These results indicate that the prevalence of pressure ulcers in French hospital inpatients has remained stable since the last prevalence study undertaken 10 years before, when the rate was 8.9%. Such studies should be encouraged in all health-care settings as a means of improving the care provided.

D-[PHE]-2-D[ALA]-6-LRH (Wy-18,185), an analogue of synthetic hypothalamic LRH, was evaluated for its anti-fertility properties. The compound dampens the preovulatory proestrous surge of serum LH and FSH in rats, is an active anti-ovulatory agent in both rats and rabbits and prevents pregnancy when administered pre-coitally to rats. Additionally, the compound suppresses the ovulatory event in rats only during the cycle in which it is acutely administered, does not interfere with the rat vaginal cycle and is devoid of any effects on body, ovarian and uterine weights when given acutely. The compound is a moderate LRH agonist in rats but does not induce ovulation in rats or rabbits.

The binding of 125I-labeled epidermal growth factor (EGF) to plasma membranes prepared from rat kidney cortex was studied following unilateral nephrectomy, a model of proximal tubule cell hypertrophy, and following the administration of folic acid, a model of proximal tubule cell hyperplasia. Binding of 125I-EGF was a linear function of basolateral membrane protein content and time of incubation. Specific binding to luminal brush-border membranes was not evident in these studies. Neither insulin nor insulin-like growth factor I could displace EGF binding, indicating that binding was specific. Scatchard analysis revealed a single binding site. The KD in sham-operated animals 48 h after surgery was 11.2 +/- 1.4 nM, whereas Bmax averaged 95.2 +/- 4.1 fmol/mg protein (n = 3). Similar values were obtained in nephrectomized animals. The Bmax of folic acid-untreated animals averaged 212.5 +/- 6.9 fmol/mg 48 h after administration, whereas that of vehicle-injected controls averaged 85.4 +/- 9.2 (n = 3, P less than 0.001). Differences in binding were not related to changes in affinity, ligand degradation by the preparations, or receptor binding of endogenous EGF. These data indicate that regeneration following folic acid administration is associated with an upregulation of proximal nephron EGF receptors that may play an important role in the mitogenic response.

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