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Hormonal Imbalances (hormonal + imbalance)
Selected AbstractsCoat condition, housing condition and measurement of faecal cortisol metabolites , a non-invasive study about alopecia in captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)JOURNAL OF MEDICAL PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2006Hanspeter W. Steinmetz Abstract Background, Previous studies have characterized alopecia in captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) by a mixed partial to complete alopecia in a bilateral symmetric pattern. Methods, In this study, coat condition assessments were related to exogenous and endogenous factors in captive rhesus macaques under different housing conditions in order to identify disturbances in environmental factors controlling or influencing hair growth. Additionally, the degree of alopecia was investigated in relation to adrenal endocrine function as an indicator of social stress using faecal glucocorticoid measurements. Results, Hair loss was found to vary with season and sex, was most pronounced in adult females during the winter and spring months. Generally, infants were not affected, but alopecia developed during adolescence. However, the housing system, available enclosure space and variations in group size and composition also appeared to influence coat condition. Levels of immunoreactive cortisol metabolites (11-oxoetiocholanolone) in faeces were significantly negatively correlated with alopecia, suggesting a relationship between hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity and hair loss in captive rhesus macaques. Conclusions, Although the present study demonstrates the influence of the HPA axis on coat condition, it is not known if hair loss is caused by abnormal behaviour or hormonal imbalances of the HPA axis itself. Our data suggest that alopecia in rhesus macaques is a highly complex multicausal disorder. [source] Pituitary disease , perspectives of patients and partnersJOURNAL OF NURSING AND HEALTHCARE OF CHRONIC ILLNE SS: AN INTERNATIONAL INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL, Issue 2 2009FRCNA, Trisha Dunning AM Aim. To explore experiences of pituitary disease of people with pituitary disease (PD) and their partners (PT). Background. Pituitary disease encompasses a range of hormonal abnormalities that produce a variety of signs and symptoms depending on the underlying cause. Design. A triangulated exploratory study. Methods. The study was conducted in three phases: (a) non-participant monitoring of an Internet pituitary chat room over four months; (b) in-depth structured interviews with PD attending a pituitary outpatient clinic (n = 8) and PT (n = 6), (c) focus groups (n = 12). Data were collected in 2005. Results. Four themes emerged from the discussion in each phase: ,need to be normal', ,emotional merry-go-round', ,damage to the self', and ,doctor ignorance'. Symptoms of pituitary disease were often mistaken for sinusitis, ,getting old before my time', hypochondria, stress, and ,something sinister changing the way I look'. Time to diagnosis varied from four weeks to 15 years. PD felt included in decision-making but partners relied on PD for information. Body image changes were significant making PD feel like a ,freak show for medical students' and the emotional distress persisted after treatment and ,cure'. The word ,tumour' caused significant stress and anxiety and depression was common. PD and PT felt general practitioners (GP) lacked information about pituitary disease. Conclusions. Pituitary disease has a major impact on psychological well-being. PD but not PT felt involved in decisions about their management. GPs may need more education about pituitary disease. The study adds important information about the emotional effects of pituitary disease and its treatment. Relevance to clinical practice. Pituitary disease is a generic term encompassing a range of underlying disease processes that often produce vague symptoms, often attributed to other causes, which delays diagnosis and treatment. Pituitary disease has a significant under recognised impact on people's mental and physical wellbeing and self-concept. Although the underlying hormonal imbalances associated with pituitary disease are largely reversible (cured), emotional distress persists. Regular monitoring of emotional wellbeing as well as medical and hormone status is warranted. [source] Physiology and Treatment of Retained Fetal Membranes in CattleJOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2010J.C. Beagley Retained fetal membranes (RFM) in cattle have adverse effects on fertility and production. Understanding the pathophysiology and causes of RFM is important for managing this disease. The hormonal processes that lead to normal placental separation are multifactorial and begin before parturition. A variety of risk factors, including early or induced parturition, dystocia, hormonal imbalances, and immunosuppression, can interrupt these normal processes and result in retention of the placenta. Current research does not support the efficacy of many commonly practiced treatments for RFM. Systemic administration of antibiotics can be beneficial for treating metritis after RFM, but antibiotic administration has not been shown to significantly improve future reproduction in cows with RFM. Collagenase injected into the umbilical arteries of retained placentas specifically targets the lack of placentome proteolysis and might enhance placental release. However, such therapy is costly and its benefits in terms of improving subsequent reproductive function have not been evaluated. [source] REVIEW ARTICLE: Interleukin-10: A Multi-Faceted Agent of PregnancyAMERICAN JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 6 2010Jessica