M Sakata

Prevalence of premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder in Japanese women.

SummaryTo investigate the prevalence and impact of premenstrual symptoms in Japanese women, we developed the PSQ “The Premenstrual Symptoms Questionnaire” for the screening of premenstrual symptoms. The PSQ translates DSM-IV criteria into a rating scale with degrees of severity. One thousand one hundred and eighty-seven Japanese women between the ages of 20 and 49u2009yrs, who were seen at a clinic for uterine cancer screening, were assessed regarding their premenstrual symptoms using the PSQ. As many as 95% of these women were found to suffer from premenstrual symptoms. The rates of prevalence of moderate to severe PMS and PMDD in Japanese women were 5.3 and 1.2%, respectively, which are lower than those in Western women. Only 5.3% of women with moderate to severe PMS and PMDD were treated. The results of this study suggest that race and ethnicity influence the expression of premenstrual symptoms and that the current state of medical care for Japanese women with moderate to severe PMS and PMDD is not satisfactory.

Formula and Nomogram for Predicting Creatinine Clearance from Serum Creatinine Concentration

BackgroundQuick estimation of creatinine clearance from serum without calculation or urine measurements may be useful in many bedside clinical circumstances. A novel formula and a nomogram for predicting creatinine clearance are presented here.MethodsWe determined 24-hour creatinine clearance in 155 men and 143 women. A formula for creatinine clearance prediction from serum creatinine (Scr), age, body weight (BW), and body mass index (BMI) was developed [men: creatinine clearance=(−0.065 Age−0.493BMI+33)BW/Scr/14.4; women: creatinine clearance=(−0.052 Age−0.202BMI+21)BW/Scr/14.4]. Variables in this formula were evaluated for suitability by multiple regression analysis. The correlation between creatinine clearance measured and creatinine clearance predicted using serum creatinine from the same subject group was high (r=0.882). A nomogram for creatinine clearance prediction was derived from an equation that included the logarithmic transformation of age, body weight, height, and creatinine excretion instead of the original, nonlogarithmic values.ResultsCorrelation between measured and estimated creatinine clearance values for the nomogram was slightly lower (r=0.879) than ther value (0.882) obtained using the original formula. However, the nomogram still has considerable reliability in creatinine clearance prediction compared several other methods previously reported.ConclusionThe improved formula and nomogram for creatinine clearance presented here show high correlation with measured creatinine clearance. However, almost all the subjects in this study were nondiabetic patients. Therefore, the formula and the nomogram should be applied in treating nondiabetic patients; a separate formula may be needed for patients with diabetic nephropathy.

Gestational changes of glucose transporter gene expression in the mouse placenta and decidua

Glucose is required for fetal development and energy metabolism. The glucose transfer from maternal circulation to fetus, in which glucose transporter (GLUT) should play an important role, is fundamental in the utero-placental-fetal system. In this study, the gestational changes of GLUTI and GLUT3 mRNA level in the mouse placenta and decidua were analyzed by Northern blot analysis. The levels of GLUT1 mRNA in the mouse placenta and decidua increased as gestational day proceeded. Although the level of GLUT3 mRNA in the decidua slightly decreased as pregnancy proceeded, there was a switch in size of a major band of GLUT3 from 4.1 kb to 2.7 kb in the mouse placenta detected by Northern blot analysis. These findings suggest the presence of a difference in the gestational modulation of the level of GLUT1 and GLUT3 in the uteroplacental system.

Intraventricular administration of estradiol modulates rat prolactin secretion and synthesis.

