In order to study a possible effect of mini-invasive heart intervention on a response of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal stress axis, we analyzed four stress markers (cortisol, cortisone, DHEA and DHEAS) in 25 sows using minimally invasive heart catheterisation as the stress factor. The marker levels were assessed in four periods of the experiment, (1) the baseline level on the day before intervention, (2) after the introduction of anesthesia, (3) after conducting tissue stimulation or ablation, and (4) after the end of the catheterisation. For statistical analyses we used the non-parametric Friedman test for four dependent samples (including all four stages of the operation) or three dependent samples (influence of operation only, baseline level was excluded). Statistically significant differences in both Friedman tests were found for cortisol and for cortisone. Significant differences for DHEA as well as for DHEAS were found for all tested stages but not for the effect of operation itself. We have concluded that cortisol levels are blunted by the influence of anesthesia after its administration, and therefore decrease back to the baseline at the end of the operation. The other markers (cortisone, DHEA and DHEAS) acted as balanced systems against the injurious stress effect., H. Skarlandtová, M. Bičíková, P. Neužil, M. Mlček, V. Hrachovina, T. Svoboda, E. Medová, J. Kudlička, A. Dohnalová, Š. Havránek, H. Kazihnítková, L. Máčová, E. Vařejková, O. Kittnar., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The present study was devised to assess the effects of cadmium chloride (CdCl2) administration on certain andrological, endocrinological and biochemical alterations in adult male rabbits (n=24). The animals were assigned to control (n=8) and experimental (n=16) group. Experimental group was orally administered with 1.5 mg/kg body weight of CdCl2. The trials were carried out for a total of 5 weeks and blood sampling was carried out on weekly basis. A gradual decrease was noticed for body weight in the experimental group from week 1 to 5, being significantly lower in week 4 and 5 (P<0.05). A similar decremented trend was noticed for serum testosterone level being significantly lower in experimental group in week 4 and 5 (P<0.001). Significantly lower values were noticed for prolactin in experimental group in week 4 and 5 (P<0.05), than in the control. On the contrary, serum cortisol level showed a gradual increase in experimental group, from week 1 to 5, being significantly higher in week 4 and 5 (P<0.05). Regarding the biochemical attributes, all the parameters under study revealed a gradually ascending trend. Statistical significance was, however, achieved in varying weeks and at varying levels. The total protein and albumin were significantly higher in week 4 and 5 (P<0.01); alanine aminotransferase in week 2 (P<0.01), 3 (P<0.001), 4 (P<0.01) and 5 (P<0.001); aspartate aminotransferase in week 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 (P<0.01); and alkaline phosphatase in week 1, 2 (P<0.01), 3, 4 and 5 (P<0.0001), respectively. Overall mortality rate in experimental group was 68.75 (11/16). In a nutshell, Cd exposure results in adverse effects on all physiological parameters of body and may lead to lethal consequences., S. Sajjad, H. Malik, U. Farooq, F. Rashid, H. Nasim, S. Tariq, S. Rehman., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Young castrated male goats (n = 8) were used to investigate the effect of long-term treatment with recombinant methionyl bovine somatotropin in a sustained release vehicle (bST; 100 mg at seven-day intervals in a 147-day experiment) and chronic culture (24 h) of omental adipose tissue in the presence of various hormones on lipogenic responses to catecholamines during acute incubation (2 h) in a sodium acetate supplemented glucose-free buffer. The rate of fatty acid synthesis in freshly-prepared adipose explants was low and did not differ from those cultured in the absence of hormones for 24 h. Hormonal combination of insulin (17 nmol.l-1) plus cortisol (138 nmol.l-1) or insulin plus recombinant enterokinase linker bST (4.5 nmol.l-1) increased lipogenesis (P<0.05). Further addition of bST or cortisol decreased lipogenesis significantly (P<0.05) in the controls but not significantly in bST-treated animals. Cultured explants from either control or bST-treated animals showed significant inhibition of lipogenesis by both norepinephrine (10 m mol.l-1) and isoprenaline (10 m mol.l-1). BST treatment in vivo did not increase the responsiveness of cultured explants to norepinephrine in vitro, however, the responsiveness to isoprenaline(inhibition of lipogenesis) was greater