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Biomedical subjects

P Eneroth

Publications and source records attributed to P Eneroth.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Physiological concomitants of an "autonomous day programme" in geriatric day care.

Sixty-five geriatric patients with a mean age of 74 years (range 61-90) who were referred to the day care unit of a geriatric hospital were randomly allocated to an experimental and a control group in groups of 5-8 patients, respectively. Controls were cared for according to usual routines. Patients in the experimental groups were subject to a new organizational routine. These patient groups constituted a forum for discussion and definition of individual treatment goals. Patients in the experimental and control conditions were observed before as well as 6, 12 and 24 weeks after the start of the treatment, which lasted for twelve weeks. Patients in the intervention programme had significantly lower plasma prolactin levels following the initiation of the programme than patients in the control group. According to literature, an absence of a plasma prolactin elevation during a crisis period may indicate active coping. Such a conclusion was supported by other observations in the study which indicated a progressively more internalized locus of control in the experimental group.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Endocrine and dermatological concomitants of mental stress.

The role of psychosocial stress in the etiology and clinical course of psoriasis and atopic dermatitis still remains to be elucidated. In this study, we assessed neuroendocrine, dermatological, and cognitive responses in healthy subjects and in subjects suffering from psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, respectively. Perceived stress increased the most in psoriatics during the stressor exposure but tended to return faster to baseline in this group than was found for atopics and healthy controls. Growth hormone secretion was attenuated during stress in patients with skin disorders. Overall, neuroendocrine reactivity was similar in the three groups. Dermal flare reactivity was enhanced in healthy controls but perceived itch enhanced in atopics in response to stress. Stress per se was not an important discriminator between groups. Coping style and other cognitive factors turned out to be of significant importance to predict skin reactivity rather than a specific skin disease. The study suggests that psychosocial stress affects the skin reactivity and that cognitive factors modulate such effects. However, a specific skin condition explains only a fraction of the overall variance in skin reactivity to specific stressors.

Dermatitis, Atopic↗
PubMed1990

Intraventricular injection of neurotensin reduces dopamine D2 agonist binding in rat forebrain and intermediate lobe of the pituitary gland. Relationship to serum hormone levels and nerve terminal coexistence.

In order to investigate neurotensin-dopamine receptor interactions in vivo, the effects of intraventricular injection of neurotensin were analyzed on S(-)[N-propyl-3H(N)]propylnorapomorphine [( 3H]NPA) binding in cryostat sections of the forebrain, hypothalamus and pituitary gland, and on serum levels of prolactin, luteinizing hormone and corticosterone in the male rat. The relationship of modulation of [3H]NPA binding with neurotensin-dopamine coexistence in nerve terminals was analyzed by investigating coexistence of neurotensin and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactive nerve terminals in various brain areas, using a double immunohistofluorescence procedure. Intraventricular injections of neurotensin (0.03-3 nmol, 30 min) reduced dose-dependently specific [3H]NPA binding (0.25 nM) in the caudate-putamen (-38 +/- 4%), nucleus accumbens (-42 +/- 5%), tuberculum olfactorium (-52 +/- 7%) and in the intermediate lobe of the pituitary gland (-17 +/- 2%). Coexistence of neurotensin and TH was demonstrated in nerve terminals in the prefrontal, cingulate, piriform and entorhinal cortex and in the cortical and deep nuclei of the amygdaloid cortex. It was not possible to demonstrate coexistence in the caudate-putamen, nucleus accumbens, tuberculum olfactorium and median eminence, in view of the high density of dopamine nerve terminals present in relation to the few visualized neurotensin terminals. Nor could coexistence be demonstrated in the few remaining TH-positive nerve terminals following unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions (8 micrograms per 4 microliters; one week) in spite of increased numbers of neurotensin-containing cell bodies and terminals in the ipsilateral dorsomedial caudate. Neurotensin injection markedly decreased serum prolactin levels and increased serum corticosterone levels by about 60%, whereas serum levels of luteinizing hormone were unaffected. The present study indicates that central dopamine D2 receptors may be regulated by neurotensin in vivo and that the neurotensin involved most likely is released from nerve terminals not containing dopamine, since fibers showing coexistence were only found in prefrontal and limbic cortical areas.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Effects of enalapril and neuroendocrine activation on prognosis in severe congestive heart failure (follow-up of the CONSENSUS trial). CONSENSUS Trial Study Group.

