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Biomedical subjects

A Elizur

Publications and source records attributed to A Elizur.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Sexual dysfunction in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: magnetic resonance imaging, clinical, and psychological correlates.

The purpose of this study was to examine the sexual complaints and severity of sexual dysfunction in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients and to correlate them with psychological, neurological, and radiological variables. Frequency and characteristics of sexual disturbances were reported by 41 multiple sclerosis patients (32 females, 9 males; mean age 35.4 +/- 10.2 y). Clinical neurologic variables tested were disease duration, exacerbation rate, and disability; psychological variables tested were anxiety and depression. All patients underwent a brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan at the time of this study. The sexual dysfunction questionnaire included items based on the 3 phases of human sexual response: loss of libido, excitement (arousal difficulties, impotence, premature ejaculation), and anorgasmia. Five males (55.5%) and 16 females (50.0%) reported at least 1 sexual disturbance. The most frequent dysfunctions were loss of libido (26.8%) and arousal difficulties (19.5%). Females rated their difficulties as more severe. Sexual dysfunctions correlated with depression, (r = 0.68, P = 0.001). No correlation between MRI score and depression was found. Anorgasmia correlated with brain stem and pyramidal abnormalities (r = 0.56, P = 0.011; r = 0.56, P = 0.012, respectively). The total area of lesions (plaques) on the brain MRI scan also correlated with anorgasmia (r = 0.41, P = 0.02). Sexual dysfunctions in multiple sclerosis patients are frequent, are mild to moderate in severity, correlate with depression and in some cases central nervous system (CNS) demyelinating process, and thus may be related either to the psychological impact of this disease or to specific organic lesions in the brain.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Psychoneuroimmunology: searching for the main deteriorating psychobehavioral factor.

Psychoneuroimmunology has become an independent science with a broad experimental basis. However, its theoretical basis is still very vague and ambiguous. There are many contradictions in the experimental data that have not been integrated into a united conception, and some accepted paradigms that remain doubtful. The present critical review suggests a conceptual approach to the problem based on the proposition of two opposite types of behavior (search activity and renunciation of search) with attempts to integrate experimental results by avoiding contradiction. The analysis of the literary data confirms that every behavior that includes search activity prevents psychoimmunological disorders, whereas renunciation of search displays a general predisposition to such disorders. Such an approach makes possible new solutions of paradoxes and broadens the possible interpretations of the alteration of immune functions in depression, anxiety, and stressful events.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1996

Requalifying examination and employment in immigrant physicians as predictors of successful immigration to Israel.

Thirty physicians who immigrated together from South America to Israel were followed during their first two years in Israel. Success in the medical requalifying examination and finding work as physicians correlated directly with permanency in Israel, and, inversely, returning to country of origin was associated with being unqualified and unemployed. Age, sex, marital status, religion and previous professional status were not associated with permanency in Israel.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Gonadotropin-releasing activities of the three native forms of gonadotropin-releasing hormone present in the brain of gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata.

Three forms of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) have been recently identified in the brain of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata): salmon GnRH (sGnRH), chicken GnRH-II (cGnRH-II), and a novel form, Ser8-mammalian GnRH, named seabream GnRH (sbGnRH). sbGnRH is the most abundant form in the pituitaries of sexually mature seabream during the spawning season. The present study investigated the gonadotropin-releasing activities of the three native forms of GnRH found in seabream brains, as well as of two structural analogs of sbGnRH. All native forms of GnRH stimulated gonadotropin-II (GtH-II) secretion in preovulatory female seabream. cGnRH-II was found to be 7 to 8 times more potent than sbGnRH and 2 times more potent than sGnRH in inducing GtH-II release. sGnRH was found to be 3.5 to 5 times more potent than sbGnRH in inducing GtH-II secretion. These data demonstrate that cGnRH-II, which is not present in pituitaries of sexually mature seabream, is the most potent GtH-II releaser, whereas sbGnRH, 500 times more abundant than sGnRH in the pituitary of maturing fish, is the least potent. The lower potency of sbGnRH may suggest faster enzymatic breakdown, more rapid clearance from the circulation, or a lower binding affinity to the pituitary GnRH receptor. The lower bioactivity of sbGnRH may be compensated for by its high levels in the pituitary. The two analogs of sbGnRH, [D-Nal(2)6,Pro9-NEt]-sbGnRH and [D-Arg6,Pro9-NEt]-sbGnRH, were equipotent to each other and 5 times more potent than sbGnRH in inducing GtH-II release in preovulatory seabream. However, they were 5 to 6 times less active than the analog of mammalian GnRH, [D-Ala6,Pro9-NEt]-mGnRH. Strategies for designing superactive analogs of sbGnRH are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Increased interleukin-1 and interleukin-3 like activity in schizophrenic patients.

