Search NEL Online

Journal Article 2015; 36(1): 59-66 PubMed PMID: 25789586 Citation  Keywords:  Anilides:pharmacology, Cells, Cultured, Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells:drug effects, Humans, Hypoglycemic Agents:pharmacology, Insulin:pharmacology, PPAR gamma:agonists, Receptors, Chemokine:metabolism, Thiazolidinediones:pharmacology,.   

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effect of different insulin concentrations on the activity of vascular endothelial cells (VECs), and the role of PPARγ activator rosiglitazone (RGZ) on the expression of the chemerin receptor, ChemR23, in insulin-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).r />r /> METHODS: Cell viability was determined in HUVECs treated with different insulin concentrations. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect ChemR23 expression in insulin-treated HUVECs. Western blot assays were used to evaluate ChemR23 and PPARγ protein expression in insulin-treated HUVECs after pretreatment with PPARγ activator (RGZ) or inhibitor (GW9662).r />r /> RESULTS: High insulin concentrations significantly inhibited HUVEC cell viability compared to low insulin concentrations, and this inhibition was attenuated by pretreatment with RGZ. High concentrations of insulin caused a significant upregulation of ChemR23 and a significant downregulation of PPARγ. These effects were attenuated by RGZ pretreatment, while PPARγ antagonist, GW9662 reversed this attenuation.r />r /> CONCLUSION: ChemR23 upregulation may play a role in VEC damage caused by high concentrations of insulin. The protective effect of PPARγ activation in VECs may be mediated via ChemR23 downregulation....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2015; 36(1): 80-83 PubMed PMID: 25789585 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Antarctic Regions, Arterial Pressure:physiology, Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory, Circadian Rhythm, Cold Climate, Czech Republic, Expeditions, Female, Humans, Male,.   

rong>OBJECTIVE:rong> To evaluate potential changes in arterial blood pressure (ABP) and heart rate (HR) during a 2-month stay in Antarctica, using chronobiological analysis.r />r /> rong>METHODS:rong> An observational study performed at Mendel research base, Antarctica, during 2011 and 2012. The studied group consisted of 24 participants of the 5th and 6th Czech Antarctic Scientific Expeditions. Three series of 24-hour ABP monitoring were performed, of these two in Antarctica and one in the Czech Republic. Chronobiological analyses of the data were performed (Halberg Chronobiology Center, Minnesota) using population-mean cosinor. The values of MESOR (Midline Estimating Statistic Of Rhythm), double amplitude and the acrophase were obtained for SBP (Systolic Blood Pressure), DBP (Diastolic Blood Pressure) and HR. These rhythm characteristics were compared between the two locations by parameter tests and by the paired t-test.r />r /> rong>RESULTS:rong> On the average, the MESORs of SBP, DBP and HR were significantly higher in Antarctica than in the Czech Republic, as were the double amplitudes of the 12-hour component of SBP and DBP. High prevalence of CHAT (Circadian Hyper-Amplitude-Tension) was detected in Antarctica (8/24 = 33%); only 2 persons had CHAT in the Czech Republic (χ²=3.945, p=0.047).r />r /> rong>CONCLUSIONS:rong> A prolonged stay in Antarctica clearly affected certain chronobiological parameters of ABP and HR.

...

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2015; 36(1): 7-14 PubMed PMID: 25789584 Citation  Keywords:  A Kinase Anchor Proteins:physiology, Animals, Humans, Signal Transduction:physiology,.   

OBJECTIVE: Kinase Anchoring Proteins (AKAPs) have evolved to regulate the spatial and temporal organization of cellular signal transduction. As a typical member, AKAP5 which consisting of three orthologues: bovine AKAP75, rodent AKAP150 and human AKAP79, is the best known model in the anchoring and targeting properties. It is shown that AKAP5 can bind β2-adrenergic receptor, which is a member of GPCR superfamily, and orchestrate the interactions of various protein kinases, protein phosphatases and cytoskeletal element. AKAP5 is originally identified as a component of the postsynaptic density in neurons and plays a vital role in modulating neuronal activities. Subsequently, the AKAP5 complexes are also detected in other tissues and participated in various processes....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2015; 36(1): 1-6 PubMed PMID: 25789583 Citation  Keywords:  Bibliography as Topic, Biomedical Research:ethics, Depressive Disorder:immunology, Humans, Plagiarism, Publishing:ethics, Review Literature as Topic,.   

