Effect of soybean, Vicia faba, and vitamin C on the carcinogenicity of DMBA.

A single dose of 10 mg of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), administered to rats through intragastric intubation, was sufficient to induce many biochemical and histopathological changes in their mammary tissue. Significant increases were observed in the activity levels of the enzymes acid ribonuclease, 5-nucleotidase, alkaline phosphatase, and beta-glucuronidase in mammary tissue homogenates of DMBA-treated rats after an experimental period of five months. Histopathological studies of the mammary tissue also revealed malignant epithelial tumors (cribriform carcinoma) induced among 85% of the treated rats, with an incidence of 4 tumors in 12 mammary glands. Nevertheless, administration of 30% soybean in the diet of rats or 5,000 ppm ascorbic acid in their drinking water in addition to DMBA revealed a significant chemoprotective effect against the carcinogenesis induced by DMBA alone. This chemoprotective effect was demonstrated by the normalization of the activity levels of the enzymes studied in mammary tissue homogenates, because most of the enzymes were maintained at near the levels in the control animals. The incidence and number of tumors were also decreased. Cribriform carcinoma was observed in 50% of the rats, and the incidence of the affected glands was 2 in 12 mammary glands among both groups. On the other hand, a less chemoprotective effect was observed due to Vicia faba administration.

Adenohypophyseal activity in relation to suprarenal function in tuberculosis.

This work was carried out on 150 subjects. They were classified into four groups: group I: Bronchogenic pulmonary T. B. (n = 96); group II: Haematogenous T. B. (n = 15); group III: Healed T. B. (n = 16), group IV: Healthy control (n = 23). Insulin tolerance test was done for each subject to assess the hypothalamo-hypophyseal axis. Glucose, ACTH, cortisol, GH, and PRL levels were estimated during fasting and over three hours after insulin administration. In group I and II the patients exhibited higher fasting levels of anti-insulin hormones and they respond greater than normals to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia. This might indicate early affection of the pituitary gland by TB infection, yet insulin-induced hypoglycaemia assured efficient function of the gland. In healed TB patients, no significant changes were obtained in the different hormonal behaviour, whether in the fasting state or after stimulation. This might be explained by improvement of the health condition of the patients, and relief of the stress induced by TB infection.

Genetic studies in varicocele infertility. II: Dermatoglyphic pattern.

The prime concern of the present work was the analysis of dermatoglyphic patterns in infertile patients presenting with clinically detectable varicocele. In a controlled study conducted on 30 patients and utilizing a slight modification of the original ink method of Cummins and Midlo, the dermatoglyphics on terminal phalanges of the thumb in both hands showed significantly higher incidence of the whorl pattern. Likewise, the index finger in both hands exhibited higher incidence of both the whorl and double loop patterns. Other patterns on the fingers, the plamar creases, axial triradii, hypothenar and thenar eminences, and angle and total ridge count did not alter significantly. Such characteristic dermatoglyphic patterns in varicocele infertile men may furnish additional evidence in support of a genetic cause for varicocelogenesis and its associated gonadal dysfunction. Furthermore, it may provide a prognostic preoperative screening method for varicocele infertile patients.