The aims of this study, which are part of the gerontological and geriatric population studies in Göteborg, Sweden (H70), were to describe cohort differences and trends in dental status and utilization of dental care in 70-year-olds. The study is based on five cohorts examined in 1971/72, 1976/77, 1981/82, 1992/93 and 2000/01 (called cohort I, II, III, V and VI, respectively). The total number of participants was 2290 and varied between 386 and 583 in the different cohorts. The proportion of dentate 70-year-olds changed gradually from 49% in the first to 93% in the last cohort. The mean number of teeth in the dentate 70-year-olds was 14 in cohort I and 21 in cohort VI. The proportion of subjects with 20 or more teeth changed from 13% in cohort I, to 20% in cohort III, and to 65% in cohort VI. In cohort I, 76% of the 70-year-olds had some kind of removable denture; 37% in cohort III, but only 17% in cohort VI. About 20% of all 70-year-olds in cohort I reported regular yearly visits to a dentist. The corresponding figures in cohort III and cohort VI were 50% and 80%, respectively. Even though positive cohort trends were observed in all studied subgroups, factors such as low education, smoking, being un-married, having high waist circumference and being physically inactive were negatively associated with dental status at the end of the study period as well as at the beginning.

In these four groups of 70-year-old participants, high drug consumption was associated with lower salivary flow. Unstimulated secretion was only affected in women and then, when taking four or more drugs. Pronounced hyposalivation was, however, uncommon. Cardiovascular drugs, antidepressants and antipsychotics were associated with low salivary secretion. In this age group, the frequently observed association between polypharmacy and a lower saliva secretion rate represents a risk of impaired dental health.

Human corpora lutea (CL) of the menstrual cycle and early pregnancy were excised at operation, cut into pieces, and incubated or superfused in the presence of hCG or prostaglandin (PG) E2. After incubation, the tissue levels of cAMP and the medium concentrations of progesterone (P) were determined, while the concentration of P was analyzed after superfusion. PGE2 stimulated cAMP formation in CL from all phases of the menstrual cycle as well as from early pregnancy and caused an increase in P formation in CL from the early and midluteal phases of the menstrual cycle as well as from early pregnancy. A difference was found in the latency, the lag phase until maximal response, and the duration of response between the effects of PGE2 and hCG on both cAMP and P formation. Thus, the effect of PGE2 started more rapidly and was of shorter duration than that of hCG. The stimulatory effect of PGE2 on CL from early pregnancy was of the same magnitude as that of CL from the menstrual cycle. On the other hand, hCG had less stimulatory effect on cAMP and P formation in CL from early pregnancy compared to CL from the menstrual cycle. We conclude that PGE2 stimulates P and cAMP formation in isolated human CL from all phases of the menstrual cycle as well as in early pregnancy, indicating a luteotropic effect of this PG.

The numbers of remaining teeth increased and the prevalence of caries decreased over the 20-year period. The incidence of caries over the follow-up period of 6 years was moderate. The results indicate that the prevalence of plaque, gingival bleeding, and a pocket depth of ≥4 mm are predictive factors for both prevalence and incidence of caries.

Abstract. A superfusion model for isolated ovarian cells was developed and characterized in detail. Granulosa cells isolated from pre-ovulatory rat ovarian follicles were placed in superfusion (perifusion) chambers with a volume of 125 μl. Culture medium was pumped through the chambers, collected in 20-min fractions of 600 μl and analysed for cAMP and steroids. Viability was confirmed by morphological examination. The use of polycarbonate membranes to retain the cells in the chambers was abandoned since the membranes caused severe cell damage. The temporal relationships between gonadotropic stimuli and the release of cyclic 3':5'-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and steroids was investigated. Within 10 min FSH elicited transient increase in the release of cAMP and progesterone but had no effect on testosterone or estradiol-17β release. Amplitude and duration of the response in cAMP and progesterone release were correlated to concentration and length of the FSH pulse when these parameters were varied within the ranges 1–100 μg/l and 30–270 min, respectively. Compared with the cAMP response, the progesterone response peaked up to 30 min later and lasted 1 to 2 h longer but could not be extended to more than approximately 6 h, not even with longer FSH pulses. These results could indicate a development of desensitization.