Neuro endocrinology letters最新文献

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigated whether pretreated with Atorvastatin be helpful in diabetic or wild-type mice, and clarify the possible mechanisms.

Methods: C57/B6 and ob/ob mice treated with atorvastatin or not were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), which were killed after 2h of occlusion following by 22h of reperfusion. We used Neurological Severity Scores (NSS) to assess the severity of brain injury, and TTC staining was used to measure the infraction volume. Protein levels of PGC-1α, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), Bcl2, Bax and signaling pathway protein of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) were estimated by western blot.

Results: Atorvastatin could slake the cerebral ischemic/ reperfusion injury in ob/ob diabetic mice, but do nothing on wild-type mice. The expression of PGC-1α and related angiogenic factors such as VEGF and Ang-1 were lower in the diabetic mice after MCAO than wild-type, which could be effective reversed by atorvastatin pretreatment before MCAO. This may be one of the possible mechanisms for atorvastatin to alleviate ischemic injury. MAPK pathway and apoptosis-related proteins were also involved in this course.

Conclusion: Impaired angiogenesis mediated by PGC-1α plays an important role in exacerbating ischemic cerebral insults in diabetic mice, and pretreatment with atorvastatin before MCAO has a protective effect through the regulation of PGC-1α and angiogenic factors.

The ketogenic diet (KD) is an effective treatment for intractable epilepsy in children. Hypoglycemia can be one of its side-effects, which is considered to be present mainly during the introductory phase of KD. Continuous glucose monitoring in a 6-year old non-diabetic child treated with KD for more than 8 months revealed long periods of asymptomatic hypoglycemia (8.9% of the total time under 2.5 mmol/l, 10.6% of the total time in the range between 2.5-3.0, 29.1% in the range of 3.0-3.6 mmol/l). The episodes of serious hypoglycemia were associated with a fasting state. The amount of sacharides in KD was increased with substantial glycemic profile improvement.

Background: Post-stroke depression (PSD) has a significant effect on patients' quality of life and is often accompanied by a decrease in serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels. Although exercise is an effective way to improve the body's endocrine environment, traditional high-intensity resistance exercise is not yet readily accepted.

Purpose: To compare the acute effects of high and low resistance training with or without blood flow restriction on perception, BDNF, and VEGF levels in patients with PSD.

Method: A total of 24 patients with PSD participated in 2 40% 1- Repetition Maximum (RM) low-intensity resistance training sessions (the low-intensity resistance training group (LOW group) had no blood flow restriction belt; the low-intensity blood flow restriction group (L-BFR group) was required to wear a 120-160 mmHg pressure cuff at the proximal end of the limb) and 1 80% 1-RM high-intensity resistance training session (HIGH group). Elbow venous blood was collected before and after exercise to test for ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), serum blood lactic acid (BLA), BDNF, and VEGF levels.

Result and conclusion: There were no statistical differences between the RPE, BLA, BDNF, and VEGF levels of each group before exercise. After exercise, the RPE, BLA, and BDNF levels of the LOW group increased significantly (P < 0.05); the change in VEGF level of the LOW group was not significantly different from that before exercise (P > 0.05), and the indexes of the L-BFR group and the HIGH group were significant after the increase in exercise (P < 0.05). Analysis between groups showed that the changes in BLA, BDNF, and VEGF levels in the L-BFR group and HIGH group were higher than those in the LOW group, and the statistical difference was significant (P < 0.05); there was no change between the statistical difference of the L-BFR group and HIGH group (P > 0.05). The difference in RPE before and after exercise in the HIGH group was significantly higher than that in the L-BFR group (P < 0.05) and the difference in RPE before and after exercise in the L-BFR group was significantly higher than that in the LOW group (P < 0.05). Blood flow restriction resistance exercise may increase the serum BNDF and VEGF levels of PSD patients by increasing the body's BLA concentration. Although its effect is similar to that of traditional high-intensity resistance exercise, subjective physical strength is lower during blood flow restriction resistance exercise.

