SUMMARY: The present study was performed to analyze the expression of LH genes in the rat ovary. Expression of LH subunit genes in the rat ovary was demonstrated by amplification of ovarian RNA by RT-PCR. The ovarian LHbeta transcripts contained at least two parts of the published cDNA structure, the pituitary exons 1, 2 and 3 and the part of testicular exon 1 in the major trancripts form in rat testis. Using RIA, significant amount of LH-like molecules were detected in crude ovarian extracts, and the competition curves with increasing amount of tissue extracts were parallel with those of standard peptide, indicating that the ovarian immunoreactive LH-like material is similar to authentic pituitary LH molecule. The administration of PMSG to immature rats resulted in a sharp decrease of the ovarian LH contents after 24 h post-injection. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that genes for LH subunits are expressed in the rat ovary, and suggest that LH can play a central role in regulation of female reproduction with both endocrine (by pituitary LH) and auto- and/or para-crime (by ovarian LH) manner.
Animals ; DNA, Complementary ; Exons ; Female ; Humans ; Lutein* ; Luteinizing Hormone* ; Ovary* ; Rats* ; Reproduction ; RNA ; Testis ; Tissue Extracts

No abstract available.
Cerebral Palsy*

A case of congenital coloboma of Iris and Choroid in both eyes and associated with optic nurve in left eye, who was 36 years old labor man, is reported, and also the author attempted to survey the embryological literatures for its original causes and heredity. This case was typical form without persistent pupillary membrane or lens change, and was not hereditary nature.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Blindness* ; Choroid* ; Coloboma* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Hemianopsia* ; Heredity ; Humans ; Iris* ; Membranes ; Military Personnel ; Optic Nerve* ; Paragonimiasis* ; Skin Tests ; Skull ; Visual Fields ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Williams syndrome is characterized by supravalvular aortic stenosis, mental retardation and peculiar facial appearance. Its genetic etiology is considered to be hemizygotic deletion in Chromosome 7q11.23 which includes the elastin gene. We examined the deletion in Korean Williams syndrome patients and their parents. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Sixteen patients were selected through careful clinical examination including echocardiography and cardiac angiography. Hemizygotic deletion of elastin gene was determined in patients and 21 parents with fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) technique using the bacterial artificial chromosome clone 244H3 probe or commercial WSCR probe. RESULTS: FISH showed hemizygotic deletion of chromosome 7 in all sixteen patients but none of their parents showed deletion. CONCLUSION: Hemizygotic deletion of elastin gene can be determined by FISH with new probe 244H3 in clinically suspected Williams syndrome patients.
Angiography ; Aortic Stenosis, Supravalvular ; Chromosomes, Artificial, Bacterial ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 7 ; Clone Cells ; Echocardiography ; Elastin* ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence* ; Intellectual Disability ; Parents ; Williams Syndrome*

No abstract available.
Thrombectomy* ; Venous Thrombosis*

OBJECTIVE: There is increasing evidence for the expression of rat LH gene in several extrapituitary sites including testis and ovary. We also have demonstrated that the local LH expression in the rat epididymis and uterus, the major accessory sex organs in male and female reproductive system, respectively. DESIGN: The present study was undertaken to elucidate whether the gene for LH receptor is expressed in rat uterus and whether the expression of uterine LH and its receptor are differentially regulated during estrous cycle. Presence of the transcripts for rat LH receptor in the rat uterine tissue were confirmed by touchdown reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: In LHbeta semi-quantitative RT-PCR, the highest expression level was shown in estrus stage. The level of LH receptor transcripts was also fluctuated during estrous cycle. In ovariectomized rats (OVX + Oil), the expressions of both uterine LH and LH-R were markedly reduced when compared to those from normal rats. Supplement with estradiol 17beta to the ovariectomized rats (OVX + E2) restored the expression levels of LH and its receptor to the levels in uteri from normal rats. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicated that 1) LH and its receptor gene are expressed in the rat uterus from cycling rats, 2) the expression of uterine LH and its receptor is mainly, if not all, under the control of ovarian sex steroid(s). These results suggested that the uterine LH may act as a local regulator with auto and/or paracrine manner, though the posibility that the pituitary LH may act directly on the regulation of uterine functions could not be discarded.
Animals ; Epididymis ; Estradiol ; Estrous Cycle ; Estrus ; Female ; Genitalia ; Humans ; Lutein* ; Luteinizing Hormone* ; Male ; Ovary ; Rats* ; Receptors, LH ; Testis ; Uterus*

