Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation最新文献

Objectives: The study involves the effect of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal hormones disorders, and related to oxidative stress in individuals with PTSD to those in the healthy group after they experience a specific event that results in a congenital illness or limb loss.

Methods: Obtaining serum samples from males exclusively in cases where psychiatrists have determined that the men have experienced psychological damage brought on by a particular tragedy, and testing the men for hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and oxidative stress parameters in comparison to healthy participants.

Results: It was observed that there was a notable rise in cortisol levels (5.60 ± 0.93) at 4 pm compared with healthy control (3.43 ± 0.64) resulting from the stimulating effect of the pituitary gland, and this increase has a role in raising levels of oxidative stress in patients total oxidant status (1.08 ± 0.13) compared with control (0.70 ± 0.10). High oxidative stress may lead to increased prolactin levels and decreased testosterone levels.

Conclusions: Transmission of incorrect chemical signals from the central nervous system has a role in causing disturbances in hormonal levels of the hypothalamus and its associated glands, and thus an imbalance in the metabolic rate due to high cortisol. Also, high levels of prolactin hormones play a role in a significant decrease in testosterone levels.

Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and several other metabolic diseases are all largely attributed to the problem known as insulin resistance. Diagnosing insulin resistance promptly and accurately is essential for adequately managing and intervening in metabolic disorders. Several diagnostic methods have been developed to assess insulin resistance. However, each method has advantages and disadvantages. The most precise test is the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, which examines the direct impact of insulin on glucose uptake by tissues. However, it is primarily utilized in research due to its complexity and intrusiveness. Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) and the Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (QUICKI) are the second most used Insulin resistance tests in the clinical setup. These tests are based on measuring the fasting glucose and insulin levels. The Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT), Insulin tolerance test, and the Matsuda Index are further diagnostic procedures that shed light on insulin sensitivity. The improved techniques, such as the insulin suppression test and the minimal model analysis, provide substitutes for unique clinical circumstances. Additionally, including extra measurements with these tests, like waist circumference, lipid profiles, and inflammatory markers, can improve the evaluation of insulin resistance. In summary, identifying insulin resistance is essential for the early detection and treatment of various metabolic illnesses. To make educated judgments and improve patient care, healthcare workers should be aware of the different available diagnostic tests and how they are used in each situation. Insulin resistance detection and monitoring will require further study to improve current diagnostic approaches and create novel, less invasive techniques.

Objectives: The underlying causes and mechanisms of pre-eclampsia (PE), its exact etiology remains unclear and poorly understood. Hypoxia, ischemia, and oxidative stress induced by free radicals have been associated with development of PE. Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) is a chemically modified albumin due to oxidative stress. IMA, a serum biomarker of hypoxia, ischemia, and oxidative free radicals is a potential biomarker for PE. The aim of the current proposal was to study serum IMA as a diagnostic biomarker of pre-eclampsia (PE) in pregnant females and to evaluate the correlation between serum IMA and different markers of pre-eclampsia (BP, urinary protein, LFT, KFT, serum total protein & uric acid).

Methods: A total of 60 pregnant women aged between 21 and 35 years were recruited (30 PE cases and 30 normal pregnancy). Serum IMA was measured by spectrophotometric method developed by Bar-Or D. BP and biochemical parameters (urinary protein, LFT, KFT, serum total protein & uric acid) were also assayed and compared between two groups. Correlation analysis was done for analyzing the relationship between serum IMA and biochemical parameters.

Results: The mean serum IMA was significantly higher in normotensive pregnant females (0.93 ABSU) than PE cases (0.71 ABSU). Kidney function and liver function parameters were more deranged in PE cases than in controls. Serum IMA was positively correlated with serum creatinine (r=0.322), serum uric acid (r=0.54) and urinary protein (0.376) whereas negatively correlated with total serum bilirubin (r=-0.515) and serum albumin (r=-0.380).

Conclusions: Elevated serum IMA concentrations in normotensive pregnant controls as compared to PE cases suggest that apart from ongoing ischemia and oxidative stress in placenta IMA values are influenced by many other mechanisms in pregnancy.

Objectives: There are conflicting reports regarding the association of angiotensin 1 converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism with diabetic retinopathy (DR). We compared ACE gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism between patients with and without DR in a middle-aged Indian population. The secondary outcome measure was the comparison of ACE gene I/D polymorphism in different grades of DR severity.

Methods: Institutional cross-sectional case-control study with middle-aged (45-64 years) type 2 diabetes patients from Eastern India with DR (DR group) and without DR (NODR group). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to determine the ACE gene I/D polymorphism through primers flanking the polymorphic region of 287 bp Alu repeat sequence in intron 16.

Results: Genotyping for the ACE gene I/D polymorphisms were done for 107 patients in each group. The presence of DR had no significant association with the prevalence of ACE I/D genotype compared to those without DR either in the recessive model (p=0.588) or in the dominant model (p=0.891). The allele contrast was also similar between DR and NODR (p=0.837) groups. The severity of retinopathy was associated with the ACE I/D genotype in the recessive model (p=0.043) but not in the dominant model (p=0.136). However, the severity of retinopathy was associated with allele contrast (p=0.016).

Conclusions: The ACE gene polymorphism was not associated with diabetic retinopathy in middle-aged Indian patients with type 2 diabetes in our study. However, the severity of DR was associated with the ACE gene polymorphism in these patients.

Objectives: In Endometriosis is a gynecological disorder characterized by the growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity that is associated with chronic pelvic pain and subfertility. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of broccoli extract (BE) alone and in combination with soy isoflavones (SI) on endometrial implants in female rat.

