[Clinico-enzymologic parallels in patients of reproductive age with benign epithelial ovarian tumors]. / Kliniko-énzimologicheskie paralleli u bol'nykh dobro-kachestvennymi épitelial'nymi opukholiami iaichnikov v reproduktivnom vozraste.

Proteolytic enzymes and their inhibitors have been assayed in sera of 120 patients with benign epithelial ovarian tumors during preoperative menstrual cycles and in 3 years following surgery. The patients showed imbalances in protease inhibitors which failed to be improved by the operative treatment in a proportion of patients. Follow-up of this patient population is recommendable. A serum elastase test was proposed to predict benign epithelial ovarian tumors.

Enzyme activities in the androgenized rat uterus refractory to oestrogenic stimulation.

Uterine enzymes involved in the intermediary metabolism of glucose have been measured in the androgenized rat in which there is evidence of diminution of the oestrogenic responses despite raised glycogen and glucose typical of maximal oestrogenic stimulation. Phosphofructokinase and isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP, cytosolic) activities were significantly decreased in the androgenized rat and were elevated following treatment with natural progesterone and synthetic progestins which partially reverse the uterine abnormalities of the androgenized rat. Mitochondrial protein was decreased in the uterus of the androgenized rat but there was an apparent sparing effect on isocitrate (NAD) and malate (NAD) dehydrogenase. The data suggest that selective effects on specific enzymes involved in intermediary metabolism are a feature of the refractory state associated with constant oestrogenic stimulation. The possible cellular mechanisms underlying these effects are discussed.