Search NEL Online

Journal Article 2011; 32(3): 221-225 PubMed PMID: 21712792 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Algorithms, Behavior, Addictive:psychology, Choice Behavior, Economics, Humans, Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychophysics, Time Perception:physiology,.   

: Neuroeconomic conditions for "rational addiction" (Becker & Murphy 1988) have been unknown. This paper derived the conditions for "rational addiction" by utilizing a nonlinear time-perception theory of "hyperbolic" discounting, which is mathematically equivalent to the q-exponential intertemporal choice model based on Tsallis' statistics. It is shown that (i) Arrow-Pratt measure for temporal cognition corresponds to the degree of irrationality (i.e., Prelec's "decreasing impatience" parameter of temporal discounting) and (ii) rationality in addicts is controlled by a nondimensionalization parameter of the logarithmic time-perception function. Furthermore, the present theory illustrates the possibility that addictive drugs increase impulsivity via dopaminergic neuroadaptation without increasing irrationality. Future directions in the application of the model to studies in neuroeconomics are discussed....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2011; 32(3): 345-348 PubMed PMID: 21712791 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Blood Glucose:metabolism, Escherichia coli Infections:pathology, Fluid Therapy, Glycerol:blood, Hypovolemia:therapy, Isotonic Solutions:therapeutic use, Lactic Acid:blood, Microdialysis, Plasma Substitutes:therapeutic use, Pyruvic Acid:blood, Res.   

OBJECTIVE: Hypovolemia has occurs frequently in sepsis. Due to pathologically increased permeability of the capillaries, the fluid leaks to the interstitium. An adequate fluid therapy is the corner stone to achieve circulatory stabilization and sufficient tissue perfusion; on the other hand, according to the data from the literature a tissue swelling is associated with a risk of deteriorated function of the tissues. The study aimed to examine the effect of a positive fluid balance on muscular metabolism.r />r /> METHODS: The experimental study employed the model of sepsis in the domestical pig. Ten animals were randomly distributed into a control and a septic group. Sepsis was induced by intravenous administration of E. coli, followed by fluid resuscitation by crystaloids. Microdialysis samples were withdrawn at one-hour intervals for a period of 24 hours and values of lactate, pyruvate, glycerol, and glucose.r />r /> RESULTS: Pearson's method revealed positive correlations between the lactate/pyruvate ratio and cumulative fluid balance in the septic group (R=0.292, p<0.001) and negative correlations in the control group (R=-0.279, p<0.05). In both groups, however, there was a gradual significant decrease in glycerol values.r />r /> CONCLUSION: Fluid resuscitation results in positive fluid balance in both septic and control animals. This leads to circulatory stabilization of septic animals, but not a decrease in the anaerobic share of glycolysis. A positive fluid balance in control animals does not result in alteration of muscular aerobic glycolysis. Decreasing glycerol levels in both groups give evidence that a positive fluid balance does not exert a negative impact on cell metabolism....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2011; 32(3): 317-321 PubMed PMID: 21712790 Citation  Keywords:  Atherosclerosis:blood, Cardiovascular Diseases:blood, Cholesterol:blood, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Female, Humans, Lipids:blood, Lipoproteins:blood, Male, Prostaglandins:blood, Reference Values, Risk Assessment, Risk Factors, Thrombosis:blood, Yo.   

