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Journal Article 2011; 32(2): 212-219 PubMed PMID: 21552195 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Gastric Mucosa:cytology, Gastrointestinal Tract:cytology, Male, Models, Animal, Neuropeptide Y:metabolism, Obesity:metabolism, Pancreatic Polypeptide:metabolism, Receptors, Cell Surface:metabolism, Receptors, Neuropeptide Y:metabolism, Shrews,.   

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the immunolocalization of the pancreatic polypeptide (PP)-fold peptide family, important regulatory factors for food intake, in the gastrointestinal tract of Suncus murinus, and to discuss the relation with the obesity-resistance, visceral fat accumulation-resistance phenomenon in Suncus murinus.r />r /> METHODS: The gastrointestinal tract of adult Suncus murinus, except for the stomach and pylorus, was divided into five sections (S1, corresponding to the duodenum, S2, S3 and S4, corresponding to the jejunum and ileum, and S5, corresponding to the colon and rectum in other mammals), to investigate the PP family and their receptor-producing cells by means of immunohistochemistry.r />r /> RESULTS: NPY, PYY, Y1 and Y4-immunoreactive cells were distributed widely throughout the gastrointestinal tract, moreover, the PP family and their receptor-immunoreactive cells were predominantly distributed at the end of the gastrointestinal tract, the rectum.r />r /> CONCLUSION: In this study, we investigated the distribution of the PP family and their receptor-producing cells in the gastrointestinal tract of Suncus murinus in detail for the first time. It was presumed that the wide distribution of Y4 in the gastrointestinal tract may be related to (associated with) the phenomenon of natural obesity-resistance, visceral fat accumulation-resistance in aging Suncus murinus....

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Journal Article 2011; 32(2): 133-140 PubMed PMID: 21552194 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Antioxidants:metabolism, Biomarkers:blood, Case-Control Studies, Comorbidity, Coronary Artery Disease:epidemiology, Depression:blood, Disease Progression, Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic:blood, Female, Glutathione Peroxidase:blood, Humans, Male, Middle A.   

BACKGROUND: Major depression and myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) are two disorders accompanied by an upregulation of the inflammatory and oxidative and nitrosative (IO&NS) pathways and a decreased antioxidant status. Moreover, depression is accompanied by disorders in inflammatory and neuroprogressive (IN-PRO) pathways.r />r /> METHODS: This study examines whole blood glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in depression and in ME/CFS; GPX is an enzyme that reduces hydroperoxides by oxidizing glutathione and consequently protects the cells from oxidative damage. Blood was sampled in 39 patients with depression, 40 patients with ME/CFS and 24 normal volunteers. Whole blood was analysed for GPX activity using the Ransel assay (Randox). Severity of illness was measured by means of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and the Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Rating Scale (FF scale).r />r /> RESULTS: We found that whole blood GPX activity was significantly (p=0.001) lower in depressed patients than in normal controls and that there were no significant differences between ME/CFS and controls. In depression and ME/CFS, there were significant and inverse relationships between GPX activity and the FF items, depressed mood and autonomic symptoms. In depression, there were significant and negative correlations between whole blood GPX and the HDRS score and autonomic symptoms.r />r /> DISCUSSION: The results show that lowered whole blood GPX activity contributes to the lowered antioxidant status in depression. Since GPX activity is a predictor of neuroprogression and coronary artery disease (CAD), lowered GPX activity in depression contributes to the IN-PRO pathways and the comorbidity between depression and CAD. Our results suggest that patients with depression would benefit from Ebselen or a supplementation with glutathione, N-Acetyl-l-Cysteine and selenium....

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Clinical Trial 2011; 32(2): 141-147 PubMed PMID: 21552193 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Antibodies:blood, Antipsychotic Agents:therapeutic use, Biomarkers:blood, Case-Control Studies, Dehydroepiandrosterone:analogs & derivatives, Female, Homocysteine:blood, Humans, Hydrocortisone:blood, Immunologic Factors:blood, Iodide Peroxidase:imm.   

