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Clinical Trial 2004; 25(4): 297-301 PubMed PMID: 15361821 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Analysis of Variance, Brain:physiology, Female, Homosexuality:physiology, Humans, Male, Sex Characteristics, Sex Differentiation, Sexual Behavior:physiology, Sexual Partners:psychology, Surveys and Questionnaires,.   

OBJECTIVES: The current study examined and compared the preferred partner characteristics of heterosexual and homosexual men and women in relation to speculated patterns of brain differentiation underlying the preferences. Further, the study compared the preferences of butch versus femme homosexual women.r />r /> METHODS: Two hundred twelve heterosexual and homosexual men and women completed questionnaires on which they rated themselves and their idealized sexual partners on various morphological and behavioral characteristics.r />r /> RESULTS: Results of within-subjects multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) showed that the pattern of preferred partner characteristics of heterosexual women is most consistent with the theorized brain differentiation underlying those preferences. There was varying support for the theory as it applies to the other three groups. Between-subjects MANOVAs provided evidence to support some of the predictions generated by theory on the differences in brain differentiation between heterosexual and homosexual men and women and between homosexual women categorized as butch and femme.r />r /> CONCLUSION: The overall pattern of preferred partner characteristics among and between heterosexual and homosexual men and women does not support theory that holds that underlying brain differentiation between the groups is discrete and categorical. Rather, it supports theory that holds that differentiation manifests itself on a continuum leading to a variety of patterns of sexual orientation, and by extension, preferred partner characteristics....

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Clinical Trial 2004; 25(4): 292-296 PubMed PMID: 15361820 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Feedback, Physiological:physiology, Female, Humans, Hyperthyroidism:physiopathology, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System:physiology, Hypothyroidism:physiopathology, Male, Middle Aged, Reference Values, Regression Analysis, Severity of Illness Index, Thy.   

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis in patients with subclinical thyroid dysfunction recently reported to have either symptoms or organ involvements with potential morbidity, in order to better differentiate these patients with respect to controls.r />r /> PATIENTS: Sixtythree patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism (HyperT), 178 normal subjects (EuT) and 106 patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (HypoT) were enrolled; the groups presented normal thyroid hormone (FT4, FT3) levels and, respectively, reduced (HyperT), normal (EuT) and increased (HypoT) TSH levels. The negative feedback was simultaneously evaluated by multiple linear regression.r />r /> RESULTS: The mean TSH, FT4 and FT3 levels were significantly different in the three groups. The negative correlation between thyroid hormones (FT4 and FT3) and TSH secretion was significant (p<0.001 in HyperT; p<0.01 in EuT; p<0.000001 in HypoT group). FT4 mostly contributed to the negative correlation with TSH. The normal ranges of TSH values was accurately defined on the basis of the regression equation in the EuT group, due to the combining influence of both thyroid hormones (FT3 and FT4). No patient of the HyperT or HypoT group fell inside the range of estimated values of the normal group.r />r /> CONCLUSIONS: The HPT axis in patients with subclinical hyper- and hypo-thyroidism is significantly modified with respect to normal subjects. The status of the axis, as evaluated by the relationship between the three hormones (FT4, FT3, TSH) together considered, is characteristic of the normal or pathologic condition. A reliable method based on the regression analysis is proposed to correctly evaluate the status of the HPT axis....

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Clinical Trial 2004; 25(4): 287-291 PubMed PMID: 15361819 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Carotid Artery Diseases:diagnostic imaging, Carotid Artery, Internal:diagnostic imaging, Catheterization:methods, Cerebral Angiography, Embolization, Therapeutic:methods, Female, Humans, Intracranial Aneurysm:diagnostic imaging, M.   

OBJECTIVES: The incidence of giant aneurysms in the paraclinoid section of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is low. They manifest their occurrence by subarachnoid haemorrhage and neurological and hormonal symptoms, resulting from compression on either the nervous structures or on the pituitary. The treatment of these aneurysms is a challenge for the surgeon, due to a difficult access, high operational risk and when the size of operated malformations is large.r />r /> MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between the years 1994 and 2001, twenty (20) patients with giant paraclinoid aneurysms of the carotid artery were submitted to: endovascular treatment - 7 patients and to microsurgery - 13 patients. The treatment, following the access to the aneurysm and consisting in short-time (temporary) endovascular occlusion of ICA, was applied in some cases, while trapping was the method of choice in other cases.r />r /> RESULTS: Good results of the endovascular treatment were obtained in 6 patients and, in one (1) case, satisfactory result was observed. Regarding the whole study group, hormonal symptoms (amenorrhoea) occurred in one case only. Four aneurysms were totally embolized, 1 - almost totally and 2 - partially. Recanalisation was observed in one case after 2 years. In the surgical method, good and very good results were obtained in 10 patients and satisfactory results - in 3 patients.r />r /> CONCLUSION: Application of either the endovascular method or of the microsurgical method - or of both these methods - used individually in case of a given aneurysm, increases the chances for an effective occlusion with a lower operative risk....

