Prolactin and insulin estimates in pregnancy with glucose intolerance

To show the relation of prolactin with the incidence of glucose intolerance in pregnancy. This study was carried out on thirty Sudanese pregnant ladies suffering from gestational diabetes mellitus, 30 ones with impaired glucose tolerance and 30 control ones with normal glucose tolerance. All subjects overnight fasted before the test. A fasting blood sample was drawn at 6.00 a.m. Thereafter, 75g oral glucose dissolved in 200 cc water was given for each, waiting for two hours and then another blood sample was drawn. Fasting and 2-h, after 75g glucose load, plasma glucose concentrations [FBS and 2h-BS] were estimated by glucose oxidase method. The concentrations of serum insulin in the fasting sample [0 min.] and in the 2 hour after 75g glucose load sample [120 min.] were measured with a specific immunoradiometric assay. The concentrations of serum prolactin [120 min.] were measured with a specific radioimmunoassay. There were no significant differences among levels of fasting serum insulin of the three studied groups [p>0.05] while, the mean level of 2h- serum insulin of the GDM group was significantly lower than that of the IGT and control groups [p <0.005]. Results of serum prolactin of the control group in the first, second and third trimester showed that prolactin increases progressively as pregnancy advances [p <0.0001]. Results of serum prolactin of the GDM, IGT and control groups in the third trimester showed that no two groups were significantly different [p>0.05] although the control group recorded the highest mean level of serum prolactin. Prolactin increases progressively as pregnancy advances, reaching a peak in the third trimester when many pregnant ladies may develop gestational diabetes due to the state of insulin resistance which may occur although there is no evidence that prolactin may be directly incorporated with the pathogenesis of glucose intolerance in pregnancy. A decline in insulin secretion may lead to a decline in prolactin since insulin stimulates both acute secretion and de novo synthesis of decidual prolactin

Seminal plasma fructose and zinc levels as indicators of androgenic activity in male infertility

In this study, we aimed to investigate the possibility of using seminal plasma fructose and zinc levels as indicators of androgenic activity. A cross sectional study was conducted on three groups of infertile patients [n = 68] of clearly different sperm densities [20 azoospermic, 24 oligozoospermic and 24 normozoospermic patients]. The patients were randomly selected for this study. The study also included 20 normal subjects as a control group that is a totally different group of men of proven fertility who have recently fathered one or more children and who do not suffer any endocrine or systemic disease. Blood and semen samples were collected from each. Semen analysis was done; serum testosterone, Follicle stimulating hormone [FSH] and luteinizing hormone [LH] were measured using radioimmunoassay technique. Zinc level in seminal plasma was determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy and seminal plasma fructose was measured using colorimetry. Results of analysis showed that seminal plasma zinc levels whether per ml or per total ejaculate were found to increase gradually from azoospermic [6.56 mg/ml, 17mg/ejaculate], through oligozoospermic [11.49 mg/ml, 30.3 mg/ ejaculate] to normozoospermic [12.42 mg/ml, 33.3 mg/ejaculate] infertile patients, indicating increased androgenic activity with increased sperm density. The difference between the azo- and oligozoospermic groups is statistically significant [p < 0.05] and between azo- and normozoospermic is even higher [p < 0.005]. The azoospermic group is not really one homogeneous group but a mixture of two distinct subgroups. A subgroup with severe Leydig cell damage, and consequently low testosterone level and elevated FSH level [Normal range of serum FSH is 1.0 - 8.0 mIU/ml] having a seminal plasma fructose mean level [205.3 mg/ml, 295.7 mg/ejaculate] which is higher than that of the oligozoospermic group [188.3 mg/ml, 537 mg/ejaculate] and much higher than that of normozoospermic group [151.3 mg/ml, 457 mg/ejaculate] whereas, the other subgroup with no interstitial cells involvement [obstructive azoospermic] have normal FSH and testosterone levels and a fructose mean level significantly [p < 0.5] higher than all other groups [217.2 mg/ml, 547 mg/ejaculate] due to normal hormonal stimuli and non-utilization. It seems in case of fructose that the situation is reversed compared to zinc as fructose level is the highest in the subgroup of azoospermic patients and decreases as sperm density increases due to utilization by spermatozoa. Zinc level may act as a good indicator of androgenic activity whereas, fructose level can not be used reliably, except in the azoospermic group. This is mainly due to consumption of fructose by spermatozoa and many other interfering factors which the present study tends to clarify

study of the factors influencing breast feeding patterns in Al Taif, West Saudi Arabia

