Effect of oral contraceptives on the blood lipid level

Secretion of estrogens in the urine and the content of cholesterol and triglycerides in blood plasma were studied in 36 healthy women 24 of whom took oral contraceptives including estrogenic and gestagenic components to prevent conception. It proved that after the first course of medication the overall estrogen excretion reduces at the expense of all fractions but more so at the expense of the active fraction. Beginning with the 2nd week the cholesterol level in the blood plasma increases and the level of triglycerides grows considerably. The increase in these indices was observed in the first 6 months when the oral contraceptives were taken. With the preparations taken for a longer time the blood plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels became stable.     

Microenvironmental factors regulate Ly-6 A/E expression on PyV-transformed BALB/c 3T3 cells

Ouabain-induced changes of the free cytoplasmic Na+ concentration ([Na+]i) were monitored in aggregates of cells prepared from beta-cell-rich pancreatic mouse islets and the results were compared with the total islet content of sodium. The steady-state [Na+]i was lower in 20 mM glucose (11 mM) than in 3 mM glucose (14 mM). In the presence of 3 mM glucose the addition of 1 mM ouabain resulted in a rise in [Na+]i with an initial rate of 1.5 mM/min. However, the increase of total sodium corresponded to 2.8 mM/min, suggesting that rapid binding and/or sequestration of Na+ are prominent features for pancreatic beta-cells. Elevation of the glucose concentration to 20 mM increased the rate of ouabain-dependent rise of [Na+]i. The effect of glucose was mimicked by 1 mM tolbutamide or 100 microM carbachol and was counteracted by 100 nM of the alpha 2-adrenergic agonist clonidine. Glucose also accelerated the lowering of [Na+]i after withdrawal of ouabain. In promoting not only the entry but also the extrusion of Na+, glucose actually enhances the turnover of the ion in pancreatic beta-cells.     

The effect of chloditan on synthetic processes in the adrenal gland cells of newborn piglets

In experiments with a primary culture of adrenal cells, it has been studied the influence of chloditane, as a specific inhibitor of adrenocortical function, on the synthetic processes in the newborn pig adrenal cells, whose organ and cell cultures are more and more used as transplantation material for the treatment of adrenal insufficiency. It has been shown that incubation of adrenocorticocytes with chloditane (final concentration in culture medium: 1 to 10,000 ng/ml) during 24 hours had a marked negative dose-dependent effect on the indices of inclusion of 3H-thymidine and 3H-uridine into the nucleic acids. In the presence of a maximum chloditane concentration, inclusion made, respectively, 16.9 and 46.0% from control. A trustworthy effect of chloditane on the indices of 3H-leucine inclusion (protein synthesis) has been established only for concentration 10 to 100 ng/ml and made near 70% from control. It has been discussed a possible mechanism of chloditane action on the synthetic processes in adrenal cells.     

Sarcoidosis: 25-year clinical follow-up

Based on the follow-up of 1,600 patients with sarcoidosis from 1971 to 1996, the authors analyzed the value of various methods for identifying the disease, the frequency and nature of misdiagnoses. They showed the efficiency of basic treatments in patients with sarcoidosis: corticosteroidal hormones, nonhormonal antiinflammatory drugs, plasmapheresis, and physiotherapy. Recurrencies and progression were seen in 23.85% of patients. The likely causes of recurrent sarcoidosis are considered. It is concluded that recurrencies are one of the important problems of modern sarcoidosis.