Plasma proinsulin, C-peptide and sex hormone concentrations in regularly menstruating premenopausal females with ovulatory and anovulatory menstrual cycles.

AIM: Highly active females are at risk of athletic menstrual irregularities including anovulatory menstrual cycles, oligomenorrhea and even amenorrhea. On the other hand, the functional relationship between endocrine pancreas and ovaries is supported by numerous studies indicating that disturbed female sex hormone secretion coexists with insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. However, the relationship between circulating beta islet and ovarian hormones in regularly menstruating active women with ovulatory and anovulatory menstrual cycle has not been studied. METHODS: A total of 32 regularly menstruating women participated in the study. Prospective subjects monitored their BBT for 3 months before the study. The determination of plasma progesterone levels between days 5-8 and again between days 19-22 of the menstrual cycles made possible the classification of subjects as ovulating or non-ovulating. Plasma 17-beta-estradiol, testosterone, insulin, proinsulin, C-peptide and glucose concentrations were assayed on the same menstrual cycle days as progesterone. RESULTS: There were no differences in circulating insulin, C-peptide and glucose between non-ovulating and ovulating women. In contrast, in non-ovulating subjects plasma proinsulin concentrations between days 19-22 were slightly, but significantly higher than between days 5-8 of the menstrual cycle (P<0.05). Exclusively in non-ovulating women significant and positive correlation was noted between circulating proinsulin and 17-beta-estradiol in data collected from both days 5-8 and 19-22 of the menstrual cycle (P<0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that in the face of low circulating progesterone and subsequent anovulation circulating 17-beta-estradiol slightly, but significantly, affect either pancreatic beta-cell biosynthetic activity or proinsulin hepatic and/or renal clearance.

Plasma leptin concentrations in lean, physically active males and females in relation to body composition and metabolic variables.

AIM: It is well recognized that plasma leptin levels even adjusted to body fat are significantly higher in females than in males. Additionally, physical activity irrespectively of sex is known to affect plasma leptin concentrations. However, the predictors of plasma leptin levels in males and females characterized by similar physical activity were not studied. The aim of the present study was to examine the predictors of plasma leptin concentrations in male and female physical education students not engaged in any specific sport but active due to obligatory studies' program. METHODS: A total of 36 subjects (17 males and 19 females) volunteered to participate in the study. Fasting blood was drawn from the antecubital vein for glucose and insulin determination. Fasting insulin resistance index (FIRI) was calculated from insulin and glucose plasma levels. Body fat was assessed using bioelectric impendance method (BIA). Pearson product-moment correlations between log10 transformed plasma leptin concentrations and FIRI, fat mass, percentage of body fat and lean body mass were calculated. Multiple regression analysis was performed to find the best model predicting plasma leptin levels. RESULTS: In males the only variables affecting plasma leptin concentrations were fat mass (r=0.60; p<0.01) and and the percentage of body fat (r=0.49; p<0.04). In contrast, in females the best model included fat mass, lean body mass and FIRI (adj. R2=0.538; p=0.002). CONCLUSION: The results of the current study indicated that the predictors of plasma leptin levels markedly differed in physically active males and females. The only variable predicting plasma leptin concentrations in both males and females was body fatness. In females lean body mass and fasting insulin resistance index (FIRI) together with body fatness markedly contributed to the variations in plasma leptin concentrations.

Plasma insulin and glucagon concentrations and biochemical variables in regularly menstruating females with ovulatory and anovulatory menstrual cycles.

