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Journal Article 2006; 27(1-2): 281-287 PubMed PMID: 16648811 Citation  Keywords:  Analgesics, Animals, Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation:pharmacology, Blood Glucose:metabolism, Diabetes Complications:drug therapy, Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental:blood, Female, Fluoxetine:pharmacology, Hyperalgesia:drug therapy, Male, Mice, Mice,.   

OBJECTIVES: Clinical and experimental trials have demonstrated that some of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have some suspicious effects on blood glucose levels in different directions. Especially fluoxetine and sertraline are studied in this point of view. These drugs are also used in treatment of depression and peripheral neuropathy in diabetic patients. Paroxetine and fluoxetine, members of this drug group, besides having antidepressant effects were shown to have antinociceptive effects in animals and humans. They can be used in the treatment of chronic pain as an adjuvant drug or alone. But less is known about their actions on pain in case of diabetes. The aim of this study is to investigate the antinociceptive effects of fluoxetine and paroxetine in diabetic and non-diabetic mice while monitoring their effects on blood glucose levels.

METHODS: Mice of either sex were randomly used in experiments. The antinociceptive effects of paroxetine and fluoxetine were evaluated using hot plate test both in diabetic and non-diabetic mice. The effects of these drugs on blood glucose levels were also evaluated in another group of mice both in diabetic and non-diabetic mice.

RESULTS: Fluoxetine and paroxetine showed significant antinociceptive effect at all doses and at all times tested in non-diabetic mice, but they could not successfully show this effect in diabetic mice. They also had controversial effects on blood glucose levels.

CONCLUSION: Although they showed increasing or decreasing effects on blood glucose levels in non-diabetic and diabetic mice, they showed antinociception on hot-plate test showing dissociation between blood glucose levels and analgesia....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(1-2): 257-259 PubMed PMID: 16648808 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Bombesin:pharmacology, Estradiol:pharmacology, Estrogens:pharmacology, Female, Injections, Intraventricular, Luteinizing Hormone:antagonists & inhibitors, Ovariectomy, Rats, Rats, Inbred WKY,.   

OBJECTIVE: Bombesin, 14-amino acid peptide, discovered in the gastrointestinal tract, is widely distributed in the central nervous system (CNS). The specific receptors of bombesin in the pituitary have been characterized. Bombesin plays an important role in the gastric and pancreatic secretion, in the mechanism of food intake, thermoregulation and in pituitary hormone secretion. There are contentious opinions about the effect of bombesin on hormone secretion.

THE AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of estrogens in the modulation of bombesin action on LH release.

RESEARCH METHODS: Female Wistar-Kyoto rats, two weeks after ovariectomy (OVX), were implanted with a cannula being located in the third cerebroventricle. Thereafter, the rats were primed with 17beta estradiol in a dose of 25microg/0.2ml s.c. for three consecutive days. On the day of the experiment, bombesin at a concentration of 0.5 microg in 5microl vehicle (artificial cerebrospinal fluid) or equal volume of the vehicle was infused into the third ventricle with an automatic pump. At 60 or 120 min after the infusion the animals were decapitated, and the trunk blood was collected. Rat serum LH was measured by RIA kit supplied by Dr A.F. Parlow from NIDDK Baltimore, MD.

RESULTS: Bombesin inhibited LH release at 120 min and it did not change LH release at 60 min after icv administration.

CONCLUSIONS: The response of LH release after central injection of bombesin is modified by estrogens....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(1-2): 183-188 PubMed PMID: 16648806 Citation  Keywords:  Absorptiometry, Photon, Acromegaly:blood, Adult, Aged, Body Mass Index, Bone Density:physiology, Cytokines:blood, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Female, Human Growth Hormone:blood, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Sex Characteristics, Testosterone:blood,.   

OBJECTIVES: Elevated cytokines levels were observed as a marker of increased bone resorption in certain diseases. The aim was to assess serum levels of selected cytokines in acromegaly, regarding to different disease's stages, gonadal function, gender and character of BMD change.

METHODS: The study was carried out in 62 patients with acromegaly (40 women, 22 men) aged 26-75 years in various stages of the disease. The controls were 30 healthy, age- and sex-matched subjects. Serum cytokines concentration was assessed using ELISA method.