OBJECTIVE: The identification of an atherogenic and a non-atherogenic lipoprotein profile, athero phenotype B vs. non-athero phenotype A, in a group of healthy normolipidemic subjects reveals a new clinical phenomenon in lipoprotein profiles, an atherogenic normolipidemia. Individuals with atherogenic normolipidemia are at increased risk to develop premature atherothrombosis and experience a sudden cardiovascular event.r />r /> METHODS: A quantitative analysis of non-atherogenic and atherogenic lipoproteins in plasma in a group of healthy normolipidemic volunteers who had no clinical signs of cardiovascular system impairment was performed. An innovative electrophoresis method on polyacrylamide gel (PAG) (Lipoprint LDL System, USA) was used for the analysis of plasma lipoproteins. With regard to lipids, total cholesterol and triglycerides in plasma were analyzed with an enzymatic method, CHOD PAP (Roche Diagnostics, FRG). Prostacyclin and thromboxane A2 were analyzed with an ELISA analysis (DRG USA). A new parameter, the score for anti-atherogenic risk (SAAR), was calculated as the ratio between non-atherogenic to atherogenic plasma lipoproteins in examined subjects.r />r /> RESULTS: There was a high concentration of LDL3-7 subfraction (p<0.0001) and a slowly increasing triglyceride concentration (p<0.05) in the atherogenic subgroup. The non-atherogenic subgroup of healthy subjects was characterized by high SAAR scores, as well as a low concentration of LDL3-7 subfractions (p<0.0001). Other statistically significant differences between the atherogenic and non-atherogenic subgroup, including total cholesterol, prostanoid parameters (prostacyklin, thromboxane A2), and lipoproteins values, were not confirmed.r />r /> CONCLUSIONS: The advantages of this new method include: (i) identification of an atherogenic and a nonatherogenic lipoprotein profile in an individual's plasma (ii) identification of an atherogenic normolipidemic lipoprotein profile in plasma (iii) introduction of a new risk measure, the score for anti-atherogenic risk (SAAR), for an estimation of a patient's atherogenic risk of atherothrombosis development. (iv) the presence of small dense LDL in plasma is decisive for declaration of an atherogenic lipoprotein profile. It is valid for hyperlipidemia and for normolipidemia as well....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2011; 32(3): 301-307 PubMed PMID: 21712789 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Aldosterone:blood, Blood Pressure:physiology, Diet, Sodium-Restricted, Female, Goiter, Nodular:drug therapy, Graves Disease:drug therapy, Humans, Hyperthyroidism:blood, Hypothyroidism:blood, Potassium:blood, Renin:blood, Sodium:blood, Thyroid Funct.   

OBJECTIVE: The influence of thyroid hormones upon renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is poorly understood. Under basal conditions, individuals belong to normal, low or high plasma renin activity (PRA) subjects. The study was designed to evaluate basal and poststimulatory PRA and serum aldosterone (Aldo) level in patients with hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism during therapy.r />r /> MATERIAL AND METHODS: We examined 73 women with hyperthyroidism, 27 women with hypothyroidism and 36 healthy controls. The patients were investigated before initiation of therapy and after attainment of euthyroid state. All subjects were investigated under basal conditions (normal-sodium diet) and after application of a low-sodium diet for three days and upright position for 3 hr. PRA, serum Aldo level, blood pressure, serum sodium, potassium and thyroid hormone levels were determined in all subjects. The subjects were classified as low PRA (<1.0 ng/ml/h), normal PRA (1.0-4.0 ng/ml/h) and high PRA (>4.0 ng/ml/h) individuals according to results obtained under basal conditions.r />r /> RESULTS: Relatively higher poststimulatory enhancement in PRA was found in patients with hyperthyroidism, especially those with low basal PRA, than in those with hypothyroidism. In women with thyroid dysfunctions poststimulatory increase in Aldo were relative lower than poststimulatory enhancement of PRA. After therapy these difference disappeared. The poststimulatory changes in PRA depended on the basal PRA.r />r /> CONCLUSIONS: Poststimulatory PRA is higher in hyperthyroid women, especially those with low basal PRA. In women with hypothyroidism, basal and poststimulatory PRA is low. Blood pressure and severity of thyroid dysfunction was found to be similar in the patients with low, normal or high basic PRA. In women with thyroid dysfunctions, serum Aldo level and its relative poststimulatory increments are inadequate to changes of PRA; it is suggested that the dissociation in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system occurs in hyperthyroid and hypothyroid women....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2011; 32(3): 354-359 PubMed PMID: 21712788 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Age of Onset, Attention:physiology, Cognition:physiology, Cognition Disorders:etiology, Executive Function, Female, Humans, Learning:physiology, Male, Memory:physiology, Middle Aged, Neuropsychological Tests, Psychomotor Performance:physiology, Spi.   

