Search PubMedSearch

Biomedical subjects

D Panek

Publications and source records attributed to D Panek.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

The moderating impact of social support following childhood sexual abuse.

The role of social support in moderating the impact of childhood sexual abuse on adult psychological adjustment was examined. Subjects included 475 women, age 18-45, some of whom were currently receiving treatment, others who were not. Women in the treatment group were receiving therapy for either alcoholism, for being battered, or for mental health problems. The comparison group was drawn from two sources: a random household sample and a sample of women attending drinking driver classes. Among both groups, women who had been sexually abused exhibited more psychological symptoms and lower self-esteem compared to those who were not abused. Latency of disclosure of childhood sexual abuse had no impact on long-term consequences of the abuse for either the treatment or the comparison group. However, among women in the comparison group, those who experienced supportive reactions following disclosure of sexual abuse had fewer psychological symptoms and somewhat higher self-esteem relative to those who did not receive support. Social support had no apparent effect on the long-term adjustment of women in the treatment group. Possible explanations for this pattern and directions for future research are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological

Regulation of trehalose metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants during temperature shifts.

Temperature shifts from 23 degrees C to 36 degrees C resulted in trehalose accumulation in Saccharomyces independently of genetic lesions in the cAMP-protein kinase cascade. In parallel, trehalose 6-phosphate synthase activity increased about 3-fold in all strains; the increase could be inhibited by cycloheximide, suggesting that protein synthesis was required. Heat shock treatment after the temperature shift led to a drastic increase in trehalose activity, and deactivation of the biosynthetic enzyme with a consequent drop in trehalose. Up to now no definite correlation between acquisition of thermotolerance and trehalose accumulation has been made.

Cyclic AMP

The influence of oestrogen and oestrogen metabolites on the sensitivity of the isolated rabbit aorta to catecholamines.

In the present study the influence of oestradiol, catechol oestrogens, and O-methylated oestrogens was determined on the contractile responses of the isolated rabbit aorta to (-)-adrenaline. Oestradiol (40 mumol/l), 2-hydroxyoestradiol (2OHE2) (20 mumol/l), and 2-methoxyoestradiol (2MeOE2) (20 mumol/l) all sensitized the rabbit aorta to contractile responses to (-)-adrenaline. Similarly, the 2-hydroxy and 2-methoxy derivatives of oestrone and oestriol also sensitized the aorta to (-)-adrenaline-induced contractions. The largest degree of sensitization was seen in the presence of the 2-methoxysteroids. Oestradiol and 2OHE2 did not increase responses of the aorta to (-)-noradrenaline, while slight potentiation of contraction was seen in the presence of 2MeOE3. The potentiating effect of 2OHE2 on contractile responses to (-)-adrenaline was abolished by prior treatment of the tissue with a COMT inhibitor (U-0521, 55 mumol/l). Conversely, pretreatment of the tissue with 2OHE2 prevented the augmented aortic contraction to (-)-adrenaline usually seen after inhibition of COMT. The non-additive nature of the sensitization seen after combined treatment with 2OHE2 and U-0521 was qualitatively similar to that seen following combined exposure to maximally effective concentrations of U-0521 and an inhibitor of extraneuronal uptake (hydrocortisone 100 mumol/l). Oestradiol and 2MeOE2 reduced the formation of both the 3H-O-methylated, 3H-deaminated and the 3H-O-methylated deaminated metabolites of 3H-(-)-adrenaline (0.15 mumol/l) during exposure of the aorta to the tritiated catecholamine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

2-Methoxyestradiol