Search NEL Online

Clinical Trial 2008; 29(1): 107-112 PubMed PMID: 18283256 Citation  Keywords:  Acromegaly:complications, Adenoma:etiology, Adult, Aged, Blood Glucose:metabolism, Colonic Polyps:etiology, Colorectal Neoplasms:etiology, Female, Growth Hormone:blood, Homeostasis:physiology, Humans, Hyperinsulinism:complications, Insulin:blood, Insulin .   

INTRODUCTION: Pathogenesis of colonic lesions in patients with acromegaly remains still unclear. There are suggestions that apart from somatotropin axis hormones (GH and IGF-1), other agents also take part in this process. Molecular and animal studies indicate a vital role of hyperinsulinemia in development of colorectal neoplasms.

AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate a relation between insulin level, insulin resistance and its anthropometric markers and colorectal lesions in patients with acromegaly.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study consisted of 40 patients with active, newly diagnosed acromegaly; 24 women and 16 men aged from 24 to 77 years (mean age 50.1, SD+/-12.1). The analysis included the results of somatotropin axis function (GH and IGF-1 level), carbohydrate metabolism assessment (fasting serum glucose and insulin levels, oral glucose tolerance test, HOMA-IR for insulin resistance), the results of anthropometric measurement (BMI, WHR) and colonoscopy.

RESULTS: Colon pathologies (60 polyps and 2 flat lesions) were discovered in 19 (47.5%) patients with acromegaly, 8 of them had multiple polyps. Hyperplastic polyps were revealed in 11 (27.5%), while adenomas in 8 (20%) acromegalics. Patients with colorectal lesions were found to have higher WHR then subjects with normal colon (p=0.033). Positive correlation between the number of hyperplastic polyps in the patients with multiple changes in the colon and IGF-1 (p=0.025), insulin level (p=0.005) and HOMA-IR (p=0.001) was found. Multiple adenomas correlated positively with insulin level (p=0.007), HOMA-IR (p=0.006) and BMI (p=0.015).

CONCLUSIONS: The study results show a relation between hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance and colon pathologies in acromegaly. Fasting insulin level and HOMA-IR correlate positively with the number of hyperplastic polyps and adenomas in acromegalic patients with multiply colorectal lesions....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2008; 29(1): 87-90 PubMed PMID: 18283242 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Circadian Rhythm:physiology, Female, Fetal Development:physiology, Fetal Weight:physiology, Models, Animal, Organ Size, Photoperiod, Placenta:pathology, Placentation:physiology, Pregnancy, Random Allocation, Rats, Rats, Wistar,.   

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of circadian rhythm changes on fetal-placental development in pregnant rats.

MATERIAL AND METHOD: Pregnant rats were randomly allocated to 4 groups with 10 rats in each group. Group 1: 12 hours light 12 hours dark period (n:10, Control Group); Group 2: 6 hours light 6 hours dark period (n:10); Group 3: constant light group (n:10); Group 4: constant dark group (n:10). Rats were made to deliver by cesarean birth at the end of their pregnancy and their placenta, number and weight of the offspring, and placental histopathological changes were examined.

FINDING: Fetal number in the constant dark group was found significant in comparison to constant light group (p<0.01). Fetal weight in all groups with altered circadian rhythm was significantly lower than that in the control group (p<0.01). The decrease in fetal weight was more evident in the constant light group than in the constant dark group (p<0.01). Comparison of the histopathological findings of the placenta showed that placental edema, fibrin accumulation and leukocyte infiltration were significantly higher in constant light and constant dark groups than in other groups (p<0.01).

CONCLUSION: Circadian rhythm change in pregnancy adversely affects the fetal-placental development. More detailed studies are needed to clarify this mechanism....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2007; 28(6): 846-853 PubMed PMID: 18063939 Citation  Keywords:  Analysis of Variance, Animals, Chronic Disease, Circadian Rhythm:physiology, Corticosterone:blood, Disease Models, Animal, Exploratory Behavior:physiology, Male, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Motor Activity, Oxytocin:blood, Photoperiod, Stress, Physiological:.   

