OBJECTIVES: It has been identified a novel protein in porcine and bovine follicular fluid termed Gonadotropin Surge Inhibiting Factor (GnSIF) which inhibits GnRH-stimulated LH secretion by pituitary cells in culture. The purpose of this study was to investigate the production of GnSIF by porcine granulosa cell in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Granulosa cells were aspirated from different size of porcine follicles (1-3mm, 3-5mm, >6mm in diameter) and cultured in 24-well plates in Ham's F-12/DMEM at 500,000 cells/well for 24h. After plating, cells were washed and incubated in triplicate for 72h in DMEM/F-12 containing 2% FBS in the presence of 100ng/ml FSH and the media were collected. Granulosa cell-conditioned media were chromatographed on heparin-Sepharose to remove inhibin and follistatin, and assayed for GnSIF activity using a rat pituitary cell bioassay. Briefly, dispersed pituitary cells from adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were plated (500,000 cells/well) for 72h, washed, and incubated with granulosa cell-conditioned media in the presence of 10nM GnRH for 4h. The media were collected and assayed for LH by RIA. GnSIF activity is defined as the suppression of GnRH-stimulated LH secretion. RESULTS: Granulosa cell-conditioned media significantly inhibited GnRH-stimulated LH secretion by rat pituitary cells in vitro (69% of control, P<0.001, n=2 experiments). Preliminary data suggest that granulosa cells from small follicles (1-3mm) produce greater amounts of GnSIF than those obtained from larger follicles (>6mm). CONCLUSIONS: GnSIF activity is produced by porcine granulosa cells in vitro. Granulosa cell production of GnSIF, along with other gonadal proteins such as inhibin, follistatin, and activin may be an important component of the ovarian control of pituitary gonadotropin secretion.
Activins ; Adult ; Animals ; Biological Assay ; Female ; Follicular Fluid ; Follistatin ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Gonadotropins* ; Gonads ; Granulosa Cells* ; Humans ; Inhibins ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Direct contact method of autoradiography was utilized in studying the distribution of exogenous C(14)-proline in Clonorchis sinensis, Eurytrema pancreaticum, Hymenolepis diminuta and Dipylidium caninum. The most distinct autoradiogram were obtained after 60 min of incubation, corresponding to the maximal absorption of C(14)-proline in these parasite. The radioactivitity of this labeled amino acid was chiefly concentrated in reproductive organs, especially egg-containing uterine tubules.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda-cestoda ; Clonorchis sinensis ; Eurytrema pancreaticum ; Hymenolepis diminuta ; Dipylidium caninum ; autoradiography ; C(14)-proline ; biochemistry ; amino acid

No abstract available.
Pregnancy, Heterotopic*

When a soft tissue mass in the bony wall of the paranasal sinus is present, it is difficult to make a distinction between tumor and inflammatory mass on CT. Fungal sinusitis may have soft tissue attenuation on the bony wall of the sinus, bony sclerosis, focal bony destruction, and calcific area on CT. This is a report of four proven cases of fungal sinusitis, asperogillosis in 3 cases and mucormycosis in 1 case, All 4 patients had CT and one patient had MRI, On CT, bony sclerosis and destruction were well visualized in all cases. On MRI, mycetoma in the maxillary sinus was hypointense on T1 weighted images and more hypointense on T2 weighted images. Although CT appears to be the best modality for initial examination of the patient with sinusitis, the differentiation of fungal sinusitis from tumor mass or other entity may be better accomplished with MRI.
Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Maxillary Sinus ; Mucormycosis ; Mycetoma ; Sclerosis ; Sinusitis

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Telangiectasia, Hereditary Hemorrhagic*

No abstract available.
Pregnancy*

No abstract available.
Dermoscopy ; Hemangioma* ; Lasers, Dye

No abstract available.
Bone Marrow* ; Histiocytes* ; Niemann-Pick Diseases*

OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: To determine correlations among ambulatory renin activity, ambulatory blood pressure and microalbumin excretion rate, 66 Korean essential hypertensives were studied after 4 week wash-out period. The ambulatory blood pressure was monitored every 30 minutes and mean BP were calculated automatically. Urinary microalbumin excretion rate(UAER) and ambulatory plasma renin activity(aPRA) collected at mid-day were measured by radioimmunoassays. Subjectives were divided into 2 groups by aPRA value(2ng/ml/hr). RESULT: 14 cases were high renin group and 52 cases low renin group. The mean BP were 148.83/94.69mmHg in low renin group, and 146.57/98.07mmHg in high-renin group without difference. UAER were not different also between both groups. 23.07%(4/14) of non-dippers were included in high renin group and 25.58%(12/52) in low renin group without statistical difference. The aPRA was significantly related to UAER and systolic and diastolic mean blood pressure. Also UAER was related significantly to day mean blood pressures. CONCLUSION: Thus aPRA is thought to be a meaningful indicator to predict hypertensive renal target organ damage as well as blood pressure measured with 24-hr ABPM.
Blood Pressure* ; Hypertension* ; Plasma* ; Radioimmunoassay ; Renin*