RESULTS: We have shown higher (p=0.044) concentrations of TGF-beta in male patients with active acromegaly than in cured males. When the influence of all cytokines studied on BMD using multiple regression analysis was carried out, the borderline (p=0.099) statistical significance was achieved (regression coefficient B=0.68271) according to TGF-beta and trochanter major BMD. IL-6 and TNF-alpha were higher (p=0.062, and p=0.098, respectively) in these acromegalic patients, in which gain of trochanter major BMD occurred. IL-1beta levels were lower in patients with ultradistal radius and 1/3 distal radius BMD gain (p=0.007, and p=0.009, respectively). Lower TGF-beta levels (p=0.077) were shown in patients with 1/3 distal radius gain. IL-6 levels were higher in patients with total body BMD gain (p=0.059).

CONCLUSIONS: The relations between TGF-beta and acromegaly activity in men, and trochanter major BMD in both sexes were documented. Concentrations of all cytokines studied correlated with the BMD changes in different bone sites. Noteworthy is homogeneity of the secretory character of cytokines studied according to BMD changes within particular skeleton sites....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(1-2): 53-59 PubMed PMID: 16648803 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Computer Graphics, Databases, Factual, Humans, Immune System:immunology, Internet, Neurosecretory Systems:immunology, Signal Transduction:genetics, Tissue Distribution,.   

OBJECTIVES: To construct a specific database for the neuro-endocrine-immune (NEI) interactions.

METHODS/RESULTS: Version 1.0 database for neuro-endocrine-immune (dbNEI) serves as a web-based knowledge resource specific for the NEI systems. dbNEI collects 1,058 NEI related signal molecules, their 940 interactions and 72 affiliated tissues from the Cell Signaling Networks database, manually selects 982 NEI papers from PubMed, and gives links to 27,848 NEI generally related genes from UniGene database. NEI related information, such as signal transductions, regulations and control subunits, is integrated. Especially, dbNEI represents as graphic visualization, by which control subunits can be automatically obtained according to the inquiring issues, the combinative queries and the NEI related diseases respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: dbNEI, which can be accessed at http://bioinfo.au.tsinghua.edu.cn/dbNEIweb/, provides a knowledge environment for understanding the main regulatory systems of NEI in a molecular level....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(1-2): 277-280 PubMed PMID: 16648799 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Carbohydrate Metabolism:physiology, Diabetes, Gestational:blood, Diet, Diabetic, Fatty Acids, Nonesterified:blood, Female, Fetal Blood:chemistry, Fetal Development:physiology, Humans, Hypoglycemic Agents:therapeutic use, Insulin:therapeutic use, Pr.   

AIM OF THE STUDY: The investigation of the influence of maternal serum free fatty acids (FFA) levels on the course of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

MATERIAL AND METHODS: On the basis of GDM diagnosis 52 diabetic and 39 non-diabetic pregnant women were recruited to the study. Treatment modalities for diabetic group included diet alone (GDM1; n-36) or a combination of insulin and diet (GDM2; n-16). Maternal serum free fatty acids were measured before treatment, after 4 weeks therapy, during delivery and in umbilical cord blood.

RESULTS: Plasma levels of FFA were higher in GDM pregnant women treated later only by diet compare with GDM patients required later insulin and non-diabetic gravidas. In GDM diet treated group plasma FFA levels progressively decreased with treatment duration. The plasma FFA levels in umbilical cord blood did not differ between the study groups. We found a positive correlation between maternal venous and umbilical cord blood concentration of free fatty acids. Maternal FFA levels positively correlated with neonatal births weight.

CONCLUSION: Elevated plasma FFA levels are associated with GDM and can influence fetal growth. Early and intensified GDM treatment may decrease the level of circulating fatty acids....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(1-2): 81-84 PubMed PMID: 16648798 Citation  Keywords:  Aflatoxin B1:antagonists & inhibitors, Animals, Antioxidants:pharmacology, Apoptosis:drug effects, Cell Death:drug effects, Injections, Intraperitoneal, Male, Melatonin:pharmacology, Rats, Rats, Wistar, Thyroid Gland:cytology,.   

