Endocrine responses

The neural mechanisms underlying the placebo effect are only partially understood and most of our knowledge comes from pain, although recently Parkinson s disease, immune and endocrine responses, and depression have emerged as interesting models (Fig. 1). In each of these... 

Investigations of the aromatase inhibiting effects in in vitro assays gave no indicahon of an endocrine response after incubation with mono-, di-, or trioctyltin (Cooke, 2002). 

Jaensson, A., Scott, A.P., and Moore, A. et al. (2007). Effects of a pyrethroid pesticide on endocrine responses to female odours and reproductive behaviour in male parr of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.). Aquatic Toxicology 81, 1-9. 

Metcalfe, T.L., Metcalfe, C.D., Kiparissis, Y. et al. (2000). Gonadal development and endocrine responses in Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) exposed to o,p -T)DT in water or through maternal transfer. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 19, 1893-1900. 

There is a recent clinical report by Emil Coeearo and colleagues that I think might be relevant to the kind of thing you have done in rats. They have been looking at endocrine responses to fenfluramine in humans as a marker of central serotonergic function. And they have observed an increase in serum prolactin concentration, which is felt to be due to serotonin release. They reported that, in subjects who received a seeond dose of fenfluramine within 12 days after the first dose, that there was a blunted response to serum prolactin. 

Since these make up 80% of the urinary volatiles and elicit several specific behavioural and endocrine responses, they are clearly a major signal source. The range of effects induced by these compounds suggests that famesenes are likely to act via both the MOS and the AOS. 

Endocrine therapy is primary therapy for endocrine-responsive disease, with chemotherapy being added for some intermediate- and all high-risk patients... 

Both endocrine therapy and chemotherapy are used in patients with an uncertain endocrine response category unless the patients are low risk, in which case they may just try endocrine therapy alone. 

Caldji, C., Liu, D., Sharma, S. et al. Development of individual differences in behavioral and endocrine responses to stress role of the postnatal environment. In Coping with the Environment Neural and Endocrine Mechanisms. Ed. McEwen, B. S. New York Oxford University Press, 2000, Vol. IV, pp271—292. 

Clearly an important part of understanding stress-related disorders is to better define the chemistry of psycho-neuro-immuno-endocrine response patterns over time, from the healthy and time-limited to unhealthy and sustained individual. There is growing evidence that a physiological communication exists between the brain and the immune system. Several studies have shown that the white blood cells of the immune... 

Jemiolo, D., Alberts, J., Sochinski-Wiggins, S., Harvey, S. and Novotny, M. (1985) Behavioural and endocrine responses of female mice to synthetic analogs of volatile compounds in male urine. Anim. Behav. 33, 1114-1118. 

Karlson and Luscher first introduced the term pheromone in 1959 in a publication about chemical communication in insects in the scientific journal NatureP A pheromone was viewed as a substance that is secreted or excreted into the environment by one individual that elicits some behavioral, developmental, or endocrine response when received by another individual of the same species. The behavioral change in the male silkworm moth in response to bombykol secreted into the environment by the female of the same species fits this mold, for example. 

There are four classes of pheromones. Releaser pheromones elicit immediate, behavioral responses. Primer pheromones elicit longer-term physiological or endocrine responses. Signaler pheromones act to provide information to the recipient. Modulator pheromones determine how a recipient organism will respond to a signal in a specific context. 

The VNO is extremely important in mediating endocrine responses to primer pheromones. Puberty acceleration in female rats by male urine odors can be prevented by electrolytic damage to the vomeronasal nerve. Also, effects of male urine odor such as shortening of the estrus cycle (see Ch. 8) can be eliminated by section of the vomeronasal nerve, or bilateral electrocoagulation of the accessory olfactory bulb (Sanchez-Criado, 1982). In rats, the odor of males stimulates ovulation in females, an effect that is lost if the VNO is extirpated (Johns etal., 1978). Female prairie voles, M. ochrogaster, respond to odors from males with reproductive activation. Surgical removal of the VNO from adult females impedes this reproductive activation by the stud male. The weights of the uterus and the ovaries of these females were lower than those of normal or sham-operated individuals. However, the females without a VNO were still able to locate food by chemical cues (Lepri and Wysocki, 1987). 

In addition, it will be our intention to present a deeper insight into the biosynthesis of steroid hormones, which will allow definition of new targets and approaches for the treatment of endocrine-responsive cancer. Enzymes involved in mechanisms of steroid hormone biosynthesis might be novel targets for endocrine therapy. Moreover, further therapeutic indications for modulators of steroid hormone receptors will be discussed. In summary, many promising new opportunities for endocrine therapy of breast and prostate cancer are now arising. 

To further evaluate the role of CRH in both neuroendocrine and behavioral functions, a mammalian model of CRH deficiency has been generated by targeted mutation in embryonic stem cells (Mugha et al. 1995). CRH-deficient mice reveal a fetal glucocorticoid requirement for lung maturation. Postnatally, they display marked glucocorticoid deficiency and an impaired endocrine response to stress (Jacobson et al. 2000 Mugha et al. 1995). 

Conti A, Cryan JF, Dalvi A, Lucki L, Blendy JA (2002) CREB is essential for the upregulation of BDNF transcription, but not the behavioral or endocrine responses to antidepressant drugs. J Neurosci 22 3262-3268... 

Kellner M, Wiedemann K, Yassouridis A, Levengood R, Guo LS, Holsboer F, Yehuda R (2000) Behavioral and endocrine response to cholecystokinin tetrapeptide in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder. Biol Psychiatry 47 107-111 Kellner M, Baker DG, Yassomidis A, Bettinger S, Otte C, Naber D, Wiedemann K (2002a) Mineralocorticoid receptor fimction in patients with posttramnatic stress disorder. Am J Psychiatry 159 1938-1940... 

StrOhle A, Kellner M, Holsboer F, Wiedemann K (1998) Atrial natriuretic hormone decreases endocrine response to a combined dexamethasone corticotropin-releasing hormone test. Biol Psychiatry 43 371-375... 

Outside of the hypothalamus, an abundant presence of CRF neurons is found in the neocortex, likely influencing cognitive appraisals and behavioral reactions to stress. High densities of CRF neurons are also found in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), which is the key structure in the mediation of emotion (LeDoux, 2000). These CRF neurons likely modulate affective stress responses. The CRF neurons originating from the CeA project directly and indirectly, via the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), to the hypothalamic PVN and influence endocrine responses to stress. Fur-... 

M. J. (1999b) The role of corticotropin-releasing factor—norepinephrine systems in mediating the effects of early experience on the development of behavioral and endocrine responses to stress. Biol Psychiatry 46 1153-1166. 

Cortisol and CRH mediate behavioral, emotional, autonomic, and endocrine responses to environmental... 

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