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Biomedical subjects

F Brambilla

Publications and source records attributed to F Brambilla.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Effects of long-lasting sulpiride therapy on growth hormone secretion in mentally disturbed children.

The effects of chronic sulpiride therapy on growth hormone (GH) secretion were studied in 11 mentally disturbed children, aged 5 to 13 years, five with personality disorders, three with childhood psychoses, one with hysteria, one with anxiety reactions, and one with neurosis. The basal GH secretion and response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia were studied before the beginning of therapy and after ten days and three months of treatment with sulpiride (8 mg/kg body weight). No modifications in basal levels of GH or in the response to the stimulus were observed after ten days of therapy. After three months of treatment a blunted GH response to the stimulation was observed in three subjects, one of whom showed increased basal levels of GH.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Growth hormone response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone and gonadotropin-releasing hormone stimulation in heroin addicts.

Previous endocrine investigations have demonstrated the presence of multiple impairments of pituitary-target gland function in heroin addicts suggesting a possible hypothalamic involvement. Since the response of the pituitary to nonspecific stimuli is considered an expression of hypothalamic dysfunction, indicating a disconnection between the central nervous system and the anterior pituitary, we thought it worthwhile to study the GH response to stimulation with thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) or gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in heroin addicts. 23 male heroin addicts, aged 18-40 years, with histories of addiction to heroin alone from 8 months to 4 years, and daily i.v. heroin intakes between 200 and 2,500 mg of the drug (containing 18% pure heroin) were studied. 8 patients received TRH 500 micrograms, GnRH 150 micrograms and 5 saline only, intravenously, and GH levels were assayed radioimmunologically in bloods taken 30 min before, at the moment of stimulation and 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min thereafter. The results show normal base GH levels. Stimulation with TRH and GnRH induced marked GH hypersecretion in 8 of the 18 patients examined. These results suggest that the hypothalamo-pituitary function may be impaired in heroin addiction.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Catecholaminergic drugs in chronic schizophrenia.

The effect of dopaminergic-related and stimulatory drugs have been studied in chronic hebephrenic schizophrenics untreated with neuroleptic drugs. 6 patients received therapy of 2 g L-dopa + 200 mg carbodopa per day orally for 30 days, then placebo for 30 days. Following that 3 of the same patients received therapy of 2 g L-dopa + 200 mg carbodopa + 300 mg imipramine orally for 30 days, then placebo for 30 days. Following that the same 3 patients received 1 mg apomorphine s.c. for 15 days, then placebo for 15 days, then 1 mg apomorphine s.c. + 2 g L-dopa + 200 mg carbodopa per os daily for 15 days, then placebo for 15 days. The patients were examined psychologically by the Wittenborn Rating Scale, the Weigl Object-Sorting Test, and tests for verbal learning and verbal association, before and after each therapeutic trial. Levels of FSH, LH, testosterone and GH were assayed radioimmunologically before, in the middle of and after each course of therapy. 2 patients showed improvement in the affective-behavioural symptomatology during therapy, while the other 4, who had a more severe degree of mental deterioration and destruction, were unchanged. FSH and LH levels, very low under basal conditions, did not change under therapy. Testosterone was very low before therapy and increased in only 1 subject. Normal basal GH levels increased during therapy in some of the patients, but not constantly. The results obtained are discussed in relation to the catecholamine hypotheses of schizophrenia.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Gonadotropin response to synthetic gonadotropin hormone-releasing hormone (GnRH) in heroin addicts.

To determine whether the pituitary-gonadal deficiency in heroin addicts is related to heroin's effect on the hypothalamus, the authors administered gonadotropin hormone-releasing hormone (GnRH) to 10 male heroin addicts and 5 controls and measured follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) response. Basal FSH and LH levels were significantly lower in addicts; after GnRH stimulation the addicts' FSH and LH values increased but not significantly compared to controls. The difference between the two groups' response was highly significant. The authors suggest that heroin causes an incomplete blocking of gonadotropin secretion at the pituitary level, inducing a hypophyseal-gonadal deficiency and a long-lasting depletion of the endogenous releasing factor, which accounts for the reduced response to GnRH.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Deranged anterior pituitary responsiveness to hypothalamic hormones in depressed patients.

