Iron Behaving Badly: Inappropriate Iron Chelation as a Major Contributor to the Aetiology of Vascular and Other Progressive Inflammatory and Degenerative Diseases

The production of peroxide and superoxide is an inevitable consequence of aerobic metabolism, and while these particular "reactive oxygen species" (ROSs) can exhibit a number of biological effects, they are not of themselves excessively reactive and thus they are not especially damaging at physiological concentrations. However, their reactions with poorly liganded iron species can lead to the catalytic production of the very reactive and dangerous hydroxyl radical, which is exceptionally damaging, and a major cause of chronic inflammation. We review the considerable and wide-ranging evidence for the involvement of this combination of (su)peroxide and poorly liganded iron in a large number of physiological and indeed pathological processes and inflammatory disorders, especially those involving the progressive degradation of cellular and organismal performance. These diseases share a great many similarities and thus might be considered to have a common cause (i.e. iron-catalysed free radical and especially hydroxyl radical generation). The studies reviewed include those focused on a series of cardiovascular, metabolic and neurological diseases, where iron can be found at the sites of plaques and lesions, as well as studies showing the significance of iron to aging and longevity. The effective chelation of iron by natural or synthetic ligands is thus of major physiological (and potentially therapeutic) importance. As systems properties, we need to recognise that physiological observables have multiple molecular causes, and studying them in isolation leads to inconsistent patterns of apparent causality when it is the simultaneous combination of multiple factors that is responsible. This explains, for instance, the decidedly mixed effects of antioxidants that have been observed, etc...Comment: 159 pages, including 9 Figs and 2184 reference

Concentração plasmática do hormônio adrenocorticotrófico de parturientes submetidas a método não farmacológico de alívio da ansiedade e dor do parto Concentración de la hormona adrenocorticotrófica en parturientas sometidas a un método no farmacológico de alivio de ansiedad y el dolor durante el parto Corticotrophin hormone serum levels of parturients submitted to nonpharmacologic anxiety and pain relief method during labor

Objetivo: analisar os níveis séricos do hormônio adrenocorticotrófico (ACTH) e a correlação entre esses níveis, a ansiedade e a dor na parturição. Dezessete parturientes (grupo controle - GC) receberam assistência de enfermagem de rotina, e dezenove (grupo experimental - GE) foram estimuladas e orientadas a realizar técnicas de respiração e relaxamento. Os níveis plasmáticos do ACTH, o traço e estado de ansiedade e a intensidade de dor foram avaliados. Os níveis de ACTH foram baixos no início do trabalho de parto, com pico no final e regressão no pós-parto imediato, sem diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os grupos. A redução do ACTH com alívio parcial do estresse do GE, sugere a interferência das técnicas de respiração e relaxamento. Os níveis do ACTH, não se correlacionaram à ansiedade e à dor, em ambos os grupos.<br>La finalidad de este estudio fue analizar los niveles séricos de la hormona adrenocorticotrófica (ACTH), la correlación entre esos niveles, la ansiedad y el dolor en el parto. Diecisiete parturientas (grupo control - GC) recibieron atención de enfermería de rutina y diecinueve (grupo experimento - GE) fueron preparadas y orientadas a realizar técnicas de respiración y relajación. Los niveles de la ACTH, el trazo y estado de ansiedad y la intensidad del dolor fueron evaluados. Los niveles de la ACTH fueron bajos en el inicio del trabajo de parto, con elevación en el final y regresión en el postparto inmediato, sin diferencia estadísticamente significativa entre los grupos. La reducción de la ACTH con alivio parcial del stress del GE, sugiere la interferencia de las técnicas de respiración y relajación. Los niveles de la ACTH no se correlacionaron ni con la ansiedad ni con el dolor, en ambos grupos.<br>This study aimed to analyze the plasma ACTH levels and the correlation between the ACTH levels and pain and anxiety during the parturition. Seventeen parturients received routine nursing care (control group - CG) and nineteen (Experimental Group - EG) were stimulated and guided to perform respiration and relaxation techniques. ACTH levels, pain intensity and state-trait anxiety were evaluated. ACTH levels were lower at the beginning of labor, peaked at the end and decreased again in the immediate postpartum period. There was no significant statistical difference between the groups. Lower ACTH levels and partial stress relief in the EG suggest the interference of breathing and relaxation techniques; ACTH levels did not show any correlation with anxiety or pain in any of both groups

Steep Discounting of Future Rewards as an Impulsivity Phenotype: A Concise Review.

This chapter provides an overview over the behavioral economic index of impulsivity known as delay discounting. Specifically, delay discounting refers to an individual's preference for smaller immediate rewards over a larger delayed rewards. The more precipitously an individual discounts future rewards, the more impulsive they are considered to be. First, the chapter reviews the nature of delay discounting as a psychological process and juxtaposes it with nominally similar processes, including other facets of impulsivity. Second, the chapter reviews the links between delay discounting and numerous health behaviors, including addiction, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and obesity. Third, the determinants of individual variation in delay discounting are discussed, including both genetic and environmental contributions. Finally, the chapter evaluates delay discounting as a potentially modifiable risk factor and the status of clinical interventions designed to reduce delay discounting to address deficits in self-control in a variety of maladaptive behaviors