Glucagon and insulin response to meals in non-obese and obese Dutch women

Many digestive complaints are associated with abnormalities in gastrointestinal peptide hormone function. To investigate the effect of obesity on the release of pancreatic peptide hormones, we have compared the release of insulin and glucagon in non-obese-obese Dutch women in response to isocaloric mixed meals and to Naloxone, an opioid antagonist. Healthy premenopausal women who were separated into three groups based on body mass index (BMI 28), were fed 600-calorie breakfasts. Higher fasting levels of plasma insulin and glucagon occurred in obese (BMI > 28) than lean (BMI < 23) women, while glucagon and insulin release after a high fat meal occurred in obese women. Naloxone administration in obese women decreased plasma insulin and glucagon, but in lean women, naloxone increased plasma glucagon but did not alter plasma insulin levels. Results indicate differences in opiate effects on pancreatic function in non-obese-obese women

The paradoxical nature of sexuality in anorexia nervosa

Psychosexual dysfunctioning is often put forward as an etiological factor in anorexia nervosa. In contrast, we hypothesize that anorexia nervosa patients were in general psychosexually normal before their illness, and that the problems in their sexual life arise only after the emergence of hypogonadism, as a consequence of emaciation. Our study shows that patients, before they became anorectic, were indeed rather similar to normal subjects with respect to sexual attitude. Moreover, patients reported a considerably decreased sexual interest during their anorectic period when compared with normal controls. We conclude that these results corroborate our hypotheses. In the discussion we sketch a theoretical account of the origin and course of anorexia nervosa, according to which the hormonal and associated psychosexual changes are central to its pathogenesis

Stress, serotonergic function, and mood in users of oral contraceptives

The relationship between stress and changes in insulin levels, plasma ratio of tryptophan to other large neutral amino acids (LNAAs), mood, and food intake was investigated in women taking monophasic oral contraceptives containing progestagens. Subjects experiencing high levels of stress displayed significant decreases of insulin and tryptophan to other LNAAs ratios, before and after the consumption of a standard meal during the pill-free period as compared with the period of pill use. The decline of the tryptophan to other LNAAs ratio was accompanied by worsening of mood. In a control group of subjects experiencing low levels of stress there was no relationship between insulin and tryptophan to other LNAAs ratio, nor between tryptophan to other LNAAs ratio and mood. These results suggest that the combination of stress and alterations in sex hormones may be responsible for mood changes during the pill-free period in women taking oral contraceptives