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

Prevalence of Gestational diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance in pregnant Sudanese women in the third trimester

The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus [GDM] and impaired glucose tolerance [IGT] in pregnant Sudanese women in the third trimester. The study was carried out on hundred pregnant women in the third trimester. The prevalence of GDM was 2% and it was 6% for the IGT whereas, 92% of the pregnant women [considered as a control group], revealed normal fasting plasma levels. The IGT pregnant women were older than those control pregnant women but, the age difference was not significant [28.7 +/- 5.5 years mean [S.D] vs. 27.3 +/- 4.8 respectively, p>0.05]. Also, the IGT pregnant women were found to have mean parity significantly greater than that of the control group [6.7 +/- 2, mean [S.D.] vs. 3.9 +/- 2.1 respectively, p<0.001]. Then, it was concluded that prevalence of GDM and IGT in Sudanese pregnant women is within the universal estimates and parity is a very important risk factor that affects impaired glucose tolerance prevalence in pregnancy

Carbon monoxide poisoning

Many people are poisoned by carbon monoxide [CO] with potentially devastating outcomes. CO is the leading cause of fatal poisoning in the industrialized world as well as being endemic in many parts of the developing world. CO poisoning is a serious threat that people need to get informed about. Diagnosis can be difficult because, the early symptoms are quite nonspecific, resemble those of influenza, motion sickness or heat exhaustion, and are often misinterpreted. Those suffering from CO poisoning may initially complain of vague symptoms but the symptoms can rapidly progress to coma and even death, so called silent death. It is therefore critical that CO be eliminated from the body as soon and quickly as possible. Unless patient dies, recovery occurs as CO is removed from the circulation, accelerated by breathing O[2]