in bST-treated animals than in the controls., J. Škarda., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of low-dose combined oral contraception (COC) on basal and stimulated (1 μg ACTH test) levels of serum and salivary cortisol (F), cortisone and on basal serum cortisol binding globulin (CBG), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), dehydroepiadrosterone (DHEA) and calculated free cortisol in healthy young women. Three-month administration of COC resulted in 1) significant increase of basal (454.0±125.0 to 860.9±179.7 nmol/l) and ACTH-stimulated serum cortisol in 30th min (652.3±60.5 to 1374.1±240.6 nmol/l); 2) no significant change of basal (15.4±7.3 to 18.9±8.5 nmol/l) and ACTH-stimulated salivary cortisol at the 30th min (32.4±8.8 to 32.9±9.0 nmol/l); 3) no significant change of basal serum cortisone (38,8±7.68 to 45.2±24.2 nmol/l) and ACTH-stimulated cortisone at the 30th (34.8±10.9 to 47.0±35.7 nmol/l); 4) significant increase of basal ACTH (17.2±9.0 to 38.2±29.4 ng/l), CBG (991.0±161.0 to 2332.0±428.0 nmol/l), and 5) no significant change of basal DHEA (24.6±15.7 to 22.6±11.7 μmol/l) and calculated basal value for free cortisol (22.8±14.9 to 19.2±6.9nmol/l). In conclusions, higher basal and ACTH-stimulated serum cortisol were found after three-month administration of COC, while basal and stimulated salivary cortisol were not significantly affected. Therefore, salivary cortisol can be used for assessment of adrenal function in women regularly using COC., K. Šimůnková, L. Stárka, M. Hill, L. Kříž, R. Hampl, K. Vondra., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
The aim of our study was to investigate adrenocortical function in the context of disease activity and inflammatory status in premenopausal RA females. Adrenal glucocorticoid and androgen responses to the 1 μg ACTH 1-24 test were investigated in 23 premenopausal RA and in 15 age- and BMI-matched healthy females. Twelve RA patients were on low-dose prednisone (<8.5 mg/day). Patients with DAS28>3.2 had lower (p<0.05) total plasma cortisol, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone and androstenedione responses in the ACTH test compared to healthy controls. Patients with DAS28>3.2 had lower (p<0.05) dehydroepiandrosterone response in the ACTH test compared to patients with DAS28≤3.2. C-reactive protein (CRP), DAS28, and interleukin (IL)-6 negatively correlated with androstenedione response to ACTH 1-24. Responses of all measured adrenal steroids were lower (p<0.05) in patients on low-dose glucocorticoids compared to healthy controls. RA patients not treated with glucocorticoids had lower total cortisol response (p=0.038) but did not differ in free plasma cortisol in the ACTH test. The results indicate an association of increased disease activity with a decrease in adrenal androgen production in RA and normal cortisol bioavailability in patients not treated with glucocorticoids., R. Imrich, M. Vlcek, J. Kerlik, M. Vogeser, F. Kirchhoff, A. Penesova, Z. Radikova, J. Lukac, J. Rovensky., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The 24-hour urinary excretion of 6-β-hydroxycortisol (6β-OHC) and the urinary ratio of 6β-hydroxycortisol/cortisol (6β-OHC/UFC) have been proposed as noninvasive probes for human cytochrome P450 3A4 isoform (CYP3A4). In this study, we evaluated within- and between-day variability of 6β-OHC excretion and 6β-OHC/UFC ratio in nine Caucasian men with cardiac disease. Each study participant was asked to collect 24-hour urine specimens during four consecutive days in five standardized time intervals. Concentrations of UFC and 6β-OHC were determined by immunoassay and the high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method, respectively. The HPLC method was accurate and precise, as indicated by the recovery rate of 96.5-103.3 % and less than 5.2 % and 6.3 % of the coefficient of variation for within-run and between-run assay, respectively. In patients, diurnal variations in UFC and 6β-OHC excretion were parallel. Consequently, 6β-OHC/UFC ratio remained stable during the day. Both, 6β-OHC excretion and 6β-OHC/UFC ratio showed significant relationship between 24-hour value and values measured in corresponding collection periods with best correlations obtained from night interval (22.00-06.00, r = 0.86-0.91). These results indicated that urinary 6β-OHC excretion and 6β-OHC/UFC ratio measured in overnight/morning urine could precisely reflect 24-hour values even in severely ill patients. In addition, a simple and sensitive HPLC method was described for determination of 6β-OHC in urine., S. Mičuda, L. Šišpera, M. Hodač, P. Pařízek, L. Fuksa, E. Brčáková, J. Cerman, J. Cermanová, J. Martínková., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Although