Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0038187 (starvation)
 24,951 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Energy homeostasis is controlled by a complex neuroendocrine system consisting of peripheral signals like leptin and central signals, in particular, neuropeptides. Several neuropeptides with anorexigenic (POMC, CART, and CRH) as well as orexigenic (NPY, AgRP, and MCH) actions are involved in this complex (partly redundant) controlling system. Starvation as well as overfeeding lead to changes in expression levels of these neuropeptides, which act downstream of leptin, resulting in a physiological response. In this review the role of several anorexigenic and orexigenic (hypothalamic) neuropeptides on food intake and body weight regulation is summarized.
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PMID:Neuropeptides, food intake and body weight regulation: a hypothalamic focus. 1253 10

Anorexia nervosa is a syndrome with multifactorial etiology in which several genetic, biologic, psychological and social factors are involved. Patients affected by anorexia nervosa (AN) may develop multiple endocrine abnormalities, e.g. amenorrhea, hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis hyperactivity, low T3 syndrome and peculiar changes of somatotroph axis function. These endocrine abnormalities are also found after prolonged starvation and may represent an adaptive response developed in order to save energy and proteins. It is still a matter of debate whether these endocrine changes are etiologic or secondary. In fact, several evidences suggest the existence in AN of hypothalamus functional alterations, which may be involved in the development and maintenance of the food intake disorder; on the other hand, the increased CRH secretion seems to be secondary to malnutrition as well as GH hypersecretion coupled to low IGF-I levels; the latter is a common finding in AN, as well as in other undernutrition and malabsorption conditions, type 1 diabetes mellitus, liver cirrhosis and catabolic states. Hypothalamic amenorrhea, which is one of the diagnostic criteria for AN, is not linked only to the reduction of body weight but reflects also deep alterations of gonadotropin secretory pattern. Low T3 syndrome is frequently found in AN; on the other hand, an iodide-induced hypothyroidism is quite uncommon. T3 reduction in AN seems to be an adaptive response to prolonged starvation; however the presence of a simultaneous central dysregulation cannot be excluded. Finally, AN patients frequently show defects in urinary concentration or dilution with inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone, which may be due to intrinsic defects in the neurohypophysis or to abnormalities of its regulatory afferent neurons.
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PMID:[Endocrine abnormalities in anorexia nervosa]. 1271 47

Anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) are eating disorders characterized by an aberrant pattern of eating behavior, relentless pursuit of thinness, an intense fear about weight gain and an altered perception of body shape. The pathobiology of eating disorders is complex. Several social, psychological and developmental phenomena are proposed to contribute to the etiology of eating disorders. The role of neuropeptide Y, corticotropin releasing hormone and leptin has also been investigated to understand the pathogenesis of eating disorders. However, most of the neuropeptide alterations noted in eating disorders are secondary to starvation. Several nonpharmacological approaches such as cognitive and behavior-based therapy and interpersonal therapy have been developed to assist weight gain and to modify the behavioral impairment associated with eating disorders. Pharmacotherapy serves as an adjunct in AN, whereas it plays a more significant role in the management of BN. Antidepressants are effective in a limited number of AN patients with comorbid depression. On the other hand, the efficacy of fluoxetine in BN patients in reducing the frequency of binge eating and in the severity of behavioral abnormalities is quite impressive. Several adjunct therapies such as prokinetics and anxiolytics have also been used in AN and BN to assist eating behavior. An insight into genetic and neurochemical abnormalities occurring in eating disorders will help to find better therapeutic agents for these disorders. (c) 2001 Prous Science. All rights reserved.
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PMID:Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: An appraisal. 1276 23