Objectives: Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is considered the third endocrine disorder worldwide. However, the incidence of PHPT is variable in different populations. Since there are no studies on PHPT performed in Bahrain or the surrounding Arab Middle Eastern countries, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and incidence of PHPT and its variants in Bahrain.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted over a 3-year period (2018-2020) at the Bahrain Defense Force Military Hospital. Patients' data with normal kidney function, age 14 years and older, and had related laboratory results (calcium, PTH, phosphorus, and vitamin D) were retrieved and analyzed for prevalence and incidence of hypercalcemia and PHPT according to age and sex.

Results: Out of 9650 patients, 417 patients had corrected hypercalcemia. Of these, 240, 125, and 88 patients per 100,000 had classic, non-classic, or early/normocalcemic PHPT, respectively. These numbers resulted in a prevalence of PHPT of 274 per 100,000 in Bahrain. The age-adjusted incidence of all types of PHPT was 179 per 100,000/year. Overall, PHPT incidence, whether classic or not, significantly increased in the 50 years age group and above (OR 1.023 with 95% CI 1.013-1.033). Furthermore, hypercalcemia and non-classic PHPT were predominant in females than males. Lastly, vitamin D level was significantly less in classic PHPT than the non-classic variant.

Conclusion: The high prevalence and incidence of PHPT should alarm physicians and clinical practices in Bahrain and the Middle East region to investigate routinely for classic and non-classic PHPT to control and manage the complications that arise from PHPT. However, more epidemiological studies in the Middle East region are warranted to investigate the reasons behind the high incidence of PHPT.

Objectives: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune and neurodegenerative disease. This study evaluated pregnancy-related issues in patients with MS in one perinatological centre.

Material and methods: A single-centre, retrospective study of the perinatal period in patients with MS admitted at the Dpt. of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University and the University Hospital in Martin, Slovak Republic, European Union from January 1, 2015 to December 1, 2020 was performed. Selected parameters from personal, obstetric, and neurological histories were analysed.

Results: A cohort of 15 patients (32.5±5.3 years) with a relapsing-remitting form of MS gave birth to 16 children. The mean length of MS at the time of delivery was 9±3.6 years. The severity of the Expanded Disability Status Scale score was 2.0±1.5. Caesarean section (CS) was indicated in 14 deliveries (87.5%). It was elective CS in 10 patients. The most common indication for elective CS was a combination of significant chronic fatigue syndrome and neurological deficit (paresis).

Conclusions: The basis for the management of pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period in women with MS is a planned pregnancy based on close cooperation among patients, gynaecologists, and neurologists. Vaginal delivery is not primarily contraindicated. Indications for CS should be considered individually. One way to minimise the indications for CS is a more accurate diagnosis and personalised treatment of fatigue in pregnant women with MS. Presumably, both obstetricians and neurologists prefer vaginal delivery as the first choice in patients with fatigue syndrome.

Objectives: Osteoblasts play an important role in the process of osteogenesis and prevention of osteonecrosis. Dexamethasone, a type of glucocorticoids (GCs), induce apoptosis of osteoblasts and lead to the occurrence of non-traumatic osteonecrosis. This study aimed to explore the effects of different doses and duration of Dexamethasone on osteoblast apoptosis of rats in vitro.

Methods: Proliferation and apoptosis of osteoblasts after Dexamethasone treatment were detected using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and FITC-Annexin V/PI staining. The expressions of caspase-3 and -9 in osteoblasts after Dexamethasone treatment were analyzed using western blotting and qRT-PCR. Dexamethasone remarkably inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of osteoblasts in a dose-and duration-dependent manner.

Results: As the intervention time extended, the expression of caspase-3 mRNA and caspase-9 mRNA in different Dexamethasone groups gradually increased in a duration-dependent manner. With the same time of intervention (12h, 24h, 48h), the expression of caspase-3 and -9 mRNA gradually increased in a dose-dependent manner. After treated with 5 * 10-8M, 5 * 10-7M, 5 * 10-6M and 5 * 10-5M Dexamethasone for 24 hours, the expression of cleaved caspase-3 and -9 protein increased in a dose-dependent manner.

Conclusion: Dexamethasone can induce osteoblast apoptosis in a duration- and dose-dependent manner.

Objective: Obstructive events in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) cause recurrent sleep fragmentation and occasional desaturation, which can cause various parasomnias, including nightmares. Several lines of evidence suggest that OSA may be potentially associated with a higher frequency of nightmares.

