Circadian patterns of growth hormone, prolactin and corticotrophin secretion in hypothalamic and extra-hypothalamic lesions localized by stereotactic neuro-radiology in humans.

The integrity of mediobasal hypothalamus for the maintenance of normal circadian rhythms has been clearly established in the animal. Using precise stereotactic neuroradiologic localisations of various brain tumors, the authors demonstrate that in human, cortical lesions induce no significant modifications of the circadian variation of GH, prolactin or ACTH. In contrast subcortical lesions displacing the 3rd ventricle result in an inhibiton of the nocturnal rise in GH and prolactin, whereas the circadian rhythm of ACTH remains normal.

Distribution of beta2-microglobulin in cerebrospinal fluid and in cystic fluid of brain tumors. A preliminary study.

The concentrations of immuno-reactive beta2-microglobulin (beta2m) were measured in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the cystic fluid (CF) of Central Nervous System (CNS) tumours (gliomas, n = 5; craniopharyngiomas, n = 5) and in the culture medium of established cell lines derived from CNS tumors. These data are compared with plasma and CSF values of beta2m in normal subjects (n = 15) and in a group of peripheral solid tumors (metastatic breast carcinomas, n = 9). In the control group the absence of correlation between plasma and CSF values, suggests an independant production of beta2m in the two compartments considered. The capacity of CNS tumor cells to synthesize beta2m is demonstrated in vitro. In vitro beta-2m concentrations in the CF embryonic tumors (craniopharyngiomas) is significantly more elevated than in non malignant astrocytomas.