Ovarian hormones are known to affect endocrine pancreas function. However, data concerning the effects of anovulatory menstrual cycles in regularly menstruating women on endocrine pancreas and blood metabolites are lacking. We examined plasma insulin, glucagon, glucose, lactate, urea and glycerol concentrations in reproductive-age, regularly menstruating females classified as ovulating or non-ovulating on the basis of basal body temperature measurements and plasma 17beta-estradiol and progesterone determinations. All measurements were performed twice--in the follicular and again in the luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. There were no differences in plasma lactate and glycerol concentrations between the two groups of subjects. Plasma insulin concentrations tended to be lower in non-ovulating than in ovulating women. In addition, plasma glucagon did not differ in the follicular (33.2 pmol/l) or luteal phase of the menstrual cycle in females with disturbed ovarian hormone secretion (34.1 pmol/l). In contrast, plasma glucagon concentrations in the luteal phase (32.8 pmol/l) were significantly higher than in the follicular phase (24.9 pmol/l) of the menstrual cycle in ovulating women. Plasma glucose concentrations in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle in non-ovulating women (4.1 mmol/l) were slightly but significantly lower than in their ovulating counterparts (5.3 mmol/l). Furthermore, no correlations were noted between plasma glucose and insulin-to-glucagon molar ratio in non-ovulating subjects. Plasma urea concentrations in non-ovulating women were markedly lower than in ovulating women in both follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle (4.1 and 3.9 mmol/l vs. 5.3 and 5.4 mmol/l in non-ovulating and ovulating women, respectively). In ovulating women, plasma urea levels in both cycle phases were significantly correlated with plasma glucagon concentrations, but no such correlation was found in non-ovulating women. In conclusion, anovulatory menstrual cycles in premenopausal females slightly altered pancreatic hormone plasma levels but markedly impaired their action on plasma glucose and urea concentrations.

[Risk analysis of menstrual disorders in young women from urban population]. / Analiza ryzyka wystepowania zaburzen cykli miesia czkowych u mlodych kobiet z populacji wielkomiejskiej.

In the sample of 734 women, randomly chosen from the Warsaw population, we collected interviews dealing with menstrual cycle abnormalities. The frequency of amenorrhoea in this sample was 0.3% and that of oligomenorrhoea was 6.7%. Dysmenorrhoea (more or less pronounced) was apparent in 56.3% of women, and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) was claimed by 40.5% women. For the assessment of the potential risk factors causing the menstrual cycle abnormalities we used an univariate and multivariate unconditional logistic analysis. The highest values of the oligo/amenorrhoea relative risk (RR = 5.6) were found in the youngest (< or = 16.4 y) group and among women using oral contraceptives. Dysmenorrhoea was more frequent among women who had no children (RR = 1.7) and RR for PMS was higher in women, who were previously pregnant (RR = 1.5) and in women who used oral contraceptives.

[Kinetics and distribution of transplanted sarcoma JWS and leukemia L1210 cells by intravenous route]. / Kinetyka i rozmieszczenie dozylnie transplantowanych komórek nowotworowych miesaka JWS i bialaczki limfatycznej L-1210.

The aim of this work was to compare the distribution in organs of syngeneic mice sarcoma JWS and leukemia L-1210 cells previously labelled with sodium dichromate (Na2 51CrO4) and iododeoxyuridine (125IUDR) after i.v. transplantation. Also, the results obtained with both labels were compared. Both kinds of cells under study are trapped in lungs, but the number of trapped JWS cells is greater. L-1210 cells probably recirculate. The cells undergo extensive destruction during the first 3 days after transplantation. This kind of study requires the use of two markers: cytoplasmic and nuclear and careful analysis of radioactivity changes is also required to obtain proper conclusions.

[Distribution and elimination of transplanted sarcoma JWS and leukemia L1210 cells in allogeneic recipients--inbred C57BL mice by intravenous route]. / Rozmieszczenie i eliminacja dozylnie transplantowanych komórek nowotworowych miesaka JWS i bialaczki limfatycznej L-1210 u allogenicznych bior ców--myszy szczepu C57BL.

The distribution of neoplastic--JWS sarcoma and lymphatic leukemia L-1210 cells after intravenous injection into allogeneic recipients is presented. Cells were labelled with two labels: cytoplasmic (sodium chromate-51CR) and nuclear (iododeoxyuridine-125IUDR). Radioactivity of blood, lungs, liver, spleen and kidneys was measured 90 minutes and 24 hours after cell transplantation. The pattern of cell trapping, destruction and elimination from the circulation was characteristic of cell line injected. Destruction and elimination processed faster in allogeneic system than in syngeneic one.