This study enrolled 253 patients with severe heart failure (New York Heart Association functional class IV) from 35 centers in Scandinavia, randomly assigned to treatment with placebo or enalapril, in addition to their usual treatment for heart failure. After an initial titration period, the daily doses of enalapril ranged from 2.5 to 40 mg. At the end of the trial, 46% of the placebo-treated patients and 61% of the enalapril-treated patients were alive (p = 0.003); the survival figures at 8 months after completion of the trial were 32 and 48%, respectively (p = 0.001); and 21 and 30%, respectively (p = 0.006) at the 2-year follow-up. In the placebo group, there was a significant positive association between mortality and baseline levels of norepinephrine, epinephrine, angiotensin II, aldosterone and atrial natriuretic peptide; no such association was found in the enalapril-treated patients. The results suggest that the effects of enalapril on mortality are related to a counteraction of the neuroendocrine activation in general and to the renin-angiotensin system in particular.

Enalapril↗
PubMed1990

beta-Endorphin acts on the reproductive tract of female rats to suppress sexual receptivity.

Sexual receptivity was suppressed in female rats immediately after the male had ejaculated. The inhibition was prevented by intravaginal injection of naloxone (100 micrograms) before testing and intravaginal injection of beta-endorphin (1.0 micrograms) inhibited sexual behavior in female rats in a manner comparable to that of ejaculation by the male. beta-Endorphin was present in ejaculatory plugs collected from the vagina of female rats (8.2 +/- 0.6 pM) and in seminal fluid collected from male rats (7.7 +/- 0.2 pM). The results suggest that beta-endorphin in the ejaculate of the male rat can act on the reproductive tract of the female rat to suppress her sexual behavior.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Regulation of endocrine function by the nicotinic cholinergic receptor.

One important neuroendocrine action of nicotine in the male rat is an increase in the secretion of corticosterone which is seen upon acute and acute intermittent exposure to nicotine. Tolerance develops to this action of nicotine upon chronic exposure, and in the withdrawal phase serum corticosterone levels are substantially reduced. In contrast, no significant increases of serum corticosterone levels were observed upon acute intermittent treatment with nicotine in the dioestrous rat. Available evidence indicates that corticosterone can modulate dopamine transmission in the basal ganglia via glucocorticoid receptors within the nucleus accumbens and neostriatum, and via glucocorticoid receptor immunoreactivity in nigrostriatal and mesolimbic dopamine pathways. Through concerted pre- and postsynaptic actions glucocorticoids may decrease dopamine transmission, especially that mediated by D2 receptors in these regions. In view of the hypothesis that the mesolimbic dopamine pathways mediate the euphoric effects of nicotine, the secretion of corticosterone induced by nicotine in the smoking male may substantially influence the mood elevating activity of nicotine. Thus, individual smoking habits may depend on the ability of nicotine to induce corticosterone secretion, which obviously would also vary with the degree of stress. The glucocorticoids may in a similar way influence the arousal action of nicotine because of the high number of glucocorticoid receptors present both in noradrenaline cell bodies of the locus ceruleus and within the entire cerebral cortex.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Chronic nicotine treatment increases dopamine levels and reduces dopamine utilization in substantia nigra and in surviving forebrain dopamine nerve terminal systems after a partial di-mesencephalic hemitransection.

