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Comparative Study 2007; 28(4): 433-437 PubMed PMID: 17693981 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Endocrine System:physiology, Female, Humans, Hydrocortisone:blood, Male, Odorants, Olfactory Pathways:physiology, Sex Characteristics, Testosterone:blood,.   

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to verify the influence of odor on the endocrine system (Cortisol, Testosterone).

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Three odors (Musk, Rose and Floral) and air were given to 16 healthy volunteers (8 males, 8 females), and cortisol (C) and testosterone (T) levels were measured before and after stimulation.

RESULTS: Each odor decreased levels of C, indicating that odor can attenuate stress. In males, T decreased with Musk, but increased with Floral. In females, T significantly increased with Musk, but decreased with Rose and Floral.

CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that influences on hormone levels depend on the type of odor, and sex differences exist in response to odors....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(4): 401-405 PubMed PMID: 17693965 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Cattle, Exons, Genotype, Liver:metabolism, Male, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide:genetics, Protein Binding:genetics, Receptors, Somatotropin:genetics, Signal Transduction,.   

OBJECTIVES: Nucleotide sequence polymorphisms in the coding gene regions may influence the biological properties of proteins encoded by a gene. The A/T substitution in exon 8 of the growth hormone receptor (GHR) gene results in changed amino acid sequence 279 (Phe/Tyr) in the transmembrane domain of the receptor protein and therefore could influence its functional parameters. We searched for the relationship between the A/T nucleotide polymorphism in the GHR gene the receptor binding capacity and dissociation constant.

METHODS: Nucleotide sequence variations in the exon 8 (coding for the transmembrane domain of the receptor) of the bovine GHR gene and in fragments of adjacent introns were analysed using PCR-SSCP and sequencing techniques. GH receptor binding capacity (Bmax) and dissociation constant (Kd) for GHR were determined by the Scatchard analysis in livers of ten bulls carrying the AA or AT GHR genotypes.

RESULTS: Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified--the C/T transition in intron 8 at position 863+32 and the A/T transversion in exon 8 at position 836, the latter resulting in Phe/Tyr amino acid substitution in the receptor protein. The results showed significant differences in the GHR binding capacity between these genotypes. Bmax was significantly greater (p< or =0.01) in bulls carrying TT genotype of GHR in comparison to those with the AT genotype. No significant differences in the dissociation constants (Kd) were found.

CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated that single base substitution in the transmembrane domain encoding region of GH receptor gene may influence the physiological properties of the receptor....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(4): 473-476 PubMed PMID: 17627272 Citation  Keywords:  Administration, Oral, Alanine Transaminase:blood, Albinism:genetics, Animals, Aspartate Aminotransferases:blood, Ballota, Bilirubin:blood, Blood Glucose:metabolism, Cholesterol:blood, Creatine Kinase:blood, Female, Insulin:blood, Male, Plant Extracts:admi.   

: Ingestion of aqueous 70% ethanol extract of Ballota nigra (400 mg/kg body weight for 7 days) by albino rats (n=10) was investigated to study its effects on glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), troponin I (TnI), serum creatine kinase (CK), total protein, total bilirubin and blood urea. Ballota nigra extract caused a significant decrease in blood glucose, total serum cholesterol and CK levels. Blood levels of TnI, AST, ALT, triglycerides, total bilirubin, total protein and blood urea were unchanged. The hypoglycemic effect of Ballota nigra extract on albino rats was further investigated by conducting a glucose tolerance test intraperitoneally (IPGTT). Healthy rats that were fasting for 18 hours followed by administration of a dose of 400 mg/kg body weight of the crude extract of Ballota nigra, orally. A significant decrease in blood glucose levels (after 15, 30, and 45 minutes) with a significant increase in serum insulin level (after 15 and 30 minute) was noted. These results suggest that, the crude extract of Ballota nigra have hypoglycemic, insulin-releasing and cholesterol lowering effects in rats....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(3): 289-294 PubMed PMID: 17627264 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Apoptosis, Cell Proliferation, Cells, Cultured, Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases:physiology, Estradiol:biosynthesis, Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases:physiology, Female, Follicle Stimulating Hormone:pharmacology, Granulosa Cells:phy.   

: The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), including PPARalpha, PPARbeta/delta, and PPARgamma, are a family of transcription factors belonging to the steroid receptor superfamily. In rat ovary, PPARgamma is mainly expressed in granulosa cells of developing follicles, implying a possible role of PPARgamma in ovarian functions. In the present study, the role of PPARgamma and its gonadotrophic regulation in granulosa cells collected from diethylstilbestrol-treated immature rats were studied. The results showed that PPARgamma could inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in primarily cultured granulosa cells. PPARgamma could also stimulate the biosynthesis of estradiol and progesterone after FSH pretreatment, and FSH could regulate the functions of PPARgamma through PKA, ERK1/2, and p38 MAPK signaling pathways. These data suggested that PPARgamma may be involved in follicular atresia and FSH-stimulated steroidogenesis during follicle development....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(3): 221-229 PubMed PMID: 17627253 Citation  Keywords:  Carcinoma, Papillary:genetics, Gene Rearrangement, Genotype, Humans, Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced:genetics, Phenotype, Proto-Oncogenes, Receptor, trkA:genetics, Thyroid Neoplasms:genetics,.   

