We examined the catalytic properties and physiological function of an enzyme responsible for the ketone-reduction of acetohexamide, an oral antidiabetic drug, in liver microsomes of adult male rats. Progesterone, 17a-hydroxyprogesterone, cortisone and cortisol, which have a ketone group at 20-position of C21-steroids, were potent inhibitors for ketone-reduction of acetohexamide in liver microso...

It is known that reduction of the carbonyl group at C-20 to a secondary hydroxyl group occurs in the course of the metabolism of progesterone and the adrenocortical hormones in man. During the past 4 years, several groups of investigators have observed this reduction when certain adrenocortical hormones or their metabolites are perfused through liver or incubated with surviving liver slices or ...

il-1β and il-17a are two cytokines with strong proinflammatory activities and are now known to be involved in a number of chronic inflammatory disorders. high-mobility group box 1 (hmgb1) is a nuclear protein regulating the expression of these proinflammatory cytokines. the nlrp3 inflammasome promotes the maturation of the il-1β and its activation has been shown as a critical mechanism in the p...

The steroid hormone-binding properties of human breast cyst fluid were investigated and compared to those of female serum. Breast cyst fluid exhibited a high binding affinity for progesterone and pregnenolone, but very little affinity for cortisol, 17a-hydroxyprogesterone, and deoxycorticosterone. Serum exhibited a high binding affinity for progesterone, and also for cortisol, 17c+hydroxyproges...

background: rheumatoid arthritis (ra) is a chronic, systemic, inflammatory disease with autoimmune etiology, characterized by synovial inflammation and destruction of joint cartilage and bone. there are controversial data about the profile of interleukin-17 (il-17a), interleukin-4 (il-4), and interferon-gamma (infî³), indicating in some studies the key role of il-17, while in others the th1 cyt...

background: it has been documented that cytokines play important roles in the induction of normal functions of the placenta. it has been hypothesized that abnormal expression of the cytokines may be associated with unsuccessful pregnancy. objective: the aim of this study was to compare the serum levels of interleukin-17a (il-17a) and tumor growth factor (tgf-ß) in pre-term, term neonates, and t...

(Received 27th November 1974) Studies on the sheep have provided more information concerning the hormonal changes that precede parturition than those on any other mammal. The implications of some of the findings are uncertain but a composite picture is gradually emerging. The ability of sheep placenta to convert C19-steroids to oestrogens (Ainsworth & Ryan, 1966; Pierrepoint, Anderson, Griffith...

Background: Effector CD4+ T cell subsets play an important role in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Interleukin-27 (IL-27) suppresses Th (Th1, Th2 and Th17) cells and dampens autoimmunity and tissue inflammation by promoting the generation of Type 1 regulatory T cells (Tr1). Objective: To identify the relative levels of IL-27 and IL-17A in MS disease. Method: In a case-control study, venous blood was c...

  SUMMARY In order to investigate acute and chronic effects of exposure to warfare containing mustards in young men, the time course of changes in serum concentrations of total and free testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DS), FSH, LH and prolactin was evaluated in 16 men in the first 3 months and testicular function in 42 men one to three years after injury. Serum total and free testostero...