[PGE and PGF2-alpha levels in the umbilical cord vessels. Relationship to acid-base equilibrium in the umbilical artery]. / Niveles de PGE y PGF2-alfa en los vasos del cordón umbilical. Su relación con el equilibrio ácido-base de la arteria umbilical.

To asses the possible role of prostaglandins in the fetoplacental circulation during delivery PGE and PGF2-alfa plasma levels were measured in the umbilical vessels of term newborns. The levels of PGF2-alfa in blood from the umbilical vein are significantly higher and more variable than in the umbilical artery; 83.38 +/- 78.05 pg/ml versus 43.28 +/- 5.32 pg/ml. PGE levels are also higher in the vein 114.73 +/- 25.16 pg/ml than in the artery 83.63 +/- 9.22 pg/ml. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between the arterial pH and PGE in the umbilical vein these results support the idea that the plasmatic umbilical prostaglandins are synthetized by the placenta the variability in the values obtained in venous umbilical blood may reflect the different times of ligation of the umbilical cord. A decrease in fetal pH may be the stimulus for the prostaglandin synthesis by the placenta.

[Canavan's disease: apropos of a case]. / Enfermedad de Canavan: a propósito de un caso.

One case of spongy degeneration of CNS in infancy is presented. Main clinical features were, complete failure of motor and mental development, sudden hypotonia and hyperreflexia, blindness and optic atrophy. Computed tomography demonstrated a decrease in white matter density of cerebral hemispheres. Histopathological studies confirmed clinical diagnosis of Canavan's disease and indicated presence of abnormal mitochondria in accordance with those reported in the literature.

[Osmolarity and arginine-vasopressin in children born after acute fetal-neonatal distress]. / Control osmolar y arginina vasopresina en niños nacidos después de un sufrimiento fetoneonatal agudo.

A study of urinary osmolarities and plasmatic level of arginine-vasopressin (AVP) 48 hours after birth in a group of 70 newborns (30 of which are normal and 40 of which have acute perinatal hypoxia), selected according to previously established criteria is carried out. An evolutionary study of urinary osmolarities of newborns with acute perinatal hypoxia, osmolar index and its relation to plasmatic levels of AVP during the first week of life is also considered. AVP 48 hours after birth was blatantly more elevated among those newborns who had shown acidosis at birth (p less than 0.001) which correlated significantly with urinary osmolarity, although it showed low figures (p less than 0.05). This same correlation (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.05) appears with osmolar index and urinary osmolarity on successive days, but it is important to point out that vasopressin decreased to base values at the end of the first week of life while osmolarities in urine increased. Conclusions are: 1) AVP is higher after 48 hours of life among those newborns with acute perinatal hypoxia and decreases progressively during the first week of life, being comparable to values obtained from normally born children 48 hours after birth at the eight day of life. 2) Renal response to this hormone is slight during the first days of life.