No abstract

The effect of low dose (2, 4, and 8 micrograms/kg per min) dopamine infusion on blood pressure, heart rate and renal function was studied in 18 hypotensive, preterm infants with severe hyaline membrane disease (HMD). Significant dose-related effects found during dopamine infusion were systolic and diastolic blood pressure elevation and diuretic effect, while heart rate increase occurred only with 8 micrograms/kg per min of the drug. This indicates, that in the preterm neonate, dopamine at low doses has a pronounced effect on the alpha- and dopamine-receptors, while its beta-receptor stimulating activity is minimal. We demonstrated a significantly decreased metabolic clearance rate of dopamine in preterm infants. Thus, beside the differences in the vascular receptors' maturation, the decreased metabolic clearance rate should also be taken into account when explaining the cardiovascular and renal effects of low dose dopamine infusion in these babies. Dopamine was found to be useful in normalizing low arterial blood pressure, in improving impaired peripheral circulation, and in producing a marked diuresis in hypotensive preterm neonates with severe hyaline membrane disease.

Chlamydia trachomatis is one of the most common causative agents of sexually transmitted diseases. The authors studied the occurrence of C. trachomatis in the semen of 184 asymptomatic men participating in the IVF programme. Twenty-six (14.1%) of the 184 tested were positive for C. trachomatis, these patients and their wives receiving doxycycline capsules twice, 100 mg on the first day and 100 mg/day for the following 13 days. This treatment was effective in 88.5% of the cases and in the rest, treatment continued with erithromycin 250 mg four times/day for 2 weeks. The authors compared the semen parameters (cell count, motility, morphology, bovine mucus penetration and hypo-osmotic swelling test) in the infected and non-infected groups and observed no significant difference between these two groups.

Background. We studied the contribution of the tumor necrosis factor system and leptin to insulin resistance during the course of normal pregnancy. Methods. Forty-five healthy pregnant women (15 in the 1 st , 15 in the 2nd 2 and 15 in the 3rd 3 trimester) and 25 age-matched healthy nonpregnant women as controls. Twentythree newborns delivered by women followed in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters were also investigated.Fasting serum immunoreactive tumor necrosis factor-a, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-1, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-2, leptin (by enzyme-linked immunoassay) and C-peptide (by radioimmunoassay) concentrations in the patients and controls were measured. Body weight, length and head circumference of the newborns were analyzed in connection with the measured maternal parameters. Results. Significantly elevated tumor necrosis factor-a, tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 and -2, leptin, and C-peptide levels were found in the 3rd 3 trimester as compared with the 1st 1 and 2nd 2 trimesters and with the nonpregnant controls. Tumor necrosis factor-a, tumor necrosis factor receptor-2, C-peptide, leptin concentrations and body mass index were found to be in a significant positive linear correlation with each other. Significant negative linear correlations were calculated among maternal serum C-peptide, tumor necrosis factor-a and leptin concentrations and the head circumference of the newborns. Conclusions. In conclusion, increased tumor necrosis factor-a and leptin levels may contribute to insulin resistance in late pregnancy. Tumor necrosis factor-a and leptin may be regulators of intrauterine bone development of newborns.