: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) represents an example of tumour with high incidence of oncogenic sequences, such as RET/PTC and Trk. Both of them arise from the fusion of 3' terminal sequences of TK domain of RET or NTRK1 gene, respectively, with 5' terminal sequences of their activating genes. In case of NTRK1 oncogene, several rearrangement types are observed, characteristic for PTC: Trk (TMP3), Trk-T1, Trk-T2, Trk-T3 and Trk-2h, observed in human breast cancer cell line. Studies from different geographical regions, revealed significant population differences in the incidence of Trk rearrangements (0-50%), while within the same population, the frequency of Trk in spontaneous and radiation-associated PTCs is similar. The results of studies, focused on the correlation between tumour genotype and the histopathological type of tumour, involving cases of both RET/PTC and Trk rearrangements in PTC, are not unequivocal. In many studies, no correlation was observed between the presence of RET and/or NTRK1 rearrangement and such parameters, as patient's age at diagnosis, gender, histopathological type of tumour or clinical stage (TNM stage grouping), although the earliest clinical symptoms and the worst disease outcomes were observed for RET/NTRK1 rearrangement positive tumours. Differences in the rearrangement incidence between male and female patients were associated with the latency period of radiation-associated tumours, being significantly lower in women. In general, it is assumed that oncogenic Trk sequences are typical for the spontaneous type of PTC....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(Suppl 2): 36-37 PubMed PMID: 17558377 Citation  Keywords:  Brain Injuries:complications, Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts:adverse effects, Child, Child, Preschool, Foreign Bodies:microbiology, Humans, Hydrocephalus:complications, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Infant, Very Low Birth Weight, Intracranial Hemorrhages:complicat.   

: Meningitis after artificial implants in 60 children, mainly after foreign body infections (FBI) was caused more frequently by coagulase negative staphylococci and Ps. aeruginosa than other organisms and was significantly associated with perinatal trauma, hydrocephalus, haemorrhage or VLBW and had more neurologic sequels despite mortality was similar to other nosocomial meningitis....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(2): 77-105 PubMed PMID: 17435680 Citation  Keywords:  Carcinoma:etiology, Cell Transformation, Neoplastic:genetics, Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3, GTP-Binding Proteins:genetics, Genes, Suppressor, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Humans, Models, Biological, Proto-Oncogene Proteins:genetics, Receptors, Thyrotr.   

: The process of carcinogenesis is permanently one of the most interesting and significant issues for researchers in different fields of medicine. Therefore, we attempted to bring closer the problem of neoplastic transformation in the thyroid gland. This article covers the latest data about genetic factors, involved in thyroid carcinogenesis. We have presented results of the most recent studies referred to molecular biology of thyroid neoplasms. We have demonstrated not only the genetic background of cancers, derived from the thyroid follicular cell, but also genetic aspects related to medullary thyroid carcinoma and some benign thyroid lesions. The review describes DNA methylation disturbances and the mutations in thyrotropin receptor and G protein genes. Furthermore, we introduce the results of studies performed at our laboratory, concerning mutations in the following protooncogenes: RAS, RET, Trk, MET, and BRAF. Also, we present our data, regarding the loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in the short arm of chromosome 3. Additionally, we discuss overexpression of cyclin D1 gene in benign and malignant thyroid lesions. Previous studies performed at our laboratory indicate the role of IGF-I in the pathogenesis and invasiveness of thyroid cancers. The review indicates that progress in genetics of the thyroid cancer is extremely rapid....

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Comparative Study 2007; 28(2): 175-181 PubMed PMID: 17435666 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Female, Genetic Diseases, Inborn:diagnosis, Gestational Age, Humans, Maternal Age, Nuchal Translucency Measurement:methods, Poland, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Trimester, First, Retrospective Studies, Risk Factors,.   

UNLABELLED: THE AIMS OF THE STUDY WERE: To evaluate range and median values of NT in a large, unselected Polish population; to determine the value of the 95th percentile and the median values for NT for given weeks of late 1st trimester pregnancy and to determine the level of chromosomal aberration risk corresponding to the values of the 95th percentile in the examined groups; to examine the possible correlation between CRL, NT width as well as the mother's age with the risk of the most frequent chromosomal aberrations.

MATERIAL & METHODS: We have retrospective analyzed 7,866 pregnant women. All fetuses of this women had NT measurement performed, as well as CRL and assessed of the most frequent chromosomal abnormalities. The group of pregnant women was divided into 2 subgroups: until and above 35 years old. All population group was divided into 3 subgroups depending on gestational age (11, 12 and above 13th weeks of gestation).

RESULTS: The median of NT in all population group was 1.5 mm and 95th percentile was 2.4 mm, whilst in group with low risk median of NT and 95th percentile were the same and in group with high risk of chromosomal abnormalities respectively 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm. There were strong correlations between maternal age and the risk of most frequent chromosomal abnormalities from NT.

CONCLUSIONS: The obtained results of median values and the 95th percentiles of NT in the examined group and the age groups under 35 and 35 plus are similar to these quoted by FMF. The risk levels of trisomy of 21st chromosome were similar to the reference values used by FMF. With gestational age, NT value increases in a non-linear way, therefore it is incorrect to use the term "a normal value" for NT, therefore, only the risk level calculated with the dedicated software using NT and CRL measurements with maternal age should be stated....

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