OBJECTIVES: Recent studies, including our own, demonstrated that the novel expression of LH gene in rat gonads and uterus, indicating that the local production and action of the LH-like molecule. In the present study, we investigated whether human uterus also expresses the LH gene. DESIGN: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplified the cDNA fragments coding LHbeta polypeptide from human endometrium but not from myometrium. Presence of the transcripts for the alpha-subunit in human endometrium was also confirmed by RT-PCR. RESULTS: Transcripts for LHbeta subunit were detected in endometrial samples from women with endometriosis. The gene for LH/hCG receptor was expressed in both endometrium and myometrium, showing good agreement with previous studies. Increased level of LHbeta transcript was determined in the endometrium from follicular phase compared to that from luteal phase. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our findings demonstrated that 1) the gense for LH subunits and LH/hCG receptor are expressed in human uterus, 2) the uterine LH expression was changed during menstrual cycle, suggesting that the uterine LH may play a local role in the control of uterine physiology and function(s).
Animals ; Clinical Coding ; DNA, Complementary ; Endometriosis ; Endometrium ; Female ; Follicular Phase ; Gonads ; Humans* ; Luteal Phase ; Lutein* ; Menstrual Cycle ; Mice ; Myometrium ; Physiology ; Rats ; Uterus*

1. Present study was made to observe the plasma renin activity in the patients of benign essential hypertension, malignant hypertension, acute or chronic glomerulonephritis, liver cirrhosis with or without ascites, congestive heart failure, and massive bleeding due to various causes. 2. It was found that the substance with constrictive action on the rat colon had the hypertensive action. 3. The normotensive group showed the renin activity of 1.81+/-1.18ng/ml. 4. Benign hypertension group showed the level of 3.14+/-3.27 ng/ml which was the significantly elevated level compared to the normal group. 5. Malignant hypertensive group showed 8.47+/-9.48 ng/ml, which was not only the apparently elevated value than that of normal group, but also showed significant difference from that of benign essential hypertension. 6. The levels of 5.6+/-2.88 ng/ml and 27.5+/-12.36 ng/ml in chronic and acute glomerulonephritis respectively showed the significantly elevated level than the normal group, and the difference between the acute and chronic glomerulonephritis was also found to be significant. 7. The hepatic cirrhosis with or without ascites showed the level of 3.77+/-2.83 ng/ml and 0.80+/-0. ng/ml respectively. The value of the former was the significantly elevated compared with the normal group, and the later was lowered. 8. The level of 11.11+/-4.12 ng/ml was significantly elevated compared to that of normal group in congestive heart failure. 9. It is suggested that the renin activity assumes to be changed to the kind and the phase of the diseases and according to present data of elevated renin activity in essential hypertension, renin may play a secondary role in essential hypertension rather than to be a primary.
Animals ; Ascites ; Colon ; Glomerulonephritis ; Heart Failure ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Malignant ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Plasma* ; Rats ; Renin*