Method: We searched for studies published from January 2000 until November 2020 in PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Google Scholar. The keywords Obstructive Sleep Apnoea / OSA / Nightmares / CPAP / PTSD / Sleep Quality / Dream / were used in various combinations. The literature search identified 1361 articles which were eligible to more careful examination. Secondary texts were also examined, evaluated for suitability, and added to the primary document list. Finally, a total of 168 articles were included in the review.

Results: According to current findings, OSA could affect emotional regulation via activation of limbic system during sympathetic activation and suppression of REM sleep essential to emotional regulation. The reviews also found an increased prevalence of nightmares in OSA patients. OSA is significantly associated with psychiatric morbidity, as was proved in several studies. There seems to be a strong link between nightmares, OSA, PTSD symptoms and other disorder such as unipolar depression.

Conclusions: It is clear that therapy of OSA patients, especially those with psychiatric comorbidity, must be complex. In the case of nightmares, we should not forget to use psychotherapy as a first choice, particularly in patients with poor compliance to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and poor sleep and overall life quality. In the same time, we should emphasise the healthy lifestyle and sleep hygiene.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of 2-h moderately prolonged exercise with carbohydrate intake or water placebo on salivary and urinary α-amylase isoenzyme activity in trained men.

Materials and methods: Eleven aerobically fit men participated in this study. On two different occasions, participants performed 2-h cycling corresponding to a constant power output at 60% peak oxygen uptake. The study design involved a random order, placebo-controlled and cross-over assignment. Participants consumed either 6.2% carbohydrate solution or water placebo every twenty minutes thereafter (2 ml/kg body mass) over 2-h endurance exercise. Unstimulated whole salivary samples were collected using the passive drooling method at the 10-min period before and after exercise for the quantification of salivary α-amylase, immunoglobulin A (IgA) and total protein. Two-hour urinary samples were obtained at three time points before (-2-0h), immediately (0-2 h) after and 24-26 h after exercise for the analysis of α-amylase isoenzyme activity (pancreas- and saliva-derived types).

Results: The activity of α-amylase in saliva and urine was significantly increased in connect with salivary total protein concentration immediately after moderately long-lasting exercise, but salivary IgA concentration was not statistically significant with or without exogenous carbohydrate intake.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that 2-h moderate exercise appears to lead to the enhanced α-amylase activity in saliva and urine regardless of exogenous carbohydrate availability, demonstrating enhanced mucosal immune defense.

Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group accompanied by obvious pontocerebellar limitations. This condition is complex both genetically and phenotypically, making it difficult to describe all the variants simultaneously. Herein, we report a proband from a Chinese mainland family who was admitted to our hospital with paroxysmal limbs jitter and head-shaking. She had experienced broad-based gait, dysarthria, dysmetria, and tremor for about 20 years. Similar clinical symptoms were observed in the daughter, sister and deceased father of this proband. Magnetic resonance imaging showed varying degrees of cerebellar atrophy. The results of whole-exome sequencing (WES) indicated that the three affected members carried the c.590G>A mutation in the CCDC88C gene. Based on the diagnosis of SCA40, this proband was treated with aggressive management. Unfortunately, the proband died of suffocation due to laryngeal oedema. Paroxysmal limbs jitter may be a rare phenotype of SCA40 and may occur as a result of involuntary motion which should be differentiated from chorea and epilepsy. In patients with SCA40, pontocerebellar atrophy occurs to varying degrees. Even in the same family, the multiple patients diagnosed did not all exhibit pontocerebellar atrophy. Furthermore, WES is indispensable for the identification of some atypical phenotypes of SCA40.

It can be hard to get the work-life balance right in research and academia. There is no one-size-fits-all recommendation for 'the best work-life balance', as we all have different work-life priorities. But for scientists, at least, Nobel Laureates' thoughts on the matter may prove useful. As such, we describe and discuss, ten recommendations toward a good work-life balance voiced by ten 1996-2013 nobel laureates. "[Peter Medawar] told his young bride, pretentiously, that she had first claim on his love, but not on his time, made her buy her own wedding ring and often also her own Christmas presents. So preoccupied was he with his work that Jean had to be both father and mother to their four children". -Max Perutz (Perutz 2002).