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Letter 2015; 36(3): 185-186 PubMed PMID: 26313380 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Female, Humans, Male, Pilot Projects, Proteomics:methods, Tears:chemistry,.   

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Journal Article 2015; 36(2): 178-182 PubMed PMID: 26071589 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Animals, Newborn, Aromatase:genetics, Brain:metabolism, Estrogen Receptor alpha:genetics, Female, Fetus, Hypothalamus:metabolism, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Knockout, RNA, Messenger:metabolism,.   

OBJECTIVES: Local estrogen production in the brain regulates critical functions including neuronal development, gonadotropin secretion and sexual behavior. In the mouse brain, a 36 kb distal promoter (l.f) regulates the Cyp19a1 gene that encodes aromatase, the key enzyme for estrogen biosynthesis. In vitro, promoter l.f interacts with estrogen receptor alpha (Esr1) to mediate Cyp19a1 mRNA expression and enzyme activity in mouse hypothalamic neuronal cell lines. The in vivo mechanisms that control mammalian brain aromatase expression during fetal and adult development, however, are not thoroughly understood. Our aim was to elucidate the basis of the in vivo connection between Esr1 and Cyp19a1.

METHODS: Pregnant mice were sacrificed at gestational days 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 19, 21 and the brain tissues of the fetuses were harvested along with five newborns at the age of postnatal day 2. Esr1KO (female) were also sacrificed and their hypothalamus were excised out. Then both fetuses and adults RNA were isolated, reverse transcribed and amplified employing primers specific for Esr1 and Cyp19a1 with Real time PCR.

RESULTS: In the fetal mouse brain, Cyp19a1 mRNA levels are inversely correlated with estrogen receptor alpha (Esr1) mRNA levels in a temporal manner. Moreover, Cyp19a1 mRNA levels increased in the hypothalamus of estrogen receptor-alpha knockout female mice (Esr1KO).

CONCLUSION: Taken together, our findings might indicate that Esr1 has crucial roles in the in vivo regulation of aromatase expression in the brain during fetal and adult life....

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Journal Article 2015; 36(2): 171-177 PubMed PMID: 26071588 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Age Factors, Age of Onset, Aged, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depressive Disorder:drug therapy, Female, Humans, Male, Medication Adherence:psychology, Middle Aged, Remission Induction, Severity of Illness Index, Social Stigma,.   

OBJECTIVE: A wide range of variables may influence the rate of adherence to treatment. These variables can be associated with the disease itself, method of treatment, patient's personality, environmental factors and therapeutic relationship. Self-stigma is one of the possible factors related to poor adherence. The aim of the study was to find out the relationship between current adherence, discontinuation of medication in the past and self-stigma in stable psychiatric outpatients diagnosed with depressive disorder.

METHODS: The study included 72 stable outpatients diagnosed with depressive disorder with a mean age of 49.00 ± 12.56. Disorder severity was assessed using the Clinical Global Impression scale. Adherence was measured by the Drug Attitude Inventory - 10 items (DAI-10) scale and self-stigma by the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) scale. The data were evaluated in 66 patients. Six patients were excluded because of incompletely filled in questionnaires.

RESULTS: The rate of adherence was not associated with gender, education, employment, family burden (family history) or partner status. Current adherence did not differ between patients who arbitrarily discontinued their medication in the past and those who did not. Adherence was significantly positively correlated with patient's age, age at disease onset and the level of self-stigma.

CONCLUSIONS: The study results suggest that the level of self-stigma and age of the patient can be very important factors associated with adherence in patients with depressive disorder....

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Journal Article 2015; 36(2): 161-164 PubMed PMID: 26071587 Citation  Keywords:  Chronic Pain:therapy, Female, High-Energy Shock Waves:therapeutic use, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Pain Measurement, Treatment Outcome,.   

: The method of shock wave therapy (ESWT) was used for the treatment of several symptoms of chronic pain. There were especially: cervical syndromes, lumbago, plantar fasciitis, achillodynia, metatarsalgia and humeral epicondylitis. We confirmed the positive effect of shock wave therapy for pain relief on these syndromes. This method is also effective in other pain syndromes. The effect of this application is very individual and therefore it is necessary to indicate differing numbers of therapeutic applications. We recommend this method as a very useful tool for completion possibilities in the treatment of chronic pain....

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Journal Article 2015; 36(2): 165-170 PubMed PMID: 26071586 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Aged, Ether-A-Go-Go Potassium Channels:metabolism, Growth Hormone-Secreting Pituitary Adenoma:metabolism, Humans, Ki-67 Antigen:metabolism, Male, Middle Aged, Pilot Projects, Young Adult,.   

OBJECTIVE: To determine immunohistochemical expression of Eag1 in pituitary adenomas of patients with acromegaly and to assess the correlation between Eag1 expression with cavernous sinus invasion, tumoral Ki-67 labeling index (LI), age and gender of the patients.

METHODS: The paraffin embedded pituitary adenoma tissue sections of 28 patients with acromegaly who were diagnosed as monohormonal growth hormone (GH) secreting adenomas were immunostained for Eag1 using the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method. Eag1 immunoreactivity was scored according to the extensity of the cytoplasm and cell membrane immunoreactivity for Eag1 (score 1 = <10%, score 2 = 10-25%, score 3 = 25-50% and score 4 = >50% of the adenoma cells showed immunoreactivity for Eag1, respectively).