The response of plasma renin activity and Na, K content to physiological stimuli; supine, standing after liberal salt intake and salt loading, was observed in the normal human and patients with essential hypertension. The results are as follow: 1) The substance obtained from sample that exert contractile activity to rat colon, had blood pressure raising activity. Method in this experiment was able to detect angiotensin-II for concentration of 1 ng. 2) In normal, plasma Na content of supine state with liberal salt intake showed 142.2+/-1.8 mEq/L, but it was increased to 151.0+/-5.9 mEq/L after salt loading. In standing, plasma Na content showed 141.5+/-2.5 mEq/L with liberal salt intake. 3) In normal, plasma Na content of liberal salt intake showed 142.2+/-1.8 mEq/L in supine and 141.5+/-2.5 mEq/L in standing. The pasma Na content in supine after salt loading was significantly reduced by standing (143.7+/-1.5 mEq/L). 4) In normal, plasam renin activity of supine showed 7.3+/-1.6 mg/ml with liberal salt intake and 4.8+/-1.1 ng/ml with salt loading. The plasma renin activity in standing showed 12.8+/-3.1 ng/ml witn liberal salt intake and 7.3+/-1.1 ng/ml with salt loading. In both cases the salt loading decreased the plasma renin activity significantly. 5) In normal, the plasma renin activity of liberal salt intake or salt loading was significantly increased by standing compared with that of supine state. 6) In hypertensive patients with subnormal plasma renin activity, the plasma Na content in supine state showed 144.5+/-0.7 mEq/L with diuretics and 145.5+/-3.3 mEq/L with salt loading. In hypertensive patients with normal or high plasma renin activity, the plasma Na content in supine state showed 129.5+/-7.3 mEq/L with diuretics and 136.5+/-3.0 mEq/L with salt loading. In standing, plasma Na content was 132.5+/-3.1 mEq/L with diuretics and 135.7+/-2.5 mEq/L with salt loading. In hypertensive patients, the lower renin activity cases showed higher plasam Na content. 7) In hypertensive patients with subnormal renin activity, the plasma Na content tend to decrease by standing compared with that of supine state. 8) In hypertensive cases of low renin activity, the plasma renin activity in supine was 3.6+/-1.5 ng/ml with diuretics and 2.4+/-1.1 ng/ml with salt loading, and in standing, it was 6.0+/-2.1 ng/ml. with diuretics and 3.7+/-1.9 ng/ml with salt loading. In cases of high renin activity, the plasma renin activity in supine was 9.3+/-2.3 ng/ml with diruetics and 6.0+/-1.2 ng/ml with salt loading and in standing, it was 18.0+/-3.5 ng/ml with diuretics and 9.7+/-0.5 ng/ml with salt loading. 9) In patients with essential hypertension, we found that the plasma renin activity was incrased or not. It is suggest that the increased renin activity is not the cause of essential hypertension but is caused by essential hypertension.
Animals ; Blood Pressure ; Colon ; Diuretics ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Plasma* ; Rats ; Renin* ; Sodium*

It is still not well documented what the basic roles for the regulation of renin secretion from the kidney take place. Since the early study on the renal ischemia for the production of hypertension was introduced, the renin-angiotensin system has been regarded as the possible pathogenetic mechanism for the renovascular hypertension. The renin-angiotensin system, however, could be activated by various stimuli, such as, the changes of intrarenal perfusion pressure, the load or concentriation of sodium at the sites of macular densa, the changes of the sympathetic nervous activity and the changes of potassium balance. To investigate the renin-angiotensin system and the influence of sympathetic nervous system on the regulation of renin secretion, the renovascular hypertension was induced in the dogs by constriction of unilateral renal artery, and the plasma renin activity was measured. The sodium load at the sites of macula densa was attained by furosemide, and then the activity of sympathetic nervous system was depressed by reserpine. The plasma renin activity was assayed by the method of Helmer and Cohn. By this bio-assay method, the plasma renin activity equivalent to 1 nanogram angiotensin-II can be measurable and the prepared plasma was found to have still vasopressor activity. The results observed in this experimental work are summarized as follows. 1. The blood pressure reached maximum on the 3rd postoperative day, and declined gradually to the level of preoperative day on the day of from the 6th to 12th day following constriction of renal artery. 3. The plasma renin activity was found to be well correlated with the increase of blood pressure, and then declined to its preoperative level with the reduction of blood pressure. It appears, therefore, that the renin-angiotensin system plays an important role in the pathogenesis of renovascular hypertension. 4. The urine flow rate in normal and reserpinized dogs was the same before administration of furosemide, but its rate was significantly increased in both groups after furosemide. The urine flow rate of reserpinized dogs, however, was significantly lower than that of the normal dogs during the first 5 minutes. 5. The urinary sodium excretion in normal and reserpinized dogs was significantly increased in both groups after administration of furosemide and there were no difference between the two groups. 6. The plasma renin activity of renal venous blood was significantly higher than that of femoral arterial blood in both groups before and after administration of furosemide. 7. The plasma renin activity of reserpinized dogs was significantly lower than that of normal dogs before administration of furosemide. After furosemide, however, the plasma renin activity was significantly increased in 30 minutes in both groups. This increase of plasma renin activity was less prominent in resepinized dogs than in normal. This results would suggest that the intrarenal mechanism regulating renin secretion also requires an intact sympathetic nervous system.
Animals ; Blood Pressure ; Constriction ; Dogs ; Furosemide ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Renovascular ; Ischemia ; Kidney ; Perfusion ; Plasma ; Potassium ; Renal Artery ; Renin* ; Renin-Angiotensin System ; Reserpine ; Sodium ; Sympathetic Nervous System