Dreyfuss, C.; Wauters, A.; Adamopoulos, D.; Moentack, C.; Hendrick, P.; Berkenboom, G.; Van De Borne, P.; Argacha, J. F. Author Information

AIM:Reductions in arterial oxygen partial pressure activate the peripheral chemoreceptors which increase ventilation, and, after cessation of breathing, reduce heart rate. We tested the hypothesis that facial cooling facilitates these peripheral chemoreflex mechanisms.METHODS:Chemoreflex control was assessed by the ventilatory response to hypoxia (10% O2 in N2) and the bradycardic response to voluntary end-expiratory apnoeas of maximal duration in 12 young, healthy subjects. We recorded minute ventilation, haemoglobin O2 saturation, RR interval (the time between two R waves of the QRS complex) and the standard deviation of the RR interval (SDNN), a marker of cardiac vagal activity throughout the study. Measurements were performed with the subject's face exposed to air flow at 23 and 4 degrees C.RESULTS:Cold air decreased facial temperature by 11 degrees C (P < 0.0001) but did not affect minute ventilation during normoxia. However, facial cooling increased the ventilatory response to hypoxia (P < 0.05). The RR interval increased by 31 +/- 8% of the mean RR preceding the apnoea during the hypoxic apnoeas in the presence of cold air, compared to 17 +/- 5% of the mean RR preceding the apnoea in the absence of facial cooling (P < 0.05). This increase occurred despite identical apnoea durations and reductions in oxygen saturation. Finally, facial cooling increased SDNN during normoxia and hypoxia, as well as during the apnoeas performed in hypoxic conditions (all P < 0.05).CONCLUSION:The larger ventilatory response to hypoxia suggests that facial cooling facilitates peripheral chemoreflex mechanisms in normal humans. Moreover, simultaneous diving reflex and peripheral chemoreflex activation enhances cardiac vagal activation, and favours further bradycardia upon cessation of breathing.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of combined tamoxifen citrate and T undecanoate treatment on seminal parameters in men with idiopathic oligozoospermia.Design: Prospective randomized clinical study.Setting: A state hospital tertiary clinic.Patient(s): Eighty oligozoospermic men were included in the protocol.Intervention(s): Patients were randomized to receive placebo, T undecanoate (40 mg three times per day), tamoxifen citrate (10 mg two times per day), or T undecanoate plus tamoxifen citrate. Result(s): Tamoxifen citrate plus T undecanoate treatment produced a satisfactory improvement of total sperm number, motility, and functional sperm fraction after 3 and 6 months. Comparisons with other active treatment groups showed significantly higher increment values for motility and functional fraction, whereas aniline, acrosine, and free L-carnitine also were markedly better in the combination treatment group. Conclusion(s): These results indicate that the combination of tamoxifen citrate with T undecanoate not only improves significantly important seminal parameters but also compares favorably with the single treatments used. Therefore, this combination deserves a place as a first line of treatment in idiopathic oligozoospermia. (C) 1997 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

The endocrine milieu on which spermatogenesis and sperm maturation mainly depend was evaluated quantitatively with simultaneous measurements of FSH, LH, PRL, testosterone, estrone, estradiol (E2), and sex hormone-binding globulin concentrations in spermatic venous plasma, antecubital plasma, seminal fluid, and wash fluid from vas deferens in 16 normospermic men and 24 oligospermic patients. Anesthesia and surgical stress caused a rise of only PRL and E2 (P less than 0.001-0.01). Mean FSH, LH, and PRL levels were comparable in antecubital and spermatic venous plasma, and antecubital values were higher in oligospermic patients for FSH and LH (P less than 0.05-0.001). Mean (+/- SD) T levels were similar for normospermic and oligospermic men in spermatic venous plasma (473 +/- 75 and 439 +/- 270 ng/ml), in antecubital plasma (6.5 +/- 1.3 and 6.6 +/- 1.8), and in seminal fluid (0.3 +/- 0.1 for both). Minute quantities of testosterone were detected in pooled wash fluid (0.08 ng). For E2, similar concentration gradients from high to low levels were found in normospermic and oligospermic men (spermatic venous plasma = 926 +/- 205 pg/ml and 1090 +/- 262; antecubital plasma = 31.0 +/- 12.0 and 28.4 +/- 1.9; seminal fluid = 14.3 +/- 2.3 and 12.0 + 2.8). Estrone was also high in spermatic venous and low in antecubital plasma but higher in seminal fluid than in antecubital plasma. Sex hormone-binding globulin levels were slightly though not significantly lower in spermatic venous (23 +/- 10 nmol/liter) than in antecubital plasma (28 +/- 6), but not measurable in seminal fluid. These results define important aspects of the endocrine milieu prevailing in the male reproductive tract and demonstrate a change of the relative activity of androgens and estrogens from the testis to the seminal fluid.

The effect of endogenous and exogenously administered oestrogens, androgens and progesterone on plasma and urinary uric acid and uric acid clearance was studied in a total of 65 healthy volunteers, including normal menstruating and post-menopausal women, girls with primary amenorrhoea and adult male subjects. A serial study throughout a full cycle in 3 women showed an inverse relationship between plasma uric and synthetic oestrogens produced a fall in plasma uric acid concentration through a uricosuric effect in most subjects of both sexes. Testosterone propionate caused a definite increase in plasma uric acid levels in post-menopausal women while endogenous testosterone changes due to Leydig cell stimulation produced no definite effect in male subjects. Administration of a progesterone preparation produced an effect similar to that of oestrogens in post-menopausal women. The evidence presented here supports ithe view that sex steroids play a significant part in uric acid regulation in biological fluids of both sexes.

Journal Article FURTHER STUDIES ON ENDOCRINE FUNCTION IN PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE EXCRETION OF FOLLICLESTIMULATING HORMONE (FSH) AND LUTEINISING HORMONE (LH) Get access G A Dove, G A Dove General Practitioner, London Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar A D Papanicolaou, A D Papanicolaou Medical Research Council Clinical Endocrinology Research Unit, 2 Forrest Road, Edinburgh 1, Scotland Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar D Adamopoulos, D Adamopoulos Medical Research Council Clinical Endocrinology Research Unit, 2 Forrest Road, Edinburgh 1, Scotland Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar J A Loraine, J A Loraine Medical Research Council Clinical Endocrinology Research Unit, 2 Forrest Road, Edinburgh 1, Scotland Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Mairi A Mackay, Mairi A Mackay Medical Research Council Clinical Endocrinology Research Unit, 2 Forrest Road, Edinburgh 1, Scotland Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar S F Lunn S F Lunn Medical Research Council Clinical Endocrinology Research Unit, 2 Forrest Road, Edinburgh 1, Scotland Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Acta Endocrinologica (Norway), Volume 61, Issue 1_Supplement, Aug 1969, Page S225, https://doi.org/10.1530/acta.0.061S225 Published: 01 August 1969

It is broadly accepted that the telecommunica - tions industry is undergoing a fundamental restructuring. This is driven by new customer demands and by changes in the regulatory environment, and is both enabled and encouraged by rapid technological developments. Additionally, the demand for new sophisticated telecommunicatio ns services with multime dia characteristics is increasing. These services require more flexible access, management, and charging mechanisms. Thus, it is necessary to assist, in a systematic manner, tele com - muni ca tions service service engineering matters, a service creation methodology is proposed and presented focusing on its essential characteris - tics. A possible enhancement of this methodology through the use of design patterns and frameworks is then considered. I. I NTRODUCTION The coming years will herald unprecedented changes in the structure