: Once original scientific results are published the author has the "intellectual property" and may claim ownership. Discovery credit is one of the most important "rewards" for scientists and thus incorrect credits undermine the reward system of science. Scientists who publish should therefore give proper credit and acknowledge the primary sources. Failure to do so is regarded as "citation negligence", "the disregard syndrome", "citation amnesia", "plagiarism by omission", "bibliographic plagiarism" or "citation plagiarism", and may range from an unconscious or conscious "failure to credit a prior discoverer so as to give an improper impression of priority" to "the appropriation of another person's ideas or results without given proper credit". False discovery credit is considered to be "a menace to honest science", "a serious transgression" or "intellectual theft, be it intentional or not". This paper describes some examples of citation amnesia showing that scientists often fail to credit prior sources and give false discovery credit to other scientists. One example is the association between major depression and activated immuno-inflammatory pathways, a discovery by European groups and published in many papers since 1990. Now, 25 years later, it is commonplace that these theories are credited to secondary American sources whose work in "the last decade", did or did not examine these pathways in major depression. This gives an improper impression of priority of American-based scientists. Here it is proposed that this citation amnesia and plagiarism reinforced the wrong science and had negative effects on the development of immune-inflammatory biomarkers and new immune-related treatments for depression. It is concluded that journal editors should improve their citation standards to guarantee correct assignment of discovery credit for example by demanding a signed pledge from the authors that correct citations to the primary sources were made....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2014; 35(8): 746-749 PubMed PMID: 25702305 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Case-Control Studies, Depressive Disorder, Major:metabolism, Female, Humans, Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid:metabolism, Male, Saliva:chemistry, Time Factors, Young Adult,.   

OBJECTIVES: Central serotonergic dysfunction is reported in major depressive disorder (MDD). Serotonin is primarily metabolized to 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) and its plasma, urinary or cerebrospinal fluid concentrations were extensively studied in depression. No data is available on salivary 5-HIAA (s5-HIAA) in MDD to date.r />r /> METHODS: The basal, non-stimulated s5-HIAA concentration was studied in this cross-sectional case-control study on 20 non-late-life adult, short-illness-duration first-episode, treatment-naïve MDD patients and in 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Depressed patients showed a score in the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17) higher than 20.r />r /> RESULTS: No significant difference in s5-HIAA concentration between patients with MDD and controls was observed. In post hoc analysis significantly lower s5-HIAA was seen in non-melancholic MDD (p=0.026) as related to controls whereas no difference was seen between melancholic MDD patients and controls. The concentration of s5-HIAA was not significantly correlated neither with duration nor the severity of depressive symptoms as measured by the total HAMD-17 score.r />r /> CONCLUSION: No difference was observed in baseline s5-HIAA concentration between MDD patients and healthy controls. That observation corroborates with previous MDD studies on 5-HIAA concentrations in bodily fluids where unaltered 5-HIAA concentration is seen in the absence of serotonin-related behaviours including impulsivity, suicidality, and anxiety. Salivary 5-HIAA use remains to be determined....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2014; 35(8): 741-745 PubMed PMID: 25702304 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Case-Control Studies, Depressive Disorder, Major:blood, Humans, Male, Severity of Illness Index, Time Factors, Young Adult, Zinc:blood,.   

OBJECTIVE: In major depressive disorder (MDD) hypozincaemia associated with symptoms severity, melancholia, anxiety and treatment-resistance is reported. Data linking zinc with specific psychopathological dimensions is limited.r />r /> METHODS: Plasma zinc was analyzed in this cross-sectional case-control study on 20 non-late-life adult, treatment-naïve MDD patients with short-illness-duration first affective episode and 20 matched healthy controls together with psychometric evaluations including Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17) and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).r />r /> RESULTS: No significant difference in zinc levels was found between MDD subjects and controls. No significant correlations were observed between zinc concentration and the total HAMD-17 score as well as with the specific core depression, insomnia, anxiety and somatic psychopathological dimensions or STAIX-1 and STAIX-2 scores.r />r /> CONCLUSION: The study provides evidence for unchanged plasma zinc concentration at early stage of MDD and failed to demonstrate any correlation between plasma zinc and psychopathological features including severity of symptoms and specific psychopathological dimensions in MDD....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Comparative Study 2014; 35(8): 733-740 PubMed PMID: 25702303 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Diabetes, Gestational:epidemiology, Dystocia:epidemiology, Female, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Male, Poland:epidemiology, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications:epidemiology, Pregnancy in Diabetics:epidemiology, Risk Factors,.   

