Clinical Chemistry Blog Notes 09

Drug Testing

2009-09-06T02:01:00.000-07:00

Drug Testing for school admission

Drug testing should be done in every sector of the society, not only in schools but also at work. This should be a mandatory process before a person can be admitted in a school or be hired in work. If drug testing is required before anyone can get a driver's license, why not require it also to aspiring students of a university before they can be admitted. There is no difference in that.

A school is designed to allow students to learn, it should be a place with a good learning environment, it is a place where we can implore knowledge. How can one person be encourage to learn if his or her seatmate is a drug addict. How can you call a school a good learning environment if your environment is surrounded with drug addicts. In some or most instances, these persons who are addicted to drugs can be the root of violence inside or outside the campus. They can also influence other people to try drugs themselves and eventually become drug addicts just like them. So, it should be a requirement for a school to drug test not only the students but also the employees and the teachers to make it a good environment for learning and a place for knowledge.

This may be a case for an argument, some may question where is the right for education. I say: how can a person be educated if he is into drugs? Who in the right mind wants to go in a school full of drug addicts? May be the drug addicts themselves...If a person wants education he should be a person who who is on his right mind and if one wants to be admitted into a school, he should be drug free.A school should be a safe place to study that's why I agree on drug testing before admission...

Pass your papers! Let's check

2009-09-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

Test I.2nd Mechanism of Hormonal Action

1.What hormone is involved in the 2nd Mechanism of Hormonal Action? Steroid Hormone
2-3. Give 2 examples of your answer in # 1 Testosterone and Estrogen
4. Where your answer in # 1 is synthesized Cholesterol
5. Transcribe CPPP Cyclopentanoperhydrophenanthrene

Test II: Case Analysis

Discuss briefly the 2nd Mechanism of Hormonal Action:

First, it passes through the cell membrane of the target cell then It binds with the cytoplasm in a specific receptor site.The receptor bound steroid hormone goes inside the nucleus and binds on the chromatin with another specific site. Production of proteins takes place when the steroid hormone-receptor complex calls for the production of messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules.

Short quiz

2009-08-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

Test I: 2nd Mechanism of Hormonal Action

1. What hormone is involved in the 2nd Mechanism of Hormonal Action?
2-3. Give 2 examples of your answer in # 1
4. Where your answer in # 1 is synthesized
5. Transcribe CPPP

Test II: Case Analysis

Discuss briefly the 2nd Mechanism of Hormonal Action

Mechanism 2 of Hormonal Action

2009-08-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

Endocrine Glands secrete and produce body molecules called Hormones. These body molecules called hormones are released to our blood stream and are then distributed to the other parts of the body where they bring out physiologic responses from specific cells.

There are 2 mechanisms of Hormonal Action: the 1^stmechanism involves non-steroid hormones like peptides, amino acids and sphingolipids, and the 2^nd mechanism involves generally steroid hormones like testosterone and estrogen.

Steroid hormones contain structures that are lipid-soluble and synthesized or derived from cholesterol. with the basic nucleus which is CPPP (cyclopentanoperhydrophenanthrene). Steroid hormones pass through the target cell’s cell membrane which can cause changes within the cell. Unlike non-steroid hormones, steroid hormones can do this because they are fat-soluble. Cells membrane contains phospholipid bilayer which forbids fat-insoluble molecules from diffusing into the cell.

Steroid Hormone Mechanism of Action

The steroid hormone mechanism of action can be summarized as follows:

It first passes through the cell membrane of the target cell.
It binds with the cytoplasm in a specific receptor site.
The receptor bound steroid hormone goes inside the nucleus and binds on the chromatin with another specific site.
Then the production of proteins takes place when the steroid hormone-receptor complex calls for the production of messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules.

References:

Henry’s Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods,21^st edition; edited by Richard A. McPherson and Matthew R. Pincus

http://wwwences/LifeScience/GeneralBiology/Physiology/EndocrineSystem/MechanismsHormone/MechanismsHormone.htm

My Choices for the Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs of 2009

2009-07-28T23:23:00.000-07:00

Here are my nominees for Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs of 2009:

1. Doctor Z of Zorlone
2. Roy The Struggling Blogger
3. Jan Geronimo of WritingToExhale
4. Angel Cuala of Father Blogger dot com
5. Irene of LifeLots
6. Luke of A Walk In The Dark
7. Holly Jahangiri of It’s all a matter of Perspective: Mine
8. Bingkee of I Love/Hate America
9. Kelvin Servigon of Kelvinonian Ideas 2.0
10. Dee of Tales From The Mom Side

These 10 blogs are worth voting for because of their positive influence in the blogging world.