We tested the effect of CRH and related peptides in a large panel of human skin cells for growth factor/cytokine activities. In skin cells CRH action is mediated by CRH-R1, a subject to posttranslational modification with expression of alternatively spliced isoforms. Activation of CRH-R1 induced generation of both cAMP and IP3 in the majority of epidermal and dermal cells (except for normal keratinocytes and one melanoma line), indicating cell type-dependent coupling to signal transduction pathways. Phenotypic effects on cell proliferation were however dependent on both cell type and nutrition conditions. Specifically, CRH stimulated dermal fibroblasts proliferation, by increasing transition from G1/0 to the S phase, while in keratinocytes CRH inhibited cell proliferation. In normal and immortalized melanocytes CRH effect showed dichotomy and thus, it inhibited melanocyte proliferation in serum-containing medium CRH through G2 arrest, while serum free media led instead to CRH enhanced DNA synthesis (through increased transition from G1/G0 to S phase and decreased subG1 signal, indicating DNA degradation). CRH also induced inhibition of early and late apoptosis in the same cells, demonstrated by analysis with the annexin V stains. Thus, CRH acts on epidermal melanocytes as a survival factor under the stress of starvation (anti-apoptotic) as well as inhibitor of growth factors induced cell proliferation. In conclusion, CRH and related peptides can couple CRH-R1 to any of diverse signal transduction pathways; they also regulate cell viability and proliferation in cell type and growth condition-dependent manners.
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PMID:CRH functions as a growth factor/cytokine in the skin. 1624 3

The nervous system plays a critical role in adaptation to a new environment. In Caenorhabditis elegans, reduced access to food requires both changes in behavior as well as metabolic adaptation for survival, which is postulated to involve the bioamine octopamine. The transcription factor cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) is generally activated by G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that activate G alpha(s) and is known to play an important role in long-term changes, including synaptic plasticity. We show that, in C. elegans, the CREB ortholog CRH-1 (CREB homolog family member 1) activates in vivo a cAMP response element-green fluorescent protein fusion reporter in a subset of neurons during starvation. This starvation response is mediated by octopamine via the GPCR SER-3 (serotonin/octopamine receptor family member 3) and is fully dependent on the subsequent activation of the G alpha(q) ortholog EGL-30 (egg-laying defective family member 30). The signaling cascade is only partially dependent on the phospholipase C beta (EGL-8) and is negatively regulated by G alpha(o) [GOA-1 (G-protein, O, alpha subunit family member 1)] and calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase [UNC-43 (uncoordinated family member 43)]. Nonstarved animals in a liquid environment mediate a similar response that is octopamine independent. The results show that the endogenous octopamine system in C. elegans is activated by starvation and that different environmental stimuli can activate CREB through G alpha(q).
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PMID:Starvation induces cAMP response element-binding protein-dependent gene expression through octopamine-Gq signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans. 1702 Nov 64

In spite of significant progress in pharmacotherapy the incidence of newly diagnosed cases of cardiovascular diseases and cardiovascular morbidity is alarmingly high. Treatment of hypertension or heart failure still remains a serious challenge. Continuous attempts are made to identify the mechanisms that decide about susceptibility to pathogenic factors, and to determine effectiveness of a specific therapeutic approach. Coincidence of cardiovascular diseases with metabolic disorders and obesity has initiated intensive research for their common background. In the recent years increasing attention has been drawn to disproportionately greater number of depressive disorders and susceptibility to stress in patients with coronary artery disease. An opposite relationship, i.e. a greater number of sudden cardiovascular complications in patients with depression, has been also postulated. Progress in functional neuroanatomy and neurochemistry provided new information about the neural network responsible for regulation of cardiovascular functions, metabolism and emotionality in health and under pathological conditions. In this review we will focus on the role of neuromodulators and neurotransmitters engaged in regulation of the cardiovascular system, neuroendocrine and metabolic functions in health and in pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases and obesity. Among them are classical neurotransmitters (epinephrine and norepinephrine, serotonin, GABA), classical (CRH, vasopressin, neuropeptide Y) and newly discovered (orexins, apelin, leptin IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, ghrelin) neuropeptides, gasotransmitters, eicozanoids, endocannabinoids, and some other compounds involved in regulation of neuroendocrine, sympatho-adrenal and parasympathetic nervous systems. Special attention is drawn to those factors which play a role in immunology and inflammatory processes. Interaction between various neurotransmitter/neuromodulatory systems which may be involved in integration of metabolic and cardiovascular functions is analyzed. The survey gives evidence for significant disturbances in release or action of the same mediators in hypertension heart failure, obesity, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, starvation, chronic stress, depression and other psychiatric disorders. With regard to the pathogenic background of the cardiovascular diseases especially valuable are the studies showing inappropriate function of angiotensin peptides, vasopressin, CRH, apelin, cytokines and orexins in chronic stress, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. The studies surveyed in this review suggest that multiple brain mechanisms interact together sharing the same neural circuits responsible for adjustment of function of the cardiovascular system and metabolism to current needs.
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PMID:Brain and cardiovascular diseases: common neurogenic background of cardiovascular, metabolic and inflammatory diseases. 2108 94