OBJECTIVES: Cognitive disorders and dementia occur in 19 to 42% of patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2). Neuropsychological tests can reveal executive dysfunction, impaired visual and verbal memory, tongue and speech impairment, attention disorders and impaired verbal fluency.r />r /> METHODS: We performed psychiatric and neuropsychological examinations in 12 patients diagnosed with genetically confirmed SCA2 and 12 healthy volunteers matching the patients in age, gender, and length of education. The level of motor impairment was determined using the brief ataxia rating scale (BARS). The neuropsychological examination focused on testing executive functions, short-term visual and verbal memory, attention, psychomotor tempo, visual motor coordination, learning ability and comprehension ability. The tests were divided into two subgroups according to the difficulty of motor tasks. The cognitive abilities composite score (CACS) was determined by calculating the arithmetic mean of T scores of the respective tests.r />r /> RESULTS: Patients with SCA2 had significantly lower CACSs (p=0.00005) compared to the healthy volunteers. Patients exhibited impaired performance in both difficult and simple motor tests. The severity of cognitive impairment was related to the age at the onset of the disease (p=0.002) but not to the duration or to the overall BARS score.r />r /> CONCLUSIONS: Compared to healthy volunteers, patients with SCA2 exhibited significantly worse cognitive performance in all areas tested, including the tests of simple motor tasks. Moreover, the cognitive performance of patients worsened as the difficulty of the motor tasks increased....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2011; 32(3): 274-278 PubMed PMID: 21712787 Citation  Keywords:  Adenosine-5'-(N-ethylcarboxamide):pharmacology, Animals, Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic:pharmacology, Brain Neoplasms:metabolism, Cell Line, Tumor, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Fluoxetine:pharmacology, GTP-Binding Proteins:metabolism, Glioma:metab.   

OBJECTIVE: Neurochemical approaches to antidepressant effects and depressive disorder are also focusing on G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR) and subsequent signalling. Trimeric G-proteins play a crucial role in transmembrane signalling, its amplification and processing. It is evident that immune system participates in antidepressant mode of action by neurotransmitter GPCR.r />r /> METHODS: We studied the effect of acute administration of fluoxetine or NECA agonist of adenosine receptor (GPCR) on C6 glioma cells and natural killer (NK) cell line, innate immunity. We used immunochemical estimation (ELISA) of the main types of G-protein alpha subunits from isolated membranes of tested cells.r />r /> RESULTS: Significant reduction of G alpha q/11 subunits after acute administration of fluoxetine or NECA agonist was found. In contrast, no significant influence of G alpha s or G alpha i1,2 subunit levels of C6 glioma cells were observed. Lowered Gq/11 signalling was in accordance with decreased 2nd messenger 1,4,5 IP3 formation by PLC. Acute effect of fluoxetine or NECA agonist on NK cell line resulted in significantly reduced G alpha q/11 levels without changes in G alpha s and G alpha i1,2. Furthermore, we determined that NECA agonist was able to abolish fluoxetine-evoked G alpha q/11 levels of NK cell line.r />r /> CONCLUSIONS: Results show involvement of fluoxetine in the C6 glioma signal transduction and were comparable with NK cells. Similar inhibiton of G alpha q/11 by NECA agonist in both C6 glioma cells and NK cell line was determined. Furthermore NECA induced attenuation of fluoxetine evoked Galpha q/11 signalling can indicate parallel interference between GPCR and final response. Finally, we determined similarity in both interleukin 2, IL2 immunostimulator and fluoxetine evoked G q/11 levels in NK cell line and thus fluoxetine action could be related to signalling aspects of neuroimmunomodulatory activity....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Case Reports 2011; 32(3): 238-241 PubMed PMID: 21712786 Citation  Keywords:  Atrophy, Brain:diagnostic imaging, Fatal Outcome, Female, Humans, Hydrocortisone:blood, Hypokalemia:etiology, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Middle Aged, Pituitary ACTH Hypersecretion:pathology, Tomography, X-Ray Computed,.   

: We present a 56-year-old patient with cyclic Cushing's disease (CCD) observed for 28 months, who presented clinically and biochemically with alternating episodes of hyper-, normo- and hypocortisolemia. The course of the disease was fatal, the patient died due to severe hypokalemia....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Case Reports 2011; 32(3): 234-237 PubMed PMID: 21712785 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Antineoplastic Agents:therapeutic use, Bone Marrow:pathology, Decompression, Surgical, Female, Humans, Immunohistochemistry, Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive:complications, Leukocyte Count, Low Back Pain:etiology, Magnetic Resonance.   

: Granulocytic sarcoma (GS) may be a presenting sign of myelogenous leukemia. Occasionally, an extramedullary neoplasm composed from myelocytic precursor cells occurs in patients without evidence of leukemia. Rarely, undiagnosed leukemia occurs initially manifesting with paralysis to spinal cord GS. We present a case report of 20-year-old girl with an undiagnosed leukemia, initially manifesting as paralysis. En bloc spondylectomy with chemotherapy postoperatively constituted the treatment of choice for this tumor. After two courses of chemotherapy, the patient made a good postoperative recovery with notable bilateral lower extremity improvement....

Read abstract  Full text PDF