This contest would not be possible without the following Sponsors:Absolute Traders, My Brute Cheats, Business Summaries, Fitness Advantage Club, Events and Corporate Video, Events at Work, Dominguez Marketing Communications, Red Mobile, Budget hotel in Makati, Lucio C. Tan Group of Companies, and Blog4Reviews.com.

Follicle Stimulating Hormone

2009-07-14T07:02:00.000-07:00

Learn more about FSH!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2couxQrOLw

Quiz: Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (Answers)

2009-06-30T07:40:00.000-07:00

Check your answers if correct:

1. Follicle-Stimulating Hormone

2. Anterior Pituitary Gland

3. Germ cell

4. 1.24 – 7.8 mlU/L

5. True

6. Decreased FSH level

7. Increased FSH level

8. Increased FSH level

9. Decreased FSH level

10. Increased FSH level

Case analysis:

The girl has a delayed puberty and may be suffering from a Gonodal failure, hormone deficiency or Turner's syndrome.

Another test that can be performed is to test the response of LH to GnRH to diagnose possible reasons for a delayed puberty.

Quiz: Follicle-Stimulating Hormone

2009-06-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

How much do you know?

1. Transcribe FSH

2. Where FSH is synthesized and secreted

3. FSH stimulates the maturation of what cell

4. Normal FSH in a 20 year old male

5. True or False: FSH is a glycoprotein

Increased or decreased FSH

6. Anorexia

7. Alcoholism

8. Menopausal Stage

9. Sheehan’s syndrome

10. Hypopituarism

Case analysis:

A 15 yr. old girl looks at the mirror and she notices that her breast doesn't seem to be growing bigger, she has not yet experienced her first menstruation period and she doesn't look like a girl who is on her puberty.

Her FSH level is below the normal level of a youth within the age range of puberty. What can be the diagnosis of the test? What other tests can be performed?

Follicle-Stimulating Hormone

2009-06-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH)

A protein hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary gland. FSH causes growth of follicles in the ovaries and sperm maturation in Sertoli cells of testes.

Evaluation of FSH supports other studies related to determining causes of hypothyroidism in women and endocrine dysfunction in men. In primary ovarian failure or testicular failure, FSH levels are increased.

Why is it done?

o To help in finding the cause of infertility

o Menstrual problem evaluation

o To help diagnosing pituitary gland disorder

o To determine if the child is going through an early or a delayed puberty

Precautions

o Recently administered radioisotopes may interfere with the results

o Hemolysis of blood sample is not acceptable

o Estrogen or oral contraceptives should not be taken before the test

o Several drugs affect the outcome

o Sometimes multiple blood specimens are necessary because of episodic releases of FSH from the pituitary gland. An isolated sample may not indicate the actual activity; therefore, pooled blood specimens or multiple single blood specimens may be required.

Normal Values

Male 1.24 – 7.8 mlU/L

Female

Postmenopausal 14.2 – 52.3 mlU/L

Luteal 0.61 – 16.3 mlU/L

Follicular 1.68 – 15 mlU/L

Ovulatory Peak 21.9 – 15 mlU/L

Clinical Significance

Decreased FSH level

o Anorexia

o Hemochromatosis

o Polycystic ovarian disease

o Neoplasm of testes or adrenal glands

o Sheehan’s syndrome

Increased FSH level

o Turner’s syndrome

o Alcoholism

o Menopause or menstrual disorder

o Castration

o Klinefelter’s syndrome

o Precocious puberty

o Hypopituitarism

References

- Henry’s Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods,21^st edition; edited by Richard A. McPherson and Matthew R. Pincus

- Clinical Chemistry: Principles, Procedures, Correlations, 5^th edition

- Text Book of Medical Physiology, 11^th edition; Guyton & Hall

- http://women.webmd.com/follicle-stimulating-hormone