Because a series of reports suggests the existence of altered bone and mineral metabolism in diabetes mellitus, we studied 106 diabetic subjects (42 insulin-dependent (IDD) and 64 noninsulin dependent (NIDD] to determine whether a difference in bone turnover (evaluated by serum osteocalcin (OC] could be found in comparison with normal controls. OC levels in diabetic subjects were lower than the age- and sex-specific predicted values. The reduction was especially evident in male and female NIDD (Z-score: - 1.12 +/- 0.92, t = 8.4, P less than 0.001 and -0.84 +/- 0.86, t = 4.0, P less than 0.01, respectively) and male IDD (Z-score: - 0.90 +/- 0.86, t = 4.5, P less than 0.01). The mean Z-score for female IDD, albeit negative (-0.31 +/- 0.79; t = 1.6; 0.2 greater than P greater than 0.1), was not significantly different from normal. Total serum calcium (Ca) and calcitonin (CT) showed an opposite pattern, being higher in all the diabetic subgroups (with the exception of Ca in female IDD), whereas parathyroid hormone (PTH) was lower than expected in each diabetic subset. By multiple regression analysis, the reduction of OC was related to PTH and CT levels and to the type of treatment. Subjects controlled with diet showed differences of greater magnitude from the expected normal values than those treated with oral hypoglycemic agents or insulin (Z-score: -1.28 +/- 1.05 vs. -0.85 +/- 0.90 and -0.63 +/- 0.97, respectively; P = 0.05). However, the variance explained by these three factors was small, suggesting that other variables (possibly 1 alpha,25(OH)2D) exerted important influences on OC levels.

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Behavioral state instability in growth-retarded fetuses might be related to a decrease in serotonine production. Tryptophan maternal and cord blood values after elective cesarean section have been investigated by means of high performance liquid chromatography in 20 growth-retarded fetuses due to pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and 20 normal pregnancies as control group. The fetomaternal ratio of tryptophan is significantly higher in normal fetuses than in PIH growth-retarded fetuses (p < 0.001). Behavioral states have been determined 1 week and just before cesarean section. Values of IF, 2F, 3F and 4F differ in the 2 groups (p < 0.001). A higher percentage of non-coincidences (p < 0.001) and state interruptions (p < 0.001) is found in PIH fetuses. A significant correlation is demonstrated between the increase of non-coincidences and decrease in the fetomaternal Trp ratio (p < 0.001).

In order to study the effects of a physiologic meal on calcitonin (CT) secretion we studied 6 normal male volunteers (aged 28-34 yr). Each subject was given, on two separate days, either a mixed meal or 200 ml of distilled water, in random order. Gastrin (G) was effectively stimulated by the meal (F = 8.82; p less than 0.001) and reached a peak (with an average 100% increase) 30 min after the end of the meal, slowly decreasing thereafter; no increase was seen after water ingestion. On the other hand, CT levels remained stable throughout the observation period on both occasions. Ionized and total calcium did not show significant variations either after the meal or after water ingestion. These findings suggest that G alone, at the concentrations usually reached after a physiologic meal, is unable to stimulate CT secretion, at least in the absence of calcium increases.