The purpose of this work is to study the factors influencing breast-feeding patterns in Al-Taif region, West Saudi Arabia. A survey was carried out in Al-Taif, West Saudi Arabia on a random multistage cluster sample of 4000 households. All women who had delivered a live birth or expected to deliver from January to June 1999 in the primary segments were interviewed. These women were visited once every month for one year to collect data about child feeding practices following a live birth. Mothers were asked about their area of residence, age, parity, occupation, education, family income, type and place of delivery, contraceptive use, outcome of previous pregnancies, pre-natal care of the breast and at what age and why breast-feeding was stopped. Out of 4000 household sampled, 670 mothers [18%] delivered a live birth between January and June 1999. The crude birthrate was 39 per 1000 and the male: female infant ratio was 1.05: 1.00. Forty per cent of the mothers were between the age of 25 and 35 and with an average of 6.2 pregnancies and 5.3 children. Most came from middle socioeconomic backgrounds with family income $ 500-1000 per month; 18% were illiterate, 48% had primary education, 22% had secondary education, and 12% had university education. Of the infants, 25% were exclusively breast-fed initially then dropped to 21% at 3 months, and to 5% at 1 year. Only 12% of babies were exclusively bottle-fed initially, but by 6 months the figure had increased to 21%. By the age of one year, 39% of the babies had ceased to receive any breast milk. The median age of weaning was 8 months. Factors significantly associated with duration of breast-feeding were maternal age, level of education, area of residence, occupation, family income, place and type of delivery and contraceptive use. The most common reasons for refusing to breastfeed were inadequate milk secretion and the mother's employment outside the home

Knowledge, attitude and practices [KAP] of mothers about infants' diarrhea in Al-Taif, West Saudi Arabia

The aim of this study is to investigate the sociodemographic factors associated with infants' diarrheal episodes and the knowledge, attitude and practices [KAP] of mothers regarding their infants' diarrheal diseases in Al-Taif, West Saudi Arabia. Out of 2010 cases of acute diarrhea, 900 cases were selected randomly from those attended pediatric clinics at Al-Ameen and AI Hada Military Hospital at Al-Taif region in West Saudi Arabia, during the period of three years [from the beginning of January 1998 to the end of December 2000]. A questionnaire interview with the mothers of those selected children was performed to collect sociodemographic characteristics of the mothers and fathers. In addition to this, 9 open ended questions dealing with mothers' knowledge about different aspects of diarrhea such as definition, cause, transmission, symptoms and signs, management and prevention and source of mothers' information about these aspects of diarrhea. Also, actual practices and behavior of mothers towards their childrens' episodes of diarrhea were investigated. The great majority of mothers were illiterate [70%], aged 20-29 years [68%]. More than 72% of the fathers were illiterate or can just read and write. More than 60% of the mothers did not know symptom and signs of diarrhea and more than 40% did not know the causes, the appropriate time for seeking medical advice or the importance of fluids in the management of diarrhea. Diarrheal episodes in infants are still a cause of major morbidity associated with lower socioeconomic conditions. Also, the study revealed that mothers' knowledge about diarrhea was deficient particularly among younger and less educated mothers. So, the mother should have proper knowledge and skills to enable her to deliver the appropriate care. This will help in preventing most childhood diseases which are mostly due to deficient or faulty information. We recommend that all members of the health team in all health facilities offering services to mothers and their children should be actively involved as reliable sources for health information about diarrhea and other health problems according to agreed upon policy