Abstract. Morphology, yield and function were studied in cultured islet-like cell clusters (ICC) from 140 human fetal pancreata obtained after abortions of different types performed at 11–23 weeks of gestation (12 by hysterotomy, 75 by mechanical dilation and extraction, and 53 induced with prostaglandin). After collagenase digestion and culture in medium supplemented with 10% human serum, up to 2000 free-floating ICC were formed from a single pancreas. Randomly scattered insulin- and glucagon-immunoreactive cells were found in the medullary part of the ICC. More than 100 ICC developed in 100% of the hysterotomies and 87% of the mechanical abortions, but in only 53% of the prostaglandin-induced abortions. Insulin and glucagon levels in the culture medium decreased rapidly during the first 7 days of culture, but then remained stable for at least 31 days. The hysterotomy-derived ICC responded to 10 mmol/l theophylline plus 20 mmol/l glucose by a 12.2 ± 3.1 (sem, N = 7) fold increase in insulin release, as compared with a 5.4 ± 0.9 fold response of the prostaglandin ICC (N = 16; P < 0.02). Despite the low proportion of B-cells, (pro)insulin biosynthesis accounted for 10% of the total protein biosynthesis in low (2 mmol/l) glucose. In conclusion, the yield and viability of the ICC were clearly better, if prostaglandin had not been used for the induction of the abortion.

Objective. To evaluate growth and to compare anthropometric measures and the degree of physical maturation in children with shunted hydrocephalus with those in healthy children. Methods. One hundred fourteen patients (62 male) and 73 healthy subjects (38 male) 5 to 20 years of age were analyzed for growth data and current auxology, stage of puberty, and bone age. Results. Boys with hydrocephalus were shorter than control boys during their first 8 years of age, and no catch-up growth was observed until puberty. Girls with hydrocephalus were of the same size at birth as the control girls, but their linear growth retarded during the first years of life, leading to reduced relative height between the age of 5 to 8 years. The pubertal growth spurt occurred earlier in boys with hydrocephalus (age at midgrowth spurt, 12.1 vs 13.3 years), and a similar trend was seen in girls (10.0 vs 10.7 years). The final height was again reduced, especially in boys. Patients with hydrocephalus were more obese than control subjects, girls more often than boys. Relative bone age was retarded in prepubertal (-0.42 vs 0.32 SD) and accelerated in pubertal patients (0.54 vs -0.19 SD). Conclusions. Children with hydrocephalus experience slow linear growth in prepuberty, but they have an earlier adolescent growth spurt. Together these factors result in a reduced final height. An increase in relative weight emerges in the preadolescent period, and this phenomenon is accentuated after puberty, leading to an increased prevalence of obesity.

Abstract. To study the hormonal and metabolic effects of prostacyclin (PGI2), 6 healthy women were infused iv with PGI2 (1, 2, 4, and 8 ng/kg/min, each for 20 min) dissolved in glycine buffer, or with glycine buffer only. Serial blood samples collected before, during and after the infusion were assayed for FSH, LH, prolactin, growth hormone, thyrotrophin, oestradiol, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, thyroxine, triiodothyronine, renin, aldosterone, glucose, insulin, glucagon, cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerides, alkaline phosphatase, alanine and aspartate aminotransferases, bilirubin, sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, inorganic phosphorous, creatinine and uric acid. PGI2 infusions were accompanied by increased levels of prolactin, growth hormone and cortisol, probably due to the stressful side-effects during PGI2 infusion. In addition, plasma renin activity, glucagon and blood glucose increased, whereas the other variables measured did not change. These PGI2-effects should be kept in mind, when PGI2 is used in clinical practice.

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