Tumour biology of a breast cancer at least partly reflects the biology of the tissue/epithelial cell of origin at the time of initiation - a hypothesis

A hypothesis is presented suggesting that initiation of breast epithelial cell freezes the cell at least partly according to the development/differention of cell at the time of initiation. Tumour biology will mimic the physiology of normal cell development at the time of initiation and this is preserved at least partly onwards. Also preferentially, tumours will develop from the cell type that is proliferating at the time of initiation. This may explain the overrepresentation of different types of histology in breast cancer in relation to age of the woman. The development of each tumour may follow at least partly a distinct pathway of evolution.     

Otoacoustic emissions,auditory evoked potentials and self-reported gender in people affected by disorders of sex development (DSD)

Both otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) and auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) are sexually dimorphic, and both are believed to be influenced by prenatal androgen exposure. OAEs and AEPs were collected from people affected by 1 of 3 categories of disorders of sex development (DSD) — (1) women with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS); (2) women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH); and (3) individuals with 46,XY DSD including prenatal androgen exposure who developed a male gender despite initial rearing as females (men with DSD). Gender identity (GI) and role (GR) were measured both retrospectively and at the time of study participation, using standardized questionnaires. The main objective of this study was to determine if patterns of OAEs and AEPs correlate with gender in people affected by DSD and in controls. A second objective was to assess if OAE and AEP patterns differed according to degrees of prenatal androgen exposure across groups. Control males, men with DSD, and women with CAH produced fewer spontaneous OAEs (SOAEs) – the male-typical pattern – than control females and women with CAIS. Additionally, the number of SOAEs produced correlated with gender development across all groups tested. Although some sex differences in AEPs were observed between control males and females, AEP measures did not correlate with gender development, nor did they vary according to degrees of prenatal androgen exposure, among people with DSD. Thus, OAEs, but not AEPs, may prove useful as bioassays for assessing early brain exposure to androgens and predicting gender development in people with DSD.     

The therapeutic exception: abortion, sterilization and medical necessity in Costa Rica

Based on the case of Rosa, a nine-year-old girl who was denied a therapeutic abortion, this article analyzes the role played by the social in medical practice. For that purpose, it compares the different application of two similar pieces of legislation in Costa Rica, where both the practice of abortion and sterilization are restricted to the protection of health and life by the Penal Code. As a concept subject to interpretation, a broad conception of medical necessity could enable an ample use of the therapeutic exception and a liberal use of both surgeries. The practice of therapeutic sterilization has been generalized in Costa Rica and has become the legitimate way to distribute contraceptive sterilization. In contrast, therapeutic abortion is very rarely practiced. The analysis carried out proposes that it is the difference in social acceptance of abortion and sterilization that explains the different use that doctors, as gatekeepers of social morality, make of medical necessity.     

86例绝经后妇女取宫内节育器分析

目的探讨提高绝经后妇女取宫内节育器（IUD）的成功率,减少绝经后取器并发症发生的有效方法。方法对86例绝经后妇女取器者术前给予米非司酮25mg,每12h 1次,连续口服3天,服药前后2h禁食,第4天空腹口服米索前列醇600μg后2h取器。结果顺利取出IUD者59例,用宫颈扩张器扩张宫口为6号后顺利取出者23例;IUD嵌顿者4例,1例最终通过宫腔镜取器,余3例由宫颈扩宫器扩至6号后剪断不锈钢丝后取出。所有取器者术中腹痛和出血量正常,术后阴道出血2～5天。结论米非司酮联合米索前列醇在绝经后妇女取宫内节育器应用中,可有效扩张、软化宫颈,具有安全、有效的特点,值得基层推广。     

Relationship satisfaction and outcome in women who meet their partner while using oral contraception

