Involvement of Ovarian Estradiol Biosynthesis and Pituitary FSH Expression in the Mechanism of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Stimulation of Uterine Growth in Immature Female Rats

In a previous work, we showed that human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) alone is able to stimulate uterine ponderal growth in immature female rats. In the present paper, we provide new information indicating that a single 100 ng hCG injection increased ovarian androgen availability and aromatase activity. These changes are consistent with an increase in ovarian estradiol secretion. Ovarian activin βA and activin βB subunit RNAs expression were also increased following hCG injection. Most interestingly, this treatment also led to an increase in FSHβ subunit mRNA expression in the pituitary, which might be due to hCG-stimulated ovarian activin secretion. We have not been able so far to follow the kinetics of the plasma concentrations of activin and FSH in hCG-treated animals compared to control animals. This has to be explored in the future to provide a more complete assessment of our model.

Psychophysiological Stress Reactivity Relationships across the Menstrual Cycle

While evidence suggests that women exhibit psychophysiological differences in stress reactivity across the menstrual cycle, the relationships among psychological and physiological stress reactivity states are not well understood. Healthy, normally cycling women (N=44) participated in two counterbalanced laboratory sessions during the follicular and luteal phases where heart rate and subjective stress were assessed in response to stressors. There were no differences in the magnitudes of psychophysiological stress responses across the cycle. Psychological and physiological states were largely unrelated in the follicular phase but interrelationships were found in the luteal phase and these relationships were influenced by autonomic perception and trait anxiety. For women with high trait anxiety, autonomic perception appeared to buffer psychological and physiological stress reactivity during the luteal phase, suggesting that autonomic perception may be a protective factor for more anxious women during times of acute stress.

Perturbation of the Hematopoietic Profile by Anabolic Androgenic Steroids

Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the hematopoietic profile in AAS abusers, during or short after their last abuse and approximately six months later. Moreover, we studied if supraphysiological doses of testosterone influence the concentration of hemoglobin and erythropoietin in healthy volunteers. Design and Methods. Subjects (N=31) were recruited through an antidoping hotline. The hematological profile was measured when the subjects entered the study and approximately 6 months later. Testosterone enanthate (500 mg) was administered to healthy volunteers (N=24). Gene expression was studied in human hek293 cells exposed to 1 μM testosterone. Results. Decreased levels of hemoglobin, erythrocyte volume fraction, and erythrocyte counts were observed after 6 months without the use of AAS. Results in volunteers show that hemoglobin increased 3% four and 15 days after testosterone administration, whereas EPO was significantly increased by 38% four days after dose. Agreeingly, in vitro study shows that testosterone induces the mRNA level of EPO with 65% after 24-hour exposure. Conclusion. These results indicate that supraphysiological doses of testosterone may cause a perturbation in the hematopoietic profile. This is of interest in relation to the adverse cardiovascular effects observed in AAS abusers.

Systematic Literature Review of the Epidemiology of Nongenetic Forms of Hypogonadism in Adult Males

This study summarizes the literature on the prevalence, incidence, and proportion of patients receiving treatment for male hypogonadism and a systematic literature search was performed for articles published in the last 20 years. Of the 97 studies identified, 96 examined the prevalence, 2 examined the incidence, and 4 examined the proportion of males with hypogonadism patients receiving treatment. Based on studies conducted in Europe and USA, the prevalence of hypogonadism in the general population ranged from 2.1% to 12.8% of middle-aged to older men, with an estimated incidence of 12 new cases per 1,000 person-years. Prevalence was higher among patients with comorbid conditions, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity. Approximately 10–12% of men with hypogonadism were receiving testosterone treatment. This literature review suggests that there is potentially a significant burden of hypogonadism in the general population. Burden seems to increase with age and in the presence of certain disease conditions. Data suggests that many hypogonadal men who may benefit from testosterone replacement are not receiving treatment. This may be the result of underdiagnosis of the disease, lack of awareness by patients or physicians, irregularities surrounding the diagnostic criteria, and deficiency of long-term safety studies.

Comparison of the Cutaneous Wound Healing of Ovariectomized Mouse at 12 Weeks with That of SHAM and Estrogen-Administered Mice

The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of 17β-estradiol on cutaneous wound healing in 12-week ovariectomized (OVX) female mice. Eight-week-old female mice were divided into three groups: administration of 17β-estradiol after OVX (OVX + 17β-estradiol), OVX, and sham (SHAM). Four weeks after surgery, the mice received two full-thickness cutaneous wounds. 17β-Estradiol at 0.01 g/day was administered on the backs of mice in the OVX + 17β-estradiol group every day. Plasma 17β-estradiol level in the OVX + 17β-estradiol group was thus significantly higher than in the SHAM and OVX groups, but there was no significant difference between SHAM and OVX groups. The ratio of wound area was not significantly different among the three groups. However, the period required to reach a ratio of wound area of 0.15 in the OVX + 17β-estradiol group was significantly shorter than in the SHAM and OVX groups. These results indicate that cutaneous wound healing in young OVX mice was promoted by the administration of 17β-estradiol compared with that in SHAM and OVX mice without such administration, but there was no difference between the latter two groups that did not differ in 17β-estradiol level.