OBJECTIVES: Shoulder dystocia remains an obstetric emergency. Maternal diabetes is considered to be one of the major risk factors for shoulder dystocia. The aim of this study was to analyze antepartum and peripartum risk factors and complications of shoulder dystocia in diabetic and non-diabetic women.r />r /> DESIGN: We performed a retrospective analysis of 48 shoulder dystocia cases out of 28,485 vaginal deliveries of singleton, live-born infants over a 13 year period: 13 cases were diagnosed in diabetic women and 35 cases in non-diabetic women.r />r /> SETTING: The study was conducted in the 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland, from January 2000 to December 2012.r />r /> RESULTS: Compared to non-diabetic women, diabetic patients had significantly higher pre-pregnancy body weight (83.4±23.8 kg vs. 62.5±10.9 kg, p=0.002), higher pre-pregnancy BMI (30.2±6.8 kg/m2 vs. 22.9±4.3 kg/m2, p=0.0003), and lower gestational weight gain (11.4±6.2 kg vs. 16.0±4.7 kg, p=0.01). Diabetic women with shoulder dystocia were more likely to deliver before completion of the 38th week of gestation (30.8% vs. 5.7%, p=0.02) and had a higher incidence of 1st and 2nd stage perineal tears compared with the non-diabetic group (23.1% vs. 0%, p=0.02). There were two cases of symphysis pubis dehiscence in non-diabetic women. Children of diabetic mothers had a significantly higher birth weight (4,425.4±561.6 g vs. 4,006.9±452.8 g, p=0.03). Children of diabetic mothers with dystocia were at significantly higher risk of peripartum injuries (92.3% vs. 45.7%). A significant difference was observed in the percentage of brachial plexus palsy (61.5% vs. 17.1%). Children of diabetic women experiencing shoulder dystocia were more frequently affected by Erb's brachial plexus palsy and respiratory disturbances. These children had an increased likelihood of birth weights above the 90th percentile (not necessarily reaching 4,000 g) compared to children born to non-diabetic mothers.r />r /> CONCLUSIONS: Shoulder dystocia in women with diabetes mellitus during pregnancy was associated with earlier gestational age of labor, and these women were more frequently overweight. The newborns of diabetic mothers after shoulder dystocia appeared to be at an increased risk for perinatal morbidity compared to the newborns of non-diabetic mothers experiencing this complication....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2014; 35(8): 724-732 PubMed PMID: 25702302 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Calcium Channels, L-Type:drug effects, Cells, Cultured, Cerebral Cortex:cytology, Estradiol:pharmacology, Female, Insulin-Like Growth Factor I:pharmacology, Ion Channel Gating:drug effects, Neurons:drug effects, Patch-Clamp Techniques, Rats.Rats.   

INTRODUCTION: Calcium transport pathways are key factors for understanding how changes in the cytoplasmic calcium concentration are associated with neuroprotection because calcium is involved in the onset of death signaling in neurons.r />r /> OBJECTIVES: This study characterized the effects of 17β-estradiol and IGF-1 on voltage-activated and stretch-activated calcium channels in rat cultured cortical neurons.r />r /> METHODS: The whole-cell patch-clamp technique, using a voltage steps protocol or by applying positive pressure into the micropipette, was used on 7-10 day cultured neurons from a Wistar rat cortex, and pharmacological characterization was performed on these neurons.r />r /> RESULTS: Both 17β-estradiol and IGF-1 inhibited the currents mediated by L-type voltage-activated calcium channels, although the IGF-1 effects were lower than those of 17β-estradiol. The effect of both hormones together was greater than the sum of the effects of the individual agents. Unlike IGF-1, 17β-estradiol decreased the current mediated by stretch-activated channels. The inhibition of the classical receptors of these hormones did not affect the results.r />r /> CONCLUSION: Both hormones regulate voltage-activated calcium channels in a synergistic way, but only 17β-estradiol has an inhibitory effect on stretch-activated calcium channels. These effects are not mediated by classical receptors and may be relevant to the neuroprotective effects of both hormones because they diminish calcium entry into the neuron and decrease the possibility for the onset of apoptotic signaling....

Read abstract  Full text PDF