Abnormal anterior pituitary (AP) responsiveness to acute administration of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and luteinizing hormone-follicle stimulating hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) was investigated in 14 patients (two men and 12 women) suffering from primary affective disorders. In ten, TRH, 500 microgram given intravenously, induced a rise in plasma growth hormone (GH) level, while in eight patients it induced a rise in plasma levels of FSH or LH or both. When LH-RH, 150 microgram was administered intravenously to ten patients, it induced a rise in plasma GH level in one patient and increased plasma prolactin level in three patients. Collectively, in only three of 14 patients was conventional AP responsiveness to hypothalamic neurohormones present. These findings demonstrate the existence of a profound derangement of AP responsiveness to hypothalamic neurohormones in depressed patients and suggest that a primary alteration in the physiologic links between the central nervous system and the AP may be at the origin of the neuroendocrine disturbance.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Effects of clomiphene citrate administraiton on the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis of male chronic schizophrenics.

The clomiphene citrate stimulation test was performed in 16 adult male chronic hebephrenic schizophrenics (10 off therapy from 3 months to 1 year and six on therapy with phenothiazines or haloperidol) and in five normal controls, matched for age. Clomiphene citrate was given orally at a daily dose of 150 mg, divided into three doses, for 8 days. FSH, LH and testosterone levels were assayed before the administration of clomiphene citrate and after 4 and 8 days of treatment. Schizophrenics showed normal increase of FSH levels during the clomiphene administration, while LH and testosterone responses were blunted. Phenothiazines or haloperiodol had no effect on the test.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Pituitary-gonadal function in heroin addicts.

The present study deals with pituitary-gonadal function in male heroin addicts, 6 patients with schizophrenia and 31 with mild personality disorders. We examined the serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone levels at the moment of hospitalization (at the maximum of heroin addiction), and 48 h and 10 days later. FSH levels were definitely reduced in all the patients and did not change during the period of heroin withdrawal. The LH levels were reduced to a lesser extent, but significantly, and did not change after 10 days of abstinence from the drug. Testosterone levels were very low and increased in the schizophrenics during withdrawal, but not in the other addicts. The possible influence of heroin addiction on catecholamine metabolism in the central nervous system and, therefore, on the hypothalamic releasing factor and pituitary gonadotrophins, and the peripheral effect on testicular function are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Stability of distance between structured groups in a social organism: empirical research.

The working hypothesis at the basis of the research is that in the development process of a social body the distance between structural groups of persons remain constant. The structural groups considered are men, women and a selected group of women (Soroptimists). The inquiry was carried out in 15 European countries in 1972. The total number of interviews was 4200. The six variables considered in the inquiry are the attitudes in respect of work, family, education, free time, sex and politics. The discriminatory analysis techniques are: entropy and factor analysis. Results seem to confirm the hypothesis of stability between groups and of countries between one another.

Group Structure↗
PubMed1976

Gonadotropin response to synthetic gonadotropin hormone-releasing hormone (GnRH) in chronic schizophrenia.

GnRH stimulation tests were performed in 15 adult male chronic hebephrenic schizophrenics and 15 oligophrenic controls, matched for age and length of hospitalization. GnRH was given at doses of 50, 100 and 150 gamma to five subjects of each type, and FSH and LH levels in the blood were assayed at 0, 10, 20, 30, 60, and 90 minutes. The tests were performed twice in schizophrenics off therapy and after 10, 20 and 30 days of chlorpromazine therapy (4 mg/kg body weight/day, per os). The controls were not given chlorpromazine and were tested only twice. Schizophrenics showed relative increases in both FSH and LH which were greater than those of the controls, and the response persisted longer. Chlorpromazine had no effect on the test.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Prolactin secretion in chronic schizophrenia.

Basal prolactin secretion and its response to various stimuli have been studied in 20 chronic hebephrenic schizophrenics, 10 males and 10 females, aged 20-54 years. The duration of the disease varied between 4 and 30 years. Eight normal subjects from the hospital staff, four males and four females, matched for age, were used as controls. The patients had been off medication for 10 days in 17 cases, for 3 months in one case and for 1 year in two cases. The TRH stimulation test was done by giving 500 mug of TRH i.v., both to schizophrenics and controls. Schizophrenics and controls. Schizophrenics only were subjected to a 2-day therapy with chlorpromazine (4 mg/kg body weight per day orally), and therafter for 8 days to a combined therapy with chlorpromazine at the same dose plus 2-BRalpha-ergokryptine-mesilate (500 mg per day orally). Prolactin levels were assayed radioimmunologically in the basal condition, during the TRH stimulation test, after 2 days of chlorpromazine alone, and after 4 and 8 days of combined therapy with chlorpromazine plus 2-Br-alpha-ergokryptine-mesilate. The results obtained showed normal basal prolactin levels, significantly enhanced responses to TRH, normal increases after chlorpromazine alone, and substantial decreases after 2-Br-alpha-ergokryptine-mesilate. A possible relative catecholamine deficiency, related to the mental disease, is suggested to explain the results.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Glucose-insulin metabolism in herion addicts.

