-
Current Issues in Molecular Biology May 2024Sexual maturation of Atlantic salmon males is marked by dramatic endocrine changes and rapid growth of the testes, resulting in an increase in the gonad somatic index...
Sexual maturation of Atlantic salmon males is marked by dramatic endocrine changes and rapid growth of the testes, resulting in an increase in the gonad somatic index (GSI). We examined the association of gonadal growth with serum sex steroids, as well as pituitary and testicular gene expression levels, which were assessed with a DNA oligonucleotide microarray. The testes transcriptome was stable in males with a GSI < 0.08% despite the large difference between the smallest and the largest gonads. Fish with a GSI ≥ 0.23% had 7-17 times higher serum levels of five male steroids and a 2-fold increase in progesterone, without a change in cortisol and related steroids. The pituitary transcriptome showed an upregulation of the hormone-coding genes that control reproduction and behavior, and structural rearrangement was indicated by the genes involved in synaptic transmission and the differentiation of neurons. The observed changes in the abundance of testicular transcripts were caused by the regulation of transcription and/or disproportional growth, with a greater increase in the germinative compartment. As these factors could not be separated, the transcriptome results are presented as higher or lower specific activities (HSA and LSA). LSA was observed in 4268 genes, including many genes involved in various immune responses and developmental processes. LSA also included genes with roles in female reproduction, germinal cell maintenance and gonad development, responses to endocrine and neural regulation, and the biosynthesis of sex steroids. Two functional groups prevailed among HSA: structure and activity of the cilia (95 genes) and meiosis (34 genes). The puberty of A. salmon testis is marked by the predominance of spermatogenesis, which displaces other processes; masculinization; and the weakening of external regulation. Results confirmed the known roles of many genes involved in reproduction and pointed to uncharacterized genes that deserve attention as possible regulators of sexual maturation.
PubMed: 38920991
DOI: 10.3390/cimb46060319 -
Current Medicinal Chemistry Jun 2024Methamphetamine (METH), an amphetamine-type stimulant, has been extensively abused globally in the past decades. METH use causes great harm to the major systems of the...
Methamphetamine (METH), an amphetamine-type stimulant, has been extensively abused globally in the past decades. METH use causes great harm to the major systems of the human body. Specifically, METH has a negative impact on the hypothalamic- pituitary-testicular axis, testicular structure, sperm function, ovarian folliculogenesis, oocyte quality, embryo development, and newborns. However, the mechanisms underlying these toxic effects have not yet been fully described. This study reviews the evidence concerning the impact of METH on male and female reproduction in the context of the testis, sperm, ovaries, oocytes, reproductive hormones, embryo development, and newborns, discussing the potential pathophysiological mechanisms in the reproductive toxicity induced by METH.
PubMed: 38920076
DOI: 10.2174/0109298673299759240603091021 -
JCEM Case Reports Jun 2024Chiari 1 malformation (CM1) is a rare finding that has been described with growth hormone (GH)-secreting pituitary adenomas and with an endothelial PAS domain protein 1...
Chiari 1 malformation (CM1) is a rare finding that has been described with growth hormone (GH)-secreting pituitary adenomas and with an endothelial PAS domain protein 1 gain-of-function mutation syndrome. We describe the first reported case of a patient diagnosed with CM1 and nonfunctioning pituitary and adrenal incidentalomas. Our case describes a 45-year-old female who was found to have cerebellar tonsillar ectopia consistent with CM1, a pituitary tumor, and bilateral adrenal incidentalomas. She was diagnosed after presenting with 2 weeks of upper extremity weakness and paresthesia. A comprehensive endocrine workup including insulin like growth factor (IGF-1) was normal. She underwent posterior fossa decompression without complication. Pituitary adenectomy was not pursued as there was no evidence of compression of the chiasm or the surrounding structures. In previous case reports it has been proposed that GH-secreting adenomas contribute to CM1 by causing hypertrophy of soft tissue structures in the skull base, overcrowding the posterior fossa. Given that our patient had normal IGF-1 levels, there could be a different underlying mechanism that contributed to the concomitant occurrence of CM1 with the pituitary and adrenal tumors.
