Neuroendocrinol Lett
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Neuroendocrinol Lett · Aug 2005
Vasopressin release from the rat hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system: effects of tachykinin NK-1 and NK-2 receptors agonists and antagonists.
Present experiments were undertaken to study the influence of peptide NK-1 and NK-2 receptor agonists and antagonists as well as substance P and neurokinin A (the natural ligands for these tachykinin receptors) on vasopressin (AVP) secretion from the rat hypothalamo-neurohypophysial (HN) system in vitro. ⋯ The present data indicate a role for tachykinin NK-1 (and possibly for NK-2) receptors in tachykinin-mediated stimulation of AVP secretion from the rat HN system in vitro.
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Neuroendocrinol Lett · Aug 2004
ReviewThe neurobiology of pleasure, reward processes, addiction and their health implications.
Modern science begins to understand pleasure as a potential component of salutogenesis. Thereby, pleasure is described as a state or feeling of happiness and satisfaction resulting from an experience that one enjoys. We examine the neurobiological factors underlying reward processes and pleasure phenomena. ⋯ Pleasurable activities can stimulate personal growth and may help to induce healthy behavioral changes, including stress management. However, more research is needed to better understand the nature, neurobiology and maybe dangerous aspects of pleasure. Also, a possible involvement of endogenous morphinergic signaling has to be studied further.
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Neuroendocrinol Lett · Jun 2003
Case ReportsThe steroid-responsive hiccup reflex arc: competitive binding to the corticosteroid-receptor?
Hiccups occurring secondary to high-doses of corticosteroids are a well-recognized problem in the field of neurosurgery. Numerous reports of oral, intravenous and intraarticular corticosteroids inducing hiccups exist in the literature. To date, there is only one case of anabolic steroids inducing hiccups. ⋯ Oxandrin was discontinued to assess the possibility of a anabolic steroid-induced singultus. The hiccups resolved within 24 hours. This report validates the previous report on anabolic steroids inducing hiccups and exemplifies the ability for steroids as a class, due to there backbone structural homology, to induce function even as competitive inhibitors.
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Neuroendocrinol Lett · Aug 2002
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialNeuroimmunotherapy of untreatable metastatic solid tumors with subcutaneous low-dose interleukin-2, melatonin and naltrexone: modulation of interleukin-2-induced antitumor immunity by blocking the opioid system.
The preliminary applications of the psychoneuroimmunological knowledges to the treatment of human diseases have confirmed the possibility to amplify IL-2-dependent anticancer immunity by the pineal hormone melatonin (MLT) or by opioid antagonist, such as naltrexone (NTX), which act by activating TH1 lymphocytes or suppressing TH2 lymphocytes, respectively. At present, however, there are no data about the immunobiological effects of a concomitant administration of both MLT and NTX on IL-2-induced anticancer immunity. This preliminary study was carried out to evaluate whether the association of NTX may further enhance the lymphocytosis induced by the neuroimmunotherapy with IL-2 plus MLT. ⋯ This preliminary study shows that the association of NTX further amplifies the lymphocytosis obtained by IL-2 plus MLT. Since the lymphocytosis represents the most important favourable prognostic variable predicting the anticancer efficacy of IL-2 immunotherapy, it is probable that a cancer neuroimmunotherapy with IL-2 plus both MLT and NTX to activate TH1 and suppress TH2 cells respectively, may deserve more promising results in the treatment of human neoplasms according to the psychoneuroimnunological knowledge.
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Neuroendocrinol Lett · Apr 2002
Myocardial injury in scorpion envenomed children: significance of assessment of serum troponin I and interleukin-8.
(1) To investigate the significance of assessment of serum levels of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) beside other biomarkers of myocardial injury in scorpion envenomed children. (2) To find the correlation between these biochemical indices with clinical status, prognosis and outcome of these cases. ⋯ it may be suggested that cTnI is the most specific marker for diagnosis of myocardial injury in scorpion envenomation, which is almost associated with skeletal muscle injury. Other biochemical markers did not show such specificity. Also, IL-8 may be involved in the pathogenesis of myocardial injury of scorpion envenomation. Both cTnI and IL-8 may be useful to forecast the fatal outcome in scorpion envenomation.