RESULTS: Overall, GH secreting pituitary adenomas displayed diverse levels of Eag1 immunoreactivity, however, 64% of the adenomas displayed a strong Eag1 immunoreactivity (score 3 and 4). Five of the tumors displayed Eag1 immunoreactivity score 1, 5 displayed score 2, 10 displayed score 3 and 8 displayed score 4, respectively. No correlation was found between Eag1 immunoreactivity with cavernous sinus invasion, Ki-67 LI, age and gender of the patients.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest Eag1 is strongly expressed in the majority of GH secreting pituitary adenomas. However, we could not find any correlation between immunoreactivity of Eag1 with cavernous sinus invasion, Ki-67 LI, age and gender of the patients. Further studies with larger sample sizes are required to demonstrate the role of Eag1 on tumorigenesis, angiogenesis, invasion and response to the treatment in GH secreting pituitary adenomas....

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Journal Article 2015; 36(2): 153-160 PubMed PMID: 26071585 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Executive Function:physiology, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Male, Psychotic Disorders:physiopathology, Remission Induction, Schizophrenia:physiopathology, Young Adult,.   

OBJECTIVE: Cognitive functions are important determinants of outcome in schizophrenia. Psychiatric hospitalization and intensive treatment in the early-onset psychosis may reduce the severity of psychotic symptoms and improve cognitive functions. It is not clear if after discharge improvement or further deterioration of cognition is observed. The aim of the current study is the evaluation of executive functioning in early onset schizophrenia (EOS) across stages of illness.

METHODS: Two groups of EOS patients: hospitalized subjects with first episode (FES, n=16) at the introduction of pharmacotherapy (T1) and after mean 7 weeks (T2) and stable outpatients group (SO, n=24) were assessed with the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Matched healthy (n=32) controls were assessed with WCST.

RESULTS: All patients performed significantly worse in WCST than healthy controls. Subjects in acute psychotic episode (FES T1) presented more pronounced executive impairment and psychopathological symptoms than after the resolution of psychotic symptoms (FES T2). No differences in executive function between FES T2 and SO group were observed. In all assessments perseverative errors correlated with negative symptoms.

CONCLUSION: Cognitive impairment is present at the onset of EOS and persists in attenuated but stable form after the resolution of psychotic symptoms....

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Journal Article 2015; 36(2): 148-152 PubMed PMID: 26071584 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor:blood, Female, Homeodomain Proteins:blood, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Multiple Sclerosis:blood, Nerve Tissue Proteins:blood, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide:blood, Young Adult,.   

OBJECTIVE: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by coexisting processes of inflammation, demyelination, axonal neurodegeneration and gliosis. Autoimmune processes play a pivotal role in the disease. The immune system may be modulated by neurotrophins and neurotrophin factors. Aim of the study was to assess plasma levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), activity-dependent neurotrophin protein (ADNP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in treatment-naïve humans with newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis. We also elucidated the potential influence of selected inflammatory agents on peripheral concentration of BDNF and ADNP.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study population comprised of 31 untreated patients with MS and 36 controls from a single hospital centre. Assessment of BDNF and ADNP was performed with use of ELISA methods. VIP was measured with RIA. Selected cytokine levels (IL 6, IL 10, and TNF α) were evaluated with ELISA tests. Statistical analyses were performed.

RESULTS: We failed to find any significant differences between ADNP, BDNF, VIP, CRP levels and concentration of cytokines between individuals with MS and the controls. No correlation was observed between ADNP, BDNF and VIP as the first parameter and CRP, IL 6, IL 10, TNFα levels and the Expanded Disability Status Scale score in MS.

CONCLUSIONS: Newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve patients with MS have comparable levels of plasma BDNF, ADNP and VIP to those of healthy controls....

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Journal Article 2015; 36(2): 143-147 PubMed PMID: 26071583 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Brain:metabolism, Environment, Male, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide:metabolism, Radioimmunoassay, Rats, Rats, Wistar,.   

OBJECTIVE: Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a pleiotropic and multifunctional neuropeptide, widely distributed throughout the body. It is involved in the regulation of various physiological and pathophysiological processes. Numerous studies have shown that PACAP is involved in the development of the central nervous system and has neuroprotective effects. Environmental enrichment is also protective in various injuries, partially through involvement of trophic factors. The interaction between PACAP levels in the brain and environmental effects has not been studied yet. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether environmental enrichment influences PACAP levels of different brain areas in rats.

METHODS: Wistar rats were exposed to enriched environment in adulthood for 3 weeks. PACAP27- and PACAP38-like immunoreactivities were measured with a specific and sensitive radioimmunoassay in homogenates of different brain areas: brainstem, cerebellum, diencephalon and telencephalon.

RESULTS: We found that levels of both PACAP27- and PACAP38-like immunoreactivities showed significant increases in most brain areas after a 3-week-long exposure to enriched conditions. Thus, similarly to several other CNS injuries, enriched environment induced elevation in PACAP levels.

CONCLUSION: As PACAP has strong neuroprotective effects, the elevation observed after exposure to enriched environment is suggested to play a role in the protective effects of such an environment as part of the endogenous neuroprotective machinery in adult rats....

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