Morpho-functional principle of neuroendocrine system analysis

A new approach to the analysis of the neuroendocrine system (NES) is suggested. It is based on the fact of structural and metabolic determination of any effect on cell and cell aggregates. The principle of a common communication channel in the NES is formulated and a possible method of its formalization is proposed.     

Ketamine modulates TRH and TRH-like peptide turnover in brain and peripheral tissues of male rats

Major depression is the largest single healthcare burden with treatments of slow onset and often limited efficacy. Ketamine, a NMDA antagonist used extensively as a pediatric and veterinary anesthetic, has recently been shown to be a rapid acting antidepressant, making it a potential lifesaver for suicidal patients. Side effects and risk of abuse limit the chronic use of ketamine. More complete understanding of the neurobiochemical mechanisms of ketamine should lead to safer alternatives. Some of the physiological and pharmacological actions of ketamine are consistent with increased synthesis and release of TRH (pGlu-His-Pro-NH₂), and TRH-like peptides (pGlu-X-Pro-NH₂) where “X” can be any amino acid residue. Moreover, TRH-like peptides are themselves potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of major depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, epilepsy, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. For these reasons, male Sprague–Dawley rats were anesthetized with 162 mg/kg ip ketamine and then infused intranasally with 20 μl of sterile saline containing either 0 or 5 mg/ml Glu-TRH. One, 2 or 4 h later, the brain levels of TRH and TRH-like peptides were measured in various brain regions and peripheral tissues. At 1 h in brain following ketamine only, the levels of TRH and TRH-like peptides were significantly increased in 52 instances (due to increased biosynthesis and/or decreased release) or decreased in five instances. These changes, listed by brain region in order of decreasing number of significant increases (↑) and/or decreases (↓), were: hypothalamus (9↑); piriform cortex (8↑); entorhinal cortex (7↑); nucleus accumbens (7↑); posterior cingulate (5↑); striatum (4↑); frontal cortex (2↑,3↓); amygdala (3↑); medulla oblongata (1↑,2↓); cerebellum (2↑); hippocampus (2↑); anterior cingulate (2↑). The corresponding changes in peripheral tissues were: adrenals (8↑); epididymis (4↑); testis (1↑,3↓); pancreas (1↑); prostate (1↑). We conclude that TRH and TRH-like peptides may be downstream mediators of the rapid antidepressant actions of ketamine.     

Roles of cAMP and cAMP-dependent protein kinase in the progression of prostate cancer: Cross-talk with the androgen receptor

Prostate carcinomas are among the most frequently diagnosed and death causing cancers affecting males in the developed world. It has become clear that the molecular mechanisms that drive the differentiation of normal prostate cells towards neoplasia involve multiple signal transduction cascades that often overlap and interact. A critical mediator of cellular proliferation and differentiation in various cells (and cancers) is the cAMP-dependent protein kinase, also known as protein kinase A (PKA), and its activating secondary messenger, cAMP. PKA and cAMP have been shown to play critical roles in prostate carcinogenesis and are the subject of this review. In particular we will focus on the cross-talk between PKA/cAMP signaling and that of the androgen receptor.     

寨卡病毒,不仅仅是小头畸形

寨卡病毒(Zika virus,ZIKV)属于黄病毒科黄病毒属,由蚊虫叮咬传播。ZIKV发现于1947年。2007年以来,由于基因突变,ZIKV获得了更强的神经嗜性和在蚊虫体内播散的能力,因而在全球加快流行,并与成人吉兰-巴雷综合征和胎儿小头畸形的发生密切相关。最近的临床观察和动物研究进一步表明,ZIKV感染引起的临床症状复杂多样,所造成的疾病不仅仅是小头畸形,它还能够损伤雄性生殖系统,干扰下丘脑对神经内分泌系统的调节,引起多种激素分泌缺陷,导致生长发育迟缓和学习记忆能力损伤。因此,对于先天感染ZIKV的新生儿,不仅要在孕期监测小头畸形的发生,出生后也需进行长期的跟踪观察;对于出生后感染ZIKV的婴幼儿以及学龄前儿童,无论病情轻重,也需要进行随访,以明确ZIKV感染的远期影响。     

