Hideaki Kono

Effects of larval tapeworm (Taenia taeniaeformis) infection on reproductive functions in male and female host rats.

This report examined the effects of larval tapeworm infection on the reproductive functions in both male and female host rats. Female rats were matched by age, then randomly assigned to control and treatment groups (infected with larval tapeworms). Estrous cycles were determined by vaginal smear with 95% of the control group exhibiting 4-day normal cyclicity and only 55% of the treated group exhibiting normal cycles. Female fertility was then evaluated for the normally cycling rats based on the percentage of successful matings on the evening of proestrus, number of implantation sites on Day 8 of pregnancy, and number of pups born at term. The normally cycling rats exhibited 96% successful mating, 12.95 +/- 1.80 implantation sites, and 11.20 +/- 1.80 pups born. Five months after larval tapeworm infection, the fertility parameters were decreased to 79%, 9.10 +/- 1.20, and 7.50 +/- 1.50, respectively. The control females were then used in a study of male fertility after larval tapeworm infection employing the same parameters used to test female fertility. At the onset of the study, control groups exhibited 95% successful mating, 12.50 +/- 1.50 implantation sites, and 11.60 +/- 1.60 pups born at full term. After the 5-month infection period, the parameters were substantially reduced to 29%, 6.20 +/- 0.80 implantation sites, and 5.10 +/- 0.80 pups, respectively. Average testosterone concentrations in serum and testis from control male rats were 8.80 +/- 0.95 ng/ml and 3.88 +/- 0.25 ng/mg protein, respectively. After the 5-month infection period, these levels were reduced to 2.47 +/- 0.31 ng/ml and 1.28 +/- 0.12 ng/mg protein, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Concentrations of luteinizing hormone--human chorionic gonadotropin, beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin, follicle-stimulating hormone, estradiol, cortisol, and testosterone in cord sera and their correlations.

Abstract Luteinizing hormone-human chorionic gonadotropin (LH-hCG), beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol, cortisol, and testosterone were determined and correlated with each other in 62 samples of cord serum. Cortisol levels in male cord serum were significantly higher than those in female cord serum. Regression analysis showed a significant positive correlation between LH-hCG or β-hCG levels and testosterone levels in male cord serum. These data suggest that there are sex differences in the maturation of the fetal pituitary-gonadal axis.

Effects of Synthetic LH-RH and TRH on Pituitary Function in Anencephalic Infants

The pituitary endocrine function in 4 anencephalic infants was studied by measuring the concentrations of growth hormone, prolactin, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in umbilical venous serum. There was no significant difference in hormone levels between the anencephalic and normal infants. The response of FSH and LH was negative after administration of 10 micrograms of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone. The TSH levels after administration of 50 micrograms of TRH elevated about 4- to 6-fold over pre-administration levels. These results indicate that the hypothalamo-pituitary axis of the human fetus initiates its function from mid-pregnancy; TSH may have an autoregulating system of the pituitary itself.

Correlation of Birth Weights with Umbilical Cord Serum LH-hCG, FSH, β-hCG, Estradiol, Cortisol and Testosterone Levels

Luteinizing hormone-human chorionic gonadotropin (LH-hCG), follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH), beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG), estradiol, cortisol and testosterone levels were determined in cord venous serum and the correlation of birth weights with those hormone levels was investigated in 32 male and 35 female fetuses. There were significant negative correlations between LH-hCG or FSH levels and birth weights in the male fetus. Also there was a significant positive correlation between LH-hCG levels and birth weights in the female fetus. This data suggests that there is a sex difference during the development of the pituitary-gonadal axis.

Effect of ethanol and progesterone on monoamine oxidase activity in cultured cells of human term placenta