In order to further study the previously demonstrated protective action of chronic nicotine treatment on lesioned meso-striatal dopamine (DA) pathways, the following study was carried out on DA utilization in these lesioned neurons. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were partially hemitransected at the meso-diencephalic junction and treated with nicotine (0.125 mg.kg-1.h-1) by means of Alzet minipumps implanted subcutaneously for 2 weeks. The overall serum nicotine level obtained was 64.6 +/- 2.7 ng.ml-1. The results demonstrated that partial di-mesencephalic hemitransections produced a marked reduction of DA fluorescence (quantitative histofluorimetry) on the lesioned side in the nucleus caudatus putamen, anterior nucleus accumbens and posterior lateral tuberculum olfactorium. No significant effects were observed on the intact side. Furthermore, studies on changes in DA utilization as evaluated 2 h after tyrosine hydroxylase inhibition showed an augmentation in the alpha-methyl-(+/-)-p-tyrosine methyl ester (alpha-MT)-induced depletion of the DA stores on the hemitransected side in comparison with the operated side of the sham-operated animals. On the hemitransected side chronic nicotine treatment increased DA stores in the DA nerve terminals of the nucleus caudatus putamen and the posterior lateral tuberculum olfactorium. No significant effects were observed on the intact side. Following chronic nicotine treatment a marked and preferential attenuation of the alpha-MT-induced depletion of DA stores was seen in the various DA nerve terminal systems of the forebrain on the hemitransected side. In the substantia nigra reduced DA levels (HPLC) were demonstrated on the hemitransected side, while no effects on the non-operated side were observed. Also an increase of the alpha-MT-induced depletion of the DA stores was seen on the hemitransected side in comparison with the operated side of the sham-operated animals. In contrast, on the non-operated side an attenuation of the alpha-MT-induced depletion of the DA stores was found. Following chronic nicotine treatment the lesion induced reduction of the nigral DA stores on the hemitransected side was counteracted, as was the lesion induced increase in the alpha-MT-induced depletion of DA stores, which was replaced by a reduction of the alpha-MT-induced depletion of the nigral DA stores. However, on the non-operated side an increased DA depletion was observed after alpha-MT treatment in rats treated chronically with nicotine. Chronic nicotine treatment under the present conditions did not significantly alter serum levels of corticosterone and reduced prolactin serum levels in sham-operated rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Changes in pituitary-adrenal activity affect the apomorphine- and cholecystokinin-8-induced changes in striatal dopamine release using microdialysis.

The effects of apomorphine (0.05 mg/kg, i.p.) and cholecystokinin-8 (sulphated; CCK-8) were analyzed on the levels of dopamine and its metabolites using intrastriatal microdialysis in the adrenalectomized rat with or without corticosterone replacement treatment (5 mg/kg, twice daily for 7 days, last dose given 2 h before killing). Adrenalectomy did not affect the basal release of dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) or homovanillic acid (HVA). However, the apomorphine-induced decrease in dopamine release was attenuated following adrenalectomy. Furthermore, there was an enhancement of the apomorphine-induced decrease in DOPAC levels without any modulation of the apomorphine-induced effects on HVA levels. In contrast, the CCK-8-induced increase in dopamine levels was potentiated following adrenalectomy. This potentiation was fully counteracted by replacement treatment with corticosterone. These results indicate that corticosterone may be involved in the regulation of dopamine release, perhaps through glucocorticoid receptors in nigral dopamine cells controlling inter alia the synthesis of G-proteins involved in the regulation of dopamine autoreceptors and CCK-8 receptors located on dopamine nerve terminals or of the receptor proteins themselves.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗
PubMed1990

Influences of maternal smoking and fetal sex on maternal serum oestriol, prolactin, hCG, and hPI levels.

A total of 222 pregnant women had repeated hormone assays between 20 weeks and delivery; 86 of the women were smokers. The maternal hormone balance appeared to be affected by smoking. Smoking affected maternal serum levels of hPL and hCG in pregnancies with a female fetus whereas maternal serum concentrations of oestriol and prolactin were affected in pregnancies with a male fetus. Significantly higher hCG levels were found in mothers who smoked and had a girl than in those who smoked and had a boy. On the basis of our results we feel that smoking mainly affects the placenta.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Peroxidation in position C-6 of progesterone-3-ethanolimine is increased by the presence of enzymes generating oxygen radicals.