Methods: In this study, endometriosis was induced surgically in 40 mature female rats. The rats were divided into 5 groups that were treated by oral gavage for 6 weeks with 0.5 mL of saline 0.9 %/day (control group), BE (3,000 mg/kg/day), SI (50 mg/kg/day), BE/soy isoflavones (BE 3000 mg/kg/day + soy isoflavones 50 mg/kg/day) and diphereline as a standard medication (3 mg/kg) intramuscularly. At the end of treatments, the volume and histopathology of the endometrial implants were compared among the 5 groups. The serum levels of oxidative parameters including superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were also compared between the groups. The volume of the implants significantly decreased in diphereline group (p=0.002).

Results: The histopathological grade of endometrial implants in BE/SI and diphereline group were significantly decreased compared to the control group (p=0.001). The serum levels of SOD in BE group were enhanced significantly in comparison to the control group (p=0.034).

Conclusions: BE in combination with SI decreased the growth and histopathologic grades of transplanted endometrial implants. These herbal compounds may have the potential therapeutic effect to be used as an alternative medication for the treatment of endometriosis.

Objectives: Metastasis in breast cancer is the first cause of death in patients. The epidermal growth factor (EGF) increases cancer cells' invasion, and migration. Melatonin's inhibitory effects on various types of cancer were confirmed. This study aimed to investigate whether melatonin could apply its impact through the EGF-related pathways or not.

Methods: First, MDA-MB-231 and MCF7 cells were cultured, and then melatonin effects on cell viability were determined by MTT assay. Transwell invasion assay was applied to identify the invasiveness of these breast cancer cell lines under treatment of EGF and melatonin. Real-time RT-PCR then investigated the expression of MMP9 and MMP2 in determined groups. Cell proliferation was also assayed under EGF and melatonin treatment using Ki67 assessment by flow cytometry.

Results: The rate of invasion and migration of EGF-treated cells increased in both groups, in which melatonin caused increased invasion by EGF just in MCF7 cells. MMP9 and MMP2 expression increased significantly in both cell lines under EGF treatment, and melatonin increased these genes' expression in both cell lines (p<0.05). EGF increased the MMP9 and MMP2 gene expression, and melatonin increased EGF-induced expression (p<0.05). The EGF reduced the expression of the Ki67 protein in the MCF7 cell line, which was negatively affected by melatonin and EGF. In contrast, along with melatonin, EGF did not affect the proliferation of the MDA-MB-231 cell line.

Conclusions: The results of this study show that melatonin in the presence of EGF does not show the anti-cancer properties previously described for this substance.

Objectives: Hypertension, substantially heightens the risk of cardiovascular disease. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of freeze-dried garlic extract in blood pressure and lipid profiles in prehypertensive individuals.

Methods: Participants (age of 30-70 years) were allocated to intervention (n=47) or control (n=49) groups. The intervention group received two capsules of freeze-dried garlic extract daily for eight weeks, while the control group received identical placebo capsules. Primary outcomes, SBP, DBP, PP, MAP, TC, TG, LDL and HDL levels, serum NO levels, were assessed at baseline, four weeks, and eight weeks.

Results: At the end of study, results showed significant changes in the values of SBP, DBP, and MAP except for PP. In comparison to those who received the placebo, a significant drop in SBP, DBP (p<0.001), and MAP (p<0.001) was observed in the intervention group. Also, there were significant changes in TG, LDL, TC, and HDL levels in the interventional group. A noticeable decline was reported in TG (p<0.001), LDL (p<0.001), and TC (p<0.001), while HDL levels increased (p<0.001) in the intervention group compared to those receiving the placebo. Following garlic supplementation, a significant increase in blood NO levels was reported in the intervention group (p<0.001).

Conclusions: The study showed that garlic supplementation was effective in lowering blood pressure, improving lipid profile, and increasing nitric oxide levels in prehypertensive participants. These results indicate that garlic could be a valuable complementary therapy for managing prehypertension.

Objectives: Digit ratio (2D:4D), as endocrine fingerprint, can indicate prenatal androgen exposure. It serves as an anatomical marker for various systemic diseases and a few studies relating it to oral health. The present study aims to evaluate the association between digit ratio and susceptibility to dental plaque formation.

Methods: The study was conducted on young adults aged between 18 and 25 years. Digit ratio and reproductive hormones were measured; dental plaque score and gingival index (GI) were recorded. Data were analysed using the MedCalc. v.20.

Results: Male and female participants were categorized into two groups based on their digit ratios being either above or below the calculated average (0.99 for females, 0.98 for males). Those with a digit ratio below the average had a significantly higher mean dental plaque score (p < 0.0001) than those with ratios at or above the average. However, there was no significant difference in the GI between the two groups. Reproductive hormone profiles varied significantly between the higher and lower digit ratio groups for both sexes.

Conclusions: Digit ratio may find potential to be used as an anatomical marker to identify the susceptibility to dental plaque build-up.

D-dimer, a universally unique marker for fibrin degradation, is generated through the enzymatic interplay of thrombin, factor XIIIa, and plasmin. The emergence of D-dimer-containing fibrin molecules occurs in both intravascular and extravascular spaces during pivotal physiological processes like haemostasis, thrombosis, and tissue repair. Given the inherently physiological nature of fibrin formation and fibrinolysis, basal levels of D-dimer fragments are present in plasma. Beyond its role as a marker of routine physiological processes, aberrations in D-dimer levels are indicative of a spectrum of conditions, both non-pathological and pathological. The clinical utility of D-dimer has been firmly established, particularly in scenarios like venous thromboembolism (VTE), pulmonary embolism (PE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Additionally, recent applications have extended to assess the prognosis of COVID-19. While D-dimer is commonly associated with thrombotic conditions, its elevation is not confined to these conditions alone. Elevated D-dimer levels are observed across various diseases, where its significance extends beyond diagnostic indicators to prognostic implications.