PubMed: 38919912
DOI: 10.1210/jcemcr/luae113 -
Journal of Pregnancy 2024Thyroid hormones regulate fetal growth and differentiation of several tissues. Maternal dietary patterns may be correlated with changes in the level of neonatal...
Thyroid hormones regulate fetal growth and differentiation of several tissues. Maternal dietary patterns may be correlated with changes in the level of neonatal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). We hypothesized that since maternal nutrition affects birth weight and offspring growth, it may also impact endocrine patterns in offspring. This study is aimed at assessing the relationship between maternal dietary phytochemical index (DPI) in the first trimester of pregnancy and neonatal cord blood thyroid hormone levels. This cross-sectional study is a substudy of a birth cohort. Overall, 216 mothers, aged 16-45 years, were recruited in their first trimester of pregnancy. To calculate DPI, the daily energy percentage of phytochemical-rich foods was divided by the total daily energy intake. At delivery time, TSH and free thyroxine (FT4) levels were measured in cord blood samples using chemiluminescence immunoassay. The mean (standard deviation (SD)) age of mothers was 29.56 (5.50) years, and 47% of newborns were girls. The mean (SD) of DPI in the first, second, third, and fourth quartiles was 25.03 ± 4.67, 33.87 ± 2.18, 40.64 ± 2.10, and 51.17 ± 4.98, respectively. There was not any significant correlation between DPI score with cord serum TSH and FT4 levels in crude and adjusted analysis. No significant relationship between maternal DPI with cord serum TSH and FT4 levels was shown. Limited experience exists about the effect of maternal diet quality indices on neonatal thyroid function, and further studies are needed in this regard.
Topics: Humans; Female; Adult; Infant, Newborn; Cross-Sectional Studies; Pregnancy; Thyrotropin; Young Adult; Thyroxine; Adolescent; Fetal Blood; Male; Phytochemicals; Diet; Thyroid Gland; Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Middle Aged; Thyroid Function Tests
PubMed: 38919582
DOI: 10.1155/2024/9558023 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2024Acromegaly is a rare endocrine disorder caused by hypersecretion of growth hormone (GH) from a pituitary adenoma. Elevated GH levels stimulate excess production of...
UNLABELLED
Acromegaly is a rare endocrine disorder caused by hypersecretion of growth hormone (GH) from a pituitary adenoma. Elevated GH levels stimulate excess production of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) which leads to the insidious onset of clinical manifestations. The most common primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors, meningiomas originate from the arachnoid layer of the meninges and are typically benign and slow-growing. Meningiomas are over twice as common in women as in men, with age-adjusted incidence (per 100,000 individuals) of 10.66 and 4.75, respectively. Several reports describe co-occurrence of meningiomas and acromegaly. We aimed to determine whether patients with acromegaly are at elevated risk for meningioma. Investigation of the literature showed that co-occurrence of a pituitary adenoma and a meningioma is a rare phenomenon, and the majority of cases involve GH-secreting adenomas. To the best of our knowledge, a systematic review examining the association between meningiomas and elevated GH levels (due to GH-secreting adenomas in acromegaly or exposure to exogenous GH) has never been conducted. The nature of the observed coexistence between acromegaly and meningioma -whether it reflects causation or mere co-association -is unclear, as is the pathophysiologic etiology.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42022376998.
Topics: Humans; Meningioma; Acromegaly; Meningeal Neoplasms; Human Growth Hormone; Risk Factors; Adenoma
PubMed: 38919490
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1407615 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2024Aromatherapy is a holistic healing method to promote health and well-being by using natural plant extracts. However, its precise mechanism of action and influence on the... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
OBJECTIVE
Aromatherapy is a holistic healing method to promote health and well-being by using natural plant extracts. However, its precise mechanism of action and influence on the endocrine system remains unclear. Since recent studies reported that a neuropeptide, oxytocin, can attenuate anxiety, we hypothesized that if oxytocin secretion is promoted through aromatherapy, it may improve mood and anxiety. The present study is aimed to investigate the relationship between oxytocin and the effects of aromatherapy with lavender oil on anxiety level, by measuring salivary oxytocin levels in healthy men and women.