Utility of Intraoperative Parathormone Assay as an Index to Successful Parathyroidectomy

Introduction. Surgery is the definitive treatment for primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP). Focused approaches for excision of single gland pathology are gaining popularity. Preoperative parathyroid localization and intraoperative parathormone (IOPTH) assay are essential components of successful parathyroidectomy using focused approach. Objective. To evaluate the efficacy of IOPTH in patients undergoing surgery for PHP. Methods. Retrospective review of twelve patients who underwent surgery for PHP at tertiary corporate hospital in Mumbai, India, between January 2009 and December 2012. Results. IOPTH had true results in 10 patients (83%) and led to unnecessary further exploration in 1 patient (8%). The concordance rate between ultrasonogram, sestamibi, and IOPTH was 66%. The mean decay of IOPTH was 65%, and all patients were normocalcemic at the end of six months. Conclusion. IOPTH is a useful adjunct to predict successful removal of the involved gland.

Improvements in Chronic Primary Insomnia after Exercise Training Are Correlated with Changes in Metabolic and Hormonal Profile

Objective. The objective of this study was to correlate metabolic and hormonal parameters before and after 8, 16, and 24 weeks (wk) of moderate aerobic training in individuals with chronic primary insomnia. Method. Four male and sixteen female volunteers (adults, sedentary, and healthy) performed exercise training for 24 weeks. Blood and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was obtained at baseline, 8, 16, and 24 wk of training. Results. PSQI scores decreased after 8, 16, and 24 wk of training regarding baseline values. Indeed, total sleep time (TST) increased after 16 and 24 wk of exercise training regarding baseline values. The correlations were analyzed using the delta (Δ) values (Δ1=8 wk less baseline; Δ2=16 wk less baseline; Δ3=24 wk less baseline). We have observed a negative correlation for Δ1 between TST and cortisol, a positive correlation for Δ3 between TST and growth hormone, a negative correlation for Δ1 between TST and VLDL, a negative correlation for Δ1 between TST and triacylglycerols, and a negative correlation for Δ1 and Δ2 between TST and thyroid-stimulating hormone. Conclusion. The exercise training improved the sleep quality of patients with chronic primary insomnia.

The Effect of 17β-Estradiol Administration on Cutaneous Wound Healing in 24-Week Ovariectomized Female Mice

Estrogen replacement promotes cutaneous wound healing in 8–10-week young ovariectomized female mice. However, research using aged ovariectomized female mice has not been reported, to the best of our knowledge. Therefore, we investigated the effect of 17β-estradiol on cutaneous wound healing using 24-week middle-aged ovariectomized female mice. Twenty-week-old female mice were divided into three groups: medication with 17β-estradiol after ovariectomy (OVX + 17β-estradiol), ovariectomy (OVX), and sham (SHAM). After 4 weeks, the mice received two full-thickness wounds. Then, the OVX + 17β-estradiol group was administered 17β-estradiol at 0.01 g/day until healing. The ratio of wound area in the OVX + 17β-estradiol group was significantly decreased compared with that in the OVX group. The numbers of neutrophils and macrophages in the OVX + 17β-estradiol group were significantly smaller than those in the OVX group. In addition, the ratio of myofibroblasts in the OVX + 17β-estradiol group was significantly higher than that in the OVX group. These data suggested that exogenous continuous 17β-estradiol administration promotes cutaneous wound healing in 24-week OVX female mice by reducing wound area, shortening inflammatory response, and promoting wound contraction. However, it is unclear whether the effect of exogenous estrogen on wound healing outweighs the delay of wound healing due to advanced age.

Salivary Melatonin Concentrations in a Sitting and a Standing Position

This study aimed to examine differences in salivary melatonin concentrations between the sitting and standing positions. Ten subjects (age range: 20–22 years; 5 males and 5 females) participated in the study and provided written consent. In the sitting condition, the subjects sat on a chair from 23:30 h to 1:00 h, whereas in the standing condition, the subjects sat on a chair from 23:30 h to 0:30 h and stood on the floor from 0:30 h to 1:00 h. Saliva samples were obtained at 0:25 h and 1:00 h from all subjects. The experiment was performed under a dim light condition (<10 lx). No significant differences were observed in melatonin concentrations between the two positions at 0:25 h; however, melatonin concentrations in the standing condition were significantly greater than those in the sitting condition at 1:00 h. These results show that melatonin secretion is significantly greater in the standing position than that in the sitting position.