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Case Reports 2005; 26(5): 533-535 PubMed PMID: 16264405 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Anticonvulsants:therapeutic use, Brain:pathology, Bromocriptine:therapeutic use, Encephalomalacia:complications, Hormone Antagonists:therapeutic use, Humans, Hyperprolactinemia:complications, Infertility, Male:complications, Magnetic Resonance Imag.   

OBJECTIVES: To describe successful oral bromocriptine therapy for hyperprolactinemia accompanied by seizure disorder and encephalomalacia identified during infertility evaluation.r />r /> MATERIALS & METHODS: A 32 year-old male with an unspecified seizure disorder was referred for infertility consultation. The initial seizure was at age 12, and was treated sequentially with phenytoin, phenobarbitol, and carbamazepine monotherapy which was maintained for six years and then discontinued. At age 26, a second seizure was experienced and 150mg lamotrigine b.i.d. was initiated. When the patient married it was discovered that erection was impossible; tadalafil was administered without success. At our center, total testosterone was low at 107ng/dl and semen analysis revealed oligoasthenozoospermia. Serum prolactin was 79.3ng/ml; visual field examination was normal. Brain MR showed no pituitary enlargement. However, encephalomalacia of the right occiptal lobe with porencephalic dilation of the occipital horn of the right lateral ventricle was present.r />r /> RESULTS: The patient was initially placed on 2.5mg/d bromocriptine but after three months only a nominal reduction of serum prolactin was achieved. Serum prolactin normalized (25.4ng/ml) after bromocriptine was increased to 7.5mg/d. Repeat semen analysis showed overall sperm concentration of 85M/ml, 30% motility and 12% normal forms morphology (Kruger strict criteria). Total testosterone level was 191ng/dl after final bromocriptine dose was attained, which was well tolerated.r />r /> DISCUSSION: Bromocriptine has an established role in the management of hyperprolactinemia, particularly in women. For males with elevated serum prolactin even when associated with focal encephalomalacia and seizure disorder, bromocriptine therapy can offer safe benefits including improved semen parameters and normal serum testosterone levels....

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Journal Article 2005; 26(5): 536-540 PubMed PMID: 16264404 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Antithyroid Agents, Cholesterol:blood, Folic Acid:blood, Homocysteine:blood, Hyperthyroidism:blood, Hypothyroidism:blood, Lipids:blood, Male, Propylthiouracil, Rats, Rats, Wistar, Thyroid Function Tests, Thyroxine, Vitamin B 12:blood,.   

INTRODUCTION: It is claimed in a limited number of studies carried out on human beings that plasma homocysteine levels increased in hypothyroid patients and decreased in hyperthyroid patients.r />r /> OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to determine total plasma homocysteine, thyroid function tests, vitamin B12, folic acid and lipid levels and to explore the relations among them in rat models with induced hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism with a view to investigating whether hypothyroid and hyperthyroid rat models could represent human hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism models.r />r /> MATERIAL AND METHOD: The study included 30 male Wistar Albino species rats with a mean weight of 200 - 250 g. Rats were randomly divided into 3 groups as 1) hypothyroid group, 2) hyperthyroid group and 3) control group. Hypothyroidism was induced by adding 10 mg/kg/day propylthiouracil to rats' drinking water for 30 days. In order to induce hyperthyroidism, rats were administered 10 microg/100 g L-thyroxin ampule via intraperitoneal route for 10 days.r />r /> RESULTS: We found that total plasma homocysteine level of the hypothyroid group was significantly lower than those of the control group (p<0.05) and the hyperthyroid group (p<0.001). Total plasma homocysteine level of the hypothyroid group was found insignificantly higher than that of the control group (p>0.05) and significantly higher than that of the hyperthyroid group (p<0.001). We established a significant and positive correlation between total plasma homocysteine level and thyroid hormone levels. We did not identify a significant relation between total plasma homocysteine level and serum folic acid and serum vitamin B12 levels.r />r /> CONCLUSION: Our findings are different from the findings reported in human hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism studies. We believe that hypothyroid and hyperthyroid rat models cannot represent human hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism models....

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Journal Article 2005; 26(5): 541-547 PubMed PMID: 16264403 Citation  Keywords:  Aging:metabolism, Animals, Brain Chemistry:physiology, Digoxigenin, In Situ Hybridization, Liver:metabolism, Male, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, RNA Probes, RNA, Complementary:biosynthesis, RNA, Messenger:analysis, Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear:biosynthe.   

