Endocrine Abstracts

Dehydroepiandrosterone is the most abundant steroid hormone circulating in the human body, we focused on its 7-hydroxylated derivatives. Many observations in rodents have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory and immune modulating activity of 7β-hydroxy-androst-5-enes, and on the basis of these experiments androst-5-ene-3β,7β,17β-triol is considered as a potential agent in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. In contrast to the fairly abundant information on ...

Smoking has many effects on human health and reproduction. Women are generally recommended to quit smoking before conception. Cessation improves fertility and helps avoid many health risks for the mother and the child and plays an important role in the future development and health of the offspring. We have decided to perform a study following changes in the production of steroid hormones in pregnant smokers and ex-smokers compared to non-smokers. In physiological pregnancies,...

Abstract: Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the most powerful naturally occurring androgen with three to six times higher biopotency than testosterone. Time onset of benign prostatic hyperplasia and alopecia in middle life could be the result of an imbalance between androgens. The decline of testosterone during lifespan is well known, controversial data can be found concerning the age dependence of DHT levels. We analysed the levels of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and SHBG fro...

Introduction: A precisely measured corticoid level is important for decision-making in daily clinical practice. These levels can be influenced in the pre-analytical phase, when the effect of stress, timing, and diet can be important.The aim of this study was to elucidate optimal conditions for blood sampling as well as the choice of analytical methods, which they will be used in measuring of corticoids.Methods: By studying ten wome...

Background: Secretion of insulin by beta-cells of the islets of Langerhans is a very complex dynamic process that includes basal and stimulated insulin secretion. Two phases, one early and one late, can be distinguished in insulin secretion. The early phase is characterised by the secretion of preformed insulin granules, lasts about 15 min and is formed by cephalic and gastrointestinal components. The cephalic phase of insulin secretion starts by stimulating visual, olfactory ...

Introduction: The influence of steroid hormones on food intake is well described. However, there are only a few studies on the effect of food intake on steroid levels.Methods: The study involved eight non-smoker women (average age 29.48±2.99 years; average BMI 21.3±1.3 kg/m2); they did not use any kind of medication affecting steroidogenesis. We analysed the influence of four various stimuli on the levels of steroid hormones and mela...

A number of evidence indicate that mood (affective) disorders are influenced by various bioactive steroids such as corticoids, sex hormones and neuroactive steroids. However, to date, there are limited data concerning the discrimination between patients suffering from the disorders and controls, or regarding the classification of individual subtypes of mood disorders on the basis of steroid profiling. Therefore 47 steroids including their conjugates and further related substan...

Introduction: Postpartum depression affects 10–15% women after childbirth. There is no currently generally accepted theory about the causes and mechanisms of postpartum mental disorders. The principal hypothesis concerns the association with sudden changes in the production of hormones affecting the nervous system of the mother and, on the other hand, with the ability of receptor systems to adapt to these changes.Methods: We observed changes in ster...

Some steroids modulate the permeability of ionotropic receptors on cell membranes and therefore may activate or inhibit neuronal activity depending on the steroid structure. These neuroactive steroids (NAS) exert neuroprotective effects like the neuronal remyelination.Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common cause of neurological disability in young adults. Therefore, the authors have followed the neuroprotective, GABAergic, glycinergic, glutamatergic ...

Introduction: Tobacco dependence is considered to be a serious psycho-social problem. Chronic smoking can cause fertility disorders with both sexes. The literature brings up contradictory results in relation to the effects of the smoking on the steroid hormones levels. Only a few papers discuss the effect of the nicotine addiction treatment.Methods: We observed 26 smokers who decided to quit smoking and abstained from smoking for one year. With everyone ...