The effect of estradiol (E2) on rat tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic (TIDA) neurons was examined in vivo, employing chronic intraventricular (icv) infusion technique using an osmotic mini-pump. The activity of TIDA neurons was assessed by the release and synthesis of prolactin (PRL) in the rat pituitary gland and by the changes in the 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and dopamine (DA) levels and in the DOPAC/DA ratio in the rat hypothalamus. We also examined the [3H] E2 binding in the rat hypothalamus. Ovariectomized female Wistar rats with E2 replacement were treated with daily icv infusion of 1μM of E2 or saline vehicle for 1, 3, and 7 days using the Alzet osmotic mini-pump and brain infusion kit. At 1 day of icv infusion of E2, the serum PRL level was significantly decreased compared with that in the vehicle group. Northern blot analysis of the total RNA isolated from the pituitary glands demonstrated a decrease in the PRL gene transcript level in the E2 group. At 3 days of E2 treatment, however, the serum PRL level was significantly increased compared with that of the vehicle-injected group and Northern blot analysis also demonstrated that the PRL gene transcript level was increased in the E2 group. At 7 days of E2 administration, there were no significant differences between the E2 and vehicle groups in either serum PRL or PRL gene transcript levels. There was a significant increase in the DOPAC/DA ratio after 1 day in the E2 group. However, no significant effects of E2 on this ratio were observed at 3 and 7 days of treatment. The DOPAC concentration in the E2 group was significantly increased at day 1 and significantly decreased at day 3, compared with that of the respective time in vehicle group. At day 7 there was no significant change in DOPAC concentration in either groups. The DA concentrations in the hypothalamus was not changed on any day in either group. Specific [3H] E2 binding was observed in the rat hypothalamus. These data suggest that E2 may have a biphasic effect on the accumulation of PRL gene transcripts and on the PRL secretion in the rat pituitary by first stimulating and then inhibiting the TIDA neuronal activity.

The functional site of placental anticoagulant protein: Essential histidine residue of placental anticoagulant protein

Placental anticoagulant protein (PAP) rapidly lost its anticoagulant effect due to photooxidation in the presence of methylene blue at pH 7.9 and 8 degrees C. Photooxidized PAP failed to bind the phospholipid vesicle. It seemed unlikely that the protein underwent a change in molecular size during the photooxidation on the basis of its behavior in electrophoresis and gel filtration. Photooxidized PAP had significantly decreased histidine contents, whereas the contents of other amino acids remained essentially unchanged. The peptide, SHLRKV, was included in the functional site of PAP and still showed an anticoagulant activity. On the other hand, the peptide which substituted histidine by alanine, SALRKV, no longer showed the activity. It was shown that the histidine residue is involved in Ca2+ or the phospholipid binding site of the protein.

Transforming growth factor-α regulates subpopulation of giant cells which secrete mouse placental lactogen-I (mPL-I) and/or mPL-II at midpregnancy

The aim of this study was to determine whether transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α) regulates expression of mouse placental lactogen-I (mPL-I) and mPL-II at midpregnancy in vitro. Treatment of placental cells from day 9 of pregnancy with TGF-α resulted in stimulation of mPL-I secretion and inhibition of mPL-II secretion in a time- and dose-dependent manner without changing the amount of newly synthesized trichloroacetic acid precipitable proteins and cell viability. Moreover, TGF-α increased the intra-cellular mPL-I concentration and immuno-precipitable newly synthesized mPL-I concentration both in the medium and cells. TGF-α increased the number of cells containing only mPL-I and cells containing both mPL-I and mPL-II, but decreased that of the cells containing only mPL-II assessed by double immunocytochemistry. TGF-α increased the number of cells releasing only mPL-I but decreased the number of cells releasing only mPL-II, however TGF-α did not affect the number of cells releasing both mPL-I and mPL-II assessed by sequential reverse hemolytic plaque assay (RHPA). TGF-α decreased the expression of mPL-II mRNA, but did not change the expression of mPL-I mRNA. In situ hybridization for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) after RHPA for mPL-I indicated that giant cells releasing mPL-I express EGF-R mRNA. These findings suggest that TGF-α regulates the subpopulation of giant cells which produces and releases mPL-I and mPL-II and it results in an increase of mPL-I secretion and decrease of mPL-II secretion, and suggests possible post-transcriptional stimulation of mPL-I secretion and transcriptional inhibition of mPL-II secretion by TGF-α. Giant cells releasing mPL-I express EGF-R mRNA, suggesting direct regulation of giant cell differentiation by EGF and TGF-α at midpregnancy.