Search NEL Online

Journal Article 2010; 31(4): 512-516 PubMed PMID: 20802452 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Benzhydryl Compounds, Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid, Female, Follicle Stimulating Hormone:blood, Glutamic Acid:metabolism, Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone:metabolism, Hypothalamus:drug effects, Luteinizing Hormone:blood, Male, Phenols:pharm.   

OBJECTIVES: The aim of present paper was to study the probable role of glutamic acid (GLU) as a mediator of bisphenol A (BPA) effect at the hypothalamic level and its effects on the reproductive axis of prepubertal male rats.

METHODS: Mated Wistar rats were treated with either 0.1% ethanol (control group, n=10) or BPA (BPA group, n=10) in their drinking water until their offspring were weaned at the age of 21 days. The estimated average dose of exposure to dams was approximately 2.5 mg/kg body weight/day of BPA. At the prepubertal stage (35 days of age), the male rats were sacrificed and Gn-RH and glutamic acid (GLU) release, an amino acid involved in Gn-RH secretion, were measured in hypothalamic samples containing medio basal and anterior preoptic area (MBH-APOA), by RIA and HPLC respectively. LH, FSH serum levels were measured by RIA and testosterone by EQLIA.

RESULTS: Gn-RH and GLU release decreased significantly in animals exposed to BPA (p<0.001, p<0.01). LH, FSH and testosterone serum levels were also decreased by treatment (p<0.0001).

CONCLUSION: Present results provide evidence that BPA may act at the hypothalamic level to decrease GLU release which in turn may modify Gn-RH secretion altering the normal function of the axis....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2010; 31(4): 559-567 PubMed PMID: 20802451 Citation  Keywords:  Adipose Tissue:metabolism, Adolescent, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1:metabolism, Female, Glucose:metabolism, Glycerol:metabolism, Humans, Lactic Acid:metabolism, Male, Microdialysis, Statistics, Nonparametric, Young Adult,.   

OBJECTIVE: The study was undertaken to assess the interstitial, adipose tissue concentrations of glucose, lactate and glycerol in teenagers with diabetes type 1 who suffered from the disease for a minimum of 5 years, in whom it was impossible to reach a satisfactory level of metabolic control of the disease.

METHODS: Using microdialysis technique interstitial concentrations of glucose lactate and glycerol was measured in adipose tissue during 24-48 hours. Nineteen teenagers with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes (HbA1c 8.9±2.85%) were compared with six adolescent control subjects.

RESULTS: A statistically significant differences in concentration values of interstitial glucose between the investigated and control groups were found (10.4 vs. 4.26 mmol/l p=0.001). The values of interstitial concentrations of lactates did not significantly differ in the two groups (2.96 vs. 2.54 mmol/l NS). The average daily glycerol concentrations in the investigated group were statistically significantly lower than those in the control group (258.26 vs. 397.88 µmol/l, p=0.019). No such difference was detected in average night concentrations of glycerol (157.78 vs. 361.4 µmol/l, NS).

CONCLUSIONS: Authors conclude that microdialysis is the only one minimal invasive method for investigating adipose tissue metabolism in vivo and provides a novel opportunity for glucose and lipids metabolism monitoring in adolescents with diabetes type 1. In our observations interstitial glycerol concentrations, measured in abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue as an index of lipolysis, were not significantly influenced by hyperglycemia in diabetic adolescents....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2010; 31(4): 568-572 PubMed PMID: 20802449 Citation  Keywords:  Adiponectin:blood, Blood Glucose, Diabetes, Gestational:blood, Female, Fetal Development, Fetal Weight, Humans, Insulin:blood, Insulin Resistance, Leptin:blood, Pregnancy,.   

OBJECTIVE: Maternal insulin sensitivity have strong correlation with fetal growth. The dysregulation of adiponectin and leptin is found in insulin resistance. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is an association between ultrasound fetal biometry and the maternal plasma cytokines and insulin concentrations at the beginning of gestational diabetes treatment.

