The functions of hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis are attenuated in type 1 diabetes mellitus due to insulin deficiency. The use of intranasally administered insulin is of considerable interest for treatment of diabetes and cognitive disorders, but its effect on the thyroid system has not been investigated yet. We studied the influence of long-term treatment with intranasal insulin on the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis of nondiabetic rats and diabetic animals with streptozotocin models of acute and mild type 1 diabetes mellitus. This treatment was carried out for 28 days in acute (daily does of 0.3, 0.6, and 1.5?IU of insulin per rat) and for 135 days in mild diabetes (daily dose of 0.45?IU/rat). Nondiabetic rats were treated in a similar manner. Intranasal insulin in both models of diabetes resulted in the improvement of thyroid status; manifested as increase of thyroid hormones levels and restoration of response to thyroliberin. In acute diabetes, a daily dose of 0.6?IU/rat was the most effective. Twenty eight days treatment of nondiabetic rats with intranasal insulin at a dose of 0.3?IU/rat resulted in a significant increase of free and total thyroxine levels. Longer treatment of rats with mild diabetes and nondiabetic animals significantly increased thyrotropin level. Thus, long-term intranasal insulin treatment restored the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis function in type 1 diabetes, but led to a significant increase in the thyrotropin level, which must be considered when designing a strategy for the use of intranasal insulin in clinical applications.

Summary.-The study group (1977); an increased frequency of Type IV hyperlipoproteinaemia proved to be the most characteristic feature of tumour patients. The results are discussed in terms of the concept of the importance of lipid metabolic disturbances, primarily those due to ageing, in the genesis of the syndrome of "cancerophilia" (predisposition to cancer).

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Blood levels of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) were measured by enzyme immunoassay after overnight fasting in untreated breast cancer and endometrial cancer patients (N=170) of mainly postmenopausal age with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus. The concentrations of 8-OHdG in patients with breast cancer were higher than in patients with endometrial cancer and in patients with breast cancer and diabetes in comparison with patients with breast cancer without diabetes. No correlations of blood 8-OHdG levels with glycemia, age, and clinical stage of disease were detected. In cancer patients with diabetes, the concentration of 8-OHdG increases proportionally to the increase in body mass index, though this does not lead to disappearance of the above differences between patients with breast cancer and endometrial cancer by the level of 8-OHdG. The causes of the trend to a less favorable course of tumor process in patients with breast cancer and diabetes in comparison with endometrial cancer and diabetes deserve further studies.