Anna Caccamo

Computerized slow-staged freezing of semen from men with testicular tumors or Hodgkin’s disease preserves sperm better than standard vapor freezing *

Two methods of freezing semen taken from patients with testicular tumors or Hodgkins disease before treatment were compared. Many patients already have semen abnormalities, so an optimal method is extremely important. Ejaculates from 8 patients with testicular tumors and 20 with Hodgkins disease were frozen by fast-freezing or by slow-staged freezing. Effects of motility, viability, and swelling after thawing were significantly impaired with both methods. However, cryosurvival was better after slow- than fast-freezing: motility 24% +/- 12.4% versus 15% +/- 11.2%; viability 24.1% +/- 11.4% versus 17.3% +/- 10.4%, swelling 33.3% +/- 11% versus 27.6% +/- 12.8%. The effects were equal for normal and abnormal sperm. Sperm from tumor patients should be frozen by slow-staged freezing method in spite of the higher cost and longer time.

Effect of Physical Exercise on Secretion of Growth Hormone, Glucagon, and Cortisol in Obese and Diabetic Children

The effect of muscular exertion of moderate intensity on blood sugar (BS), plasma levels of growth hormone (GH), glucagon, and cortisol (F) has been studied in endocrinologically normal children with short stature and compared with children with clinical diabetes mellitus and obese children with normal and diminished carbohydrate tolerance. In diabetic children, physical exertion induces a rise in plasma GH levels comparable to that in controls; in obese children with normal or with diminished glucose tolerance, the rise is considerably smaller. Physical exertion caused no change in F levels in the groups tested, although basal level in the obese children was significantly higher than in the controls. Basal glucagon levels were similar in all groups and showed no change on physical exertion. The behavior of GH and glucagon in diabetic children was comparable to that in the controls even where blood sugar level was high.

Enhanced quality of capacitated spermatozoa from oligoasthenozoospermic men after incubation in test yolk medium

Summary. To improve artificially the quality of poor sperm samples to be used in assisted procreation procedures, Test Yolk Buffer (TYB) incubation effect was investigated. After adding the TYB procedure to the standard swim‐up technique, a significant (P< 0.001) increase in spermatozoa velocity was observed, while the other seminal parameters were not affected.

Antiserotonin treatment of hyperprolactinemic amenorrhea: long-term follow-up with metergoline, methysergide, and cyproheptadine.

Twenty patients affected by hyperprolactinemic amenorrhea-galactorrhea have been treated with one or more of the following serotonin antagonists: metergoline, methysergide, and cyproheptadine. Among the 11 patients without evidence of pituitary tumor resumption of menses was observed in five, two of whom had ovulatory cycles; one patient became pregnant; ovulations occurred only during treatment with metergoline. In the group of nine patients with enlarged sellae, three experienced isolated episodes of bleeding, while two had three and four menses each, respectively; all cycles were anovulatory. Plasma prolactin levels and galactorrhea were favorably affected by treatment only in a minority of amenorrhea-galactorrhea patients with and without tumors.

The role of growth hormone in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus in childhood

The behavior of growth hormone in basal conditions and after pharmacologic stimulations was investigated in diabetic children with and without ketoacidosis, in children of normal weight with chemical diabetes, and in obese children with reduced glucose tolerance. The plasma growth hormone values in obese children with reduced glucose tolerance did not differ from those observed in obese children with normal glucose tolerance. In children with chemical diabetes the plasma growth hormone values were normal; in newly diagnosed diabetic children without ketoacidosis the growth hormone values were usually normal during basal conditions, but in some instances they were definitely increased in spite of high blood sugar levels. In diabetic children with severe ketoacidosis there was usually a significant increase of growth hormone values notwithstanding the marked hyperglycemia.

MUSCULAR EXERTION: A TEST OF PITUITARY FUNCTION IN CHILDREN

ABSTRACT: Garlaschi, C, Del Guercio, M. J., Di Natale, B., Caccamo, A. and Chiumello, G. (Department of Paediatrics, University of Milan, Italy). Muscular exertion: a test of pituitary function in children. Acta Paediatr Scand, 64:752, 1975.–The elevated level of growth hormone after moderate standardized physical exercise was compared with that induced by intravenous arginine infusion and by insulin induced hypoglycemia in children with normal pituitary function. Tests were performed on 49 prepubertal children (34 boys and 15 girls); in 42 cases the increase was significant for all three tests, in 5 cases the response was minimal after insulin stimulation but normal after arginine and physical exertion; in 1 case arginine produced no response but the other tests were positive; in 1 case there was a response to arginine but none to insulin or physical exertion. The results indicate that frequently more than one test is necessary for the diagnosis of normal pituitary function; physical exertion being a physiologic test, is simple to perform, acceptable to the children and without side effects. It appears the test of first choice because it can be used in patients seen ambulatorily, other tests being performed in case of doubt or negative response.