OBJECTIVES: Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a normal component in the development of multicellular organisms and is essential for many physiological processes. Apoptosis is a process in which cells play an active role in their own death (apoptosis is often referred to as "cell suicide"). Disturbances of apoptosis regulation can result in many diseases. Certain substances (for example--aflatoxin B1; AFB1) can induce apoptosis in various organs and tissues. Melatonin (Mel) is a hormone (indoleamine) which has antioxidant, antiproliferative and, potentially, anticancerogenic activities. The aim of our study was to examine the influence of late-afternoon (1600-1800) intraperitoneal (i.p.) Mel injections, administered for 3 weeks, on the process of apoptosis in male Wistar rat thyroid follicular cells (TFC); Mel was injected alone or together with AFB1 (i.p., also once daily for 3 weeks).

METHODS: In order to assess the process of apoptosis, evaluated in microscopic preparations of rat thyroids, an In Situ Cell Death Detection, POD Kit [Roche, GER] and the DAKO Liquid DAB Substrate-Chromogen System [DakoCytomation, USA] were employed.

RESULTS: Aflatoxin B1 increased the apoptotic index (I(apopt)) in rat TFC, in comparison to controls (p<0.001). The I(apopt) value in the rats, receiving Mel and AFB1 injections, was statistically lower, as compared to the value of the examined index in the group of AFB1-treated animals (p<0.001). No statistically significant differences of I(apopt) value were observed between the Mel-treated group of animals and the controls.

CONCLUSION: Melatonin can assumingly regulate the growth of cells and tissues by influencing the process of apoptosis....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(1-2): 253-256 PubMed PMID: 16648796 Citation  Keywords:  Aggression:drug effects, Animals, Behavior:drug effects, Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal:administration & dosage, Drug Implants, Feces:chemistry, Female, Grooming:drug effects, Hydrocortisone:metabolism, Levonorgestrel:administration & dosage, Macaca, Peri.   

OBJECTIVES: Contraceptives are common tools in controlling the reproductive physiology in primates. Levonorgestrel, a synthetic gestagen, can usually enable contraception and does not suppress the extension of perineal swellings.

SETTING: This study investigated the effects on intra-sexual behavior and fecal cortisol excretion rates in different swollen Barbary macaque females (N =24) during the non-reproductive phase of the year. The study was conducted on a semi-free population at Affenberg Salem (Germany).

RESULTS: The results showed that females with reduced swellings received more aggressive encounters than females with enlarged perinea; whereas, at the same time the latter individuals have increased their active grooming interactions paralleled with decreased fecal cortisol excretion rates. No correlations were found between the perineal swelling size and the dominance rank, age, or implantation time of the females.

MAIN FINDINGS: This report shows that the rate of perineal swelling expression can modulate intra-sexual behavior and stress reactivity in levonorgestrel implanted Barbary macaque females.

CONCLUSION: We conclude that large perineal swellings represent an influencing key factor in Barbary macaque females' social interactions, irrespective of whether these signals are shown naturally or induced biochemically....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(1-2): 63-69 PubMed PMID: 16648795 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Arachidonic Acids:pharmacology, Behavior, Animal:drug effects, Central Nervous System Stimulants:pharmacology, Indoles:pharmacology, Male, Methamphetamine:pharmacology, Mice, Mice, Inbred ICR, Motor Activity:drug effects, Piperidines:pharmacology.   

OBJECTIVES: An increased behavioural response ("behavioural sensitization") to drugs of abuse occurs after repeated treatment. In the present study the possibility of cross-sensitization existence between various cannabinoid receptor ligands--CB1 agonist methanandamide, CB2 agonist JWH 015, and CB1 antagonist AM 251 with methamphetamine was explored.

METHODS: Locomotion in the open field was measured in naive mice and in those pre-treated acutely and repeatedly (for 8 days), respectively, with either vehicle or tested drugs.

RESULTS: Methamphetamine produced significant sensitization to its stimulatory effect on locomotion. Methanandamide pre-treatment elicited cross-sensitization to methamphetamine effect, whereas pre-treatment with JWH 015 did not. Combined pre-treatment with methamphetamine+AM 251 suppressed sensitization to methamphetamine.

CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the activity of the endocannabinoid system is involved in the neuronal circuitry underlying the development of sensitization to methamphetamine....

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