: Experiments were performed in C57BL/6J male mice to determine 1) light/dark effects of acute and chronic shaker stress on open field behavioral patterns and 2) light/dark effects of chronic stress on plasma corticosterone and oxytocin. Shaker stress was applied acutely (15 min) or chronically (3 or 7 days). Mice were tested in the open field in the light or dark phase of the circadian cycle. For the endocrine study, mice were exposed to 3 days of intermittent shaker stress and sacrificed after the last stress event (09:00 or 19:00 h). Acute or chronic shaker stress had no significant effects on intensity of motor activity and rearing of mice tested under either light condition. Mice tested in the dark phase had higher motor activity and exhibited lower anxiety-like behavior as expressed by central zone activities and had higher emotionality as expressed by increased defecation. Chronic stress increased corticosterone with a greater absolute increase in the dark period. However, the percentage stress-induced increase was not different between the day and night periods. The oxytocin response to stress was observed only during the light phase with no change seen at dark phase. These results show that there is a marked difference in the light/dark pituitary stress response with no alteration in stress induced behavioral changes. They also suggest that there are circadian interactions in the endocrine stress axis that are without consequences for open field behavior....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2007; 28(6): 822-825 PubMed PMID: 18063938 Citation  Keywords:  Adaptation, Physiological, Age Factors, Analysis of Variance, Blood Flow Velocity:physiology, Female, Hemodynamics, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Intestines:blood supply, Male, Mesenteric Artery, Superior:diagnostic imaging, Reference Values, Regional Blood Fl.   

OBJECTIVES: After birth, the newborn intestinal circulation undergoes physiological changes. The purpose of this work was to characterize the changes in mesenteric blood flow velocity occuring during the first three days of life in healthy term infants.

METHODS: 30 healthy term newborns were studied repeatedly at the age of 2, 24 and 70 hours. Blood flow velocity in superior mesenteric artery (SMA) was measured by Doppler ultrasound, peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV) and time-averaged mean velocity (TAV) were recorded at each time point. Resistance index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI) were calculated.

RESULTS: SMA EDV increased from 2 h [-5.2+/-6.8 cm/s (mean +/- SD)] to 24 h (12.9+/-3.8 cm/s, p<0.001) with further insignificant increase to 70 h (14.9+/-4.7 cm/s). At 2 h of age the mean EDV was negative in 23 of 30 cases (76.7%). PSV did not change between 2 h (58.0+/-21.8 cm/s) and 24 h (58.5+/-15.0 cm/s) but it increased to 70 h (79.6+/-17.7 cm/s). TAV showed a significant increase with time. RI decreased from 2 h (1.09+/-0.11) to 24 h (0.78+/-0.06, p<0.001) with further insignificant increase to 70 h (0.81+/-0.06).

CONCLUSIONS: The blood flow velocity in SMA increases during the early neonatal period in term infants. The most remarkable changes occur within the first 24 hours of life. At 2 h of age a reversed blood flow is present in majority of infants....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2007; 28(6): 811-814 PubMed PMID: 18063925 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Antipsychotic Agents:therapeutic use, Humans, Male, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Risperidone:therapeutic use, Schizophrenia:blood, Schizophrenic Psychology, Severity of Illness Index, Statistics, Nonparametric, Testosterone:blood,.   

OBJECTIVE: Recent neuroendocrinological studies have suggested that gonadal sex hormones play a significant role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Low testosterone is associated with negative symptoms in chronic schizophrenia. The relevance of these findings has not yet been elucidated. The aim of our naturalistic open study was to explore the association between symptoms, drug response and testosterone levels in first-episode schizophrenia to exclude the effects of age, chronic illness, long-term treatment and institutionalization.