Environmental Cues,Endocrine Factors,and Reproductive Diapause in Male Insects

Environmental cues, mostly photoperiod and temperature, mediated by effects on the neuroendocrine system, control reproductive diapause in female insects. Arrest of oocyte development characterizes female reproductive diapause, which has two major adaptive functions: It improves chances of survival during unfavorable season(s), and/or it confines oviposition to that period of the year that is optimal for survival of the eggs and progeny. Although reproductive diapause is less well studied in male insects, there may be no sex-dependent differences in regard to the first of these functions. The second one, however, is not valid for the male; instead, selection pressure directs the male's reproductive strategy toward maximum chances of fertilization of the female's eggs with minimum waste of energy. Therefore, in species with female reproductive diapause, the males may or may not exhibit diapause, but if they do, their diapause must be adapted to that existing in conspecific females. Male reproductive diapause is defined as a reversible state of inability of the male to inseminate receptive females. In relation to reproductive diapause, there are several patterns of coadaptations between male reproductive strategy and timing of female receptivity, (a) In some insects, the females are receptive in the early part of their diapause; mating occurs during this period and there is no diapause in the male. The male dies shortly after copulation and the female stores the sperms to fertilize the eggs that develop after termination of the female's diapause, (b) In some species, as in the grasshopper Anacridium aegyptium, females are receptive during diapause; though oocyte development is arrested, copulation occurs and the stored sperms fertilize the eggs when the female's diapause ends. Males were claimed to have no diapause, but recent studies have revealed the presence of a reproductive diapause in a proportion of the males. This and other cases show that female receptivity during reproductive diapause may or may not be accompanied by male reproductive diapause. If there is a reproductive diapause in the male, it is controlled by the same endocrine mechanism, the corpora allata (CA), as in the females, (c) In many species females are refractory during their diapause. In these cases, males exhibit reproductive diapause, which may be light, as in the beetle Oulema melanopus, or well established, as in certain grasshoppers, butterflies, and beetles. In the latter cases, male diapause is controlled by similar environmental cues (photoperiod, temperature) and by the same intrinsic mechanism (neuroendocrine system, especially CA) as female diapause. Nevertheless, male diapause is less intense; the environmental cues leading to its termination are less complex and/or less extreme, so male diapause terminates before that of the females. Presumably, male diapause is under two antagonistic selection pressures: A male should not waste energy by courting dia-pausing refractory females, but he should be ready to copulate as soon as the females become receptive, otherwise he may lose in the competition between males for females. Some further strategies, which do not seem to fit the above patterns, are also outlined.     

Prolactin administration during early postnatal life decreases hippocampal and olfactory bulb neurogenesis and results in depressive-like behavior in adulthood

Tight regulation of hormone and neurochemical milieu during developmental periods is critical for adequate physiological functions. For instance, activation of peptide systems during early life stress induces morphological changes in the brain resulting in depression and anxiety disorders. Prolactin (PRL) exerts different actions within the brain; it regulates neurogenesis and modulates neuroendocrine functions in the adult. However, PRL effects during early postnatal life are hardly known. Therefore, we examined whether neonatal administration of PRL influences cell survival in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) and in the olfactory bulb (OB) and whether such influence results in behavioral consequences in adulthood. PRL-treated rat pups (13 mg/kg; PND1 to PND14), injected with BrdU at postnatal day 5 (PND5), showed a decrease in the density of DG BrdU/DCX and BrdU/NeuN-positive cells that survive at PND15. Similarly, PRL treatment decreased the density of BrdU + cells in the OB compared with VEH. Fluorojade B analysis showed no significant changes in the amount of cell death in the DG between the groups. Postnatal PRL administration induced a passive coping strategy in the forced swimming test in male and female adult rats when compared with control and vehicle groups. Corticosterone endogenous levels at PND12 were not affected by PRL or VEH treatment. Altogether, these results suggest that opposed to its effects in the adult, postnatal PRL treatment affects neurogenesis and results in psychopathology later in life. High PRL levels, as observed in neonates under several pathological states, might contribute to detrimental effects on the developing brain.     

