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Human ethology and evolutionary psychology. Special issue dedicated to the memory of Dr. Zdenek Klein. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2002 Dec; 23(Suppl 4): 6-115
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate treatment of patients suffering from chronic ill health with a multitude of symptoms associated with metal exposure from dental amalgam and other metal alloys.
SETTING AND DESIGN: We included 796 patients in a retrospective study using a questionnaire about symptom changes, changes in quality of life as a consequence of treatment and assessment of care taking.
METHODS: Treatment of the patients by removal of offending dental metals and concomitant antioxidant therapy was implemented according to the Uppsala model based on a close co-operation between physicians and dentists.
RESULTS: More than 70% of the responders, remaining after exclusion of those who had not begun or completed removal, reported substantial recovery and increased quality of life. Comparison with similar studies showed accordance of the main results. Plasma concentrations of mercury before and after treatment supported the metal exposure to be causative for the ill health.
MAIN FINDINGS: Treatment according to the Uppsala model proved to be adequate for more than 70% of the patients. Patients with a high probability to respond successfully to current therapy might be detected by symptom profiles before treatment.
CONCLUSIONS: The hypothesis that metal exposure from dental amalgam can cause ill health in a susceptible part of the exposed population was supported. Further research is warranted to develop laboratory tests to support identification of the group of patients responding to current therapy as well as to find out causes of problems in the group with no or negative results....
Lindh U, Hudecek R, Danersund A, Eriksson S, Lindvall A. Removal of dental amalgam and other metal alloys supported by antioxidant therapy alleviates symptoms and improves quality of life in patients with amalgam-associated ill health. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2002 Dec; 23(5-6): 459-482
BACKGROUND: Estrogens have not only direct and beneficial effect on relaxation of the arteries increasing the blood flow in the blood vessels, but also their level of secretion has considerable effect on synthesis of acetylcholine a neurotransmitter indispensable for appropriate functioning of the hearing organ. The aim of this study is analysis of the effect of hormones on the hearing organ in women who underwent surgical castration.
MATERIAL: The study included 40 females, aged between 32 55 years who had undergone an operative treatment mainly because of uterine myoma. A group of 50 women aged between 32 50 years with appropriate hormone level comprised the control group.
METHOD: Each woman investigated underwent the following examinations: gynaecological, otolaryngological and laboratory tests, such as: evaluation of levels of estradiol (E) and folliculin stimulating hormone (FSH). The assessment of hearing was carried out using tone and speech audiometry, tympanometry, test registration of auditory brain stem responses (ABR) and otoacoustic emissions (EOAE). The examinations mentioned above are performed in women as initial examinations before surgical treatment and as follow-up examinations 1, 3 and 12 months after the surgery.
RESULTS: The results presented in this paper include initial examinations and follow-ups 3 months after the surgical treatment taking into consideration the correlation with the results of laboratory tests and the results obtained in the control group....
Reron A, Reron E, Strek P, Trojnar-Podlesny M. The effect of hormonal factors on the hearing organ in women, after surgical castration. Preliminary report. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2002 Dec; 23(5-6): 455-458
OBJECTIVES: The content of C-Fos protein was tested in rat pinealocytes in the norm and stress and in case of intranasal administration of Epitalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly), which regulated pineal secretion processes, presumably, via protooncogenes.
SETTING: Intact and osmotic-stress-exposed rats were used for the immunohistochemical detection of C-Fos protein. All animals were intranasally administered with Epitalon, the last infusion made in two hours before the biopsy. Simultaneously, light microscopy of the pineal parenchyma was performed in all groups of animals.
RESULTS: A slight but significant C-Fos increase was observed only in stress-exposed pinealocytes of rats after intranasal Epitalon infusions. C-Fos was irregularly distributed throughout pineal cells. In stress, the clusters of 5 10 cells containing C-Fos in their cytoplasm were detected. The dilation of capillaries and pericapillary space induced by an osmotic stress was partially reduced by the intranasal infusions of Epitalon.
