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Journal Article 2006; 27(3): 333-337 PubMed PMID: 16807522 Citation  Keywords:  Female, Humans, Male, Monoamine Oxidase:genetics, Pain Measurement, Pain, Postoperative:genetics, Perception:physiology, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Reference Values, Sex Factors, Tonsillectomy,.   

OBJECTIVES: The monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) is an enzyme involved in metabolism of dopamine, benzylamine, phenylethylamine, tyramine and tryptamine. The A/G polymorphism in intron 13 of the MAO-B gene has been previously found to be associated with variability of the MAO-B enzyme activity. The aim of the present association study has been to examine the relationship between the A/G polymorphism in intron 13 and postoperative pain intensity.

METHODS: 284 subjects (105 males and 179 females) undergoing planned tonsillectomy were examined. The intensity of pain was evaluated using 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS). A PCR method with allele specific primers for detection of A/G polymorphism was used.

RESULTS: We found a relationship between the A/G polymorphism in intron 13 of the MAO-B gene and average intensity of postoperative pain in male subjects. Higher average intensity of postoperative pain was detected in males with the G allele (3.96) in comparison with males with the A allele (3.45) and the difference was statistically significant (p<0,03).

CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study indicate the relationship between the MAO-B polymorphism and postoperative pain intensity in the Czech male population. A potential role of MAO-B in the perception of pain intensity is discussed....

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Clinical Trial 2005; 26(6): 657-661 PubMed PMID: 16380706 Citation  Keywords:  Bottle Feeding, Breast Feeding, Circadian Rhythm:physiology, Female, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Male, Melatonin:analogs & derivatives, Milk, Human:metabolism, Reference Values, Sleep:physiology, Statistics, Nonparametric, Tryptophan:metabolism,.   

INTRODUCTION: The hormone melatonin regulates the sleep and this pineal hormone is synthesized in the organism from the amino acid tryptophan. It is known that breast-fed babies have better sleep patterns and a better entrained sleep/wake cycle than bottle-fed babies (adapted formula).

OBJECTIVE: To compare the circadian rhythm of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s)--the metabolite of melatonin excreted in the urine--in urine of bottle-fed and breast-fed children, and relate it to the circadian rhythm of tryptophan in breast milk, also evaluating the possible effects on the baby's night-time rest.

METHODS: 16 infants of 12 weeks of age were studied, divided into two groups depending on their exclusively natural or artificial feeding. The circadian rhythm of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin in urine was measured for the two groups of infants and for the breast-feeding mothers. In the breast milk, the circadian rhythm of the amino acid tryptophan was measured. The rest of the infants was tested by wrist actimeters for a week and the sleep parameters of the infants were measured and evaluated.

RESULTS: The tryptophan in the breast milk presented a circadian rhythm with acrophase at around 03:00. This affected the 6-sulfatoxymelatonin circadian rhythm with acrophase at 06:00 in the breast-fed infants, and also promoted nocturnal sleep. Assumed sleep, actual sleep, and sleep efficiency were significantly increased in the breast fed infants with respect the formula fed infants.

CONCLUSION: A temporal relationship was observed between the circadian rhythm of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin of the exclusively breast-fed babies and that of tryptophan in the mother's milk. Acting this amino acid as a zeitgeber entrainment of the biological rhythms in the breast-fed infant....

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Comparative Study 2005; 26(6): 819-822 PubMed PMID: 16380704 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Analysis of Variance, Female, Ghrelin, Humans, Male, Matched-Pair Analysis, Middle Aged, Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive:blood, Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting:blood, Peptide Hormones:blood, Reference Values, Severity of Illness Ind.   

: In addition to metabolic and neuroendocrine actions, the recently discovered hormone ghrelin has been found to have inhibitory effects on inflammatory processes. This novel finding suggests possible involvement of the peptide in the pathogenesis of inflammatory disorders including the inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of the present study was to evaluate serum ghrelin levels in patients with MS. Serum ghrelin levels were measured in 40 MS patients and 20 controls. Control subjects were selected from healthy individuals, matched for age, sex and BMI. Fasting plasma levels of ghrelin were determined by radioimmunoassay. Serum ghrelin level was significantly higher in MS group (226.16 +/- 35.84 pg/ml, n=40) than that in the control group (113.04 +/- 11.28 pg/ml, n=20, P<0.001). Both, relapsing remitting and secondary progressive MS patients had ghrelin levels significantly higher than controls, while there was no significant difference between the ghrelin levels of patients with these two categories of MS. This study for the first time shows that patients with MS have higher levels of ghrelin and this increase in circulating ghrelin level may function against the proinflammatory process in these patients....

