Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0011570 (depression)
 172,036 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The serum concentrations of the steroid, androgens and estrogens, in the HIV-positive male patients were studied. These men belonged to one of the three main behaviour groups: heterosexual (He), drug addicts (DA) and homosexual (Ho) at early stages (II and III) or at advanced stage of AIDS (IVC), classified according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The circulating concentrations of sex steroids were then analysed with reference to the risk factors, absolute CD4 cell count and the progression of HIV infection. Regardless of risk factors, the stage II and III HIV-infected patients had serum dehydro-epiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAs) (+37%, p < 0.03), testosterone (T) (+24%, p < 0.006) and estrone (E1) (+170%, p < 0.0001) levels higher than those of controls. The patients IVC stage had low serum DHEAs (-48%, p < 0.0001) and elevated estradiol (E2) (+200%, p < 0.0001). According to risk factors, there were no significant differences in androgen and estrogen concentrations between the behaviour groups. There were significant positive correlations between the CD4 cell count and the serum concentrations of DHEAs (p < 0.0001), DHEA (p < 0.01) and E1 (p < 0.006). This suggests that there is a relationship between the circulating sex hormone levels, particularly DHEAs, and the progression of immune depression in HIV, whatever the risk factor. The observed association between DHEAs and the progression of HIV infection suggests that this androgen may play a role in the normal function of the immune system.
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PMID:Relationship between sex steroid hormone levels and CD4 lymphocytes in HIV infected men. 874 Sep 36

The results of stimulating human subjects with the LISS Cranial Stimulator (LCS) and the LISS Body Stimulator (LBS) include an increase or decrease in the activities of certain neurotransmitters and neurohormones and the reduction of associated pain, insomnia, depression, and spasticity. The effects were documented in human subjects with measurements of the serum concentration of the various agents and assessments of the symptoms being performed before and after stimulation. The stimulators had a carrier frequency of 15,000 hz, which utilizes the bulk capacitance of the body, and a 15 hz modulating bioactive frequency. The second modulating frequency presently used, 500 hz, reduces the energy input to the patient by half. Significant increases in levels of CSF serotonin and beta endorphin were recorded post stimulation. There were also elevations in the levels of plasma serotonin, beta endorphin, GABA and DHEA together with diminished levels of cortisol and tryptophan. Concomitant with these changes were significant improvements in the symptoms of pain, insomnia, spasticity, depression, and headache.
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PMID:Physiological and therapeutic effects of high frequency electrical pulses. 880 93

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the usefulness of a natural golden marine algae (MA) as a poultry ration supplement for the production of shell eggs rich in n-3 fatty acids (n-3 FA). This MA is unique due to a high concentration of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; C22:6n-3) and the absence of other n-3 FA normally present in marine oils such as menhaden oil (MO). In the first experiment, 60 24-wk-old Single Comb White Leghorn (SCWL) hens were divided among four dietary treatments, including a typical corn-soybean control (CON); 1.5% MO, supplying 233 mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 155 mg DHA per d; 2.4% MA, supplying 200 mg DHA/d; and 4.8% MA, supplying 400 mg DHA/d. A second experiment using 96 56-wk-old SCWL was conducted using the same diets. In both experiments, eggs were collected weekly for 4 wk for determination of egg production parameters and yolk FA content. Each week, yolk samples were extracted, methyl estered, and quantified using gas chromatography. Transient depression in egg and yolk weights were noted early in Experiment 1 in response to dietary 4.8% MA. Although egg and yolk weights were not affected in Experiment 2, egg production was significantly reduced in the 4.8% MA treatment. Egg production was unaffected due to diet or week in Experiment 1. In both experiments, yolk polyunsaturated profiles were significantly influenced by diet. Dietary n-3 FA supplementation significantly increased yolk total N-3 FA with concomitant reductions in yolk n-6 FA. Although hens fed MO were supplied predominantly EPA, the principal yolk FA deposited was DHA. Marine algae also promoted efficient yolk DHA deposition with the highest yolk DHA concentrations attained in eggs from hens fed 4.8% MA. These data indicate that utilization of MA as a direct source of dietary n-3 FA may provide an efficient alternative to current sources of n-3 FA available for the production of poultry products rich in n-3 FA.
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PMID:Dietary marine algae promotes efficient deposition of n-3 fatty acids for the production of enriched shell eggs. 900 Feb 75

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate, DHEA-S, are plentiful adrenal steroid hormones that decrease with aging and may have significant neuropsychiatric effects. In this study, six middle-aged and elderly patients with major depression and low basal plasma DHEA f1p4or DHEA-S levels were openly administered DHEA (30-90 mg/d x 4 weeks) in doses sufficient to achieve circulating plasma levels observed in younger healthy individuals. Depression ratings, as well as aspects of memory performance significantly improved. One treatment-resistant patient received extended treatment with DHEA for 6 months: her depression ratings improved 48-72% and her semantic memory performance improved 63%. These measures returned to baseline after treatment ended. In both studies, improvements in depression ratings and memory performance were directly related to increases in plasma levels of DHEA and DHEA-S and to increases in their ratios with plasma cortisol levels. These preliminary data suggest DHEA may have antidepressant and promemory effects and should encourage double-blind trials in depressed patients.
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PMID:Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) treatment of depression. 902 54