METHODS
We conducted a randomized open crossover trial in 15 men and 10 women. Each participant received a placebo intervention (control group) and aromatherapy with lavender oil (aromatherapy group). For the aromatherapy group, each participant spent a 30-min session in a room with diffused lavender essential oil, followed by a 10-min hand massage using a carrier oil containing lavender oil. Anxiety was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) before the intervention, 30-min after the start of intervention, and after hand massage, in both groups. Saliva samples were collected at the same time points of the STAI.
RESULTS
In women, either aromatherapy or hand massage was associated with a reduction in anxiety levels, independently. Moreover, salivary oxytocin levels were increased after aromatherapy. On the other hand, in men, anxiety levels were decreased after aromatherapy, as well as after hand massage, regardless of the use of lavender oil. However, there were no significant differences in changes of salivary oxytocin levels between the control and aromatherapy groups during the intervention period. Interestingly, there was a positive correlation between anxiety levels and salivary oxytocin levels before the intervention, but a negative correlation was observed after hand massage with lavender oil.
CONCLUSION
The results of the present study indicate that in women, aromatherapy with lavender oil attenuated anxiety with increase in oxytocin level in women, whereas in men, there was no clear relationship of aromatherapy with anxiety or oxytocin levels but, there was a change in correlation between anxiety and oxytocin. The results of the present study suggest that the effect of aromatherapy can vary depending on sex.
Topics: Humans; Oxytocin; Aromatherapy; Female; Male; Saliva; Anxiety; Adult; Oils, Volatile; Lavandula; Plant Oils; Young Adult; Cross-Over Studies; Sex Characteristics
PubMed: 38919481
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1380779 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Visfatin (VIS) is a hormone belonging to the adipokines' group secreted mainly by the adipose tissue. VIS plays a crucial role in the control of energy homeostasis,...
Visfatin (VIS) is a hormone belonging to the adipokines' group secreted mainly by the adipose tissue. VIS plays a crucial role in the control of energy homeostasis, inflammation, cell differentiation, and angiogenesis. VIS expression was confirmed in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis structures, as well as in the uterus, placenta, and conceptuses. We hypothesised that VIS may affect the abundance of proteins involved in the regulation of key processes occurring in the corpus luteum (CL) during the implantation process in pigs. In the present study, we performed the high-throughput proteomic analysis (liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry, LC-MS/MS) to examine the in vitro influence of VIS (100 ng/mL) on differentially regulated proteins (DRPs) in the porcine luteal cells (LCs) on days 15-16 of pregnancy (implantation period). We have identified 511 DRPs, 276 of them were up-regulated, and 235 down-regulated in the presence of VIS. Revealed DRPs were assigned to 162 gene ontology terms. Western blot analysis of five chosen DRPs, ADAM metallopeptidase with thrombospondin type 1 motif 1 (ADAMTS1), lanosterol 14-α demethylase (CYP51A1), inhibin subunit beta A (INHBA), notch receptor 3 (NOTCH3), and prostaglandin E synthase 2 (mPGES2) confirmed the veracity and accuracy of LC-MS/MS method. We indicated that VIS modulates the expression of proteins connected with the regulation of lipogenesis and cholesterologenesis, and, in consequence, may be involved in the synthesis of steroid hormones, as well as prostaglandins' metabolism. Moreover, we revealed that VIS affects the abundance of protein associated with ovarian cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, as well as CL new vessel formation and tissue remodelling. Our results suggest important roles for VIS in the regulation of ovarian functions during the peri-implantation period.
Topics: Animals; Female; Swine; Embryo Implantation; Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase; Proteome; Luteal Cells; Pregnancy; Proteomics; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Chromatography, Liquid; Inhibin-beta Subunits
PubMed: 38918475
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65577-1 -
Journal of Neuropathology and... Jun 2024Mixed pituitary adenoma/PitNET-gangliocytomas (PA/PitNET-GC) have been reported in small series over the past 20 years; some had limited immunohistochemistry (IHC)...
