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Namazi M. The cellular immunodeficiency associated with post-traumatic stress disorder may be the result of sympathetic overactivity and be correctable by beta-2-blockers. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2003 Dec; 24(6): 469-473
OBJECTIVES: Approximately 20% of BALB/cCF mice are born with partial or total absence of the corpus callosum. Here, we analyzed testosterone and free thyroxin blood levels in adult male mice of this strain in order to see if these hormones are related to the incidence of callosal defects.
METHODS: Blood collected from the axillary blood vessels of 12 normal and 10 acallosal deeply anesthetized adult male mice was used in order to determine testosterone and free thyroxin levels through chemiluminescence (IMMULITE, Diagnostics Products Corporation, USA).
RESULTS: No significant difference (one-way ANOVA: F = 0.11, df = 1, p > 0.10) was found between normal ((-)X= 1.95, SD = 0.62) and acallosal ((-)X= 1.86, SD = 0.62) mice for free thyroxin level. On the other hand, in those mice that had detectable testosterone levels (above 0.2 ng/ml), a significant difference was found (t = 2.8, df = 6.06, p = 0.03): normal mice (n = 7, (-)X= 8.73, SD = 7.64) had a higher level than acallosal mice (n = 4, (-)X= 0.62, SD = 0.41).
CONCLUSIONS: The present results indicate that the incidence of callosal agenesis is not related to free thyroxin levels in the blood of adult BALB/cCF mice. On the other hand, in spite of the fact that low testosterone levels seems to be frequent in male mice of this strain, acallosal mice tend to have lower levels of this hormone than normal mice....
Mourão C, Schmidt S, Manhães A. Testosterone and free thyroxin blood in congenitally acallosal male BALB/cCF mice. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2003 Dec; 24(6): 459-462
OBJECTIVES: Although it is widely accepted that academic examinations are accompanied by a cortisol increase, some recent studies reported either no effect or even a decline of the cortisol level. To reevaluate these discrepancies, we investigated whether personality traits predict the cortisol response upon academic examinations.
SETTING AND DESIGN: Nineteen male and female adolescent pupils (17 to 19 years) participated in the study. Two anticipated, mandatory, routine written examinations were used as familiar stressful conditions, whereas an anticipated, mandatory oral examination in front of a board of known and unknown examiners was used as a novel stressful situation.
METHODS: Baseline, pre- and postexamination salivary cortisol were quantified and correlated with psychometric measures, including self-estimated stress level, obtained from a five-point scale, and sensation seeking subscales according to Zuckerman.
RESULTS: Salivary cortisol response, taken as an average of all subjects, showed a transient increase upon examinations. However, comparing individual cortisol responses revealed three distinct cortisol profiles, including a transient increase (Type 1), a transient decline (Type 2), or no response (Type 3). Type 1 predominates in examinations combined with novelty. A moderate negative association was noted between saliva cortisol concentrations on some sensation seeking subscales. Self-reported stress levels did not significantly correlate with salivary cortisol concentration.
CONCLUSION: Our findings show that upon academic examinations the cortisol response varies among subjects. A moderate negative association was unveiled by correlating individual cortisol responses with sensation seeking subscales....
Martinek L, Oberascher-Holzinger K, Weishuhn S, Klimesch W, Kerschbaum H. Anticipated academic examinations induce distinct cortisol responses in adolescent pupils. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2003 Dec; 24(6): 449-453
OBJECTIVE: It has been reported that neuropeptides may play a role in the control of appetite and in the mechanism of hormone release. Neuropeptides such as beta-endorphin, neuropeptide Y (NPY), galanin and leptin may affect hormones release, on the other hand the hormonal status may modulate neuropeptide activity.
METHODS: The material consisted of 90 obese women, 30 women with Anorexia Nervosa, and 30 healthy, lean women of control group. Plasma beta-endorphin, NPY, leptin, somatostatin and serum pituitary and gonadal hormones concentrations were measured with RIA methods.
RESULTS: We observed the highest plasma NPY levels in obese hypertensive and diabetic patients. After carbohydrate administration (OGTT) a marked increase of insulin, beta-endorphin and NPY was found. The blunted response of GH to GH-RH may be connected with increased somatostatin activity and hyperinsulinemia. The abnormal response of LH to opioid blockade may be a result of disturbed opioid and NPY activities in obese patients. However in patients with anorexia nervosa, plasma leptin and NPY concentrations were low. The disturbances in beta-endorphin release are also observed.
CONCLUSIONS: The neuroendocrine disturbances in obesity and in anorexia nervosa are opposite. The feedback mechanism between leptin and NPY is disturbed in both in obesity and in anorexia nervosa. An abnormal activity of neuropeptides may lead to disturbed control of appetite and hormonal dysregulation in eating disorders....
Baranowska B, Wolinska-Witort E, Wasilewska-Dziubinska E, Roguski K, Martynska L, Chmielowska M. The role of neuropeptides in the disturbed control of appetite and hormone secretion in eating disorders. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2003 Dec; 24(6): 431-434
OBJECTIVES: Clinically non-functioning pituitary adenomas are common tumors of the pituitary gland. No studies have yet documented gender-related differences in the growth and presentation of these tumors and nothing is known about their effects on their subsequent surgical outcome and prognosis.
SETTING AND DESIGN: Twenty-eight patients with non-functioning pituitary adenoma, that met strict inclusion criteria, and that underwent surgical treatment between January 1990 and June 1997, were retrospectively reviewed.
METHODS: The patient charts, as well as histological (incl. immunohistochemistry) and electron microscopic findings were analyzed. Tumor invasiveness was classified according to the modified Hardy criteria.
