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Biomedical subjects

F Zappulla

Publications and source records attributed to F Zappulla.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1977

Effect of obesity on the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal function in childhood.

In 22 normal and 35 obese boys a gonadal function test (2000 IU of hCG i.m. daily for three days and assays of plasma testosterone before and after the hCG administration) was carried out. All the "short normal" children and 31 obese subjects underwent the LH-RH test (50 microng i.v.). While basal testosterone was similar in the two groups of children, after hCG testosterone was significantly (p less than 0.001) lower in the obese boys, In the normal children a significant positive correlation between bone age and basal and after hCG testosterone was demonstrated; this correlation was not found in the obese boys. The pituitary reserve of gonadotrophins did not show significant differences between the two groups of children. Finally a significant positive correlation (p less than 0.01) between the LH curve area during the LH-RH test and bone age was found only in the normal boys.

Child↗
PubMed1977

Congenital hypopituitarism associated with neonatal hypoglycemia and microphallus: effect of GH therapy.

A case of congenital hypopituitarism with microphallus and severe neonatal hypoglycemia is described. The results of the clinical examination and of the tests of hypothalamo-pituitary function are discussed. It is reported that with GH replacement therapy a considerable growth of the penile size was obtained. The importance of evaluating the pituitary function in patients with micropenis and neonatal hypoglycemia is emphasized.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1976

GH, ACTH, LH and FSH behaviour in the first seven days of life.

--43 neonates, born vaginally after spontaneous labor between the 38th and the 42nd week of pregnancy, were examined. GH and ACTH levels were assayed in 14 newborn infants. LH and FSH were determined in the remaining 29 patients (16 boys and 13 girls). Samples were collected from all infants for the assay of the above mentioned hormones at the 2nd, 6th, 12th and 24th hour of life, then every day for 7 consecutive days. During the whole first week of life plasma GH gave values that were significantly higher than those found in subjects over four years of age. The highest mean value of plasma ACTH was found at the 2nd hour of life (162.2 +/- 34.1 pg/ml). Then, there is a significant fall in the hormone level beginning with the 12th hour (p less than 0.01). Minimum level was reached on the 7th day. Plasma hCG-LH presents its maximum mean value at the 2nd hour, both in boys and girls (48.5 +/- 16.2 and 33.0 +/- 24.9 mU/ML, respectively). after this, plasma hCG-LH decreases progressively. No significant differences between the two sexes were found. Even though the mean values of plasma FSH do not change significantly during the whole test period, they do demonstrate a sex difference (significantly higher values in the females) from the fifth day afterwards.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1976

GH, ACTH, TSH, LH, and FSH reserve in pre pubertal girls with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

The pituitary reserve of GH, ACTH, TSH, LH, and FSH was determined in seven prepubertal birls suffering from congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylation defect and under treatment with cortisone acetate. GH and ACTH were studied during the insulin induced hypoglycemia test. The LH, FSH, and TSH reserved were assayed by means of the LH-RH and TRH tests. GH behavior proved to be similar to that found in normal subjects, whereas basal and/or after stimulus ACTH turned out to be higher than the upper limits of the normal range in five out of six girls. The mean basal value and the mean LH peak were not significantly higher than those found in normal prepubertal girls; the mean basal value and the mean FSH peak were lower than the mean of the control group. The difference is significant (P less than 0.05) only between the peak values. The mean basal TSH in the patients is significantly higher (P less than 0.01) than the mean value of the control group. The maximum TSH after TRH is not significantly different from the mean value fo the control group.

Adrenocortical Hyperfunction↗
PubMed1976

Hypophyso-gonadal function in the cryptorchid child: differences between unilateral and bilateral cryptorchids.

In 22 normal boys, 33 unilateral and 14 bilateral cryptorchids, a gonadal function test (2000 IU of HCG im each day for three days and assays of plasma testosterone and plasma oestradiol-17beta before and after the HCG administration) as well as an LH-RH test were carried out. In 60% of the cases, both normal and cryptorchid boys, plasma oestradiol-17beta (both in basal conditions and after stimulus) were found to be less than the sensitivity (5 pg/ml) of the method, While the plasma testosterone was similar under basal conditions in the three groups of children, after HCG it was significantly lower than the mean value of the control group only in the bilateral cryptorchids. The testosterone levels, both under basal conditions and after stimulus, are correlated to bone age only in the normal boys and in the unilateral cryptorchids. There were no significant differences among the various groups for either LH and FSH both under basal conditions and after LH-RH. The LH curve area during the LH-RH test is in correlation with bone age only in the normal children.

Child↗
PubMed1975

Relationships among the secretion of ACTH, GH, and cortisol during the insulin-induced hypoglycemia test in the normal and obese child.

The behavior of the secretion of ACTH, GH, and plasma cortisol during the insulin-induced hypoglycemia test on normal and obese children was studied. The secretion of the above-mentioned hormones was determined by calculating the integrals of the curves. The mean values of the integrals of the plasma cortisol and ACTH curves do not show any significant differences between the two groups of children. The mean values of the ratios between the integrals of the plasma cortisol and ACTH curves show a significant difference between the two groups (P smaller than 0.01). Since the mean values of the integrals of the plasma cortisol curves are practically the same in both groups, the difference in the above-mentioned ratios refers to the lower values of the integrals of the ACTH curves found in the obese children. This enables us to make the hypothesis that in the obese child the function of the pituitary-adrenal axis, at least during the insulin test, does not differ from the norm thanks to the adaptation of the ACTH secretion to the greater sensitivity of the adrenal glands to this hormone. In both the groups examined there was no correlation between the secretion of ACTH and plasma cortisol, between ACTH and GH, and between plasma cortisol and GH.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Gonadal and adrenal secretion of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in prepubertal and pubertal subjects.

The Authors have evaluated the relationship between the secretion of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHA-S) by the adrenal glands and by the gonads in a group of prepubertal and pubertal subjects ("short normal"), both males and females. In the male subjects of a hCG test and an ACTH test were performed; in the female subjects only the latter test was carried out. The behavior of DHA-S under basal conditions was also assessed in both sexes and related to bone age and chronological age in the prepubertal period and during the early stages of puberty. Plasma levels of DHA-S in both sexes increase progressively with chronological age and bone age. A negative correlation was found between DHA-S and bone delay (expressed in percent relative to chronological age) in prepubertal subjects, both males and females. A significant increase in DHA-S after hCG stimulation was found both in prepubertal and pubertal boys. After ACTH stimulation DHA-S increased significantly in prepubertal and pubertal males and females; throughout the test no difference was found between prepubertal and pubertal subjects nor between male and female subjects. Our data confirm that DHA-S is produced both by the adrenals and by the testes.

Adolescent↗