METHODS: 68 males, consecutively hospitalised for the first time with first-episode schizophrenia were evaluated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) on admission (before treatment) and at discharge. Further, plasma testosterone was measured. Total testosterone was assayed using chemiluminescent immunoanalysis (CMIA). All patients were treated openly by monotherapy; risperidone being the drug of first choice. Treatment response was defined as delta PANSS (PANSS total on admission - PANSS total at discharge /PANSS total on admission).

RESULTS: On average the total PANSS and PANSS subscales scores significantly decreased during the acute treatment. In contrast to results in chronic schizophrenia, the mean values of testosterone were within the normal range (15.36 and 22.55 nmol/l respectively) both before and after acute treatment. The range of normal values for the method used is given as 5.76-30.43 nmol/l for males <50 years old. On admission only 6 patients had testosterone values lower than 5.76 nmol/l. No significant correlation between negative symptoms (negative PANSS subscale) at the beginning or at the end of acute treatment or between treatment response and testosterone plasma levels was found.

CONCLUSIONS: During the first psychotic breakdown no significant association was observed either between total testosterone plasma levels and symptoms or treatment reactivity. However, schizophrenia is a heterogeneous disease. In some patients with first-episode schizophrenia an alteration of psychoendocrinology parameters has been observed. These patients may be more vulnerable to development of enduring negative symptoms, and pharmacotherapy based on neuroendocrinology profile should be considered....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Letter 2007; 28(Suppl 3): 23-24 PubMed PMID: 18030270 Citation  Keywords:  Cross Infection:cerebrospinal fluid, Gram-Negative Bacteria:classification, Humans, Meningitis:cerebrospinal fluid, Neurosurgical Procedures:adverse effects, Postoperative Period, Slovakia:epidemiology, Streptococcal Infections:epidemiology, Surgical Woun.   

...

Read abstract

Journal Article 2007; 28(5): 659-661 PubMed PMID: 17984946 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Behavior, Addictive:psychology, Cerebral Cortex:physiology, Choice Behavior, Conflict (Psychology), Decision Making, Games, Experimental, Humans, Male, Reinforcement (Psychology), Smoking:psychology, Socioeconomic Factors,.   

OBJECTIVE: No study to date compared degrees of inequity aversion in economic decision-making in the ultimatum game between non-addictive and addictive reinforcers. The comparison is potentially important in neuroeconomics and reinforcement learning theory of addiction.

METHODS: We compared the degrees of inequity aversion in the ultimatum game between money and cigarettes in habitual smokers.

RESULTS: Smokers avoided inequity in the ultimatum game more dramatically for money than for cigarettes; i.e., there was a "domain effect" in decision-making in the ultimatum game.

CONCLUSIONS: Reward-processing neural activities in the brain for non-addictive and addictive reinforcers may be distinct and the insula activation due to cue-induced craving may conflict with unfair offer-induced insula activation. Future studies in neuroeconomics of addiction should employ game-theoretic decision tasks for elucidating reinforcement learning processes in dopaminergic neural circuits....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2007; 28(5): 662-665 PubMed PMID: 17984929 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Altruism, Amylases:metabolism, Decision Making:physiology, Games, Experimental, Humans, Male, Reference Values, Reward, Saliva:metabolism, Self Concept, Social Perception,.   

OBJECTIVE: Little is known regarding the relationship between social evaluation-induced neuroendocrine responses and generosity in game-theoretic situations. Previous studies demonstrated that reputation formation plays a pivotal role in prosocial behavior. This study aimed to examine the relationships between a social evaluation-induced salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) response and generosity in the dictator game. The relationship is potentially important in neuroeconomics of altruism and game theory.

METHODS: We assessed sAA and allocated money in the dictator game in male students with and without social evaluation. RESULTS Social evaluation-responders allocated significantly more money than controls; while there was no significant correlation between social evaluation-induced sAA elevation and the allocated money.

CONCLUSIONS: Social evaluation significantly increases generosity in the dictator game, and individual differences in trait characteristics such as altruism and reward sensitivity may be important determinants of generosity in the dictator game task....

Read abstract  Full text PDF