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Journal Article 2001; 22(1): 53-73 PubMed PMID: 11393163 Citation  Keywords:  Adrenal Glands:physiology, Animals, Biological Clocks, Blood Pressure:physiology, Chronobiology Disorders:physiopathology, Chronobiology Phenomena, Chronotherapy, Circadian Rhythm:physiology, Drug Administration Schedule, Genomics, Homeostasis, Humans, Pi.   

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Journal Article 2001; 22(1): 53-73 PubMed PMID: 11393163 Citation  Keywords:  Adrenal Glands:physiology, Animals, Biological Clocks, Blood Pressure:physiology, Chronobiology Disorders:physiopathology, Chronobiology Phenomena, Chronotherapy, Circadian Rhythm:physiology, Drug Administration Schedule, Genomics, Homeostasis, Humans, Pi.   

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Comparative Study 2008; 29(6): 889-894 PubMed PMID: 19125151 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Body Height, Child, Circadian Rhythm, Female, Growth Disorders:blood, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Periodicity, Prolactin:blood, Reproducibility of Results,.   

OBJECTIVES: In normal conditions, prolactin (Prl) secretion manifests a circadian pattern. So far, there have only been but few studies, concerning intrasubject variability and repeatability of the circadian Prl secretion pattern, based on pulse analysis. It seems, that macroscopic analysis based on measurement of Prl concentration at nine time points every 3 hours during 24 hours is an appropriate method to assess Prl profile for clinical purposes. The aim of the study was to assess the repeatability of that circadian Prl secretion pattern in a group of short children without hormonal disorders.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The analysis comprised the results of two circadian Prl profiles, performed from 2 to 14 months in 23 prepubertal children (16 boys) with idiopathic short stature, aged: 10.3+/-2.4 yrs.

RESULTS: There were no statistical differences between Prl concentrations at the same time points in the two consecutive profiles, but the comparison of Prl concentrations at 8:00 gave results which were close to the border of statistical significance (p=0.055), what indicated low repeatability of measurement results at that particular time point. There were no statistical differences between the values of particular parameters in macroscopic profile analysis in the first and in the second test.

CONCLUSION: Circadian Prl profile, based on nine Prl concentration measurements, taken every 3 hours during one day, is characterized by high repeatability of the results and low intrasubject variability in children, despite the results of Prl concentration at 08:00 o'clock....

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Case Reports 2008; 29(6): 874-876 PubMed PMID: 19112420 Citation  Keywords:  Aged, Anti-Inflammatory Agents:therapeutic use, Autoimmune Diseases:complications, Azathioprine:therapeutic use, Diabetes Insipidus:etiology, Female, Humans, Hypothalamic Diseases:complications, Immunosuppressive Agents:therapeutic use, Methylprednisolone.   

: Autoimmune hypothalamitis is a rare autoimmune neuroendocirne disease. A case of a 70-year-old female with autoimmune hypothalamitis was reported. The chief clinical characteristics were diabetes insipidus and adenopituitary function deficiency. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan indicated a mass in the hypothalamus. The diagnosis of autoimmune hypothalamitis was presumed. After treatment with prednisone, there was a marked reduction in the mass and the hypothalamus-adenopituitary function partially improved. However, after glucocorticoid therapy was withdrawn, the hypothalamic lesion relapsed progressively. High dose methylprednisolone pulse therapy (HDMPT) in combination with azathioprine was initiated thereafter. During follow-up, MRI scan indicated the lesion shrank strikingly, and the patient's clinical condition improved as well. In view of the good response of the hypothalamic lesion to glucocorticoid and immunodepressant, the putative diagnosis of autoimmune hypothalamitis was confirmed. This case report suggested that HDMPT in combination with azathioprine therapy might be an effective trial for autoimmune hypothalamitis treatment....

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Journal Article 2008; 29(6): 815-821 PubMed PMID: 19112419 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Chronobiology Disorders:complications, Circadian Rhythm, Humans, Melatonin:physiology, Neoplasms:etiology,.   

: For two decades, research has been suggested and conducted into the causation and development of cancers in seemingly diverse and unrelated populations such as blind individuals, shift-workers, flight personnel, Arctic residents and subsets of sleepers. One common denominator of these investigations is "melatonin". Another common denominator is that all these studies implicitly pursued the validity of the so-called "melatonin hypothesis", of a corollary and of associated predictions which can be united in our proposed theory of "carcinogenesis due to chronodisruption". The new theory suggests that the various predictions investigated between 1987 and 2008 represent different aspects of the same problem. Indeed, abundant experimental evidence supports the notion that the final common cause of many cases of cancer may be what has been termed chronodisruption (CD), a relevant disturbance of the temporal organization or order of physiology, endocrinology, metabolism and behaviour. While melatonin as a key time messenger and time keeper can be a marker of CD, it is probably only partially related to the differential cancer occurrence apparent in individuals who chronically or frequently experience an excess or deficit of chronodisruption....

