Search NEL Online

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.   

...

Read abstract

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.   

...

Read abstract

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....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

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....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

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....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

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....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

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....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2008; 29(6): 958-964 PubMed PMID: 19112413 Citation  Keywords:  Analysis of Variance, Animals, Estrous Cycle:metabolism, Female, Follicle Stimulating Hormone, beta Subunit:analysis, Follistatin:analysis, Gene Expression Regulation:physiology, Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone:antagonists & inhibitors, Hormone Antagonists.   

OBJECTIVES: Neural control of the anterior pituitary function consists of the interplay of neuropeptides action, gonadal steroid hormones and many other factors. The physiological effect of this regulatory action is the release and synthesis of protein hormones in the precise time and quantity. The main factor responsible for the gonadotropins release and synthesis is the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). We must still study the modulation of the synthesis of the gonadotropins subunits - LHbeta, FSHbeta and alpha subunit by different forms of GnRH and by its analogs, in order to better understand the regulation of gonadotropin release and synthesis. THE AIM of this study was to develop real-time PCR assays of five candidate reference genes for normalization purposes in order to quantify target transcripts in anterior pituitary cells during the preovulatory period. Moreover, we focused on the influence of GnRH receptor antagonist (antide) treatment on mRNA expression levels of GPalpha, LHbeta, FSHbeta, FST(follistatin) and PRL(prolactin) genes in these cells.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Anterior pituitary cells were obtained from pituitary glands of four mature pigs at the preovulatory phase. Cells were incubated with or without antide and relative mRNA level of target genes was measured using the Applied Biosystems 7500 Real Time System. For an exact comparison of mRNA quantity, the stability of five reference genes, ACTB, B2M, GAPDH, RPL1, and TOP2B was evaluated to choose the most appropriate reference gene for qRT-PCR normalization in the pituitary cells. Expression stability of reference genes was calculated using the geNorm application. The developed method of PCR assay was applied to study gene expression in pig pituitary cells in short culture.

RESULTS: The most stably expressed genes in the pituitary cells were GAPDH and TOP2B. The expression of ACTB, B2M and RPL1 appeared to be highly unstable. After normalization to the GAPDH/TOP2B, results showed that the mRNA expression of the FSHbeta gene was highest in comparison with LHbeta, GPalpha, FST and PRL genes (p<0.005). Pre-treatment of cells by the antide resulted in lower mRNA expression of these genes, while FSHbeta mRNA had a significantly lower expression (p<0.05) in comparison with control.

CONCLUSIONS: Real-time PCR analysis of the expression of LHbeta, FSHbeta, alpha subunit, follistatin and prolactin genes in porcine anterior pituitary cells during the preovulatory period is suitable for the study of modulatory action of metal complexes with GnRH on the expression of these genes....

Read abstract  Full text PDF