OBJECTIVES: The distribution of Liver receptor homolog 1 (LRH-1) mRNA was studied in mice brain with the aim to establish whether this nuclear hormone receptor is expressed also in the brain in addition to liver and classical steroidogenic tissues.r />r /> METHODS: Expression of LRH-1 mRNA in juvenile (30 days old) and adult (60 days old) mouse brain was examined using non-radioactive in situ hybridization with digoxigenin labeled cRNA probes and with RT PCR using specific primers.r />r /> RESULTS: LRH-1 was strongly expressed throughout the brain. Semiquantitative RT PCR revealed very strong expression of LRH-1 mRNA in cerebrum in comparison to liver and testis, and in situ hybridization revealed that LRH-1 mRNA is uniformly expressed in most brain areas.r />r /> CONCLUSIONS: LRH-1 is strongly expressed throughout the mouse brain suggesting important roles for this transcription factor, although its precise roles in the CNS remain to be elucidated....

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Journal Article 2005; 26(5): 548-554 PubMed PMID: 16264402 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Body Weight:drug effects, Follicle Stimulating Hormone:blood, Leptin:blood, Luteinizing Hormone:blood, Male, Orchiectomy, Rats, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Testosterone:blood, Zinc:blood,.   

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate how zinc-deficiency and testosterone supplementation, both in combination and individually, affect plasma LH, FSH and leptin levels in castrated rats.r />r /> DESIGN: Group 1, Control Group. Group 2, Castration Group. Group 3, Testosterone Group. Group 4, Zinc-deficient Group. Group 5, Testosterone, Zinc-deficient Group. Group 6, Zinc-deficient, Castration Group. Group 7, Testosterone, Castration Group. Group 8, Zinc-deficient, Testosterone, Castration Group.r />r /> MEASUREMENTS: Plasma zinc, leptin, LH, FSH, free and total testosterone levels were measured.r />r /> RESULTS: Group 2 had the highest levels of leptin and LH, besides having the highest FSH levels together with Group 6 (p<0.01). Groups 5 and 8 had the lowest leptin levels (p<0.01). Leptin levels in Groups 4 and 7 were higher than those in Groups 5 and 8, but lower than those in all other groups (p<0.01). LH levels in Group 4 were not different than those in Groups 3, 5 and 8, but significantly lower than those in all other groups (p<0.01). Free and total testosterone levels were higher in Group 4 than in castration groups that were not supplemented testosterone, but were lower in the former than in all others (p<0.01).r />r /> CONCLUSION: Plasma LH may be more effective than testosterone on plasma leptin and zinc can be an important mediator of the effect LH exercises on leptin....

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Journal Article 2005; 26(5): 555-560 PubMed PMID: 16264401 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Cognition:physiology, Female, Male, Maternal Deprivation, Maze Learning:physiology, Melatonin:biosynthesis, Memory:physiology, Psychomotor Performance:physiology, Rats, Rats, Wistar,.   

OBJECTIVES: It is known that maternal deprivation (MD) may alter cognitive functions such as learning and memory in adult life by effecting normal growth and development. However, the mechanisms of these cognitive alterations are unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of maternal deprivation on cognition and melatonin production in adolescent male and female rats.r />r /> METHODS: The litters were separated daily from their mothers for 6 hours on postnatal days 2 to 20. The spatial memory performance was evaluated using a Morris water maze between the postnatal 26th and 32nd days. Plasma melatonin levels were determined on postnatal days 42.r />r /> RESULTS: MD-rats had longer escape latencies at the second, third and fifth days of training days and spend significantly less time in probe trial, compared to control animals.r />r /> MAIN FINDINGS: The repeated maternal deprivation caused low blood melatonin levels and there was a significant negative correlation between blood melatonin levels and spatial memory performance in both of male and female adolescent rats.r />r /> CONCLUSION: These results suggest an association between melatonin production and neurodevelopment. Further studies are needed to determine the interaction between maternal deprivation and pineal gland maturation/function....

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Journal Article 2005; 26(5): 561-566 PubMed PMID: 16264400 Citation  Keywords:  Actins:blood, Adult, Antigens, Neoplasm:blood, Blotting, Western, Cystinyl Aminopeptidase:blood, Female, Fetal Development:immunology, Humans, Immune Tolerance:physiology, Infant, Newborn, Infant, Premature, Placenta:metabolism, Pregnancy,.   