The generation of 6-oxygenated (6 beta-hydroxy, 6 beta-hydroperoxy, and 6-oxo) progesterone derivatives during the hydrolysis of progesterone-3-ethanolimine has been shown to be increased in the presence of xanthine/xanthine oxidase. The combination of xanthine/xanthine oxidase with other enzymes and/or reagents that catalyze transformation (or formation) of oxygen radicals suggested that the most likely oxygen species participating in the 6-oxygenation was the protonated acid of the superoxide anion, i.e., the hydroperoxy radical. The suggestion was further supported by experiments with oxygen scavengers. However, the data presented do not rule out a radical propagation reaction since the steroid compound used may be more reactive than the scavengers tested. A stimulation of 6-oxygenation of progesterone-3-ethanolimine by NADPH-supplemented rat liver microsomes was found. This reaction was inhibited by the only oxygen scavenger (reduced glutathione) found to be effective in the xanthine/xanthine oxidase experiments. The similarities between the two oxygenation systems may implicate a mechanism for 6 beta-hydroperoxidation of 3-oxo-4-ene steroids in rat liver microsomes.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Short-term effects of early suckling and touch of the nipple on maternal behaviour.

The objective was to evaluate the effects of suckling within 30 min after birth when skin-to-skin body contact for mothers and infants was held constant in both cases (n = 32) and control groups (n = 25). Mother-infant interaction during breast-feeding, infants' time spent in nursery and different aspects of breast-feeding were evaluated. Prolactin and gastrin were measured in maternal serum before and after breast-feeding on day 4 post partum. The aim to evaluate effects of early post delivery suckling failed since only six of the 32 case infants did suck at this time. In spite of this, we found three significant differences among cases and controls. In the case group where all infants had touched or licked the areola and nipple, the mothers left the infants in the nursery for a significantly shorter time and significantly more mothers talked to their infants during the short breast-feeding observation. Median gastrin levels were significantly lower in cases than in controls both before (P less than 0.01) and after (P less than 0.03) breast-feeding. In conclusion, the infant's early touch of the mother's areola and nipple seemed to have positively influenced the mother/infant relationship during the first four days after birth. It was also associated with lower maternal gastrin levels which suggests that maternal neuroendocrine functions were also influenced. Ten months after birth, we found no differences between cases and controls.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Job strain variations in relation to plasma testosterone fluctuations in working men--a longitudinal study.

Job strain, a high level of psychological demands combined with a low level of decision latitude, has been hypothesized to induce mobilization of energy and inhibition of anabolism. In the present project this hypothesis was tested using four repeated observations every third month in a group of 44 men working in six widely different occupations. On each occasion scores of self-reported demands and decision latitude were calculated for every participant. An earlier report has shown that systolic blood pressure during work hours--an indicator of mobilization of energy--increased with increasing job strain (ratio between demands and decision latitude). Blood samples were drawn in the morning at the work site. For each man the plasma testosterone levels--representing the general level of anabolic activity--on the two occasions with the worst strain (ratio between demands and decision latitude) were compared with the plasma testosterone levels on the two occasions with the least strain. The results indicated that total plasma testosterone (but not free testosterone) levels increased when strain diminished in sedentary but not in physically demanding work. Subjects with a family history of hypertension showed a greater decrease in testosterone levels than others when job strain increased.

Exercise↗
PubMed1990

Tumour markers as prognostic aids in prostatic carcinoma.