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ethanol and progesterone on the monoamine oxidase activity in cultured human term placental cells. STUDY DESIGN Human placental cells were prepared from normal human term placentas by enzymatic dispersion in Dulbeccos modified Eagle medium. The viability of placental cells prepared by our method was 90%, and the yield of placental cells was 0.6 x 10(6) cells per gram of wet placental tissue. Five milliliters of Dulbeccos modified Eagle medium containing 3 x 10(5) placental cells was plated in a 25 cm2 flask and cultured for 8 days in an incubator at 37 degrees C under an atmosphere of 5% carbon dioxide and 95% oxygen with a saturated humidity. During the culture period the culture medium was replenished every 2 days. A confluent monolayer condition was achieved after 8 days in culture. The cultured placental cells were treated with different concentrations of ethanol (0, 34.6, and 69.2 mmol/L) and progesterone (0, 16, and 32 mumol/L) on day 8 of culture for 48 hours. At the end of treatment placental cells from control and treated flasks were harvested for the analysis of monoamine oxidase activity by spectrophotometry. The effects of ethanol and progesterone on cultured placental cells were statistically analyzed by one-way analysis of variance followed by Duncans multiple comparisons procedure. RESULTS A human placental cell culture system has been established from normal human term placentas. The monoamine oxidase activity in 8-day-cultured human term placental cells was significantly higher than that of freshly prepared placental cells. Ethanol concentrations at 34.6 and 69.2 mmol/L significantly increased and progesterone concentration at 32 mumol/L significantly decreased the monoamine oxidase activity. CONCLUSION These results suggest that the cultured human term placental cells can be used to examine the in vitro effects of ethanol and progesterone on monoamine oxidase activity. However, the physiologic significance of progesterones inhibitory effect and the stimulatory effect of ethanol monoamine oxidase activity in the in vivo system have yet to be further investigated.

Plasma β-Endorphin Levels in Pregnancy Induced Hypertension Patients

We measured the plasma β-endorphin (β-EP) levels in 11 normal pregnant women at term, 5 severe pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) patients at term, 11 normal and 5 severe PIH mothers at labor, 11 fetuses who were delivered from normal mothers and 5 fetuses who were delivered from severe PIH mothers. There was a significant(p<0.05) difference in the maternal plasma β-EP at labor between the group without PIH (n=11, 186.9 ± 21.9 pg/ml, mean ± S.E.) and PIH patients (n=5, 108.5 ± 16.4 pg/ml). These data suggests that β-endorphin have a depressor role of a eodogenous cardiovascular regulatory factor in PIH patients during labor.

Cord Serum Growth Hormone in the Human Fetus

Cord venous growth hormone (GH) were measured by radioimmunoassay in 88 infants and 11 anencephalic infants. The mean GH levels decreased gradually from midgestation, preterm to term fetus. There was a significant (p less than 0.01) sex difference in the GH level of term fetuses. Anencephalic infants had low GH levels. There was a significant (p less than 0.01) negative correlation between the cord GH level and birth weight in the normal infant. These data suggest that there is a sex difference for fetal GH secretion and that GH is not so important for fetal growth, but the hypothalamus plays an essential role in the regulation of fetal GH secretion.

Cephalothoracopagus: Case report with endocrine study

SummaryA case of cephalothoracopagus syncephalus conjoined twins was diagnosed by pre-natal amniography. Hormone levels in maternal blood, umbilical blood and amniotic fluid were measured.

Sex Difference in the Human Peripheral Plasma Beta-Endorphin and Beta-Lipotropin Levels

Human plasma beta-endorphin (beta-EP) and beta-lipotropin (beta-LPH) were measured simultaneously by radioimmunoassay in 4 women with regular menstrual cycle (4 follicular phase and 4 luteal phase), 5 normal men and 10 term fetuses. Mean plasma beta-EP level in the total samples of 8 women was 30.7 +/- 5.8 pg/ml (+/- SE), significantly (p less than 0.03) higher than the beta-EP level in men (12.2 +/- 2.0 pg/ml). There was no significant sex difference in fetal plasma beta-EP level. These data suggest that the existence of sex differences for beta-EP secretion and release, and opioid peptides secretion and release mechanism might change with sexual maturation, due to changing sex steroids secretion.

Clinical Background of Preecwsia in Jpsanese Women

In Japan, the maternal mortality rate from preeclampsia is still high. In this study, we analyzed the clinical background of 70(1.5%) cases of severe preeclampsia in 4, 633 deliveries in our clinic. The main family history was hypertension(34.2%). The medical complication of this pregnancy were nephritis(11.4%), hypertension(5.7%) and diabetes mellitus(4.3%). In previous obstetrical complication, preeclampsia was found very high frequency(44.4%). In this pregnancy, the cesarean section was done for 15(21.4%) cases. There was a significant high frequency of low birth weight infant in preeclampsia(2, 400 ± 925 gr, mean ± S.D.). The stillbirth was found in 12(17.1%) cases. The perinatal mortality rate was 169/1, 000 deliveries, this was a significantly higher than total rate(15/1, 000 deliveries).