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Biomedical subjects

D Lacoste

Publications and source records attributed to D Lacoste.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

A pure antiandrogen does not interfere with the LHRH agonist-induced blockade of testicular androgen secretion in the dog.

Daily subcutaneous administration of 50 micrograms of the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist [D-Trp6]LHRH ethylamide in adult dogs causes a transient increase in the serum testosterone (T) concentration which reaches a maximum at 200% above control on days 2-4 of treatment and progressively decreases to 7% of the pretreatment value on day 21, the last time interval studied. After a transient increase, the concentration of serum bioactive luteinizing hormone (LH) was progressively decreased on days 11 and 19, thus suggesting that in analogy with human findings, the loss of LH bioactivity is responsible for the inhibition of testicular steroidogenesis induced in the dog by LHRH agonists. Of major significance is the finding that the changes in serum T levels observed during the first 3 weeks of treatment, as well as the complete inhibition of the intratesticular concentration of sex steroids observed at the end of this period of treatment with the LHRH agonist were not affected by simultaneous administration of flutamide (125 mg per os every 8 h). Such findings indicate that at the dose used, the LHRH agonist is in full control of gonadotropin secretion, thus completely overcoming feedback influences. Since the administration of the antiandrogen flutamide does not decrease the efficacy of the LHRH agonist as blocker of testicular androgen biosynthesis, the present data support the use of a pure antiandrogen in order to neutralize the effect of the transient rise in testicular androgen secretion which always accompanies the first days of treatment with LHRH agonists in patients with advanced prostate cancer.

Anilides↗

Radioimmunoassay in blood plasma of arginine esterase: the major secretory product of dog prostate.

We have developed a radioimmunoassay to determine serum levels of arginine esterase, the major secretory product of the canine prostate. Although the antibodies recognized other related proteins in immunoblotting conditions, particularly in the pancreas, the radioimmunoassay appeared specific for arginine esterase of prostatic origin and reacted only slightly or not at all with cytosolic proteins from salivary glands, liver, skeletal muscles, and kidney. In serum samples, the sensitivity limit of the assay was about 2.5 ng per ml. The interassay and intraassay variations for serum samples that contained concentrations of arginine esterase ranging from 6 to 21 ng per ml were, respectively, 14% and 24%. Sera from 30 adult males and 14 adult females contained, respectively, 71 +/- 9 and 5.3 +/- 0.4 ng per ml. In a group of 12 dogs treated daily for 36-39 days with 50 micrograms of D-Trp6-luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone ethylamide, the concentrations of arginine esterase in the serum decreased progressively and became identical with those observed in the females. These results constitute the first evidence for the presence of a serum marker of the normal prostate in an experimental model. It should be particularly useful to test the effects of various agents on the prostate.

Animals↗

[Cutaneous immunofluorescence in B virus diseases. 100 cases].

Immunofluorescence tests in healthy skin were performed in 75 patients with hepatitis B virus diseases (group I), in 25 HBs-antigen negative patients with the same diseases (group II) and in 90 controls (group III). HB virus diseases included acute, prolonged hepatitis; chronic, persistent and active hepatitis; cirrhosis and periarteritis nodosa. The immunofluorescence test was positive (micro- or macrogranular deposits in the walls of dermal vessels of HBs-antigen associated or not with immunoglobulins and complement) in 8 patients of group I (prolonged hepatitis 1; chronic persistent hepatitis 2; chronic active hepatitis 3; periarteritis nodosa 2), 3 of whom had no clinical manifestations, and in 3 patients of group II (chronic active hepatitis 2, periarteritis nodosa 1). Although not all patients with extrahepatic HB virus disease have a skin test positive for HBs-antigen and, conversely, a positive skin test does not necessarily imply clinical manifestations, it seems that skin immunofluorescence should be systematically performed as part of immunological investigations in all diseases where the HB virus might be involved.

Acute Disease↗

Selective inhibition of spermatogenesis in the presence of normal libido following combined treatment with an LHRH agonist and testosterone in the dog.

In order to maintain libido in dogs treated with an LHRH agonist, animals were administered with testosterone in a gel form for percutaneous adsorption. Histological aspect of testis indicate a complete blockade of spermatogenesis after treatment with the LHRH agonist and the addition of testosterone to these animals did not restore the spermatogenesis. The measurement of testicular steroid levels showed that following LHRH-A administration, the concentration of androgens in testis remained low in the presence or absence of testosterone supplement. However, the prostate weight as well as the volume of ejaculate returned to normal when testosterone was added and this observation can be correlated with the high amount of androgens in prostate. The present study supports the use of LHRH agonist in combination with testosterone as a selective method for inhibition of spermatogenesis in the male.

Animals↗

Transient intense gastric fixation of 99mTc-MDP.

A case is described of reversible, intense gastric uptake of 99mTc-MDP in the fundal region of a patient with myeloma, while very little transient pulmonary fixation was seen. The significance of this unusual finding in terms of relevant blood chemistry, results of gastric biopsies, which failed to show metastatic calcification, and the drugs administered is discussed.

Aged↗

Amyloid neuropathy and multiple myeloma. Ultrastructural and immunopathological study of two cases.