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Journal Article 2008; 29(6): 1015-120 PubMed PMID: 19112418 Citation  Keywords:  Adaptation, Physiological, Adrenal Medulla:enzymology, Analysis of Variance, Animals, Catecholamines:biosynthesis, Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase:genetics, Gene Expression Regulation:physiology, Immobilization, Male, Phenylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase:gene.   

OBJECTIVE: Isolation of adult animals represents a form of psychsocial stress that produces sympatho-adrenomedullar activation. The aim of this work was to investigate the changes in gene expression and protein levels of catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes: tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) in the adrenal medulla of naive control and chronically (12 weeks) socially isolated adult Wistar rat males and the response of these animals to additional immobilization stress (2 h).

METHODS: TH, DBH and PNMT mRNA levels were quantified by quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). TH, DBH and PNMT immunoproteins were assayed by Western Blot.

RESULTS: In chronically isolated rats, gene expression levels of catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes in the adrenal medulla were decreased, but only TH mRNA was significantly decreased. However, protein levels of TH, DBH and PNMT of these animals were elevated by 55%, 20% and 18%, respectively, in relation to the corresponding control. Naive control and chronically socially isolated rats exposed to additional 2-h-immobilization showed increased gene expression of the examined enzymes, the increase being greater in socially isolated rats as compared to the controls. Additional immobilization of naive controls did not affect TH, DBH and PNMT protein levels. In contrast, this stress produced increased TH, DBH and PNMT protein levels in long-term socially isolated rats.

CONCLUSION: We can conclude that psychosocial stress expressed a differential influence on gene expression and protein levels of catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes in the adrenal medulla of adult rats. The results indicate a possible adaptation of catecholamine-synthesizing system at the level of TH gene expression in adrenal medulla of chronically isolated animals....

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Journal Article 2008; 29(6): 965-970 PubMed PMID: 19112417 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Female, Headache Disorders:classification, Humans, Migraine Disorders:classification, Migraine with Aura:diagnosis, Pakistan:epidemiology, Prevalence, Severity of Illness Index, Surveys and Questionnaires, You.   

: The International Headache Society (IHS) criteria-based questionnaires were given to 647 college-going females (faculty and students) of selected universities in Lahore, Pakistan. Forty five (7%) were diagnosed with Migraine with Aura (MWA), 181 (28%) with Migraine without Aura (MWOA) and 421 (65%) as NMH (non-migrainous headache). We found 'Photophobia and Phonophobia' as the most common headache-associated symptoms, and 'Stress' and lack of sleep' as the most commonly reported triggers of MWA (44%) and MWOA (38%). Most common headache management practice amongst migraineurs was 'sleep' [MWA (35%) and MWOA (39%)]. This is the first paper which elucidates the symptomatology, risk factors and treatment modalities of migraineurs in Pakistan....

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Case Reports 2008; 29(6): 857-866 PubMed PMID: 19112416 Citation  Keywords:  Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols:therapeutic use, Biological Therapy:methods, Breast Neoplasms:therapy, Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast:therapy, Complementary Therapies, Female, Hormone Antagonists:administration & dosage, Humans, Middle Aged, Neo.   

: In this case presentation, a woman with breast carcinoma who chose to try Prof. L. DiBella's biological therapy (MDB), was found, after seven months, to have a 50% reduction in objective measures of her carcinoma and was totally cured after 14 months. The patient's recovery extended to bilateral axillary adenopathies, and took place without the toxicity normally associated with cancer treatment. MDB entails the use of anti-proliferative molecules such as somatostatine, prolactin, and estrogen inhibitors, along with differentiating and apoptotic molecules such as melatonin, retinoids, vitamins C, D3, and E, calcium, and amino-sugars, combined with minimal doses of chemotherapy. The hemato-chemical exams showed no damage, with a progressive reduction of prolactin, estradiol, IGF1, and maintenance of low levels of GH. The achievement of objective results, without toxicity, in this case, proves the effectiveness of this therapy and confirms the positive results already published on the use of MDB for Low-Grade NHL, and pulmonary carcinomas in the 3rd and 4th stages. MDB, without the need for either hospitalization or day hospitalization, without toxicity, and without even minimally reducing the patient's daily work routine, allowed the patient to avoid surgical trauma and the significant collateral effects of chemo- and radiotherapy. Timely use of MDB as the first line therapy, in a patient which had not been debilitated by the mutagenic, toxic, and immuno-depressive effects of chemo- and radiotherapy, contributed greatly to the final outcome. We feel it is useful to highlight this case in an effort to stimulate interest and further study into the oncological potential of MDB biological and receptor therapy....

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