Exposure of pregnant women to toxic gases in Bhopal in 1984 resulted in high pregnancy loss, increased first 5-year mortality and delayed development of male progeny.

Growth hormone (GH) and fasting insulin concentrations rise during puberty in normal subjects. Any increase in GH secretion in adolescents with insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) might be expected to lead to further insulin resistance and metabolic disturbance. Despite the high incidence of delayed growth in IDDM, the relationship between Gli, insulin‐like growth factor I (IGF‐I) and IGF binding protein 1 (IGFBP‐1) has not been clearly established. Twenty‐six adolescents with IDDM and 34 healthy siblings underwent measurement of their overnight GH secretory profiles (20.00–08.00 hours, 15‐minute sampling). The diabetic subjects were studied either on their normal insulin regimen (n = 15) or during a euglycaemic clamp (n = 26). A second clamp study was undertaken (n = 7) with addition of pirenzepine to suppress GH secretion. GH profiles in the diabetic subjects were characterized by increases in both pulse amplitude and baseline GH concentrations . Deconvolution analysis also revealed an increase in the frequency of Gil secretory episodes. In the subjects with diabetes, a direct link between the dawn rise in insulin requirements, increased concentrations of 9‐hydroxybutyrate and the elevated concentrations of GH was established. These abnormalities were reversed by the suppression of GH pulse amplitude following pirenzepine. Serum IGF‐I concentrations and IGF‐I bioactivity in the diabetic subjects were low and were positively correlated with mean GH concentrations. In conclusion, well controlled adolescents with IDDM show persisting abnormalities of GH, β‐hydroxybutyrate and IGF‐I despite normoglycaemia. The role of inappropriate insulin delivery in the development of these abnormalities is discussed.

BOLDYREFF and STEWART [1932], while working at the Pavlov Institute on the resistance of cold-blooded and warm-blooded animals to insulin, noted that injection of insulin caused constriction of pupils, decrease in heart rate, blood-pressure and body temperature along with diminution of the gastric juice. In order to elucidate further the action of insulin on the heart and blood-pressure, the present work was taken up. EXPERIMENTAL.The effect of the drug was tested on frogs' hearts continuously perfused with Ringer's solution containing 0 003 p.c. NaHCO3 as suggested by Macleod [1930]. In our first experiments we used frogs' normal saline (0-6 p.c.), but owing to gradual relaxation of the heart muscle by the sodium chloride, we later used the above solution with undoubtedly better results. The experimental drugs were injected from a record syringe very slowly into the rubber perfusion tube, about one foot from the puncture into the inferior vena cava, through which the perfusion cannula was introduced. A cut into the aortic arch formed the outlet of the perfused fluid. The rate of the perfusion flow was kept fairly constant (35-40 drops per minute) throughout all the experiments.For the carotid-pressure tracings dogs were used and the drugs were introduced through a venous cannula in the external jugular vein.For the experiments insulin (Lilly brand) was used, and for comparison atropine sulphate, nicotine and adrenaline. About fifty perfusion experiments were done and in all the cases insulin, in small doses (5-6 units), caused a slowing of the heart rate with some irregularity, which

LOCKE [1895] showed that addition of 0.1 p.c. dextrose to a suitable inorganic solution kept a frog's heart in spontaneous activity for 24 hours and suggested that "a sustaining action of this kind upon the heart does not belong to dextrose alone but to various other organic substances." The same worker [1904] showed that the force of contraction of a heart can be improved by dextrose solutions varying from 1 in 100,000 to 1 in 100; this occurs after an initial fall in the contraction preceded by a slight rise, each of short duration. At the same time he and Rosenheim [1904] used other sugars, galactose, rhamnose, l-arabinose and glucoheptose instead of dextrose but "no action at all comparable to that of dextrose could be found." Later on they [1907] also found that a considerable amount of dextrose disappeared from the perfused solution when the heart was beating strongly, and came to the conclusion that it was utilized by the heart to increase its efficiency. Six years later Ma cle an and S medley [1913] proved that utilization of sugar by the heart was not confined to glucose alone, " other sugars are also consumed but apparently not to the same extent, except in the case of mannose." Clark [1916] perfused a pancreas with Locke's solution containing glucose, and was of opinion that glucose was not changed in reducing power, but its character was altered (by the lowering of the optical rotation) so that it could be more readily utilized by a beating heart. In a previous paper we [Pal and Prasad, 1934] have shown how the heart becomes slow and the force too is diminished by the action of insulin. For further investigation of the action on the heart of insulin together with different sugars, the present work was taken up.

Aim Maternal thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy are vital for the health of the mother as well as the developing child. Fetal growth is affected by maternal thyroid levels. Various physiological changes like alterations of thyroxine-binding globulins, human chorionic gonadotropin level, and changes in iodide metabolism affect maternal thyroid hormone levels. Therefore, reference intervals (RIs) for thyroid hormones in pregnant population require to be established separately from the general population. Materials and methods The RIs of serum triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were determined in healthy pregnant women by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique after segregating them into three trimesters. This study was conducted in a 492-bedded zonal-level hospital. The reference population was chosen from a study population of pregnant women by strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. The assays were done by the most-commonly used, economical ELISA method employing standard kits. Tests were done using accurate and precise methods with proper quality control measures. Results The RIs were calculated from the central 95% of distribution of total T3, total T4, and TSH values located between 2.5 and 97.5 percentile values. The 0.90 confidence intervals for the upper and lower reference limits were calculated. The values thus obtained were different from those provided by the manufacturer kit literature. Conclusion It is recommended to determine one's own laboratory-specific, method-specific, trimester-wise RIs for maternal thyroid hormone status and use them for screening of pregnant women. How to cite this article Chakrabarty BK, Mitra B, Pal R, Hazra N. Specific Reference Intervals of Serum Triiodothyronine, Thyroxine, and Thyroid-stimulating Hormone in Normal Pregnant Indian Women as per Trimester. Indian J Med Biochem 2017;21(1):17-21.

Aim Maternal thyroid hormone level during pregnancy is a vital parameter for the health of mother as well as developing child. Fetal growth is affected by maternal thyroid levels. Various physiological changes like alterations of thyroxine binding globulins (TBGs), beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) level, and change of iodide metabolism affect maternal thyroid hormone levels. Therefore, reference intervals (RI) for thyroid hormones in pregnant population require to be established separately from general population. Materials and methods The RIs of serum triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were determined in healthy pregnant women by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique after segregating them into three trimesters. This study was conducted in a 492-bedded zonal level hospital. The reference population was chosen from a study population of pregnant women by strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. The assays were done by the most commonly used economical ELISA method using standard kits. Tests were done using accurate and precise methods with proper quality control measures. Results The RIs were calculated from the central 95% of distribution of total T3, total T4, and TSH values located between 2.5 and 97.5 percentile values. The 0.90 confidence intervals (CIs) for the upper and lower reference limits were calculated. The values thus obtained were different from those provided by manufacturer kit literature. Conclusion It is recommended to determine own laboratory-specific, method-specific, trimester-wise RI for maternal thyroid hormone status and use them for screening of pregnant mothers. How to cite this article Chakrabarty BK, Mitra B, Pal R, Hazra N. Specific Reference Intervals of Serum Triiodothyronine, Thyroxine, and Thyroid-stimulating Hormone in Normal Pregnant Indian Women as per Trimester. Indian J Med Biochem 2017;21(2):96-100.