Bis (Bag3) is known to be involved in cell survival, migration, the regulating of chaperones, and protein quality control. We reported recently on the production of bis gene-deleted mice, which show early lethality within 3 wk after birth with a phenotype showing severe malnutrition and shrinkage of the thymus. In this report, we provide evidence to show that an intrinsic problem of adrenal gland is the the primary cause for the severe atrophy of the thymus in bis(-/-) mice. The bis(-/-) mice show significantly higher levels of corticosterone, but CRH and ACTH levels were considerably lower than those of wild littermates. The transcription of steroidogenic enzymes was increased in the adrenal glands of bis(-/-) mice, accompanied by an increase in the thickness of the zona reticularis. An analysis of thymus tissue from bis(-/-) mice revealed that the severe atrophy of the thymus is due to the specific loss of immature double-positive (CD4(+)CD8(+)) cortical thymocytes by apoptosis, as evidenced by immunohistochemical examination and flow cytometric analysis, which were restored by injection of an inhibitor of glucocorticoid synthesis. In vitro cultures of thymocytes with increasing doses of dexamethasone exhibited a similar degree of apoptosis between wild and bis(-/-) thymocytes. The corticosterone levels from fasted wild littermates were one-half those of bis(-/-) mice, although serum glucose levels were similar. Thus, the deletion of the bis gene resulted in the intrinsic defect in the adrenal gland, leading to a marked increase in glucocorticoid levels, probably upon starvation stress, which accounts for the massive apoptosis of the thymus.
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PMID:Deletion of the bis gene results in a marked increase in the production of corticosterone that is associated with thymic atrophy in mice. 2154 Apr 52

The interaction and communication between bacteria and their hosts modulate many aspects of animal physiology and behavior. Dauer entry as a response to chronic exposure to pathogenic bacteria in Caenorhabditis elegans is an example of a dramatic survival response. This response is dependent on the RNA interference (RNAi) machinery, suggesting the involvement of small RNAs (sRNAs) as effectors. Interestingly, dauer formation occurs after two generations of interaction with two unrelated moderately pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, we sought to discover the identity of C. elegans RNAs involved in pathogen-induced diapause. Using transcriptomics and differential expression analysis of coding and long and small noncoding RNAs, we found that mir-243-3p (the mature form of mir-243) is the only transcript continuously upregulated in animals exposed to both Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella enterica for two generations. Phenotypic analysis of mutants showed that mir-243 is required for dauer formation under pathogenesis but not under starvation. Moreover, DAF-16, a master regulator of defensive responses in the animal and required for dauer formation was found to be necessary for mir-243 expression. This work highlights the role of a small noncoding RNA in the intergenerational defensive response against pathogenic bacteria and interkingdom communication.IMPORTANCE Persistent infection of the bacterivore nematode C. elegans with bacteria such as P. aeruginosa and S. enterica makes the worm diapause or hibernate. By doing this, the worm closes its mouth, avoiding infection. This response takes two generations to be implemented. In this work, we looked for genes expressed upon infection that could mediate the worm diapause triggered by pathogens. We identify mir-243-3p as the only transcript commonly upregulated when animals feed on P. aeruginosa and S. enterica for two consecutive generations. Moreover, we demonstrate that mir-243-3p is required for pathogen-induced dauer formation, a new function that has not been previously described for this microRNA (miRNA). We also find that the transcriptional activators DAF-16, PQM-1, and CRH-2 are necessary for the expression of mir-243 under pathogenesis. Here we establish a relationship between a small RNA and a developmental change that ensures the survival of a percentage of the progeny.
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PMID:Intergenerational Pathogen-Induced Diapause in Caenorhabditis elegans Is Modulated by mir-243. 3296 7


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