Nobuaki Furuhashi

Effects of Caffeine Ingestion during Pregnancy

We studied the effects of caffeine ingestion during pregnancy. A total number of 9,921 healthy pregnant women with a gestational age after 24 weeks were subjected to the study. The women who drank more than 5 cups of coffee per day had a high incidence of impending abortion, premature labor, and fetuses small for gestational age. The heavy coffee drinkers among the pregnant women had high rates of spontaneous abortion, chromosomal abnormality and congenital multi-anomalies. However, we would like to stress that the multiple socioeconomic variables might be more important than any direct effect of caffeine.

Correlation between climacteric symptoms and serum levels of estradiol, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone

Correlation between the climacteric symptoms and serum levels of estradiol. progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH) was studied in 191 premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Significant correlation was obtained between the climacteric symptoms represented by the menopausal index of Kupperman and associates and serum levels of estradiol as well as LH in a subgroup of the premenopausal women, ages 35 to 39 years. The symptoms were shown to be significantly related in serum levels of LH and inversely related to estradiol. These results confirmed that climacteric symptoms, at least in premenopausal women 35 to 39 years of age, could result from a low output of ovarian estrogen and a high production of pituitary gonadotropin.

Measurement of TSH in human amniotic fluid: diagnosis of fetal thyroid abnormality in utero

Using a highly sensitive immunoradiometric assay kit for human TSH, we measured TSH concentrations in unconcentrated amniotic fluids in normal pregnancies and those complicated for example by maternal hyper‐ and hypothyroidism, and compared them with those in maternal and cord sera. In normal pregnancies the mean concentration of TSH in amniotic fluid samples was 0·129 μU/ml, ranging from 0·065 to 0·278 μU/ml. In patients with premature delivery, the amniotic fluid TSH concentration was higher at 0·218 μU/ml. In four patients with abnormal thyroid function, TSH in amniotic fluid changed in parallel to that in cord serum, and there was a significant positive correlation between the two. No such correlation was observed between the concentrations of TSH in amniotic fluid and maternal serum. These results suggest that TSH in human amniotic fluid reflects fetal rather than maternal thyroid function and that the determination of TSH levels in amniotic fluid is useful in the diagnosis of abnormal thyroid function in fetuses.

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.

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.

Human ACTH, β-Lipotropin and β-Endorphin Levels in Maternal Plasma at Delivery

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), Β-lipotropin (Β-LPH) and Β-endor-phin (Β-EP) were measured simultaneously in maternal plasma at delivery. Mean concentrations of Β-LPH and