Yoshimasa Yaoi

Estrogen Increases Cerebral and Cerebellar Blood Flows in Postmenopausal Women

Whole cerebral and cerebellar flow (CBF and Cb1BF) measurements with single-photon emission computed tomography were performed on 14 postmenopausal women 4 weeks after the discontinuation of hormone replacement therapy. After the first brain blood flow measurements, nine subjects received 0.625 mg of conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) orally twice a day continually for 3 weeks (study group). The remaining five did not receive CEE (control group). The second brain blood flow measurements were performed on all 14 subjects between 2 and 3 weeks after the first ones. The mean whole CBF value (&OV0335; ±; SE) in the study group was significantly increased from 45.9 ±;3.4 to 58.8 ±; 5.5 ml/100 g/min during estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) (p = 0.0382). The mean whole Cb1BF value was also significantly increased from 47.7 ±; 3.4 to 61.0 ±; 5.6/100 g/min during ERT (p = 0.0382). In the control group, there were no significant differences between the first and second flow measurements either in the mean whole CBF values (46.6 ±; 2.5 versus 44.6 ±; 5.4 ml/100 g/min) or in the mean whole Cb1BF values (46.3 ±; 2.2 versus 44.2 ±; 5.2 ml/100 g/min). The mean percent changes were 29.5 ±; 10.2% in CBF and 29.3 ±; 10.4% in Cb1BF. These results suggest that ERT significantly increases the whole cerebral and cerebellar blood flows in postmenopausal women.

Blood Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor and Thrombin-Antithrombin III Complex Concentrations in Pregnancy and Preeclampsia

Macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) is a characteristic cytokine that plays an essential role in placenta maintenance, and thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT) is a hemostatic marker that is remarkably altered both in normal pregnancy and in preeclampsia. The present study was designed in order to show various levels of M-CSF and TAT in pregnancies. Peripheral blood was collected from 49 subjects, of whom 31 were normal pregnant women consisting of the four groups (namely 10th, 20th, 30th, and 38th weeks of gestation), 13 were preeclamptic pregnant women (37th week of gestation; mean blood pressure, 158/99 mm Hg), and 5 were nonpregnant controls. We compared blood M-CSF and TAT levels among them. Results showed that blood M-CSF and TAT levels increased significantly with gestational age. Furthermore, the ratio of increase in M-CSF was significantly lower than that in TAT in normal pregnant women compared with controls. In contrast, the ratio of increase in M-CSF was significantly higher than that in TAT in preeclamptic women compared with normal pregnant women. These results concerning the ratio of increase in M-CSF and TAT have not been reported. These findings show that M-CSF level increases significantly in preeclampsia even in its earlier stage, exhibiting a systolic blood pressure of less than 160 mm Hg.

Site of Ovulation and Ectopic Pregnancy

Abstract. In a study of 130 tubal pregnancies the relationships as to location of the corpus luteum, the implantation site, and the gross findings of the non‐pregnant fallopian tube were analyzed. A contralateral corpus luteum was found in 20% of the cases. Hydrosalpinx, peritubal adhesions and/or thickening of the tubal wall were observed in 33% of the non‐pregnant tubes. Grouping by implantation site—ipsilateral or contralateral corpus luteum—showed no statistical differences. The incidence of chronic pelvic inflammatory diseases was no greater in the subjects above 30 years of age and those having had more than 2 pregnancies. The results suggest that “tube locking” of the ovum, sometimes a result of previous tubal inflammatory disease, sometimes a result of supposed insufficiency of tubal peristalsis. was the major cause of tubal gestation. External migration of the ovum alone may not be an important factor in the genesis of tubal pregnancy.

Transcervical Fallopian Tube Recanalization under Fluoroscopic Guidance

This study was designed in order to assess whether the Iwasaki-Hayashi (IH) catheter can be fixed to the uterine cervix easily and successfully during transcervical fallopian tube recanalization (T-FTR) with fluoroscopic guidance, to try T-FTR in special cases, and to investigate the success rate. The study included 21 infertile women with tubal obstruction, diagnosed by hysterosalpingography examined at least twice to exclude tubal spasm. Using the IH catheter, which proved to be very useful, higher therapeutic efficacy could be obtained. A patient with unilateral proximal tubal obstruction became pregnant following natural fertilization in the fallopian tube which had been recanalized by T-FTR. The success rate of recanalization, the pregnancy rate and the take-home-baby rate were 95.2%/patient, 19.0 and 19.0%, respectively.

The prolactin-releasing mechanism of the hypothalamo-pituitary axis in pregnancy**Presented at the Thirty-Third Annual Meeting of the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, May 11, 1981, Niigata, Japan.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prolactin (PRL)-releasing mechanism of the hypothalamo-pituitary axis in pregnancy. Forty-six gravidas in the first and second trimesters received bromocriptine (BRC), 2.5 mg orally, metoclopramide (MCP), 10 mg intravenously, or thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), 500 micrograms intravenously. Additionally, BRC was given orally to another 42 gravidas 60 minutes prior to the intravenous injection of MCP or TRH. The plasma PRL levels decreased significantly after BRC and remained significantly elevated after MCP or TRH administration. However, there were no significant differences of PRL response to these agents between the first- and second-trimester groups. The PRL release from the pituitary by MCP or TRH was suppressed significantly by pretreatment of BRC in the gravidas. We concluded that the control mechanism of PRL secretion remained unchanged in the first and second trimesters.

The Immunoreactive-GIF Concentrations in Various Fetal Tissues Measured by Two Different RIA Systems

Since the discovery of the structures of somatostatin (GIF) in 1973 by Brazeau et al, its measurement by the radioimmunoassay (RIA) methods has been reported by Arimura et al (1975), Yanaihara et al (1978) and Sawano et al (1978). As GIF does not contain tyrosine and histidine, which can be radioiodized, analogues of GIF are being used as tracers in its radioimmunoassay. In this study, two different types of tracers(1251-tyr8-GIF and 125I-tyrosyl-GIF) were used in RIA to measure the immunoreactive GIF of fetal tissues, and their results were compared.

Der Effekt von synthetischem LH-RH auf Serum LH, FSH und Oestrogene, Pregnandiol bzw. Pregnantriol im Urin an verschiedenen Phasen des normalen menstruellen Cyclus

4. Herren M. Saito, T. Kumasaka, ~. I~/iehi, K. Kato, Y. Yaoi, T. Koyama und T. 0hkura (Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Tokyo, Japan) und A. Arimura (School of Medicine, Tulane University New Orleans, La., U.S.A.): Der Effekt yon synthetisehem LH-RtI auf Serum LH, FSH und 0estrogene, Pregnandiol bzw. Pregnantriol im Urin an versehiedenen Phasen des normalen menstruellen Cyelus.