Recently, the "discovery" of so called "rejuvenating" pills, has attracted much interest in the media and has raised irrational expectations among the elderly population. These so called "rejuvenating drugs" are dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a steroid hormone secreted by the adrenal cortex, and melatonin, an indol derivative, secreted by the pineal gland, both known since many years. Dehydroepiandrosterone is quantitatively by far the most important steroid in the human organism; it is a weak androgen, a small fraction of which is aromatized to estrogens in peripheral tissues. Plasma levels of DHEA decrease with age and some authors consider these levels as a reliable parameters of biological age, the more so that some studies seem to indicate that low levels are accompanied by increased morbidity and mortality. This could not be confirmed, however, by other authors. In in vitro experiments, DHEA has anti-oxidative effects, inhibits platelet aggregation and, possibly, stimulates the immunological system. In animal experiments DHEA has some antitumoral effects. These effects were, however, observed in animal species which do not secrete DHEA. It should, moreover, be mentioned that administration of DHEA in a high dosage, induced the development of hepatic carcinoma in 14 out of 16 rats. Preliminary controlled studies, performed in 30 elderly persons, showed an improvement of general wellbeing with an increase in plasma IGF-1 levels; in women a moderate increase in plasma testosterone and estradiol was observed. Hence these studies show a moderately beneficial effect of DHEA therapy. They need to be confirmed and they warrant further well controlled studies. Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, the releasing stimulus of which is darkness. It synchronizes the biological rhythms as well as the seasonal biological changes induced by the photoperiod. It induces sleep and is an euphoretic. Melatonin plasma concentrations decrease with age and this decrease has been related to the impaired sleep induction in elderly. Melatonin levels are also decreased in depression. In mice, transplantation of the pineal gland of young animals to old animals increases life expectancy by +/-20%. In in vitro experiments, melatonin appears to have some anti-oxidative effects, which led to the hypothesis that it might retard the ageing process and inhibit the growth of tumor cells. In man, melatonin has been shown to be effective in preventing jet lag and in improving sleep induction in the elderly as well as disturbances of the nycthemeral rhythms in blind persons. One research group even reported favourable effects of a combined melatonin-IGF-1 treatment of metastatic carcinomas; these results were not confirmed up to now. As to the advertised effects on sexuality, it is well known that melatonin inhibits gonadotropin secretion, which causes gonadal atrophy. Hence it is evident that we can not expect a stimulation of sexuality by melatonin administration. As to prolongation of life expectancy, there are, so far, no indications for such an effect in man.
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PMID:[Juvenile hormones, reality or myth?]. 922 19

The progression of HIV infection is accompanied by severe immunodepression and cachexia, particularly during advanced stages. The immune depression is due largely to a dramatic drop in the number of CD4 cells. The loss of body weight is mainly due to a reduced fat-free mass with no change in adipose tissue. We determined the serum concentrations of cortisol and DHEA and their correlations with absolute CD4 cell counts and changes in body weight of HIV-positive men. The results of five retrospective and prospective studies indicate that the serum concentrations of cortisol and DHEA in HIV-infected patients were different from those of HIV-negative controls. Serum cortisol was elevated at all stages of infection (+20 to +50%, p < .05 to p < .001) particularly in AIDS patients (stage IV C). In contrast, the serum DHEA concentrations were closely correlated with the stage of HIV-infection, being higher in the early stages (stages II and III or > 500 CD4) than in advanced stages (IV C or < 500 CD4)-in the latter being below those of HIV-negative men-or in controls (+40 to 100%, p < .01 to p < .001). There was a negative linear correlation between the CD4 cell counts and cortisol (r = -0.4, p < .02) and a positive linear correlation with DHEA (r = +0.36, p < .01). There was no significant correlation between delta body weight and serum cortisol. In contrast, there was a negative correlation between serum DHEA and delta body weight (%) (r = -0.69, p < .0001) and a positive correlation with the cortisol/DHEA ratio (r = +0.61, p < .0001). There is thus a link between the circulating concentrations of adrenal steroids and the progression of immunosuppression and cachexia during HIV-infection. This raises the question of whether there is a cause-and-effect relationship between clinical progression and circulating steroid concentrations. Further investigations into the relationship between the ratio cortisol/DHEA and the immune response and cachexia should indicate the contributions of these steroids to the etiology of HIV infection and lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies.
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PMID:Serum cortisol and DHEA concentrations during HIV infection. 926 42

