Effects of female gonadal hormones and LPS on depressive-like behavior in rats

Considerable evidence shows an association of depression with the immune system and emphasizes the importance of gender in the etiology of the disease and the response to inflammatory stimuli. We examined the influence of immune-challenged systems on depressive-like behavior in female rats in the context of gonadal hormones. We used a neuroinflammatory model of depression elicited by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration on naive and ovariectomized (OVX) female rats, and examined the effects of estradiol (E2) and/or progesterone (P4) replacement therapy on animal behavior, as assessed by the forced swimming test (FST). We found that LPS and OVX increase immobility in the FST, while LPS also decreased body weight in naive female rats. Further, even though P4 application alone showed beneficial effects on the behavioral profile (it reduced immobility and increased climbing), supplementation of both hormones (E2 and P4) together to OVX rats failed to do so. When OVX rats were exposed to LPS-induced immune challenge, neither hormone individually nor their combination had any effect on immobility, however, their joint supplementation increased climbing behavior. In conclusion, our study confirmed that both LPS and OVX induced depressive-like behavior in female rats. Furthermore, our results potentiate P4 supplementation in relieving the depressive-like symptomatology in OVX rats, most likely through fine-tuning of different neurotransmitter systems. In the context of an activated immune system, the application of E2 and/or P4 does not provide any advantageous effects on depressive-like behavior

The C20068T gene variant in the 3` end of the prothrombin gene and recurrent pregnancy loss: A pilot study

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a health problem affecting up to 5% of women of reproductive age. Several thrombophilic risk factors might contribute to RPL. To investigate relationship between a novel C20068T gene variant in the 3' end of prothrombin gene and RPL, we tested 153 women with RPL and 111 controls for the presence of this gene variant. In patients, we have detected four heterozygous (2.61%) and no homozygous carriers. In controls, no carriers were detected. Our results indicate higher prevalence of C20068T gene variant in women with RPL but this difference was not statistically significant. However, in patients who suffered 5 or more RPL, frequency of C20068T gene variant was significantly increased compared to controls (12.5% vs. 0%, P = 0.02). This is the first study which points out a possible role of C20068T gene variant in etiology of RPL, but larger studies should be carried out to confirm our findings

The Expression of Insulin in the Central Nervous System: What Have We Learned So Far?

After being discovered over a century ago, insulin was long considered to be a hormone exclusively produced by the pancreas. Insulin presence was later discovered in the brain, which was originally accounted for by its transport across the blood-brain barrier. Considering that both insulin mRNA and insulin were detected in the central nervous system (CNS), it is now known that this hormone is also synthesized in several brain regions, including the hypothalamus, hippocampus, cerebral and cerebellar cortex, and olfactory bulb. Although many roles of insulin in the CNS have been described, it was initially unknown which of them could be attributed to brain-derived and which to pancreatic insulin or whether their actions in the brain overlap. However, more and more studies have been emerging lately, focusing solely on the roles of brain-derived insulin. The aim of this review was to present the latest findings on the roles of brain-derived insulin, including neuroprotection, control of growth hormone secretion, and regulation of appetite and neuronal glucose uptake. Lastly, the impairment of signaling initiated by brain-derived insulin was addressed in regard to memory decline in humans

Novel acute stressor effects on interscapular brown adipose tissue sympathetic inervation and UCP-1 content in chronically isolated and spontaneously hypertensive rats

Interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) is an energy storing organ involved in the maintenance of homeostasis in stress conditions when the balance of energy supplies is disturbed. The major regulator of IBAT activity is the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Since genetic background is responsible for the individual differences in neuroendocrine stress responsivity, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) that have a genetically increased general sympathetic output are a useful model for studying adaptive processes in stress conditions. Our aim was to test the effect of acute and/or chronic exposure to various stressors (thermal-cold, psychophysical-immobilization and psychosocial-isolation) on IBAT SNS and the metabolic activity in SHR, by measuring the number of monoamine-containing nerve endings and uncoupling protein-1 (UCP-1) content. The obtained results show that the IBAT SNS activity of unstressed SHR was stimulated by the administration of a single acute or chronic stressor and was independent of the duration or type of stressor, while chronic pre-stress of isolation suppressed further the SNS reaction to novel acute stress exposure. The IBAT UCP-1 content followed SNS changes, suggesting that this system is dominant in the regulation of IBAT metabolic rate in SHR

Risk Factors and Predictive Value of Depression and Anxiety in Cervical Cancer Patients

Background and Objectives: Women with cervical cancer may experience depression or anxiety, influencing their quality of life and even their adherence to cancer treatments. This study aimed to explore and measure the levels of anxiety and depression in patients suffering from cervical cancer and to identify the possible predictors among known risk factors such as age, cancer stage, smoking status, number of partners, use of contraceptives, and annual gynecological visits. Materials and Methods: In total, 59 patients with cervical cancer were included. A consecutive sampling method was used to select participants in this research. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the Zung Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Zung Depression Scale (SDS). The subjects were divided into three groups, according to the stage of cancer. Results: Scores of depression and anxiety were increased in all recruited cervical cancer patients. A significant correlation was found between disease stage and the scores of depression (p = 0.002) and anxiety (p = 0.016). More severe depressive symptoms correlated to a more advanced stage of the disease. A multiple linear regression showed that disease stage and annual visits to the gynecologist are the risk factors associated with higher depression scores. Conclusions: Patients diagnosed with cervical cancer are a vulnerable group for the development of the psychiatric disorders and they require screening programs, which could potentially detect candidates for co-psychiatric and/or psychotherapeutic treatment. They demand particular attention because anxiety and depression are associated with the significant burden of the underlying disease and unfavorable survival rates

The effect of 48 h fasting on the <i>Fto</i> intracellular localisation in CORTEX and HPC.

<p>Representative confocal images of sections from CORTEX and ARC of control (n = 3) and 48 h fasted (n = 3) rats. Sections were probed for <i>Fto</i> protein (green) and Neuronal Nuclear protein (NeuN, red). h fasted (n = 3) rats. Sections were probed for <i>Fto</i> protein (green) and Neuronal Nuclear protein (NeuN, red). Cytoplasmic Fto-immunoreactivity was not observed in CORTEX and HPC neurons of either fasted or control rats. (HPC; hippocampus).</p