MAIN FINDINGS: Eleven patients were women and seventeen were men; the female-to-male-ratio was 1:1.5. Men were significantly older, both at diagnosis and surgery. Visual field defect and visual acuity deficit were the most common presenting symptoms with similar occurrence both in women and men, whereas blindness predominated in women. Microadenomas and invasive adenomas did not differ significantly in MIB-1 index, but patients less than 35 years old had higher MIB-1 indices (n=4, 1.72+/-1.15), than did patients over 45 years (n=11, 0.63+/-0.42) (p: n.s.). MIB-1 labeling indices were higher in adenomas of female compared to male patients (1.5 +/-1.2 vs. 0.8+/-1.8; p < 0.003). The overall outcome was significantly worse in women than in men.
CONCLUSION: The biology and the clinical course of clinically non-functioning pituitary adenoma seem to differ in women and men. In men, tumors are smaller and less invasive at surgery, and the outcome is better than in women. The present findings may justify a more aggressive therapeutic approach to clinically non-functioning pituitary adenomas in women than in men, especially to improve the availability of viable pituitary cells at the time of surgery....
Schaller B. Gender-related differences in non-functioning pituitary adenomas. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2003 Dec; 24(6): 425-430
OBJECTIVE: Angiogenic growth factors bFGF and VEGF ensure vascularisation of the growing tumor tissue. We decided to investigate their peripheral serum concentrations in patients with thyroid gland adenoma and papillary carcinoma and with parathyroid adenoma. We wanted to find the possible serum marker of these tumor diseases.
METHODS: 28 patients with thyroid gland tumor (14x adenoma, 14x papillary carcinoma) and 12 patients with parathyroid gland adenoma. Growth factors serum levels were measured by ELISA method.
RESULTS: We found significantly higher serum levels of bFGF in both groups of patients with thyroid adenoma (4.93 +/- 3.42 ng/ml) and papillary carcinoma (5.69 +/- 5.58 ng/ml) compared to the healthy population (1.47 +/- 1.77 ng/ml). There were no significant differences of VEGF serum levels between all examined groups of patients (adenoma 213 +/- 197, papillary carcinoma 210 +/- 179, healthy 227 +/- 231 pg/ml). We found significantly higher serum levels of bFGF in patients with parathyroid gland adenoma (7.59 +/- 9.12 ng/ml) compared to those in healthy people (1.47 +/- 1.77 ng/ml).
CONCLUSIONS: Higher bFGF serum concentrations in patients with thyroid and parathyroid tumors are in accordance with their immunohistochemical tissue levels described in the literature. Not so in VEGF. bFGF may be a serum marker of thyroid and parathyroid neoplasms....
Veselý D, Astl J, Matucha P, Sterzl I, Betka J. Serum levels of angiogenic growth factors in patients with thyroid gland tumors and parathyroid adenoma. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2003 Dec; 24(6): 417-419
OBJECTIVE: Foetal origins theory has suggested that early environment can affect vulnerability to major diseases in later life. Recent research also suggests that foetal hormonal programming may influence neurotransmitter and hormone levels affecting adult psychological states (i.e. depression and general self-efficacy). However, investigations into early environment and depression have focused on hospitalised or elderly participants, using non-standard measures. This study investigates links between birthweight and depression in a non clinical adult population, as well as links with general self-efficacy and depression.
METHODS: This is a retrospective design. 100 participants mean age 25.9 self reported birthweight, current height and weight to allow computation of BMI. A General Self-Efficacy Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were also completed. The official classification of low birthweight (2.5 kg) and the median weight for the group (3.26 kg) were used to identify three groups.
FINDINGS: One way ANOVA showed that variance in depression [F = 5.31, (2,97) p =.006] and lower general self-efficacy [F = 4.04, (2,96) p =.021] is explained by membership of birthweight group. There was no variance between depression and age, although general self-efficacy did increase with age [F = 6.13, (2,95) p =.003). There was no significant variance between BMI and birthweight or depression.
DISCUSSION: Findings add to the growing body of research suggesting that foetal environment influences later life, particularly that early programming may affect hormone and neurotransmitter secretions which may influence later life psychological as well as physical health....
Bellingham-Young D, Adamson-Macedo E. Foetal origins theory: links with adult depression and general self-efficacy. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2003 Dec; 24(6): 412-416
: Endocrine biorhythms are classified according to the period time, as one of the most characteristic properties of biorhythms. Each endocrine organ has parallel more than one biorhythms with different period time (e. g. circadian and circannual rhythms). The time of acrophase of the biorhythms at the different endocrine organs is fairly variant. This review summarizes the rhythmic function of the THS-thyroid, gonadotrophic-gonadal and ACTH-adrenocortical systems. Pineal gland plays an integrative role in the regulation of rhythmic function of the endocrine system. The melatonin secretion of this gland also reveals conspicuous circadian and circannual rhythms both in mammals and in birds. Mammalian pineal is functional only if its peripheral sympathetic innervation from the superior cervical ganglion is intact. In contrast, melatonin secretion and its circadian rhythm is also maintained in birds under isolated conditions (explanted into an in vitro superfusion system). The 24 hours period time of melatonin circadian rhythm can not be changed by light impulses. The phases of the circadian rhythm, however, can be turned by changing the time of environmental light-dark phases. The wavelength of the artificial light used for reversal of circadian rhythm is an important factor. The development of the entrainment and synchronization of the circadian melatonin rhythm in birds is independent of the rhythmic day-night changes in environmental lighting condition. The differences in the main elements of the biological clock between mammals and birds are discussed....
Csernus V, Mess B. Biorhythms and pineal gland. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2003 Dec; 24(6): 404-411