E. Thaxton Citation Thaxton JE, Sharma S. Interleukin-10: a multi-faceted agent of pregnancy. Am J Reprod Immunol 2010 It is widely accepted that pregnancy constitutes a unique developmental event. Unprecedented intrauterine actions of angiogenesis, immunity, and neuroendocrine regulation are juxtaposed to mechanisms of senescence that enable fetal growth and protection. The suppressive and regulatory factors that facilitate healthy pregnancy are under investigation. In non-pregnant systems of infection and inflammation, the cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) has been widely investigated because of its potential as a key immunosuppressant in response to a multitude of inflammatory events. In the context of pregnancy, IL-10 levels increase markedly in women during early pregnancy and remain elevated well into the third trimester immediately prior to onset of labor. The role of IL-10 during pregnancy as a suppressor of active maternal immunity to allow acceptance of the fetal allograft has been a point of study. Moreover, secretion of IL-10 by a diverse set of maternal and fetal cells has proven to aid in the orchestration of normal processes of pregnancy. Interestingly, some of the more profound findings regarding the actions of IL-10 during pregnancy have manifested from research that focuses on aberrant pregnancy outcomes as a result of inflammation, hormonal imbalances, or gene,environment interactions. This review focuses on the role of IL-10 as a facilitator of successful pregnancy both as an immune suppressive agent and a mediator of cross talk between the placenta and the decidua. Importantly, we discuss investigations on adverse pregnancy conditions to further elucidate the multifarious role of IL-10 at the maternal,fetal interface. [source] On the Structure of the Adrenal Gland of the Common Seal (Phoca vitulina vitulina)ANATOMIA, HISTOLOGIA, EMBRYOLOGIA, Issue 5 2004H. Bragulla Summary The adrenal gland is a vitally important endocrine gland that occupies a central role in the regulatory mechanisms of the body metabolism. Environmental stress factors lead to permanent strain and overload of the body resulting in structural alterations of the adrenals that in turn are followed by hormonal imbalances. This leads to an increased susceptibility to bacterial and viral diseases. The recurrence of numerous fatalities in the different seal populations of the North Sea (during the years 1988, 1989 and 2002), of the Baikal Lake and Caspian Sea (during the years 2000 and 2001) were the motive for a morphological investigation of the species-specific structure of the adrenal gland of the common seal in order to differentiate environmental stress-induced pathological alterations from the physiological structure of this organ. The study was based on adrenals of 112 common seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) using light microscopic and transmission and scanning electron microscopic methods. The phocine adrenal gland displays several structural characteristics. Originating from the connective tissue organ capsule, narrow and broad septa intersperse the adrenal cortex. These septa contain blastemata as a reserve for the regeneration of hormone-producing cortical cells. Such blastemata are also occurring in the form of an intermediate zone in between the zona glomerulosa and zona fasciculata in the phocine adrenal cortex. Another species-specific characteristic is an inverse part of the adrenal cortex encircling the central vein of the organ. These structural features have to be considered in assessment and definition of pathological alterations of the adrenals as observed in the form of exhausted blastema cell pools in the adrenocortex of seals perished in the mentioned phocine mass mortalities. [source] Decrease in glomerulonephritis and Th1-associated autoantibody production after progesterone treatment in NZB/NZW miceARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 6 2009Grant C. Hughes Objective While estrogen treatment exacerbates disease in models of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the effects of progesterone are unclear. This study was undertaken to assess the effects of continuous progesterone treatment on autoantibody production and spontaneous glomerulonephritis (GN) in a mouse model of SLE. Methods Female (NZB × NZW)F1 (NZB/NZW) mice were treated with vehicle, 2 mg of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), or 10 mg of DMPA every 6 weeks. Survival, proteinuria, and serum anti,double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) levels were monitored. At 39 weeks of age, kidneys were analyzed for abnormalities and glomerular accumulation of IgG subclasses and C3. Spleen leukocyte subsets were also analyzed. Results DMPA treatment reduced mortality in a dose-dependent manner in association with reduced proteinuria and glomerular damage. High-dose DMPA treatment resulted in a reduction of total serum IgG and IgG2a anti-dsDNA antibody levels, whereas IgG1 anti-dsDNA antibody levels were modestly increased. High-dose DMPA reduced glomerular accumulation of IgG1, IgG2a, IgG3, and complement, while low-dose DMPA decreased glomerular IgG2a and IgG3 levels compared with vehicle treatment. Conclusion Our findings indicate that treatment of premorbid female NZB/NZW mice with DMPA reduces mortality and attenuates spontaneous GN, likely through multiple mechanisms, including altered ratios of protective Th2-related IgG antibodies versus nephritogenic Th1-related IgG autoantibodies. Thus, estrogen and progesterone may have disparate effects on lupus autoimmunity, lending new significance to observed hormonal imbalances in patients with SLE. These data also suggest that treatment of SLE patients with DMPA may have therapeutic benefit. [source] | ||||||||||