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Controlled Clinical Trial 2005; 26(6): 724-728 PubMed PMID: 16380703 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Female, Growth Hormone:blood, Humans, Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3:blood, Insulin-Like Growth Factor I:analysis, Male, Middle Aged, Psoriasis:blood, Reference Values, Severity of Illness Index, Statistics, Nonparametric,.   

OBJECTIVES: The serum concentrations of somatotrophin axis hormones (growth hormone--GH, insulin-like growth factor-I--IGF-I and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3--IGFBP-3) in the patients with psoriasis in its active stage have been evaluated in relation to the control group consisting of healthy people in order to see whether these hormones may play a role in the psoriasis aetiopathogenesis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The subjects included 85 psoriatic patients (mean age 36.9 +/- 11.2 years) in the active state of disease and 20 healthy persons (mean age 35.6 +/- 6.6 years) as a control group. GH and IGFBP-3 concentrations in serum were determined by immunoradiometric assay (IRMA), IGF-I concentrations--by radioimmunological assay (RIA). Evaluation of the dermatological state also included a determination of psoriasis area and severity index (PASI).

RESULTS: In the patients with psoriasis the concentration of the growth hormone was found to be significantly higher than in the healthy people at the simultaneously much lower concentrations of the insulin-like growth factor-I and its binding protein-3. IGF-I concentrations correlated negatively to PASI value.

CONCLUSION: In the psoriatic patients the somatotrophin axis activity is disturbed and these disturbances may effect the psoriasis process modulation. However, it is impossible to determine if the disturbances are of the primary, i.e. aetiological, importance for the disease pathogenesis, or only of the secondary--psoroid character....

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Clinical Trial 2005; 26(6): 830-834 PubMed PMID: 16380698 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Analysis of Variance, Energy Metabolism:physiology, Exercise:physiology, Heart Rate:physiology, Humans, Male, Physical Exertion, Reference Values, Statistics, Nonparametric, Thyrotropin:blood, Thyroxine:blood, Triiodothyronine:blood,.   

BACKGROUND: Physical activity influences energy metabolism in human subjects by increasing activity-induced energy expenditure and resting metabolic rate for several hours after exercise. Effects of exercise on circulating thyroid hormone values remain controversial. We have investigated the effect of acute aerobic exercise on thyroid hormone values.

MATERIALS/METHODS: The effect of different intensity levels of acute aerobic exercise on thyroid hormones was investigated in 60 male well-trained athletes by performing bicycle ergometer at 45% (low intensity), 70% (moderate intensity), and 90% (high intensity). These intensities were selected according to their maximum heart rate (MHR). At each intensity level, heart rate, blood lactic acid, serum total thyroxine (T4), free thyroxine (fT4), total triiodothyronine (T3), free triiodothyronine (fT3) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) values were measured.

RESULTS: The results of this study show that exercise performed at the anaerobic threshold (70% of maximum heart rate, lactate level 4.59 +/- 1.75 mmol/l) caused the most prominent changes in the amount of any hormone values. While the rate of T4, fT4, and TSH continued to rise at 90% of maximum heart rate, the rate of T3 and fT3 started to fall.

CONCLUSIONS: Maximal aerobic exercise greatly affects the level of circulating thyroid hormones....

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Controlled Clinical Trial 2005; 26(6): 653-656 PubMed PMID: 16380697 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Circadian Rhythm:physiology, Down-Regulation, Female, Humans, Kidney Failure, Chronic:blood, Male, Melatonin:blood, Middle Aged, Reference Values, Renal Dialysis, Reproducibility of Results,.   

