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Background: Familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia is a rare disease with autosomal dominant transmission. Its basic defect is unknown and it requires no treatment., Case Report: A 4 month-old girl was admitted for unexplained crying. She was found to have hypercalcemia (2.8 mmol/l) and later values of blood calcium were 3, 3.1 and 3 mmol/l. The serum free ionic calcium level was also elevated. The serum concentrations of protein, phosphorus, magnesium and the alkaline phosphatase activity were all normal. Serum concentrations of 25-(OH)-D3, 1.25-(OH)-2-D3 and PTH were also normal. The urinary calcium/creatinine ratio was normal and the urinary calcium excretion was 1.08 mg/kg/d. Screening of family members showed hypercalcemia in the father (2.8 mmol/l) and a brother aged 7 years (2.9 mmol/l). Short-term treatment with disodium etidronate lowered the serum calcium level to normal, but hypercalcemia reappeared once the treatment was discontinued., Conclusions: This asymptomatic familial hypercalcemia has the characteristics of familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia. There was no associated endocrine disorder. Screening of family members is worthwhile.

Kathon is an anti-microbial agent that is used as a preservative in cosmetics and bodily hygiene products. At the recommended levels of usage Kathon is innocuous and has a recognised efficacy. Nevertheless, following reappearance of contact allergic eczemas due to cosmetics and bodily hygiene products different authors have reported increase in sensitisation to it. We have met the same problems in the Service de Dermatology++ of the Hospital Sainte Marguerite at Marseille and we wished to make a deeper examination of the question and to ascertain whether the current cosmetics contained Kathon CG. For this we have developed a technique of liquid chromatography and tested 44 creams. Eight contained Kathon CG, of which 2 were responsible for contact eczema in patients.

In order to invalidate or confirm the affirmation that non antithyroid sulphide molecules alter the measure of the thyroid fixation rate of iodine 131 we undertook on the rat: on one hand a kinetic study of thyroid fixation of sodium thiosulfate labelled with sulphur 35, which showed a very low captation not exceeding 0,01% of injected radioactivity; on the other hand the study of the effects of some sulphide molecules on thyroid fixation of iodine 131 in the rat: sodium thiosulfate, association of sodium thiosulfate + metalloidal sulphur + methionine, carbutamide and dimethylsulfoxyde in various kinds of dose administration and periods. None of the products used in our work conditions produced a significant decrease of the fixation rate of iodine 131. In three different experimental protocols (sulfur association and dimethylsulfoxide), we showed a significant light increase of the fixation rate.

A subtotal nephrectomy is realized on 200 rats Wistar IOPS, producing a chronical renal failure (CRF). Evolution is studied during 12 months and compared to 100 normal rats of the same age. Biochemical criteria show an increased blood urea and creatinemia with a diminution of creatinin clearance and an appearance of important proteinuria. Morphological results show as soon as the third month, irreversible tubulo-interstitial lesions; afterwards glomerular lesions appear and become more and more visible and are accompagnied by membranous depots; then, a pan-nephritis is noted at the 10th month. These observations allow to class animals into three groups according to the CRF degree: low, medium or severe. As soon as the fifth month, all surviving animals present a medium CRF generally, or a severe CRF. Our work allows to create homogeneous lots used in pharmacokinetic applications.

The authors made conspicuous in the rat the appearance of "diabetes insipidus" induced by two lithium salts: chloride and carbonate administered orally, with increasing doses in food. The polyuria, polydipsia and urinary hypotony are reversible and disappeared with stopping the treatment. The animals became insensible to the exogenous antidiuretic hormon during the treatment and progressively became sensible again during the following twenty days so suggesting a nephrogenic mechanism by lithium: either a loss of ADH activity, either the abolition of intrarenal osmotic pressure gradient.

The effects of two neuroleptics (pipotiazine and fluphenazine) and five long-acting neuroleptics (pipotiazine undecylenate and palmitate, fluphenazine enanthate and decanoate, fluopentixol decanoate) are tested in the rat, during an observation period of 20 to 40 days following only one injection of compound. The compounds administered at three different and non toxic doses, are showing effects, the intensity and duration of which are different according to the dose and the compound: diestrus of pseudo-gestation or more than 15 days, hypertrophy of mammary gland, decreasing of the uterine weight. Some long-acting neuroleptics are active during more than forty days.

The authors subjected 149 adult Sprague-Dawley rats to repeated experimental dives, simulated to 160 m. Histopathological examination (femurs and tibias) revealed no evidence of osteonecrosis in either normal or dyslipidaemic animals. Study of the calcium metabolism using 45Ca revealed a significant drop in the levels of free and bound calcium and in the rate of exchange between the two compartments, in the dyslipidaemic animal placed in hyperbaric conditions.