There is evidence that dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) may protect against cardiovascular diseases, but the involvement of the cardiac muscle cell in this beneficial action remain largely unknown. The present study compared the respective influence of n-3 and n-6 PUFA on the function of cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (CM). Cells were grown for 4 days in media enriched either n-3 (eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA and docosahexaenoic acid, DHA) or n-6 (arachidonic acid, AA) PUFA. The PUFA n-6/n-3 ratio in the phospholipids was close to 1 and 20 in the n-3 and n-6 cells, respectively. The transmembrane potentials were recorded using microelectrodes and the contractions were monitored with a photoelectric device. In physiological conditions, the increase of n-6 PUFA level in the phospholipids resulted in a significant decrease in the maximal rate of initial depolarization (-16%). In opposition, the action potential amplitude and duration were not altered, and the cell contraction outline was not affected. Ischemia was simulated in vitro using a substrate-free, hypoxia-reoxygenation procedure in a specially designed gas-flow chamber. The progressive loss of electrical activity induced by the substrate-free, hypoxic treatment was affected by the n-6/n-3 ratio, since the n-6 rich CM displayed a slower depression of the AP amplitude and duration parameters. Conversely, the recovery of the resting potential (MDP) during reoxygenation was faster in n-3 CM, whereas the recovery of the contraction parameters was unaffected by the fatty acid composition of the cells. These results suggested that, in physiological conditions, the modification of long chain PUFA balance in the phospholipids of cardiac muscle cells may modulate the initial AP upstroke, which is governed by sodium channels. Moreover, the presence of n-3 PUFA appeared to accelerate the electrical depression during substrate-free hypoxia but in turn to allow a faster recovery upon reoxygenation.
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PMID:Influence of phospholipid long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid composition on neonatal rat cardiomyocyte function in physiological conditions and during glucose-free hypoxia-reoxygenation. 935 58

Resting immune [WBC and differential cell counts lymphocyte phenotyping (CD2, CD4, CD8, CD16, CD20, and CD56), and NK activity] and endocrine (cortisol, prolactin, growth hormone, and DHEA-SO4) parameters were measured in 10 male, Vietnam combat veterans diagnosed with long-term post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 9 control Vietnam combat veterans without a PTSD diagnosis but with a comparable history of alcohol abuse. Subjects completed a battery of psychological questionnaires. We report on preliminary observations of the relationship between PTSD and physiological and psychological parameters. With some important exceptions, PTSD patients did not differ from the age-matched control group with regard to hormone levels or lymphocyte phenotypes. However, NK activity was higher in the PTSD population than in the controls. Beck, Mississippi, and Combat Exposure scores were significantly elevated in the PTSD population. In contrast to previous observations in depressed populations, depression (indicated by elevated Beck scores), comorbid with PTSD, was associated with increased natural cytotoxicity.
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PMID:Elevated cytotoxicity in combat veterans with long-term post-traumatic stress disorder: preliminary observations. 957 Aug 63

The chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a condition of unknown etiology, characterized by a persistent debilitating fatigue, the muscle-related symptoms and the neuropsychiatric symptoms. Recently, it has been reported that the patients with CFS might have impaired activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and suggested that a part of the patho-genesis of CFS might be associated with abnormalities of the endocrine system. Herein, we show that the majority of Japanese patients with CFS had a serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) deficiency. Serum DHEA-S is one of the most abundantly produced hormones which is secreted from the adrenal glands, and its physiological function is thought to be a precursor of sex steroids. DHEA-S has recently been shown to have physiological properties, such as neurosteroids, which are associated with such psychophysiological phenomena as memory, stress, anxiety, sleep and depression. Therefore, the deficiency of DHEA-S might be related to the neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with CFS.
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PMID:Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate deficiency in chronic fatigue syndrome. 985 12

The steroidal environment of the brain has marked consequences for both its structure and function. Social or physical stress has deleterious results on hippocampal function. This can be replicated by raising corticoids, which are also highly responsive to stress. Corticosterone, the major glucocorticoid in the rat, induces neuronal death in primary hippocampal cultures. Elevated corticoids also induce mood changes, and these are well known to be associated with stress, particularly chronic stress such as social adversity accentuated by intercurrent aversive life events. DHEA, a second adrenal steroid, has a very different developmental history, increasing rapidly during childhood, reaching a peak in youth, and declining thereafter in both blood and CSF. DHEA, in contrast to corticoids, has brain protective actions. It reduces the neurotoxic actions of glutamate analogues (such as NMDA) as well as those of corticoids. Evidence from several sources suggests that DHEA can act as an antiglucocorticoid. DHEA levels are reduced in major depressive disorders in both adolescents and adults, and a raised cortisol/DHEA ratio (together with intercurrent life events) predicts delayed recovery. DHEA may have a role in the treatment of depression. Together, these findings suggest that altered steroidal environment, whether induced by stress or aging, can have appreciable results on the cellular structure of the brain as well as on its function, although links between the two sets of findings are still tentative.
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PMID:Neurosteroids, brain damage, and mental illness. 995 18


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