CONCLUSIONS: Tetrapeptide Epitalon is synthesised on the basis of the amino acid composition of pineal peptide extract Epithalamin. Epitalon modulates pineal secretion only under a stress impact but never in the norm. It prevents osmotic-stress-induced pathologic changes in the pineal parenchyma structure. Besides, the physiological activity of Epitalon seems to be mediated by the activation of protooncogenes in pinealocytes....
Sibarov D, Kovalenko R, Malinin V, Khavinson V. Epitalon influences pineal secretion in stress-exposed rats in the daytime. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2002 Dec; 23(5-6): 452-454
: The term neuroendocrine has been used to define cells that secrete their products in a regulated manner, in response to a specific stimulus. The neuroendocrine system includes neurons and endocrine cells sharing a common phenotypic program characterized by the expression of markers such as neuropeptides, chromogranins, neuropeptide processing enzymes SPC2 and SPC3 (subtilase-like pro-protein convertases) or dense core secretory granules. Various theories such as the APUD (amine precursor uptake decarboxylation) concept, the diffuse neuroendocrine system (DNES) or the paraneuron concept have been put forth to classify neuroendocrine cells as a cohesive group. Neuroendocrine characteristics have been used as evidence of a common embryological origin for normal and neoplastic cells. However, it is now recognized that neuroendocrine characteristics can be observed in various cell types, such as immunocytes, that are not of a common embryological origin with either neurons or endocrine cells. We propose to redefine previous "neuroendocrine" concepts to include the notion that activation of specific genetic switches can lead to the expression of a partial or full neuroendocrine phenotype in a variety of cell types, including immune cells....
Day R, Salzet M. The neuroendocrine phenotype, cellular plasticity, and the search for genetic switches: redefining the diffuse neuroendocrine system. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2002 Dec; 23(5-6): 447-451
OBJECTIVE: Ghrelin is a newly discovered peptide, which was first demonstrated in the epithelium of rat stomach. The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of ghrelin on glucagon secretion from pancreatic tissue fragments of normal and diabetic rats.
METHODS: Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin (60 mg Kg body weight 1) given intraperitoneally. Four weeks after the onset of diabetes, pancreatic fragments of normal and diabetic rats were incubated with different concentrations (10 12 10 6 M) of ghrelin. Glucagon release was measured using radioimmunoassay technique.
RESULTS: Ghrelin failed to stimulate or inhibit glucagon secretion from normal rat pancreas. However, it induced significant increases in glucagon secretion from pancreatic tissue fragments of diabetic rats. Either atropine (muscarinic cholinergic receptor antagonist) or propranolol (beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist) or yohimbine (alpha2-adrenergic receptor antagonist) or diltiazem (calcium channel antagonist) did not affect ghrelin-glucagon interaction. Moreover, a combination of atropine, propranolol and yohimbine had no significant effect on the interaction of ghrelin with glucagon.
CONCLUSION: The ghrelin-induced glucagon secretion in diabetic rats is not controlled via cholinergic or adrenergic pathways. In conclusion, it appears that the main target of ghrelin in the rat endocrine pancreas is not glucagon-producing cells but rather insulin secreting cells which are more involve in weight gain and body growth....
Adeghate E, Parvez H. Mechanism of ghrelin-evoked glucagon secretion from the pancreas of diabetic rats. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2002 Dec; 23(5-6): 432-436
GOAL: The casuistic of a child suffering from late infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL) of the type Jansky-Bielschowsky aims to provide a description of possible therapeutic options for the severe spastic and the debilitating myocloni that occur within the context of this disorder. Moreover, it also should include a discussion of potential indications for the application of delta 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (Dronabinol, Marinol) in childhood....
Lorenz R. A casuistic rationale for the treatment of spastic and myocloni in a childhood neurodegenerative disease: neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis of the type Jansky-Bielschowsky. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2002 Dec; 23(5-6): 387-390
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Kohyama J. Late nocturnal sleep onset impairs a melatonin shower in young children. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2002 Dec; 23(5-6): 385-386