The insulinemic and glycemic response to a glucose load (100 g per os) was studied in 21 heroin addicts, 16 males and 5 females, age 16-28 years, history of addiction lasting from 6 months to 4 years with heroin alone (from 0.5 to 1.5 g/day i.v.). Nine normal sujects, from the hospital staff, 4 females and 5 males matched for age were use as control. The insulinemic and glycemic response to a glucose load was examined immediately after hospitalization, while the patients were still on heroin, 48 h later off drugs, and in 10 of the 21 cases 5 days later still off drugs. From the results obtained, it appears that in heroin addicts the glycemic response to the glucose load shows a delayed peak time. The insulin curves show increased insulin peaks, delayed peak time and prolonged hyperinsulinemia. The pathomechanism of heroin in inducing the above-metioned impairments is discussed, taking also in cosideration the possible influence of the drug on the neurotransmitter regulation of insulin.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Glucose-insulin metabolism in chronic schizophrenia.

The present study deals with possible connections between the schizophrenic syndrome and alterations of the glucose-insulin metabolism. Data have been obtained in 18 patients, 9 males and 9 females, aged 22-62 years, suffering from chronic schizophrenia of 5-29 years duration. The patients were treated with Haloperidol for 30 days, 6 mg, i.m.p.d. to a total dose of 180 mg. The glucose metabolism was examined through a GTT (with a glucose load of 100 gr. per os), and an Insulin Tolerance Test (with 0.1 U/kg body weight). The insulin levels were examined under glucose load by the radioimmunological assay of Hales and Randle. The glycemic levels were examined under glucose load by an oxidative method. The psychopathological features were controlled by a Wittenborn Rating Scale. The metabolic and psychological examinations were done twice before the beginning of therapy, at 46 hrs. interval, then at 10-20-30 days of therapy. The results are probative for the presence of a chemical diabetes in a significantly high percent of patients. The significance of possible neurotransmitter impairments acting at both the biochemical and psychological levels is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Neuroendocrine effects of haloperidol therapy in chronic schizophrenia.

The neuroendocrine effects of haloperidol therapy have been examined in 62 male chronic schizophrenic patients, aged 16-62 years. The duration of the disease varied between 2 and 29 years. The patients were divided into 48 hebephrenics with onset of the disease at puberty, or immediately after puberty, and 14 paranoids with onset of the disease in adulthood. They received 6 mg i.m.p.d. of haloperidol, for 30 days, up to a total dose of 180 mg. The following hormonal variables were examined before therapy and at 10-20 and 30 days of treatment: total urinary gonadotropins, serum FSH and LH, GH response to insulin stimulation, ACTH reserve (Metyrapone test), total urinary 17-ketosteroids and 17-hydroxycorticoids before and after an ACTH stimulation test, serum testosterone, insulin response to glucose load, plasma thyroxine before and after a TSH stimulation test. The basic hormonal values revealed decreased secretion of total gonadotropins, FSH, LH, ACTH and testosterone, and increased insulin secretion. The haloperidol therapy seemed to stimulate the secretion of FSH, LH, total gonadotropins, ACTH and testosterone, up to normal or low-normal levels. No modifications were observed in the other hormonal variables. The significance of these results is discussed.

17-Hydroxycorticosteroids↗
PubMed1975

Growth hormone secretion in chronic schizophrenia.

The GH response to insulin hypoglycemia (insulin 0.1 IU/kg i.v.) was studied under basal conditions and during a course of haloperidol therapy in 19 chronic schizophrenics, 15 hebephrenics and four paranoids (ten men and nine women, age 16--53 years). Haloperidol was given for 30 days, at a daily dose of 6 mg i.m., and the GH response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia was tested twice, before, and 10, 20, 30 days following the initiation of the treatment. The psychopathological features were controlled daily by two psychiatrists and by the ward staff and by the use of a Wittenborn rating scale, rated at the same intervals as the hormonal assays. From the results obtained it appears that in schizophrenic patients, GH secretion and response to insulin stimulus are extremely variable and are unaffected by haloperidol treatment. On the basis of the results obtained, the neurotransmitter-neurohormone regulation of GH secretion in schizophrenics is discussed.

Adolescent↗