-treated HeLa 229 cells, a solid-phase enzyme immunoassay (EIA) (Chlamydiazyme; Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, Ill.), and a direct immunofluorescence test (DFA) (MicroTrak; Syva Co., Palo Alto, Calif.) were compared for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in endocervical specimens from 715 asymptomatic women. Response to antibiotic therapy was also monitored at least 4 weeks after completion of therapy. An additional sample was collected at a control visit, and a second culture was performed if discrepancies were observed between the three tests. A total of 48 infections were diagnosed, for a prevalence of 6.7%. At the first visit, 37 specimens were positive by culture. The respective sensitivities of EIA and DFA were 78.4 and 81.1% and the respective specificities were 96.8 and 97.9% when compared with the cell culture technique. The positive predictive values were 56.9 and 68.2%, respectively. When the additional 11 infections detected by the second culture were included to establish a new standard of positivity, the sensitivity of the first culture was estimated at 77.1%. The positive predictive values of EIA and DFA increased to 77.6 and 83.7%, respectively. EIA and DFA performed as well as culture for control of therapy; a 100% agreement among the three techniques was observed.

Characterization of catecholestrogen membrane binding sites in estrogen receptor positive and negative human breast cancer cell-lines

A specific membrane-binding of an estradiol metabolite, the catecholestrogen (CE) 2 hydroxyestrone (2OH-E1), was demonstrated in two receptor-positive (MCF7 and VHB1) and one receptor-negative (MDA-MB-231) human mammary carcinoma cell lines. The three cell lines were found to be able to synthesise and inactivate CE. Solubilization of membrane bound CE results in a high molecular weight component whose specificity differs from that of the classical estrogen receptor. Apparent dissociation constants were 6-10. 10(-9) M and binding capacities were higher in the receptor-positive cell lines than in the receptor-negative one. Since CE are susceptible to rapid degradation, the presence of such a site may be relevant in the protection and concentration of 2OH-E1 which has been shown to have "in vitro" anti-estrogenic properties in MCF7 breast tumor cells.

Establishment and characterization of a new cell line (VHB-1) derived from a primary breast carcinoma

A continuous line of human breast carcinoma cells, VHB-1, was established in culture following collagenase treatment of an infiltrating duct cell carcinoma. The cells displayed an epithelial pattern and multiplied rapidly. Maintained in monolayer culture, the VHB-1 cells exhibited a 30-h doubling time and a plating efficiency of 20%. The cells possessed an abnormal karyotype with a mode of 70-74 chromosomes per cell. The karyotype was heavily rearranged and numerous marker chromosomes were found. Transplantation of the cells into nude mice produced tumors bearing histological resemblance to the original material. The VHB-1 cells contained significant levels of prolactin receptors, were steroid hormone (estrogen, progesterone, androgen, glucocorticoid) receptor positive, and were capable of functional differentiation in vitro. These characteristics make the VHB-1 cell line a suitable model for studying the biological properties of human breast tumors.

Prognostic significance of prolactin receptors in human breast cancer

Overall survival and relapse free survival (RFS) were studied in 547 patients according to the presence of prolactin receptors (PRL-R), either free or total (after 3 M MgCl2 desaturation). All these patients were surgically treated for locoregional disease in the same institution between 1978 and 1984. In actuarial survival studies, RFS was higher in total PRL-R positive patients in the whole population (P less than 0.02). When the population was divided into two groups, according to either the presence or the absence of node metastasis or the presence or absence of estradiol receptor, the higher RFS was restricted to node positive (P less than 0.001) and to estradiol receptor positive patients (P less than 0.01). The Cox analysis on RFS showed that free PRL-R alone was a significant prognostic factor in estradiol receptor positive patients; total PRL-R alone was never significant; when considered together with steroid receptors, free as well as total PRL-Rs were significant prognostic factors in some subgroups of patients.

[A rare cause of heart failure: hypocalcemic cardiopathy]

In this paper, the authors present the case of hypocalcemic cardiopathy observed in a female patient who underwent thyroidectomy which was complicated post-operatively by the development of hypoparathyroidism. Two attacks of heart failure experienced by this patient were improved by the administration of calcium in combination with digitalis treatment. A study of cases published in the medical literature reveals that this condition is a rare cause of heart failure which develops only in the course of chronic hypocalcemia, with few neuromuscular clinical manifestations. The dual negative inotropic and hypovolemic effects caused by hypocalcemia explain the efficacy observed with the administration of calcium therapy, while the usual symptomatic treatment of this condition is inadequate.