OBJECTIVE: Serum levels of neuro- and immunomodulatory adrenal steroids together with selected hormonal, lipid and other relevant biochemical parameters were investigated to examine the differences between first-episode schizophrenia patients and age-matched healthy subjects, and the effect of treatment with atypical antipsychotics.r />r /> METHODS: The patient´s group consisted of 22 drug-naive patients (13 men and 9 women), diagnosed with schizophrenia according to ICD-10 criteria, before and after six-months treatment with atypical antipsychotics of olanzapine or non-olanzapine type. Biochemical markers included steroids cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, its sulfate, 7-hydroxylated metabolites of dehydroepiandrosterone, prolactin, thyrotropin, free thyroxine, autoantibodies against thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin, glucose levels, four major lipid parameters, homocysteine and three other aminothiols. Steroids, prolactin and thyroid parameters were determined by radioimmunoassays, the other markers by standard biochemical methods.r />r /> RESULTS: Significantly lower dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and of 7α-hydroxy- dehydroepiandrosterone levels than in controls were found in male patients. In the female group, the only difference in steroid spectra was significantly higher cortisolemia in the patients. The patients had also higher titres of autoantibodies against thyroid peroxidase. Compared to controls, the patients displayed worse lipid spectra, and higher homocysteinemia. Medication did not lead to significant changes in the parameters, with the exception of expected increase in prolactin levels in non-olanzapine treated subgroups.r />r /> CONCLUSION: Lower levels of 7α-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone, abundant especially in brain, determined for the first time in schizophrenia patients, are in agreement with recent opinion of their neuroprotective and immunoprotective role. High levels of autoantibodies against thyroid peroxidase in the patients support the autoimmunity hypothesis of schizophrenia....

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Journal Article 2011; 32(2): 127-132 PubMed PMID: 21552192 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Alkaline Phosphatase:blood, Bone Density Conservation Agents:therapeutic use, Calcitonin:therapeutic use, Diphosphonates:therapeutic use, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Osteitis Deformans:blood, Pain:blood, Retrospectiv.   

: The authors addressed the role and the management of pain in Paget's disease by a retrospective study. The objectives were: to assess the presence of pain in Paget's disease; to look for a relationship between pain and the levels of total alkaline phosphatase (total ALP); to verify if the most commonly used drugs in Paget's disease, calcitonin and bisphosphonates, were able to reduce the pain and the levels of total ALP. The study analyzed 107 Italian patients with Paget's disease who were hospitalized at the same Institute between 1970 and 2010; all patients affected by severe arthritis were excluded. From the analysis of the clinical records it emerged that as many as 85% of patients had pain and that total ALP was also increased in most of the patients with pain in comparison with patients without pain. The clinical and metabolic effects of different therapies were then assessed: many patients had not received any specific therapy (58%), others had been treated with calcitonin (25%) and others with bisphosphonates (17%). In fact, the patients treated with bisphosphonates had significantly lower levels both of pain and total ALP. The authors hypothesize that the pain in Paget's disease has a primary origin and is correlated to the degree of bone metabolic hyperactivity. Finally, treatment with bisphosphonates appeared to be the most appropriate treatment, having been able to control both the pain and the metabolic hyperactivity....

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Journal Article 2011; 32(2): 121-126 PubMed PMID: 21552191 Citation  Keywords:  Humans, Schizophrenia:therapy, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Treatment Outcome,.   

: One of the fundamental prerequisites of the successful schizophrenia treatment is represented by an adequately significant impact on the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Since the present pharmacotherapy has probably reached its limit in this area, there is a logical effort to utilize other, non-pharmacological methods. One of the most promising supplements that has been for a long time verified in the clinical practice is rTMS. Most of the studies have arrived at the conclusion that rTMS is an efficient method in the treatment of negative symptoms of schizophrenia. A valuable contribution to the assessment of the rTMS application in the treatment of negative symptoms is represented by meta-analyses. The meta-analyses indicate that the effect is mild to moderate (d=0.43 to 0.68). To sum it up, there will be higher probability of the rTMS effect on negative symptoms if 10 Hz stimulating frequency and a longer stimulation period in the extent at least three, ideally four to six weeks is used....

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Comparative Study 2011; 32(2): 158-163 PubMed PMID: 21552190 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Circadian Rhythm:physiology, Computers, Humans, Light, Lighting, Melatonin:metabolism, Saliva:metabolism, Sleep:physiology, Students, Universities,.   

OBJECTIVES: Self-luminous electronic devices emit optical radiation at short wavelengths, close to the peak sensitivity of melatonin suppression. Melatonin suppression resulting from exposure to light at night has been linked to increased risk for diseases. The impact of luminous cathode ray tube (CRT) computer monitors on melatonin suppression was investigated.r />r /> DESIGN: Twenty-one participants experienced three test conditions: 1) computer monitor only, 2) computer monitor viewed through goggles providing 40 lux of short-wavelength (blue; peak λ ≈ 470 nm) light at the cornea from light emitting diodes (LEDs), and 3) computer monitor viewed through orange-tinted safety glasses (optical radiation <525 nm ≈ 0). The blue-light goggles were used as a "true-positive" experimental condition to demonstrate protocol effectiveness; the same light treatment had been shown in a previous study to suppress nocturnal melatonin. The orange-tinted glasses served as a "dark" control condition because the short-wavelength radiation necessary for nocturnal melatonin suppression was eliminated. Saliva samples were collected from subjects at 23:00, before starting computer tasks, and again at midnight and 01:00 while performing computer tasks under all three experimental conditions.r />r /> RESULTS: Melatonin concentrations after exposure to the blue-light goggle experimental condition were significantly reduced compared to the dark control and to the computer monitor only conditions. Although not statistically significant, the mean melatonin concentration after exposure to the computer monitor only was reduced slightly relative to the dark control condition.r />r /> CONCLUSIONS: Additional empirical data should be collected to test the effectiveness of different, brighter and larger screens on melatonin suppression....