Report of 2 patients suffering from sensory peripheral neuropathy and multiple myeloma. In 1 case, peripheral neuropathy occurred several months before the appearance of multiple myeloma. A peripheral nerve biopsy exhibited numerous amyloid deposits within the endoneurium. Amyloid deposits have been estimated to occur in 15% of cases of multiple myeloma, but only 4 other detailed observations of amyloid deposits within the endoneurium have been reported in the literature. Other mechanisms might be involved since most peripheral neuropathies associated with multiple myeloma do not exhibit any amyloid deposits.

Amyloidosis↗

Shortening the Speech Sounds Perception Test.

Statistical means of shortening the Speech Sounds Perception Test were examined. Stepwise multiple regression analyses indicated that a 30-item version correlated quite highly with the 60-item version. Group means for representative clinical groups were presented, but no strong differences emerged using either version. Inclusion of length of stay and number of previous admissions as covariates did little to enhance the predictive validity of either form. Finally, the correlation of the 30-item test with demographic variables showed that age correlated most, followed by occupational status. these results were interpreted as indicating that the 30-item version could be used while maintaining the clinical utility of this test.

Adult↗

Normal gonadal functions and fertility after 23 months of treatment of prepubertal male and female dogs with the GnRh agonist [D-Trp6, des-Gly-NH2(10)]GnRH ethylamide.

The GnRH agonist [D-Trp6, des-Gly-NH2(10)]GnRH ethylamide was administered to prepubertal male and female dogs daily for 23 months by subcutaneous injection. During GnRH agonist treatment, plasma steroid levels, namely dehydroepiandrosterone, androst-5-ene-3 beta-17 beta-diol, androstenedione, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol, 5 alpha-androstane, 3 beta, 17 beta-diol were markedly inhibited in male animals, whereas in female animals, the plasma concentration of DHEA and delta 5-diol were decreased. Within 2 months following cessation of therapy, all steroids increased to normal adult levels. Morphological studies reveal that treatment of male animals with the GnRH agonist is accompanied by a small volume of seminiferous tubules, Leydig cells, and prostate gland, whereas in the ovaries of female animals, there is a large number of primordial follicles, a few primary follicles, but no secondary follicles. In the pituitary gland of animals of both sexes, LH-secreting cells have high levels of glycogen particles in their cytoplasm and tend to be either of normal appearance with dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) or strongly atrophied with a dark-stained cytoplasm, a contraction of RER, and a decrease in the number of secretory granules. Reticular cells of the connective tissue also show high levels of glycogen particles. After the 14 month recovery period, spermatogenesis has a normal adult appearance, the prostate gland shows a normal secretory epithelium, and secondary follicles are easily observed in the ovary. Gonadotrophs are free of glycogen accumulation, but reticular cells continue to show an accumulation of glycogen particles in their cytoplasm. Two male and two female animals were mated after the recovery period and produced normal offspring with normal fertility. The present results indicate that GnRH agonist treatment achieves a blockade of sexual maturation and that following cessation of treatment, normal pituitary-gonadal functions resume, with apparently normal fertility and normal offspring.

Animals↗

[Peripheral facial paralysis and HIV infection. 2 case reports].

Two cases of peripheral facial paralysis in subjects with HIV infection are reported. On the basis of these two cases and data from the literature, the clinical and paraclinical features of this facial nerve lesion are described. The various aetiological hypotheses put forward are discussed, but it is probable that the paralysis results from a direct effect of the virus on the nerve. HIV-associated peripheral facial paralysis may occur irrespective of the number of CD4 lymphocytes and does not seem to have a prognostic significance. However, it appears by preference in stages I, II and III and may then reveal the HIV infection.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

[Leukocytoclastic vasculitis and malignant hematologic diseases. (12 cases)].

We report 12 cases of leucocytoclastic vasculities associated with myelocytic (7 cases) or lymphocytic (5 cases) blood diseases. The clinical features, laboratory abnormalities and pathological findings are presented. In all cases a drug-induced and/or infective origin could be ruled out, and patients with cryoglobulinaemia were excluded. As in other cases found in the literature, in some patients vasculitis was present several weeks or months before the blood disease was discovered, while in others both conditions developed simultaneously or vasculitis appeared in the course of the blood disease. None of these three possibilities seemed to make the prognosis worse. The pathogenesis of the vasculitis-malignant blood disease association is uncertain. Immune complexes of tumoral origin undoubtedly have some responsibility, but some deficiency of phagocytic cells or chemotactic factors also play a role. Cases such as ours enable the significance of vasculitis to be understood when it occurs in a patient with malignant blood disease, but above all they should prompt investigations for malignant blood disease in patients with cutaneous and/or systemic vasculitis, as is being done in patients with pyoderma gangrenosum or Sweet's syndrome.

Adult↗

[Thoracic sarcoidosis with pulmonary cavitation. Apropos of a case].

The authors report an unusual case of thoracic sarcoidosis in a 21 years-old man who presents pulmonary nodules turning to cavitation. This observations and the few similar cases of the literature are analysed regarding to their clinical and radiological sequential patterns.

Adult↗