Effect of hyperinsulinemia and obesity on serum androgens levels and menstrual irregularity in Egyptian women

20 hyperinsulinemic and 20 non-hyperinsulinemic nondiabetic Egyptian women, age ranged between 20 to 45 years, were studied to determine menstrual irregularity and hyperandrogenemia associated with hyperinsulinemia. Reproductive history was obtained by review of medical records. Serum testosterone [S. T], androstaneione [ASD], and dehydroepiandrostarone sulfate [DHEAS] levels were measured in stored serum samples. 60% [12 out of 20] of high insulin women had irregular menses, as compared with none of low insulin women [10 out of 20]. While, high insulin women were significantly obese than low insulin women, S. T and ASD levels were similar in high and low insulin women [X S. T 1.5 and 1.15 nmol/L respectively and X' ADD 3.76 versus 3.25 nmol/L]. Serum DHEAS was lower in high insulin than in low insulin women [X' 2.83 versus 4.52 nmol/L]. High insulin women with irregular menses had significantly higher S. T levels than high insulin women with regular menses [X' 1.60 versus 0.67 nmol/L], while ASD had DHEAS level were found to be similar in both groups. It was concluded that there is an association between hyperinsulinemia, obesity, irregular menstruation and high testosterone concentration. Also, low concentrations of DHEAS are associated with hyperinsulinemia in those women

Gamma-glutamyl transferase as a biochemical marker of endothelial damage in gestational hypertension

Gamma-glutamil transferase [GGT] and serum alkaline phosphatase, serum electrolytes and uric acid were measured in the study and control women. 13 women met strict criteria for the diagnosis of preeclampsia [PET], 7 women with gestational hypertension alone [PIH] and 20 normal pregnant women were selected from the same cohort and matched according to race, age, parity and gestational age [32-36 weeks]. There was a significant difference between the GGT concentration in PET [mean 27.3 +/- 1.65] and control [mean 15.76 +/- 0.721] women. Also, significant difference between PIH patients [mean 23.6 +/- 0.93] and control women. Uric acid concentration, serum sodium [S. Na] and serum potassium [S. K] concentrations differ significantly between PET patients [mean 3.9 +/- 0.34, 147 +/- 1.82, 4.64 +/- 0.18, respectively] and the control women [mean 2.52 +/- 0.216, 138.9 +/- 0.77, 4.1 +/- 0.04, respectively]. No significant difference was found in the concentration of S. uric acid, S. Na, S. K in the PIH patients and control women. It was found that, there is no difference in the serum alkaline phosphatase between either groups of gestational hypertension and the control group

Criteria of an experimental model analogous to type I human diabetes mellitus

Three doses of streptozotocin were given to adult male Boskat rabbits on 3 successive days as 20 mg/kg/day [i.v.]. The experimental follow up was extended to one month after completion of the treatment schedule. At the 14th day, there was a pronounced glucosuria in 100% of the treated animals with ketonuria in 67% of them. After 30 days, there was a marked rise in fasting plasma glucose [111%] associated with a marked reduction [51%] in plasma insulin activity with respect to the matched control group. Blood lactate showed 21% increase, but blood pyruvate was unchanged, while liver glycogen content was decreased by 30%. The radioimmunoassay of plasma growth hormone [GH] and glucagon revealed 57% and 20% increases in their levels, respectively, in the streptozotocin-treated rabbits. However, plasma cortisol was unchanged in comparison with the control group. The picomolar plasma ratios of GH, glucagon and cortisol in relation to insulin showed significant increases by 220%, 143% and 95%, respectively, in the diabetic animals with respect to normal. The overall pattern of results revealed a prototype of chemically-induced diabetes analogous to the human juvenile one and characterized by sustained hyperglycemia, insulinopenia, glucosuria and ketonuria. An additional merit of this model is the close similarity and overlapping between the estimated normal values of test parameters in Boskat rabbits and the reported corresponding human values, except in case of liver glycogen, plasma GH and cortisol