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Journal Article 2011; 32(2): 148-153 PubMed PMID: 21552189 Citation  Keywords:  Aged, Biomarkers:blood, Chronic Disease, Circadian Rhythm:physiology, Erythropoietin:blood, Female, Glomerular Filtration Rate:physiology, Hemoglobins:metabolism, Humans, Insulin-Like Growth Factor I:metabolism, Interleukin-6:blood, Kidney:physiopathology.   

OBJECTIVE: Chronic inflammation plays a pivotal role in the development of renal disease. Circadian sleep-wake rhythm is disturbed in renal disease. Awareness of other disturbed rhythms, such as inflammation processes, can affect the treatment of patients with renal disease. Knowledge of possibly related circadian misalignment of the cytokines erythropoietin (EPO), Insulin Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) and interleukins (IL) however is limited. We therefore performed an observational study. The objective of this study was to characterize levels of EPO, IGF-1 and inflammation markers IL-6 and TNF-α, related to renal function.r />r /> METHODS: The study population consisted of patients with various degrees of renal function, admitted to our hospital. During 24 hours, blood of 28 subjects with various degrees of renal function was collected every 2 hours. The patients were stable, not acutely ill and they were waiting for a procedure, such as elective surgery. Circadian parameters of EPO, IGF-1, IL-6 and TNF-α were measured in serum and were correlated with glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and Hb, using Pearson correlations.r />r /> RESULTS: Although diurnal variations in EPO level were found in 15 out of 28 patients, the curves did not show a consistent phase. The presence of an EPO rhythm was not related to GFR. No diurnal rhythm could be detected for IGF-1, IL-6 and TNF-α. Mean levels of IGF-1 were correlated inversely to mean levels of EPO (p=0.03). When divided based on GFR and Hb subjects with GFR 10-30 ml/min and lower Hb had the highest IGF-1 levels (p=0.02). A relationship between Il-6, TNF-α and EPO or GFR was not found.r />r /> CONCLUSION: The existence of a circadian (mis)alignment of EPO, IGF-1, IL-6 and TNF-α was not found. The association between high IGF-1 and low Hb suggests that EPO and IGF-1 have an alternating role, dependent on GFR, in stimulating erythropoiesis. These results could have consequences for the treatment of anemia....

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Journal Article 2011; 32(2): 206-211 PubMed PMID: 21552188 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Anticonvulsants:pharmacology, Cells, Cultured, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Follicle Stimulating Hormone:metabolism, Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone:pharmacology, Gonadotropins:metabolism, In Vitro Techniques, Luteinizing Hormone:metabolism, .   

OBJECTIVE: Valproate (VPA) a potent antiepileptic drug has been claimed to induce reproductive disturbances in men. Long-term VPA treatment can affect sperm morphology and induce testicular atrophy in non-epileptic rats. It has been reported that VPA reduced testosterone secretion stimulated by hCG in isolated rat Leydig cells. These results suggest direct effect of VPA on testes in rats. However centrally mediated effects at hypothalamo-pituitary level can therefore not be excluded. This study focused on the dose and time-dependent effects of VPA on basal and GnRH-induced LH and FSH release from the primary anterior pituitary cells culture of male rats.r />r /> MATERIAL AND METHODS: The dose-dependent effect of 10 nM-100 mM of VPA on basal LH release from anterior pituitary cells after 3h of incubation was examined. To determine the time-dependent effects on LH, FSH, TSH and PRL release short (3 h) and long-term (24 h) incubations in the presence of 10 nM, 100 nM and 1 μM of VPA were maintained.To assess whether VPA can affect GnRH-induced LH and FSH release, cells were incubated for 3 h with 10 nM, 100 nM and 1 μM of VPA in the presence of GnRH. The concentration of rLH, rFSH, rPRL and rTSH in incubation medium was determined by RIA method.r />r /> RESULTS: VPA did not affect the basal LH, FSH, PRL and TSH release from the primary anterior pituitary cells culture of male rats. VPA in concentration 1µM significantly suppressed GnRH-induced LH secretion. However VPA at all tested doses diminished GnRH-induced FSH release.r />r /> CONCLUSIONS: VPA may diminish gonadotropin release in vitro but this effect can only be achieved after GnRH-dependent specific receptor activation. Both gonadotropins differ in their pattern of response for increasing doses of VPA....

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