[The role of hyperprolactinaemia in sterility where the cycle is anovulatory and where there is deficit of progestogen. (Investigations of the pituitary reserves of FSH, LH and prolactin) (author's transl)]. / Du rôle de l'hyperprolactinémie dans la stérilité par cycle anovulatoire et par insuffisance progestative. (Investigations sur la réserve hypophysaire de FSH, LH et prolactine.

We have measured by radio-immunological assays the levels of prolactin (PRL), of FSH and of LH in the plasma in 7 cases where sterility was due to persistent anovulatory cycles and in 6 cases where there was a progesterone deficiency as the sole aetiological factor. Then we stimulated the release of these three hormones by giving 300 micrograms of TRF, PRL, and 100 micrograms of LH-RH, of FSH and of LH. The results were compared with those obtained in 7 cases of normal young women with clear-cut biphasic cycles used as controls. These results show that a rise in the reserves of prolactin in the pituitary is very common in anovulatory cycles and in progesterone deficiency. In every case where the prolactin is raised LH is significantly lowered, where as the levels of FSH do not show much variation between those found in normal women. Thus an inverse relationship between PRL and LH has been demonstrated and its significance has been commented on.

[Biological parameters of virilism in women]. / Paramètres biologiques du virilisme féminin.

Comparative results of the suppression-stimulation test by dexamethasone and chorionic gonadotropin, chromatographic separation of 17-ketosteroids, and plasma testosterone levels in the ovarian and adrenal veins, in cases of virilism in women. Thirteen patients with hirsutism and virilization were investigated as follows: 1. measurement of plasma testosterone (T) levels by radioimmunoassay (RIA) during suppression-stimulation tests by the administration of Dexamethasone (DXM) and chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG). 2. chromatographic determination of urinary 17-ketosteroids, pregnanediol (P2), and pregnanetriol (P3). An attempt was made to classify virilism as "ovarian" or "adrenal" based on the results of 1. and 2. 3. bilateral ovarian and adrenal venous catheterization through the femoral vein to measure T (RIA) levels. 4. laparotomy with bilateral wedge resections of the ovaries for therapeutic and biopsy purposes. Surgical catheterization of the ovarian veins was carried out during the operation. The results of these tests show that: a) the dynamic DXM-HCG test can be used to separate those cases in which the ovary is not involved in T formation from those in which, apparently, it is involved. b) chromatographic determination of urinary steroids has no aetiological value, as the variations in the different fractions are not significant. c) in all patients, the principal source of T is the adrenals and not the ovaries, even when there is an increase in T in the ovarian efferent blood vessels.

[The effects of cyproterone acetate on plasma testosterone in the hirsute woman]. / L'action de l'acétate de cyprotérone sur la testotérone plasmatique de la femme atteinte d'hirsutisme.

It seems that the principal antiandrogenic action of cyproterone acetate is on the site of the androgenic receptors. Since recent work proves that there is an action on plasma testosterone, we wanted to check in women with raised testosterone levels if cyproterone lowered these levels. The answer is : Yes. Observations seem to confirm that cyproterone acetate causes a significant lowering of plasma testosterone. The basic level of testosterone and the drop in blood levels of testosterone after the antiandrogenic action has occurring do not seem to be significantly different whether the virilism is caused by an adrenal mechanism or by an ovarian mechanism.

[Clomiphen-test in anovulatory sterility (author's transl)]. / L'épreuve au clomiphène dans les stérilités par cycle anovulatoire

Twenty women with sterility due to an anovulatory cycle, were submitted to a load of hundred milligramms by day of clomiphene citrate during five days. The test was always performed between the 10th and the 14th day of the cycle. Before and after the clomiphene administration, FSH and LH in plasma and total estrogens and pregnanediol in 24 hours urine, were estimated. The results, are compared with those of ten normal women and the observed results may schematically been classified into three groups: A) Normal response. -- B) Week gonadotropic response. -- and C) High LH baseline. This results seem to indicate three main origines for the anovulatory cycle syndrome: hypothalamic, pituitary and ovarian.

The pituitary reserve in FSH and LH in amenorrheic and anovulatory women.

The pituitary gonadotropic response of FSH and LH "reserve" was studied in ten normal women, twelve amenorrheic and two impuberal patients, as compared with six sterile women with anovulatory cycles. The method as the intravenous injection of 100 microgrs. of synthetic porcine LH-RH followed by the radioimmunologic estimation of FSH and LH in plasms, before and after 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 minutes. This method allows an accurate estimation of the capacity of the adenohypophysis to release gonadotropins, the so called gonadotropic reserve. There are observed four types fo gonadotropic response to the LH-RH injection. Anovulatory sterile women and prepuberal girls have a very similar pattern with normal or very decreased FSH reserve and marked diminution in LH levels. Primary amenorrhea due to ovarian failure presents basal high values of both gonadotropins and increased response to the LH-RH stimulation. In primary amenorrhea without ovarian failure and in secondary amenorrhea, the LH patterns were normal, but in some cases a slight decrease in the FSH curve was observed. The method is regarded as very useful in the diagnosipothalumus-Pituitary-Ovary) Axis.

[Free amino acids in the amniotic fluid and in maternal blood in advanced pregnancy]. / Les acides aminés libres du liquide amniotique et du sang maternel au cours de la grossesse avancée

We have studied a series of sixteen free amino-acids as well as total blood amino-acid and liquor amino-acids in 56 women between the 25th and 44th weeks of pregnancy. The results have been analysed statistically and demonstrated graphically. The amino-acid levels rise from the 25th week of the pregnancy until term (p less than 0.05) in peripheral blood. On the other hand the total level of amino-acids in the amniotic fluid drops from the 25th week of pregnancy remarkably (p less than 0,01). Different amino-acids show different curves. The increase in the level of total blood amino-acids is principally due to a rise in glycine and leucine, while the other amino-acids as a whole stay constant. The spectrum of amino-acids in the amniotic fluid is however a little different and the drop in total amino-acids if principally due to the threonine-serine fraction and partly to the glutamine, proline, alanine, lysine and valine elements, whereas the rest stay the same or even raised.