Hormonal variation over the menstrual cycle alters women's preferences for phenotypic indicators of men's genetic or parental quality. Hormonal contraceptives suppress these shifts, inducing different mate preference patterns among users and non-users. This raises the possibility that women using oral contraception (OC) choose different partners than they would do otherwise but, to date, we know neither whether these laboratory-measured effects are sufficient to exert real-world consequences, nor what these consequences would be. Here, we test for differences in relationship quality and survival between women who were using or not using OC when they chose the partner who fathered their first child. Women who used OC scored lower on measures of sexual satisfaction and partner attraction, experienced increasing sexual dissatisfaction during the relationship, and were more likely to be the one to initiate an eventual separation if it occurred. However, the same women were more satisfied with their partner's paternal provision, and thus had longer relationships and were less likely to separate. These effects are congruent with evolutionary predictions based on cyclical preference shifts. Our results demonstrate that widespread use of hormonal contraception may contribute to relationship outcome, with implications for human reproductive behaviour, family cohesion and quality of life.     

新疆紫草中抗生育化学成分

从新疆紫草(Arnebia euchroma(Royle)Johnst.)的根部分得四种酚类化合物,经波谱分析,确定为rabdosiin二钾盐(dipotassium rabdosiin 1),迷迭香酸钾盐(potassium rosmarinate 2),迷迭香酸钠盐(sodium rosmarinate 3),阿魏酸钠盐(sodium ferulate 4).其中rabdosiin二钾盐具有显著的抗生育活性,而迷迭香酸钾盐、迷迭香酸钠盐和阿魏酸钠盐为首次从该植物中分离获得.     

Characterization of centchroman binding protein in plasma of rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta)

Centchroman, a nonsteroidal antifertility agent was studied for its binding to monkey (Macaca mulatta) plasma proteins using charcoal adsorption and electrophoretic techniques. ¹⁴C-centchroman showed a low affinity binding and did not compete for ³H-cortisol or ³H-DHT binding sites in plasma. ¹⁴C-centchroman binding protein was heat stable in nature and showed the electrophoretic pattern similar to that of albumin (Rf 0.70). Thus centchroman binds to albumin in monkey plasma which can be suggested as carrier protein for this contraceptive agent.     

ZNF185‐derived peptide induces fertility suppression in mice

Zinc finger protein 185 (ZNF185) belongs to the ZNF family and is involved in male reproduction. However, it is unclear whether ZNF185 may be a target candidate for contraceptive vaccines. In this study, antigenic peptides derived from ZNF185 were prepared, and their immune contraceptive effects were investigated using mice. Results from enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISAs) showed that peptide immunization induced an antibody titre increase that reached a peak in week 12. Peptide‐3 and peptide‐4 were then chosen for subsequent experiments. The results of the fertility assays showed that peptide immunization inhibited the mating and fertility rates of the mice, whereas there were no obvious changes in the number of pups per litter. Subsequently, epididymal sperm was analysed. The results demonstrated that the sperm count and sperm motility were significantly decreased in the peptide group, while the amount of abnormal sperm was significantly increased in the peptide‐3 group. The male reproductive organs were also evaluated. There were no obvious differences in testis or epididymal weights, in the diameters of the seminiferous tubules, or in the thicknesses of the seminiferous epithelium between the peptide group and the phosphate buffer saline (PBS) group. In addition, histological analysis indicated that there were no obvious pathologic changes in testis and epididymal histology in the peptide group; however, the number of spermatozoa present in the epididymal lumen of the peptide group was significantly decreased when compared with the PBS group. Our study demonstrates for the first time that peptides derived from ZNF185 may induce fertility suppression in mice without damaging reproductive organs. These peptides have the potential to be used as a male contraceptive vaccine.     

孕酮和炔诺酮庚酸酯对靶细胞孕酮受体动态分布的影响

本实验采用未成熟的雌兔,经雌二醇诱发五天,以促进子宫中孕酮受体的合成。利用此动物模型,分析了孕酮及炔诺酮庚酸酯与兔子宫细胞质和核中孕酮受体的结合特性及在细胞内的动态分布。实验结果表明:如以孕酮与其受体结合的相对结合亲合性(RBA)值为100时,炔诺酮庚酸酯的为48.6。此外还发现,炔诺酮庚酸酯可以增进孕酮受体在细胞核内的贮留。虽然该化合物有较小的 RBA 值,但其颇强的且长效的孕激素样作用可能与该化合物能使孕酮受体在核内的长时间贮留有密切关系。