OBJECTIVES: Fetal maturity does not seem to be directly connected with the phenomenon of immune tolerance during pregnancy although the fetal maturation influences the process of initiation of the labor at term finishing the immune tolerance during pregnancy. CAP and RCAS1 are expressed by the trophoblast cells and afterwards by the placenta, these proteins are able to modulate the maternal immune response.r />r /> MATERIALS AND METHODS: 160 patients were randomly selected to our study. The patients were divided into two groups using K score according to the newborn's maturity: maturated and not fully maturated. Within the groups of matured and not fully matured newborns the subgroups were selected according to the type of the labor: spontaneous or induced. The oxytocinase plasma activity was established in plasma samples obtained from pregnant women a few days before delivery. The placental RCAS1 relative amount was assessed by Western blot analysis.r />r /> RESULTS: The differences in oxytocinase plasma level with respect to the fetal maturity were identified in our study however no RCAS1 expression changes were found regarding the fetal maturation. We determined the alterations in RCAS1 expression with respect to the occurrence of clinical symptoms of the spontaneous beginning of the labor in maturated and not-fully maturated groups of newborns.r />r /> CONCLUSIONS: Oxytocinase seems to be a useful marker of normal fetal development. The assessment of RCAS1 in placenta directly after delivery appears to indicate the level of maternal immune tolerance during the labor initiation. The level of the immune tolerance at the moment of the delivery drops independently of the fetal maturity....

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Journal Article 2005; 26(5): 567-574 PubMed PMID: 16264399 Citation  Keywords:  Adenocarcinoma:metabolism, Adult, Aged, Breast Neoplasms:metabolism, Carcinoma, Squamous Cell:metabolism, Female, Head and Neck Neoplasms:metabolism, Humans, Immunohistochemistry, Lymphatic Metastasis, Male, Metallothionein:metabolism, Middle Aged, Stroma.   

INTRODUCTION: An accumulation of genetic alterations forming the field of cancerization is an important event for the transformation from normal to cancer cell in multistep carcinogenesis. Histopathologically healthy tumor adjacent tissue might be considered as a cancerization field which is typified by genetic changes required for the development of cancer. Metallothionein (MT) is considered to be a protective and anti-apoptotic protein. The aim of our study was to evaluate the MT expression in head and neck squamous cells carcinoma and breast adenocarcinoma and their histologically healthy adjacent tissue.r />r /> MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have sampled 29 tissue samples in total derived from head and neck cancers and 29 samples of their clear surgical margins, 33 breast adenocarcinomas and 33 clear surgical margins. Antibody recognizing MT-1 was used for immunohistochemical analysis.r />r /> RESULTS: MT expression was revealed in 85,7% of head and neck cancers and 94% of breast adenocarcinomas. It was found in all tumor adjacent tissue. MT expression was statistically significantly higher in tumor adjacent tissue than in cancer tissue in cases with the presence of lymph node metastases in both, breast adenocarcinoma and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Generally stroma seems to respond to the presence of cancer by the expression of MT, even in tissues which normally do not express MT.r />r /> CONCLUSIONS: MT might be a normal or protective reaction of healthy adjacent tissue to the presence of tumor....

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Journal Article 2005; 26(5): 575-580 PubMed PMID: 16264398 Citation  Keywords:  Acetylserotonin O-Methyltransferase:metabolism, Animals, Arylalkylamine N-Acetyltransferase:metabolism, Female, Melatonin:blood, Microscopy, Electron, Pineal Gland:metabolism, Pregnancy, Pregnancy, Animal:metabolism, Rabbits, Radioimmunoassay,.   

OBJECTIVES: The morphological and biochemical aspects of the pineal gland of pregnant and non-pregnant female vizcachas were investigated to examine whether there is a relationship between the pregnancy and this gland.r />r /> METHODS: Pregnant and non-pregnant adult female vizcachas were used. The ultrastructure of type I cell (dark and light pinealocytes) was studied. Pineal and serum melatonin were investigated by radioimmunoassay. Radiometric methods were applied to investigate the arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferase (AA-NAT) and hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT) activities.r />r /> RESULTS: The morphological study showed the existence of dark and light pinealocytes. The differences between both cells are slight. However, the appearance of dark pinealocytes suggests that they have a high activity. These cells were more abundant in the pineal gland of pregnant females. The pineal melatonin levels and the AA-NAT activity were higher in the pregnant females. Serum melatonin and HIOMT activity did not show significant differences.r />r /> CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the morphological and biochemical changes in the pineal gland of pregnant vizcachas are associated with the gestation. However, the relation between the pineal gland and the pregnancy is complex and further studies are necessaries to clearly establish it....

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