Comparative effects on secretion of LH, FSH, prolactin, and testosterone by chronic and direct hypothalamic administration of nonylphenol to adult male rats

Nonylphenol (NP) is a widespread environmental pollutant that has been shown to exert both toxic and estrogenic effects on mammalian cells. As the effects of NP on the reproductive system of adult male vertebrates are virtually unknown, we investigated not only the changes of reproductive hormone secretion in serum after chronic exposure to NP but also, in order to identify the site of its action, the reproductive hormone secretion in serum 48 hours after microinfusion of NP within hypothalamic preoptic area (POA). In the chronic exposure, the luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone in serum were decreased but prolactin (PRL) concentrations were increased. The LH, FSH, and testosterone in serum were decreased through the direct infusion of NP into POA, while there was no difference in mean serum prolactin between NP and control groups. These observations suggest that NP as endocrine disruptor has modulatory effects on hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadalaxis and that the site of action of NP could be hypothalamic POA.

Simultaneous HPLC analysis of arachidonic acid metabolites in biological samples with simple solid phase extraction

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) has been developed to analyze the metabolites of arachidonic acid based on the specificities of ultraviolet absorption of these various metabolites and is sensitive to the nanogram level. This procedure makes it possible to extract complex mixtures of eicosanoids efficiently with a single step and to analyze them simultaneously by RP-HPLC from biological samples using octadesylsilyl silica extraction column and PGB2 as an internal standard. The cyclooxygenase, products (prostaglandin (PG)D2, PGE1, PGE2, PGF1alpha, PGF2alpha, 6-keto-PGF1alpha, and thromboxane B2 (TXB2)) and lipid peroxidation product, isoprostanes, of arachidonic acid were monitored by one isocratic HPLC system at 195 nm wavelength. The lipoxygenase products (leukotriene(LT)B4, LTC4, LTD4, and 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE), 12-HETE, 15-HETE) were measured by another isocratic HPLC system at 280 nm for LTs and 235 nm for HETEs. This method provides a simple and reliable way to extract and assess quantitatively the final arachidonic acid metabolites.

Prognostic Studies on Acute Myocardial Infarction

A retrospective clinical observation was done in 90 cases of acute myocadial infarction admitted to Hanyang University Hospital from July 1972 to Dec. 1980. The following results were obtained. 1) The ratio of male to female was 2.3:1. Most patients(63.2%) were in the age groups between the 6th and 7th decades. 2) The main symptoms of acute myocardial infarction were chest pain(76.6%), dyspnea (64.4%), radiating pain(27.7%), epigastric pain(18.8%) and palpitation(15.5%). The painless infarction accounted for 11.1% of all cases. 3) The most common preceding disease was hypertension(38.5%) and other associated diseases were diabetes mellitus(13.2%), C.V.A.(8.8%), angina pectoris(8.8%), previous myocardial infarction(6.6%) and drug intoxication(3.3%). No preceding diseases were found in 12.0% of cases. 4) The anterior wall infarction was 45.5% of 90 cases, inferior wall infarction 22.2%, antero-inferior wall infarction 11.2%, subendocardial infarction 7.7%, posterolateral infarction 2% on ECG. 5) The mortality rate of patients according to the Killip class was 4.2% in class I, 14.3% in class II, 50% in class III and 76.9% in class IV. Group of high Killip class was associated with high mortality. 6) In long term prognosis according to Norris' coronary prognostic index, the highest value was 11.72 with average value of 7.02+/-2.65 in survival group, whereas in death group, the lowest value was 5.08, the highest 16.88 and average value was 10.4+/-3.86. 7) High risk subgroup who complicated within the first 4 admission days, occupied 21.1% and low risk subgroup without complication occupied 46.7%. After the 5th admission days, 2.2% of high risk subgroup was expired, whereas there was no death cases in low risk subgroup. 8) Average duration of hospitalization was 22.4+/-9.5 days in high risk subgroup and 17.3+/-6.8 days in low risk subgroup. In low risk subgroup, 10 cases were discharged within the 7th day of admission and 30 cases after the 8th day of admission. 9) 89.5% of total death occured within the 4th hospitalized day, and 66.7% of cases under systolic BP of 84mmHg were expired. Definite cardiomegaly on chest X-ray and past history of myocardial infarction were associated with high mortality. Half of cases with pulmonary edema were died.