Human GnRH-secreting cultured neurons express activin betaA subunit mRNA and secrete dimeric activin A.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the expression of activin betaA-subunit mRNA and the secretion of activin A in/from cultured GnRH-secreting neuronal cells cloned from human olfactory epithelium (FNC-B4), which showed biochemical and antigenic properties of GnRH-secreting neurons. DESIGN: FNC-B4 cells were cultured in basal and conditioned media. METHODS: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RTR-PCR) evaluated the expression of activin betaA-subunit mRNA. By using a specific ELISA, dimeric activin A concentrations were measured in culture media, in the absence or presence of carvone or forskolin and with different doses of progesterone, GnRH, and estradiol. RESULTS: RT-PCR experiments performed on total RNA isolated from FNC-B4 cells, using specific primers for the activin betaA gene, showed a 787bp DNA band corresponding to the betaA gene. FNC-B4 cells secreted activin A, and the highest accumulation in conditioned medium was achieved after 3h culture: the addition of forskolin, but not of carvone, was able to stimulate the release of activin A from cultured neuronal cells (P<0.01). When progesterone or GnRH was added, a significant accumulation of activin A was observed (P<0.01), while estradiol administration did not significantly affect activin A secretion. CONCLUSION: To date, this is the only study, in an in vitro human model reporting, that GnRH-secreting neuronal cells expressed activin betaA-subunit mRNA, and released dimeric activin A in culture medium. The expression and secretion of activin suggests that in these cells activin A might exert its action by autocrine/paracrine mechanisms.

Activin A stimulates insulin secretion in cultured human pancreatic islets.

Activin A is a dimeric glycoprotein showing a high sequence homology with transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and playing autocrine/paracrine actions in reproductive tissues. However, since the synthesis of activin is ubiquitous it may have a role in regulating cell growth and differentiation in several tissues. Previous studies showed that activin A is expressed by insulin-positive B cells of human pancreatic islets, and women with gestational diabetes have higher serum activin A levels than healthy pregnant women at the same gestational age. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of activin A on insulin secretion from cultured human pancreatic islets. With this purpose human pancreatic islets were incubated with varying concentrations of activin A (0.1 to 10.0 nM). In absence of glucose, activin A did not modify insulin secretion at the different concentrations used. In absence of activin A, 8.3 mM and 16.7 mM glucose significantly increased insulin secretion, with a dose-dependent pattern. In presence of a non stimulatory concentration of glucose (3.3 mM), activin A significantly increased insulin secretion starting from low concentration (0.1 nM). Furthermore, the addition of activin A to 8.3 mM and 16.7 mM glucose induced an additional effect of the dose-dependent glucose-mediated insulin secretion (p<0.001). The present data could support a role for activin A in human endocrine pancreas in modulating insulin response to different glucose concentrations.

A rare case of idiopathic lithiasis in the urinary bladder in an Ethiopian female child.

A rare case of idiopathic lithiasis in the urinary bladder in an Ethiopian female child is reported. Possible causes of the disease, with a high morbidity in Ethiopia, and a highly different incidence between males and females, are discussed.

The management of sigmoid volvulus: report of 39 cases.

Thirty-nine cases of sigmoid volvulus treated over an 18-month period in a hospital situated in the central part of Ethiopia, where this pathology is very frequent, are reported. The authors' views on the various types of treatment are discussed in details.

[Postoperative acute pancreatitis (PAP). Direct personal experience]. / Pancreatite acuta post-operatoria (PAP). Nostra esperienza diretta.

Eight different cases of APP observed after intervents made near the pancreas (partial gastrectomy for ulcer, papillosphincteroplasty, DCP) are presented. The clinical stage, the therapeutic attempts, the results are studied. The clinical stage, the therapeutic attempts, the results are studied. In order to value the role of the pancreatic trauma in causing the APP the Authors have checked in addition 14 cases in which a direct action on the pancreas was present. In these cases noticeable amylasemic increases have not been observed except one cases of APP after DCP. Hypothesizing the role of a duodenal hyperpressure in causing the reflux of duodenal juice into the Wirsung then in causing an APP, the Authors report the results obtained after the introduction of a catheter into the duodenum in order to make it empty untily the renewal of peristalsis, during the papillosphincteroplasty and partial gastrectomy for ulcer. The Authors suggest that the duodenal emptying could be a method to prevent the APP. The prevention by the usually adopted drugs as aprotininum and glucagonum was ineffective, as well as other surgical techniques. High mortality: 5 cases on 8.

[Study of postoperative amylasemia. Its diagnostic value in postoperative acute pancreatitis (PAP)]. / Lo studio della amilasemia post-operatoria. Suo valore diagnostico nella pancreatite acuta post-operatoria (P.A.P.).

A study of the postoperative amylasemia levels on 375 different intervents is presented. Three different behaviours have been observed: 1) in 44 cases there has been a rapid increase of the amylasemia gone on for less than 4 days without any clinical sign of pancreatitis; 2) in 6 cases the increase, sometimes less marked than the previous cases, developed and continued for longer time, showing oscillations with a slow return to the normality. At the same time there was a slow recovery in the general conditions; the cause of that has been interpreted as a pancreatic affection; 3) in 8 cases the amylasemia increase developed for many days with large and long oscillation and clinical signs of APP. The opinion of Authors is that the APP is characterised by amylasemia increases presenting large oscillations life times exceeding 4 days, and that they are joined with clinical signs of pancreatitis (pain, sickness, hypotension, ec.). The study of the amylasemia plotting is considered to be a rather good method to emphasize a pancreatic disease.

[Clinical and functional aspects of obstructive respiratory syndromes following administration of a single dose of salbutamol in aerosol form]. / Aspetti clinici e funzionali nelle sindromi respiratorie ostruttive dopo salbutamolo per aerosol dosato

30 subjects suffering from obstructive type chronic bronchopneumopathies were treated with salbutamol, a new Beta2 stimulating bronchodilator, administered by aerosol in a single dose of 200 gamma. Clinically the bronchospasm resolved itself or was reduced in just a few minutes in more than 70% of cases. Functionally, the various spirometric parameters were followed up for six hours and showed that the drug is capable of reducing flow resistance in rapid, lasting fashion, thus improving airway conductivity and making lung ventilation more homogeneous. No cardiovascular alterations were encountered.