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Comparative Study 2004; 25(4): 283-286 PubMed PMID: 15361818 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Denervation:methods, Estrous Cycle:physiology, Female, Fertility:physiology, Litter Size:physiology, Ovary:innervation, Rats,.   

OBJECTIVES: A novel denervation technique of ovarian was used in rats to investigate its effects on sexual cycle, pregnancy rates and offspring numbers.r />r /> SETTING AND DESIGN: A total of 34 female albino rats were included. Animals were divided into 3 groups.r />r /> METHODS: In group 1, ovaries were bilaterally denervated. Animals in group 2 underwent sham operation and group 3 comprised of controls. Sexual cycles in animals were followed by vaginal irrigations. Gestations were determined with parturition of rats.r />r /> RESULTS: Results indicated that in denervated rats, frequency of estrus decreased and period of estrus increased resulting in a decrease in conception rates and offspring numbers when compared to control rats.r />r /> MAIN FINDINGS: Although the results were consistent with previous denervation techniques, the operational procedure described herein is simpler and requires no sophisticated equipment, suggesting this to be a method of choice in reproductive physiology studies.r />r /> CONCLUSION: In this study, we denervated the ovary with a technique other than classical in which the tissues except vascular structures over ovarian suspensory ligament were excised. We found that, estrus count decreased, duration of sexual cycle increased, conception rates and the offspring numbers reduced. This is thought to be a result of blockage of ovarian neural control due to denervation....

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Clinical Trial 2004; 25(4): 278-282 PubMed PMID: 15361817 Citation  Keywords:  Adrenocorticotropic Hormone:blood, Adult, Cesarean Section, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone:blood, Dehydroepiandrosterone:blood, Female, Fetal Blood:metabolism, Humans, Hydrocortisone:blood, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System:metabolism, Infant, Newborn:blood.   

OBJECTIVES: The changes in corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH), cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in maternal and fetal plasma were estimated in two group of women undergoing labour after oxytocin induction, or elective cesarean section to correlate changes in maternal and fetal HPA axis to the different stressor conditions.r />r /> MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood was sampled from a maternal peripheral vein two days before labour, during the second stage of labour and on the second postnatal day, and also from umbilical vessels just after delivery. Hormone concentrations were measured by RIA and ELSA methods. The maternal plasma CRH concentration before and after labour was similar in both studied groups.r />r /> RESULTS: Plasma CRH levels measured before labour in both groups were similar, but during labour after oxytocin infusion declined, and was in group of women with elective cesarean section rose, after the delivery there was no difference between groups. The plasma ACTH prior to the delivery was at the same level in all subjects, during the third stage of labour ACTH rose in the both groups, but was statistically higher in group with oxytocin infusion. The concentrations of cortisol before delivery was similar in both groups, then rose to the same level during the delivery and then declined to the level observed before delivery. The DHEA concentration was similar in both groups, did not change during the labour, there was no difference between its level in the umbilical vein and artery. In the group with oxytocin-induction there was no correlation between maternal CRH and ACTH or cortisol concentration, but such a correlation occurred in the group with elective cesarean section. The concentration of ACTH and DHEA in umbilical artery was similar in both groups but the concentrations of CRH and cortisol in umbilical artery in group of newborns delivered after elective cesarean section were statistically higher.r />r /> CONCLUSION: The activity of the mother's HPA axis is partially inhibited rather by psychological stressors, than events connected with mode of parturition. The newborn's HPA axis responds in a specific way to mother's HPA-axis. The communication between mother's and newborn's HPA is possibly related to many other factors than placental CRH and ACTH. It is necessary to consider effects of central CRH and ACTH on the fine-tune regulation of HPA axis in the late pregnancy and parturition, not detectable due to the high levels of placental hormones....

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Journal Article 2004; 25(4): 273-277 PubMed PMID: 15361816 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Biological Factors:physiology, Cattle, Cell Separation, Cells, Cultured, Culture Media, Conditioned, Growth Hormone:secretion, Male, Pituitary Gland, Anterior:cytology, Rats, Rats, Sprague-Dawley,.   