Mixed pituitary adenoma/PitNET-gangliocytomas (PA/PitNET-GC) have been reported in small series over the past 20 years; some had limited immunohistochemistry (IHC) data. We interrogated our experience over 20 years, focusing on patterns of the GC component and IHC results for anterior pituitary hormones, transcription factors, NFP, and CAM5.2. A search of cases from 2002 to 2023 yielded 20 cases: 7M:13F, ages 20-71 years; 17 macroadenomas, 1 microadenoma, 2 ectopic. GC was co-associated with 4 corticotroph, 2 densely granulated lactotroph, 5 mixed lactotroph-somatotroph, 1 immature PIT1-lineage tumor, and 8 sparsely granulated GH; the latter all had a minor lactotroph component. Patterns were: discrete nodular foci of GC (9/20), extensive GC differentiation often overshadowing the PA/PitNET (7/20), and intimate admixture of smaller bands of neuropil and individual metaplastic ganglion cells within PA/PitNET (4/20). NFP highlighted small cohesive regions of neuropil and identified greater axonal content, including individual axons within "pure" PA/PitNET areas, than appreciated on H&E. CAM5.2 IHC often revealed cells with neuronal morphologies to a greater extent than NFP and in different areas within the same tumor. These data suggest that the combined use of NFP and CAM5.2 IHC best reveals transition from PA to GC phenotype, with CAM5.2 positivity reflecting earlier stages of transformation.
PubMed: 38917431
DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlae050 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2024Spexin (SPX, NPQ) is a 14-amino acid neuroactive peptide identified using bioinformatics. This amino acid sequence of the mature spexin peptide has been highly conserved... (Review)
Review
Spexin (SPX, NPQ) is a 14-amino acid neuroactive peptide identified using bioinformatics. This amino acid sequence of the mature spexin peptide has been highly conserved during species evolution and is widely distributed in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues and organs. Therefore, spexin may play a role in various biological functions. Spexin, the cognate ligand for GALR2/3, acting as a neuromodulator or endocrine signaling factor, can inhibit reproductive performance. However, controversies and gaps in knowledge persist regarding spexin-mediated regulation of animal reproductive functions. This review focuses on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and provides a comprehensive overview of the impact of spexin on reproduction. Through this review, we aim to enhance understanding and obtain in-depth insights into the regulation of reproduction by spexin peptides, thereby providing a scientific basis for future investigations into the molecular mechanisms underlying the influence of spexin on reproductive function. Such investigations hold potential benefits for optimizing farming practices in livestock, poultry, and fish industries.
Topics: Animals; Reproduction; Peptide Hormones; Vertebrates; Humans; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System
PubMed: 38915898
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1422711 -
Dermatology and Therapy Jun 2024Chronic pruritus (CP) is defined as an unpleasant sensation causing a desire to scratch and lasting > 6 weeks. It has a multifactorial etiology but is more frequently... (Review)
Review
Chronic pruritus (CP) is defined as an unpleasant sensation causing a desire to scratch and lasting > 6 weeks. It has a multifactorial etiology but is more frequently associated with chronic inflammatory dermatoses and systemic disorders. Psychogenic pruritus and neurological disorders are other less common etiologies, while, in some patients, it is idiopathic. CP appears to be processed by non-histaminergic pathway, contributing to its complexity and therapeutic challenge. Moreover, regardless of the etiology, it is multidimensional, including cognitive, motivational and affective components. There is a close link between psychological distress and pruritus, with particular clinical expression in chronic inflammatory dermatoses, involving the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (and its cutaneous equivalent), the sympathetic nervous system, the release of hormones and peptides, the role of immune cells (T and B cells, macrophages) and immune-related cells in the skin (mast cells, dendritic cells and keratinocytes). Moreover, there is strong evidence that psychological factors influence the experience of pruritus. CP can also cause psychiatric disorders, including but not limited to anxiety and depression, and also lead to significant quality of life (QoL) impairment. Thereby, although a psychodermatological assessment should ideally be carried out in the context of a specific psychodermatology consultation, a brief mental health assessment could be part of the general dermatological approach to these patients. Considering that mental health, QoL and pruritus are closely linked, psychotherapeutic interventions and/or psychotropic drugs should thus be considered in some patients as an adjunct to the pharmacological treatment of CP.
PubMed: 38914907
DOI: 10.1007/s13555-024-01214-z