1. The interleukins play an important role in the development and maintenance of the immune system 2. Decreased cell mediated immunity measures were found in schizophrenic patients. 3. The purpose of the present study was to study the spontaneous production of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and interleukin-3 like activity (IL-3-LA) by human mononuclear cells from schizophrenic patients in comparison to healthy individuals. 4. Interleukin-1 was increased significant by schizophrenic patients as compared to controls. 5. Interleukin-3 like activity was slightly elevated in schizophrenic patients as compared to controls. 6. These findings support the hypothesis of an autoimmune dysfunction in some schizophrenic patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Maintaining schizophrenic patients on benzodiazepines.

The role of benzodiazepines (BZDs) in the treatment of schizophrenia is widely researched since the sixties. Nevertheless the role of BZD's as sole agents for the maintainance phase in pharmacotherapy of schizophrenic patients received little attention. We have conducted a retrospective review of all medical records of ambulatory schizophrenic patients in an out-patient setting receiving only BZD maintainance treatment. Three factors characterized these patients: long duration of illness, few hospitalizations and a relatively low dose response to BZD's.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

A comparison of two modalities of cognitive therapy (individual and marital) in treating depression.

Historically, depression was explained and treated intrapsychically and/or biochemically. In the 1970s theoretical propositions and treatment applications began to appear that offered that depression should be viewed cognitively (Beck 1963, 1974; Beck et al. 1979) or interpersonally (Coyne 1976a, 1976b; Klerman et al. 1984). Simultaneously, though more sporadically, marital interventions started to attract interest (Feldman 1976; Friedman 1975). The cognitive and interpersonal trends of thinking stimulated researchers to investigate the efficacy of these therapeutic modalities and to compare them with each other. Interest in these two treatments peaked with the publication of the study that emerged from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program (Elkin et al. 1989). This well-known research found that the two psychotherapies were similarly effective, but that the interpersonal approach was slightly more successful with more severely depressed patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Imipramine binding to blood platelets and aggressive behavior in offenders, schizophrenics and normal volunteers.

The relationships between [3H]imipramine binding to blood platelets and manifestation of aggressive behavior was studied in three different groups of subjects. Arrested offenders displayed high imipramine binding compared to controls, with violent offenders exceeding their nonviolent counterparts. Hostile schizophrenic patients showed imipramine binding higher than nonhostile matched patients. In normal volunteers, on the other hand, no correlation between imipramine binding and scores of aggression was found. The results support the notion about the involvement of a neuronal serotonergic system in the regulation of aggressive behavior. The contribution of this biological factor is detectable in pathological manifestation of aggression but not in normal behavior.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Double-blind, controlled trial of inositol treatment of depression.

OBJECTIVE: CSF levels of inositol have been reported to be lower than normal in depressed subjects. The authors administered inositol to depressed patients in a double-blind, controlled trial. METHOD: Under double-blind conditions, 12 g/day of inositol (N = 13) or placebo (N = 15) was administered to depressed patients for 4 weeks. RESULTS: The overall improvement in scores on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale was significantly greater for inositol than for placebo at week 4. No changes were noted in hematology or in kidney or liver function. CONCLUSIONS: This may be the first use of the precursor strategy for a second messenger rather than a neurotransmitter in treating depression. Although inositol had a significant antidepressant effect in this study, replication is crucial.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Season of birth and autistic disorder in Israel.

OBJECTIVE: Variations in month of birth were examined in patients with infantile autism to test the hypothesis that birth in a particular month may be a risk factor for this disorder. METHOD: Data for autistic patients registered with the National League for Autism in Israel (N = 188) during the years 1964-1986 were compared with data on monthly distribution of live births in Israel for the corresponding period. RESULTS: After risk ratio estimates were computed for children born with infantile autism for each month, a significant increase was observed for children born in March and August. This association was true for each year throughout the study. An additional finding was a significantly higher rate of birth of autistic children in the years 1970-1976. CONCLUSIONS: This study, although made in a different climatic area than three earlier studies, further emphasizes the earlier findings that March and August births are a risk factor for development of autistic disorder.

Autistic Disorder↗
PubMed1995

Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) gonadotrophin-I and -II subunits.

Two types of cDNA, each encoding a different beta-subunit of striped bass (Morone saxatilis, Teleostei) gonadotrophins (GTH-I beta and GTH-II beta), as well as the glycoprotein alpha-subunit, were cloned by screening a striped bass pituitary cDNA library. The probes used for screening the library were cloned cDNA fragments, generated by PCR amplification of reverse-transcribed mRNA obtained from two pituitaries. The nucleotide sequences of the alpha-subunit, GTH-I beta and GTH-II beta are 626, 524 and 580 bases long, encoding peptides of 117, 120 and 147 amino acids respectively. Striped bass GTH-I beta and GTH-II beta share a sequence identity of 48% at the nucleic acid level, and 30% at the amino acid level. A cluster analysis of vertebrate pituitary glycoprotein beta-subunits suggests that teleost GTH-II beta is more closely related to tetrapod LH than to FSH. Administration of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogue ([D-Ala6,Pro9Net]-LHRH) to juvenile striped resulted in ten-, two- and fivefold increases in the expression of the alpha-subunit, GTH-I beta and GTH-II beta respectively. These results suggest that each of the GTH subunits is differentially regulated, and further corroborate the functional duality of teleost gonadotrophins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Disabling compulsions in 11 mentally retarded adults: an open trial of clomipramine SR.