UNLABELLED: The pituitary pars tuberalis (PT) is characterized by PT-specific secretory cells which have raised the possibility of an endocrine function for this portion of adenohypophysis.r />r /> OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of the secretion of bovine PT cells into culture medium on growth hormone (GH) response of dispersed pars distalis (PD) cells of rats.r />r /> METHODS AND RESULTS: 48-hour culture medium of all PT cells at 1 microg of protein concentration induced the greatest GH release from PD cells. After PT cells separation on a discontinuos Percoll gradient and culturing, only the culture medium of cells from 50 and 60% Percoll strength released GH from PD cells. Therefore, cells from 50 and 60% strenght Percoll were cultured together. Only 0.2 mg protein of this culture medium was required to induce the maximal GH release from PD cells, suggesting that these cells could be responsible for producing the factor(s) which affect PD somatotrophe cells. After protein separation by 12% SDS-PAGE of this PT culture medium bands were eluted. The biological activity, measured as ng/ml of GH from PD cells, corresponded to a protein(s) of molecular weight between 45 and 66 kDal.r />r /> CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that there is an active proteic factor(s) secreted by the PT that acts upon PD cells to stimulate GH release and that PD could be an effector organ for some secretory product(s) of the PT....

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Comparative Study 2004; 25(4): 267-272 PubMed PMID: 15361815 Citation  Keywords:  Analysis of Variance, Animals, Blood Cell Count, Corticosterone:blood, Hypersensitivity, Delayed:immunology, Immune System:radiation effects, Leukocytes:immunology, Light, Male, Mice, Mice, Inbred C3H, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Photoperiod, Species Specificity,.   

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine whether two different strains of mice, that are reproductively unresponsive to photoperiod, adjust immune function in response to photoperiod.r />r /> SETTING AND DESIGN: Adult male C3H/HeN (C3H) and C57BL/6 (C57) mice were each placed into either a long (LD 16:8) or short (LD 8:16) photoperiod for 10 weeks (n = 15/ group).r />r /> METHODS: Blood was collected for flow cytometry and radioimmunoassay analysis of leukocyte numbers and corticosterone concentrations, respectively. In addition, all mice were sensitized to, and challenged with the antigen, 2,4-dinitro-1-fluorobenzene. Pinnae measurements were obtained for 7 days following challenge to determine the magnitude of the inflammatory response.r />r /> RESULTS: Photoperiod did not affect leukocyte cell numbers in either C3H or C57 mice. C3H mice displayed higher neutrophil numbers than C57 mice (p< 0.0001), whereas C57 mice displayed higher lymphocyte numbers than C3H mice (p< 0.01). C3H mice housed in LD 16:8 had higher corticosterone concentrations than those housed in LD 8:16 (p< 0.005) and C57 mice housed in either photoperiod (p< 0.05). Photoperiod did not affect the inflammatory response, though C57 mice displayed an overall higher magnitude of response than C3H mice (p<0.05).r />r /> MAIN FINDINGS: Our results suggest that photoperiod does not alter immune function in C3H and C57 mice. Strain differences in immune function, however, were observed.r />r /> CONCLUSIONS: Immune function is unresponsive to photoperiod in these laboratory mice, possibly indicating; a link between immune and reproductive responsiveness to photoperiod, the decreased predictive value of this annual cue to domesticated animals, or both....

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Clinical Trial 2004; 25(4): 262-266 PubMed PMID: 15361814 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Biomarkers:blood, Blood Pressure, C-Reactive Protein:analysis, Coronary Disease:blood, Female, Homocysteine:blood, Humans, Hyperlipidemias:blood, Hypothyroidism:blood, Middle Aged, Reference Values, Risk Factors, Severity of Illness Index, Statisti.   

OBJECTIVES: Overt hypothyroidism (OH) is associated with premature atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease (CHD). Recently, C-reactive protein (CRP) and total homocysteine (tHct) emerged as additional independent cardiovascular risk factors. Subclinical hypothyroidism (SH), affecting as many as 15% of middle-aged women is not known to be associated with risk for CHD.r />r /> DESIGN AND MEASUREMENTS: We measured CRP and tHct levels as well as conventional cardiovascular risk markers in 44 middle-aged women with newly diagnose SH. Results were compared with those obtained in 10 patients with OH and 19 euthyroid controls.r />r /> RESULTS: In SH, tHct and CRP levels were not as augmented as compared to controls. Their mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure values were increased vs. controls (p<0.04;p<0.01, respectively). Mean values of total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), triglycerides, TC/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C were not different in patients with SH compared to controls. Individual analysis revealed that the percentage of patients with SH having hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, elevated TC/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C ratios were higher than the percentage in controls. CRP positively correlated with BMI(r=0.29,p<0.02), and tHct positively correlated with age (r=0.24, p<0.05).r />r /> CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that subclinical hypothyroidism in middle-aged women is associated with hypertension and dyslipidemia. CRP and tHct do not appear to contribute to the increased risk for CHD in these patients....

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