No abstract

It has been postulated that behavioural differences between normal males and those with an additional X or Y chromosome may be related to pre- or postnatal hormonal variations. The prenatal hormone status was investigated using amniotic fluid obtained at antenatal diagnosis between 16 and 20 weeks gestation from fetuses with sex chromosome abnormalities and from controls of the same gestational age. After log transformation, the (geometric) mean testosterone levels were XY 439.4 pmol/l, range 165-1,027 (n = 29), XYY 490.7 pmol/ 1, range 224-1,092 (n = 20); and XXY 419 pmol/l, range 87-1,021 (n = 20). There were no significant differences between the three male groups and all three were significantly higher than the XX fetuses at 147.0 pmol/l, range 41-474 (p < 0.001). These findings give no support to the hypothesis that prenatal testosterone levels contribute to later behavioural characteristics.

Summary: The data available from the previous paper have been analysed to determine the interaction between the blood sugar and plasma insulin responses to oral glucose and a number of other biological variables.The total sugar and insulin responses were derived by calculating the total area and the incremental area under the curves.The blood sugar area was significantly correlated with age in both men and women, particularly the former. A striking degree of correlation was found in men between the level of fasting glycerides and the blood sugar area. There was a significant correlation also in women, but this was entirely due to the presence of the older, postmenopausal individuals. A lower degree of correlation was found in both sexes between fasting glycerides and the insulin area.Obesity, as defined by three interrelated factorsponderal index, triceps fat-fold thickness, and arm girth -was significantly correlated with the insulin area (the association being stronger in the men) and with the blood sugar area only in men.The fasting cholesterol level was correlated with obesity in both sexes but with the blood sugar area and the insulin area only in men.

The concentrations of glucose and fructose in the portal vein and femoral artery were determined after gastric instillation of sucrose to six adult baboons. The animals were then given a high sucrose diet for nine weeks. The plasma levels of glucose and fructose after a sucrose meal were determined at intervals while on the diet and three weeks after the animals had returned to their standard diet. The concentration of fructose in the portal and femoral blood increased as a consequence of the high sucrose diet, whereas the level of glucose was not so affected. It is postulated that the high sucrose diet has increased the absorption rate of fructose across the gut. wall.

Oral glucose tolerance tests were carried out at weekly intervals in thirteen young women and six young men. There was a greater variation in response by the young women compared to the young men. This greater variation was due to altered responses during different phases of the menstrual cycle. It is suggested that the fluctuations in the oral glucose tolerance test during the menstrual cycle may be secondary to alterations in gastric activity.