METHODS: 121 women with gestational diabetes diagnosed between 26th and 30th weeks, were included to the study. Plasma levels of adiponectin, leptin, insulin and glucose were quantified with the measurements and percentiles of the biparietal diameter, head circumference and abdominal circumference , estimated fetal weight and the actual birthweight.

RESULTS: Associations between both of the adipokines and fetal biometry measurements were not evident. There were also no differences in their serum concentrations between groups of women with and without accelerated fetal growth . Adiponectin negatively correlated with pre-pregnancy BMI (r=-0.366, p=0.01). Leptin positively correlated with pre - pregnancy BMI (r=0.42, p=0.002), fasting insulin (r=0.51, p=0.0006) and HOMA-IR (r=0.43, p=0.005). No association was found between adiponectin, leptin, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR and neonatal birth weight or birth weight percentile.

CONCLUSION: The results of this study imply that adiponectin, leptin and insulin maternal plasma concentrations in the third trimester do not have influence on fetal growth in gestational diabetes....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2010; 31(4): 489-496 PubMed PMID: 20802448 Citation  Keywords:  Analysis of Variance, Animals, Brain:drug effects, Kidney:drug effects, Lipid Peroxidation:drug effects, Lipopolysaccharides:pharmacology, Liver:drug effects, Male, Malondialdehyde:metabolism, Melatonin:pharmacology, Rats, Rats, Wistar, Serotonin:analogs .   

OBJECTIVE: Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) causes lipid peroxidation (LPO). We have found that LPS induces LPO in vitro, in tissue homogenates in a concentration-dependent manner, the concentration of 400 µg/ml demonstrating the most efficient lipid damaging effect . Both melatonin and its precursor, N-acetylserotonin, must possess antioxidant activities, both in vivo or in vitro, however, following some claims, N-acetylserotonin is a more effective extra- and intracellular antioxidant than melatonin. The aim of our study was to compare the effects of melatonin and N-acetylserotonin on the LPS-induced LPO in vitro.

METHODS: Malondialdehyde (MDA) plus 4-hydroxyalkenal (4-HDA) concentrations were measured as the indices of induced membrane peroxidative damage in brain, liver and kidney homogenates. Both melatonin and N-acetylserotonin were used at increasing concentrations, starting from 0.01-5 mM, together with LPS at one concentration level of 400 µg/ml.

RESULTS: In all the examined tissues, LPS stimulated LPO, while both melatonin and N-acetylserotonin decreased LPS-stimulated LPO. Furthermore, the capacity of N-acetylserotonin reducing LPO was higher than that of melatonin.

CONCLUSIONS: The results of the reported study clearly indicate that N-acetylserotonin is a much stronger antioxidant in vitro than melatonin in terms of reducing oxidative damage to lipid membranes. However, it remains still unclear how the features relate to in vivo circumstances....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2010; 31(4): 549-552 PubMed PMID: 20802447 Citation  Keywords:  Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Alleles, Czech Republic, Essential Tremor:genetics, Female, Gene Frequency, Genetic Association Studies, Genetic Heterogeneity, Genetic Loci, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Genotype, Haplotypes, Humans, Male, Microsatellite Re.   

OBJECTIVES: Essential tremor (ET) is one of the most common neurological movement disorders. In more than half of the cases, ET is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner, but no causative ET gene has been identified. However, several candidate loci have been reported, including the ETM2 locus that was originally found in a large American family of Czech descent.

METHODS: To ascertain the association with ETM2, we performed a genetic analysis of three polymorphic loci, etm1231, etm1234, and etm1240, located within the ETM2 candidate region in 61 Czech patients with a family history of ET and 68 healthy controls.

RESULTS: The allele frequencies were not significantly different between the patients and the controls, and we did not observe any haplotype specifically associated with ET.

CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report on the genetics of familial essential tremor in Czech patients. Our findings provide further evidence of genetic heterogeneity for ET....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Case Reports 2010; 31(4): 451-453 PubMed PMID: 20802446 Citation  Keywords:  Adenoma:complications, Adult, Female, Humans, Parathyroid Neoplasms:complications, Quadriplegia:etiology, Treatment Outcome, Vitamin D:therapeutic use, Vitamin D Deficiency:complications,.   

OBJECTIVE: Parathyroid adenomas (PA) are benign tumors. We report an unusual case of delayed diagnosis of a PA and concomitant Vitamin D deficiency presenting as tetraparesia.

METHODS: A 30-year-woman was admitted to our clinic with an inability to walk. Our examination revealed tetraparesia and common, severe muscular atrophy.

RESULTS: Laboratory investigations showed the following: creatinine phosphokinase (CK): 37 IU/L (15-130), calcium (Ca): 11.5 mg/dL (9-11), phosphorus (P): 1.5 mg/dL (2.5-5), parathyroid hormone (PTH): 736.1 pq/mL (15-65), 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHvit D): 4 ng/mL (11-43), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP): 1029.5 lU (64-300). Parathyroid scintigraphy revealed PA. A year after Vitamin D replacement, the patient's neurological status and laboratory findings improved.

CONCLUSION: We suggest that the physicians always keep in mind the primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) and concomitant Vitamin D deficiency in the differential diagnosis of hypercalcemia when facing atypical neurological symptoms such as tetraparesia....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2010; 31(4): 573-576 PubMed PMID: 20802445 Citation  Keywords:  Adiponectin:blood, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Female, Humans, Insulin:blood, Insulin Resistance, Leptin:blood, Organ Size, Placenta:anatomy & histology, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Trimester, First, Ultrasonography, Prenatal,.   

OBJECTIVE: The dysregulation of adiponectin and leptin is found in insulin resistance. There is evidence that both cytokines and insulin might contribute to the placental development and the fetal growth. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship of maternal plasma cytokine and insulin concentrations with the placental dimension in the first trimester of pregnancy.

METHODS: 34 women with singleton pregnancy, between 11th and 14th weeks, were included to the study. Plasma levels of adiponectin, leptin, insulin and glucose were quantified with ultrasound measurements of the placenta. HOMA-IR were calculated to assess the insulin sensitivity.

RESULTS: Mean concentrations of adiponectin, leptin and insulin were 18,39±13.99 µg/ml; 6.99±5.67 ng/ml and 43.98±23.89 pmol/l respectively. The placenta thickness was positively associated with the maternal adiponectin plasma concentration (r=0.36; p=0.037). There were no associations between placental measurements and leptin, fasting insulin, fasting glucose and HOMA-IR. There was not significant correlation between placental measurements and the fetal Crown Rump Length (CRL).

CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study imply that maternal adiponectin plasma concentration may have a role in placental growth....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2010; 31(4): 483-488 PubMed PMID: 20802443 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Analysis of Variance, Autistic Disorder:blood, Body Mass Index, Child, Humans, Male, Testosterone:blood, Young Adult,.   

OBJECTIVE: Research on the biological pathophysiology of autism has found some evidence that alterations in androgenic hormones may play a role in the pathophysiology of that disorder. We studied morning concentrations of serum testosterone in a very homogenic group of postpubertal youngsters with autism and a group of normal controls.

METHODS: This study examines the serum testosterone concentration on 9 consecutive time points between 08.00 AM and 12.00 AM in 18 high- functioning male youngsters with autism (age 12-18) and 22 healthy volunteers participated in this study. All subjects passed the onset of puberty (Tanner-stage III-IV) and were of the Caucasian race.

RESULTS: Repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant time effect, with a decline in the testosterone concentration during the test and time X diagnosis interaction.The total testosterone concentration was significantly lower in the autism group compared to the group of normal controls.

CONCLUSIONS: The significant decrease in serum testosterone concentration in male youngsters with autism suggest that the turnover of testosterone may take part in the pathophysiology of autism. Suggestions for further research are discussed....

Read abstract  Full text PDF