BACKGROUND: Clinicians and researchers who work with mentally retarded subjects have reported on the frequent exhibition of mental disorders and behavioral problems in this population. Rituals are often among the disturbances described. We decided to treat disabling cleaning and collecting compulsions in mentally retarded adults with clomipramine 75 mg/day, sustained release (SR) preparation. METHOD: The 8-week trial included 11 subjects, mean age of 24.1 years (range, 21-27) with a mean +/- SD I.Q. of 65.0 +/- 11.0. The majority of subjects (N = 9) were occupied with washing rituals that took hours to complete. Subjects were started on a schedule of 32.5 mg of clomipramine SR once daily for 1 week, then received 75 mg SR once daily for an additional 7 weeks. RESULTS: Improvement was assessed by using the National Institute of Mental Health Global Obsessive Compulsive Scale and the Global Improvement score of the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. Statistically significant reduction in severity of rituals (p < .05) was found at the trial's completion. CONCLUSION: Once-daily clomipramine SR 75 mg is effective in treating adults with mental retardation and disabling rituals.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Fluoxetine induced weight loss: a pilot study in postpartum women.

Twelve women who developed an average postpartum weight gain of 18.3kgs (SD +/- 6.09) entered an open trial, for three months, of fluoxetine 20 mg daily. The weight gain during their pregnancies was nearly twice that recommended by the treating gynecologists. Seventy-five percent success rate was achieved -8/12 were +/- 5% of their pre-pregnancy weights upon completion of the trial. Mean weight upon entering the trial was 82.25kgs (SD +/- 13.39), and at termination, 65.75kgs (SD +/- 8.59), P < 0.001. Anorexia and weight loss (more than 5% of body weight) have been reported in the literature in 9% and 13%, respectively, of depressed patients treated with fluoxetine. The use of this drug to promote weight loss is here reported in a selected population of women without signs or symptoms of depression, whose weight gain during pregnancy was excessive.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel gonadotropin-releasing hormone from the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata).

A novel form of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) had been recently isolated and characterized from the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata). This novel form, designated sbGnRH, was suggested to be the endogenous stimulator of gonadotropin release. This paper reports on the isolation and characterization of a 360-bp cDNA encoding the complete sbGnRH precursor. This precursor is composed of a 25 amino acid leader sequence, the biologically active sbGnRH, the cleavage site (Gly-Lys-Arg), and a 57 amino acid associated peptide (GAP). Comparison of the nucleotide and amino acid sequence of the sbGnRH precursor with precursors of other GnRH forms places the sbGnRH precursor evolutionarily closer to the mammalian GnRH and chicken GnRH-I, which have also been shown to be the relevant forms for gonadotropin release in mammals and birds, respectively. The characterization of the sbGnRH precursor cDNA lays the foundation for future studies aimed toward understanding the neuroendocrine control of reproduction in seabream and other fish species.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Three forms of gonadotropin-releasing hormone characterized from brains of one species.

Most vertebrate species have more than one form of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in their brains, but it is not clear whether each form has a distinct function. We report that sea bream (Sparus aurata) brains have three forms of GnRH, one of which is described herein and is called sea bream GnRH (sbGnRH). The primary structures of two forms were determined by Edman degradation and mass spectral analysis. The amino acid sequence of sbGnRH is pGlu-His-Trp-Ser-Tyr-Gly-Leu-Ser-Pro-Gly-NH2. The second peptide is identical to a form originally isolated from chicken brains (cGnRH-II): pGlu-His-Trp-Ser-His-Gly-Trp-Tyr-Pro-Gly-NH2. cGnRH-II is the most ancient form of GnRH identified to date in jawed fish and the most prevalent form throughout the vertebrates. The third form of GnRH has previously been identified as salmon GnRH by cDNA studies and is confirmed here by chromatographic and immunological studies. Phylogenetic distribution of GnRH peptides suggests sbGnRH arose in the perch-like fish as a gene duplication of the existing cGnRH-II or salmon GnRH genes. All three identified GnRH peptides were synthesized and shown to release gonadotropin in vivo in the sea bream. The dominant form of GnRH stored in the pituitary was sbGnRH. Not only was the content of sbGnRH 500-fold greater than that of salmon GnRH but also cGnRH-II was not detected in the pituitary. The latter evidence suggests that sbGnRH is the endogenous releaser of gonadotropin II.

Amino Acid Sequence↗