Of 102 patients suffering from prostatic carcinoma, complete data on the serum concentration of 7 tumour markers were available from 90 patients, together with tumour grade, local stage and the presence or absence of skeletal metastases. The serum content of prostatic acid phosphatase, prostate specific antigen, neopterin, thymidine kinase, osteocalcin, C-reactive protein and tissue polypeptide antigen was measured. By means of Cox's regression and multivariate analysis the ability of these variables to predict prognosis, i.e. death from prostatic cancer, was studied. Neopterin appeared to be the most efficient marker, followed by tumour grade, thymidine kinase and prostate specific antigen. No other variable provided information of statistical significance. In multivariate analysis thymidine kinase performed best, followed by neopterin, tumour grade and prostate specific antigen. Several serum tumour markers reflect the biological activity of human prostate cancers and their value should be further explored. They may become useful in the management of individual patients.

Antigens, Neoplasm↗
PubMed1990

On the role of neuropeptide Y in information handling in the central nervous system in normal and physiopathological states. Focus on volume transmission and neuropeptide Y/alpha 2 receptor interactions.

The NPY neurons play an important role in information handling in the CNS by their ability to interact in both wiring and volume transmission at the network, local circuit and synaptic level. The importance of NPY/alpha 2 receptor-receptor interactions in cardiovascular, neuroendocrine and vigilance control is emphasized. Alterations in these receptor-receptor interactions take place in the spontaneously hypertensive rats as well as in the ischemic brain, which may have profound consequences for the information handling and contribute to the functional alterations found in these pathophysiological states. Finally, in the aging brain there appears to exist a marked reduction in NPY transmission line, which may affect higher brain functions, such as learning and memory retrieval. The most impressive result is, however, the indications of a role for NPY in volume transmission, where NPY appears to produce syndromic actions via its conversion into biologically active fragments, which may have preferential actions at Y2 NPY receptors. These syndromic pathways may be altered in the spontaneously hypertensive rat and may be controlled by gonadal steroids and glucocorticoids. Glucocorticoid receptors have been demonstrated in all arcuate NPY neurons and all NA/NPY and A/NPY costoring neurons.

Aging↗
PubMed1990

Yeuhchukene--an indole derivative interacting with guinea pig reproduction.

Natural yuehchukene in doses of 10 mg/kg/day induced a 40% reduction of pregnancies in the guinea pig as compared with controls (p less than 0.05). Yuehchukene also caused a reduction in litter size which, however, was not significant indicating limited toxicity of the drug. An inhibition of ovum fertilization and/or implantation is suggested as the mechanism of action.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Immunoglobulin contents in cervical secretions of women with chlamydial cervicitis.

Contents of albumin, IgG, IgA and secretory IgA (S-IgA) were determined in secretions of 16 women with chlamydial cervicitis (study group) and 13 women with vulvovaginal candidiasis (control group). The amounts of respective protein in cervical secretions were higher among the women with chlamydial infection representing both an increased transudation and an increased local production of antibodies in the infected cervix. Specific chlamydial antibodies of IgG, IgA and S-IgA class were found significantly more often in the study group. Comparing the IgG/IgA ratios in serum and secretions gave indications for an active local secretion of specific IgA antibodies. This was also supported by the demonstration of specific S-IgA.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Maternal serum levels of estriol, prolactin, human placental lactogen and chorionic gonadotrophin related to fetal sex in normal and abnormal pregnancies.

A total of 222 pregnant women had repeated hormone assays of prolactin, estriol, human chorionic gonadotrophin and placental lactogen between week 20 and delivery. The aim of this study was to investigate whether maternal serum levels of the above-mentioned hormones differed between normal and abnormal pregnancies, that is preterm, preterm small-for-date (SFD), SFD at-term and normal at-term deliveries, with special regard to fetal sex. The results of the present study indicated differences related to preterm deliveries and intrauterine growth retardation. This finding was reflected in the estriol levels when mothers of both boys and girls were included, suggesting a primary involvement of fetoplacental factors in these pathological pregnancies. However, when only mothers of girls were investigated, the development of growth retardation was mainly seen in maternal serum hPL differences, thus suggesting a placental involvement.

Chorionic Gonadotropin↗