Pituitary-ovarian axis in women with chronic renal failure undergoing regular hemodialysis

The pathogenesis of ovarian dysfunction was studied in ten [10] female patients with chronic renal failure treated with regular hemodialysis. Their ages ranged from 20 to 37 years. Another ten [10] healthy adult females served as controls, their ages ranged from 23 to 35 years. Assessment of follicle stimulating hormone [FSH], leuteinzing hormone [LH], prolactin and estradiol in serum was done. Clomiphene stimulation test to FSH and LH was also done in a random group of 7 dialyzed patients. Serum FSH, LH and estradiol in dialyzed patients were comparable to those found in normal women during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. In all patients, there was an absence of cyclicity. After clomiphene, serum levels of LH and FSH rose significantly suggesting that the negative estradiol feedback, the tonic gonadotropin secretion and the pituitary avarian axis were normal. The positive estradiol feedback associated with cyclic release of lureinizing hormone was impaired as indicated by the prevalence of acyclicity and absence of ovulation. Hyperprolactinaemia in dialyzed group may inhibit ovarian function at multiple levels along hypothalamic pituitary ovarian axis

Plasma B-endorphin in preeclamptic and eclamptic toxaemias

B-endorphin [B-EP] appears to play an important role in central nervous system as well as cardiovascular regulatory functions. B-EP levels were reported to increase progressively in normal gestation with marked increase in cases of pregnancy induced hypertension. This work studied the changes in plasma B-EP in preeclamptic and eclamptic patients. Sixty pregnant females were classified into three groups. Group I included 25 normal pregnant females. Group II included 25 pregnant women with preeclamptic toxemia. Group III comprised 10 pregnant women presented by or had a history of recent eclamptic fits or coma. B-EP was estimated using I125 plasma B-EP radioimmunoassay. Plasma B-EP showed a significant increase [P <0.01] in preeclamptic cases [12.6 +/- 8.5 pmol/l] and [P <0.001] in eclamptic cases [20.7 +/- 16.5 pmol/l] over that level reported in normal pregnancy [6.8 +/- 3.1 pmol/l]. Plasma B-EP levels in eclamptic patients were higher than in preeclamptic ones, but the increase was not statistically significant [P >0.05]. These data indicated that B-EP system is markedly activated in these stressful conditions as a physiological mechanism that might guard against more rise in blood pressure and occurrence of fits