in vitro studies have shown that cortisol concentrations in human and animal hair respond to environmental stressors, few data have been reported regarding the in vivo variability of hair cortisol to brief pain stressors. As an extension of a previous study, hair was collected and assayed for cortisol concentrations from each of three sites (elbow, mid-forearm, wrist) before and after participants immersed their hand in ice water for 1 min. Results showed that the "localization" boundary of hair cortisol responses previously reported was able to be reduced to only 250 mm between sites. Furthermore, all participants showed considerable variability in hair cortisol across the three sites at each collection period, although consistency across participants in overall responsivity of hair cortisol to the pain stressor was observed., C. F. Sharpley, K. G. Kauter, J. R. McFarlane., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The present study was undertaken to evaluate the use of cortisol 6b-hydroxylation in defining the effect of amiodarone on cytochrome CYP3A activity. To accomplish this goal, the in vivo activity of CYP3A was estimated by measuring the 24-hour urinary excretion of 6b-hydroxycortisol (6b-OHC) and by calculating 24-hour ratio of 6b-hydroxycortisol to urinary free cortisol (6b-OHC/UFC ratio). Nine cardiac patients scheduled for amiodarone treatment were recruited to participate in this study. Urine was collected over a 24-hour period from each subject before the first amiodarone administration and during the third day of oral administration of amiodarone (200 mg four times daily as a loading dose). Three days of amiodarone treatment caused a significant decrease (p<0.05) in both the 6b-OHC/UFC ratio and the 24-hour urinary excretion of 6b-OHC. These results suggest that amiodarone is an inhibitor of CYP3A activity., S. Mičuda, M. Hodač, L. Šišpera, P. Pařízek, M. Pleskot, G. Zimová, J. Cerman, J. Martínková, V. Pinderman., and Obsahuje bibliografii
This study explores the biological validation of markers of acute stress in pigs subjected to transportation for slaughter. The stress markers selected for monitoring were neopterin and cortisol. Their levels in pig serum were measured for two porcine stress syndrome genotypes, NN and Nn, after a 30-min transport to a slaughterhouse. Blood samples were withdrawn before transport (control group) and immediately after the animals' arrival (experimental group). The values of neopterin and cortisol measured before the transport were 5.60±1.65 nm ol/l and 273.54±66.17 nmol/l respectively. After the transfer, the concentration of cortisol rose significantly compared to the control (355.69±85.13 nmol/l, p<0.01). Neopterin concentrations in the serum (8.25±1.60 nmol/l) were also significantly higher (p<0.01) after transportation. The elevated concentrations of both analytes were found to be independent of the genotype. These results document the stimulation of the endocrine system and the immune system that develops in animals undergoing transportation for slaughter., K. Breineková, M. Svoboda, M. Smutná, L. Vorlová., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Determination of response of cortisol and its metabolites to different stimuli may be important for adrenal gland disorders. To date, only one metabolite, cortisone, has been followed in stimulation tests of the adrenal gland. We aimed to describe a response of cortisol metabolites to the standard short Synacthen test (HDST), insulin tolerance test (ITT), low dose Synacthen test (LDST) and medium dose Synacthen test (MDST). Sixty healthy subjects were investigated: 30 men and 30 women. Plasma for measurements of cortisol and its metabolites was obtained before and 30th and 60th min after Synacthen and insulin administration. The cut-off 500 nmol/l of cortisol was reached after stimulation in all of tests, the maximal stimulation level was reached in 60th min in all of the tests except for LDST. The response of cortisol and its metabolites at 30th and 60th min strongly correlated in all of the tests except for LDST. Cortisol and its metabolites increased after stimulation; in contrast, cortisone and its metabolites decreased. We showed that the response of the cortisol metabolites during the Synacthen tests and ITT well correlated, and the MDST showed similar response compared to HDST. The decrease in cortisone metabolites may correspond to the regeneration of cortisol from cortisone in response to stimulation test., K. Simunkova, M. Duskova, M. Kosak, M. Krsek, V. Hana, M. Hill, H. Jandikova, H. Pospisilova, M. Sramkova, E. Bifulco, L. Starka., and Obsahuje bibliografii