OBJECTIVES: In spite of broad interest, intensive studies on function of melatonin have not yielded much information about relationships between this hormone and kidneys in health, and particularity, in disease. There are only a few studies dealing with melatonin concentrations in renal diseases, mainly performed in hemodialyzed patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Moreover, the most melatonin assays were performed during the daytime, and the results are conflicting. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the circadian melatonin profiles in patients ESRD before and after hemodialysis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty patients (19 males and 11 females) with ESRD undergoing dialysis, aged 22 to 64 years (mean+/-SEM: 49.1.0+/-1.9 years) were included in the study. The control group consisted of 20 healthy volunteers (13 males and 7 females) aged 35 to 55 years (mean+/-SEM: 46.2+/-1.4 years) matched according to sex and age. Blood samples were collected on the day preceding hemodialysis and one day following dialysis at 08:00, 12:00, 16:00, 20:00, 24:00, 02:00, 04:00, and 08:00 h. Melatonin concentration was measured by enzyme immunoassay.

RESULTS: In patients with renal insufficiency undergoing dialysis mean melatonin nocturnal concentrations were significantly lower then those in healthy volunteers. The presence of the circadian rhythm in melatonin concentrations (although of significantly lower nocturnal amplitude) was detected only in 8 patients with renal failure undergoing hemodialysis, whereas in remaining 22 patients no such rhythm was found. Hemodialysis did not influence melatonin concentrations.

CONCLUSIONS: The mechanism of depressed melatonin concentrations in hemodialyzed patients observed in our study remains unclear. However, it seems possible that decline in melatonin levels is due to impairment in adrenergic function that occurs in renal failure. Because the studies on the melatonin secretion in chronic renal failure bring about conflicting results, the relationship between renal diseases and melatonin secretion needs further investigations....

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Journal Article 2005; 26(4): 355-360 PubMed PMID: 16136009 Citation  Keywords:  Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Aggression:physiology, Female, Hostility, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Personality:physiology, Reference Values, Stress, Psychological:blood, Testosterone:blood,.   

OBJECTIVES: Many studies assessing the role of sex hormones, like testosterone, on stress and hostility factors have been primarily conducted in selected atypical populations such as violent criminals as well as androgen users and abusers. Therefore, the main aim of the current study was to investigate the association between testosterone levels and two psychosocial variables: stress and hostility in a cohort of healthy individuals who were members of a health maintenance organization (HMO).

METHODS: At five quarterly visits, psychosocial scales and blood draws were collected. Psychological stress was measured by using several scales that assessed different types of stress, including daily hassles, major life events and perceived stress. Similarly, different aspects of hostility were measured, among them cynicism, hostile affect and aggressive responding. Plasma collected from each visit was used for testosterone level determinations.

RESULTS: Testosterone levels were significantly associated with stress in both males and females. However, whereas this association exhibited a "threshold effect" in males, it demonstrated a direct and continuous linear relationship between these variables in females. Hostility was not correlated with testosterone levels in neither males nor females.

CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that testosterone levels in normal males and females may be more reflective of an intricate balance between physiological responding and emotional coping to stressors than the hostility profile of the individual....

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Clinical Trial 2005; 26(2): 148-151 PubMed PMID: 15855887 Citation  Keywords:  Adipose Tissue:physiology, Adolescent, Adult, Anthropometry, Body Composition:physiology, Body Mass Index, Exercise, Football:physiology, Humans, Leptin:blood, Life Style, Male, Reference Values,.   

OBJECTIVE: In the present study we aimed at investigating leptin levels in professional male athletes who have been exercising regularly for a long time and leptin levels in healthy sedentary males.

METHODS: The study included 10 male professional football players and 17 healthy sedentary males. The relations between groups in terms of leptin levels, Max VO2 levels, blood lactic acid levels before and after exercise and effort durations were investigated.

RESULTS: It was found in the study that although BMI of professional male athletes was higher than that of the healthy sedentary males, leptin levels of the former were significantly lower (p<0.01), while VO2Max levels (p<0.05) and test periods (p<0.01) were significantly higher than those in the latter. As for lactic acid levels after exercise and between groups, these were also higher in athletes, but the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05).

CONCLUSION: Leptin levels of those who exercised regularly were found lower than the levels in healthy males. Although the increase in serum leptin levels is in direct proportion with BMI in general, the major determinant of serum leptin level is the body fat rate. As regular exercising reduces body fat rate, it also reduces serum leptin levels....

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