广泛性焦虑障碍患者人格特征与免疫功能、甲状腺激素和神经内分泌激素的相关性分析

摘要 目的：探讨广泛性焦虑障碍（GAD）患者人格特征与免疫功能、甲状腺激素和神经内分泌激素的相关性。方法：选择2019年1月~2020年12月北部战区空军医院心理科收治的GAD患者80例作为研究组,选择同期于北部战区空军医院体检的健康志愿者80例作为对照组。应用艾森克人格问卷简式量表中国版（EPQ-RSC）对受试者人格特征进行评价,比较两组EPQ-RSC评分结果、血液中CD3⁺、CD4⁺、自然杀伤细胞（NK）比例,血清白细胞介素（IL）-2、IL-6,三碘甲状腺原氨酸（T3）、甲状腺素（T4）、游离三碘甲状腺原氨酸（FT3）、游离甲状腺素（FT4）、促甲状腺激素（TSH）、去甲肾上腺素（NE）、促肾上腺皮质激素（ACTH）、皮质醇（CS）水平,并分析其相关性。结果：研究组精神质（P）、神经质（N）评分及EPQ-RSC总分均显著高于对照组（P<0.05）,研究组CD3⁺、CD4⁺、NK比例显著低于对照组,血清IL-2、IL-6水平显著高于对照组（P<0.05）。研究组血清FT3、FT4水平显著低于对照组（P<0.05）。研究组血清CS水平显著低于对照组,NE、ACTH水平显著高于对照组（P<0.05）。Pearson相关分析显示,GAD患者N、P评分及EPQ-RSC总分与CD3⁺、CD4⁺、NK、FT3、FT4、CS呈负相关（P<0.05）,与IL-2、IL-6、NE、ACTH呈正相关（P<0.05）。结论：GAD患者存在免疫功能损伤、神经内分泌激素和甲状腺激素水平异常,且均与患者P、N倾向的人格特征有关。     

沙库巴曲缬沙坦钠片对高原地区慢性心力衰竭患者神经内分泌激素和心功能的影响

摘要 目的：探讨沙库巴曲缬沙坦钠片治疗高原地区慢性心力衰竭（CHF）患者的疗效及对神经内分泌激素和心功能的影响。方法：选取2017年3月~2019年6月期间我院接收的CHF患者109例。根据随机数字表法将患者随机分为对照组（n=54）和研究组（n=55）,对照组患者予以缬沙坦治疗,研究组患者则予以沙库巴曲缬沙坦钠片治疗,比较两组患者疗效、神经内分泌激素指标[去甲肾上腺素（NA）、醛固酮（ALD）、血管紧张素Ⅱ（AngⅡ）]和心功能指标[超敏心肌肌钙蛋白T（hs-cTnT）、N-末端脑钠肽前体（NT-proBNP）、左房内径（LAD）、左室舒张末期内径（LVEDD）以及左室射血分数（LVEF）]。记录两组患者心血管不良事件发生情况。结果：研究组患者治疗12周后总有效率为90.91%（50/55）,显著高于对照组患者的75.93%（41/54）（P<0.05）。两组治疗12周后ALD、NA、AngⅡ均下降,且研究组低于对照组（P<0.05）。两组治疗12周后hs-cTnT、NT-proBNP、LVEDD、LAD均下降,且研究组低于对照组（P<0.05）;LVEF升高,且研究组高于对照组（P<0.05）。两组心血管不良事件发生率对比无差异（P>0.05）。结论：沙库巴曲缬沙坦钠片治疗高原地区CHF患者,疗效显著,可有效改善神经内分泌激素水平和心功能,且不增加心血管不良事件发生率,临床应用价值较高。     

右美托咪啶联合咪达唑仑在颅脑创伤中的镇静效果及对神经内分泌的影响

目的:探讨右美托咪啶联合咪达唑仑在颅脑创伤中的镇静效果及对神经内分泌的影响。方法:选择2015年3月至2016年5月我院收治的82例颅脑外伤患者,随机分为对照组(n=41)和观察组(n=41),对照组患者给予丙泊酚联合右美托咪啶镇静治疗,观察组患者则给予右美托咪啶联合咪达唑仑镇静治疗。比较两组患者24 h内镇静效率、镇静1 d医疗费用及用药前后呼吸循环功能变化、血清皮质醇、β-内啡肽水平、外周血白细胞计数以及血糖水平。结果:观察组镇静1 d医疗费用较对照组降低,有统计学差异(P0.05),但两组镇静效率比较无统计学差异(P0.05)。用药后观察组患者平均动脉压(MAP)、心率(HR)和呼吸频率(RR)分别高于对照组,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05),而血氧饱和度(SpO2)、中心静脉压(CVP)比较无统计学差异(P0.05)。用药后两组患者血清皮质醇、β-内啡肽均较用药前降低,观察组血清皮质醇、β-内啡肽均高于对照组,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。用药后观察组患者外周血白细胞计数、血糖水平较用药前降低,对照组患者血糖水平较用药前降低,观察组患者外周血白细胞计数显著低于对照组,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:右美托咪啶联合咪达唑仑应用于颅脑创伤中的镇静效果显著,可有效控制颅脑创伤后的过度应激反应,降低神经内分泌系统紊乱,减少医疗费用,值得临床推广应用。