Effects of thyroid state alterations in ovo on the plasma levels of thyroid hormones and on the populations of fibers in the plantaris muscle of male and female chickens.

Propylthiouracil (PTU), thyroxine (T4) or thyreoliberin (TRH) were injected in ovo to modify the thyroid state of chicken embryos. Significant sexual differences were observed in the effects of these treatments on the plasma concentrations of thyroid hormones and on plantaris muscle characteristics (DNA, RNA, populations of muscle fibers) in 3- and 35-day old male and female chickens. The T4 plasma concentration is lower in control males; it is decreased in PTU treated females and in the T4 treated females at 35 days. The T3 plasma concentration is lowered at 3 days in all treated chickens and also at 35 days in the TRH treated animals. The slow (STnO) and the fast (FTOG) fibers of the plantaris are always more numerous in males. In controls, the number of FTOG fibers remains steady between 3 and 35 days; at the same time, the number of STnO fibers rises in males only. Both PTU and T4 treatments increase the number of the FTOG and the STnO fibers respectively before and after the 3rd day. TRH treatment increases the number of STnO fibers at 3 and 35 days in males, but reduces it at 3 days in females. Thus changes in the number of FTOG fibers can be induced during in ovo myogenesis, whereas the number of STnO fibers may increase after hatching.

Ontogenesis of triiodothyronine nuclear receptors in three skeletal muscles in male and female chicks.

The ontogenesis of nuclear triiodothyronine receptors was determined in the pectoralis (alpha W fibers: fast contracting, glycolytic metabolism), adductor brevis (alpha R fibers: fast contracting, oxido-glycolytic metabolism) and adductor magnus (beta R fibers: slow contracting, oxidative metabolism), muscles of male and female chickens at 18 days in ovo and 0, 6, and 30 days ex ovo. In the fast muscles (adductor brevis and pectoralis major), the T3 receptor number decreases from the 18th day of incubation to hatching or the 6th day after hatching, respectively, and then increases. In the slow muscle (adductor magnus), the T3 receptor number increases from 18 days in ovo to hatching and then decreases. At 30 days after hatching, the number of T3 receptors was higher in the fast muscles than in the slow one. A comparison of the two fast muscles reveals that the number of T3 receptors was more elevated in the pectoralis (glycolytic) fibers than in the adductor brevis (oxido-glycolytic) fibers. An overall test of significance showed a higher number of T3 nuclear receptors in muscles from females than from males.

Perinatal age and sex variations of the triiodothyronine nuclear receptors in the chick pectoralis major muscle.

The ontogenesis of the nuclear triiodothyronine receptors was determined in the pectoralis muscle of male and female chicken at 18 days in ovo and 0, 3, 6, 14 and 35 days ex ovo. Our results show the presence of putative T3 nuclear receptors with equilibrium dissociation constant values (Kd approximately 5.50 X 10(-10) M) in good agreement with these reported in other tissues. The T3 receptor numbers decrease from 18 days incubation to 6-day-old animals, then increase until 35 days of age. Compared to the already reported levels of thyroid hormone in plasma and tissues, the results seem to correspond to a down-regulation of the muscle T3 receptors. The nuclear binding capacity of T3 was higher in females than in males, which could be related to the known effects of various sex steroid hormones on the T4 to T3 tissue conversion.

[Treatment of Paget's disease of bone with ethane-1 hydroxy-1, 1 diphosphonate at low dosage (author's transl)]. / Traitement de la maladie osseuse de Paget par l'éthane-1 hydroxy-1, 1 diphosphonate à faible posologie.

Fifty-one patients with Paget's disease were treated during 6 months with ethane-01 hydroxy-1, 1 diphosphonate (EHDP, etidronate) in doses of 5 mg/kg/day. The drug was most effective in relieving pain, at the same time diminishing the uptake of pagetic lesions on quantitative bone scans and lowering by almost 70% the abnormally high serum alkaline phosphatase levels and 24-hour hydroxyproline urinary levels. Histologically, the resorption surfaces and the number of osteoclasts per mm2 of bone tissue were significantly reduced. On follow-up, the improvement persisted for at least one year after treatment was discontinued. EHDP was well tolerated clinically and biologically, and on histological sections no accumulation of osteoid tissue due to impaired mineralization was seen. EHDP at the 5 mg/kg/day dose appears to be effective in the treatment of Paget's disease.

Effects of disodium dichloromethylene diphosphonate on Paget's disease of bone.

19 patients with Paget's disease were treated orally for 6 months with disodium dichloromethylene diphosphonate. 1600 mg/day (10 patients) significantly reduced urine hydroxyproline, serum alkaline phosphatase, urine calcium, and the number of pagetic bone osteoclasts. Tetracycline double labelling revealed undisturbed bone mineralisation. There was improvement on quantitative bone-scans and bone pain diminished. There was a transient increase in parathyroid hormone level in 13 of the 19 patients during treatment, which was associated with a high serum 1,25 (OH)2D3. No adverse clinical side-effects have been observed and biochemical remission has persisted for 9 months.

[Endocrine polyadenomatosis associated with prolactin pituitary adenoma and an intrathyroidal parathyroid adenoma]. / Polyadénomatose endocrinienne associant un adénome hypophysaire à prolactine et un adénome parathyroïdien intrathyroïdien

A pituitary adenoma was removed transsphenoidally from a 20-yr-old woman with secondary amenorrhea, galactorrhea, and hyperprolactinemia. Light and electronic microscopy, immunocytology characterized a prolactin cell tumor. The patient also underwent three surgical explorations for hyperparathyroidism. Only after selective catheterization of thyroid veins with radioimmunoassay for parathormone, an intrathyroidal parathyroid adenoma was found. No other case of proven prolactin adenoma in Wermer's syndrome has been reported.

Increased plasma creatine kinase activity in rabbits: effect of systematically repeated blood sampling.

Various physical, chemical and biological factors are involved in an increased plasma creatine kinase activity. Repeated blood sampling induced in all rabbits studied a reaction of similar pattern but of different intensity, expressed by a maximum of plasma CPK activity. The physiological origins of this variation of CPK activity seems to be, as seen in control animals, the consequence of emotional stress due to handling and possibly an additional stress due to the venepunctures.