OBJECTIVE: Ghrelin and leptin, appetite-regulating hormones, play a role in mood regulation. Current data about the relation between leptin/ghrelin and depression are still controversial. This study aimed to investigate serum leptin and ghrelin levels in patients with depression and the effects of treatment on these levels. METHODS: Serum ghrelin and leptin levels were measured before and after treatment with antidepressant drugs and/or electroconvulsive therapy in 28 patients with depression and once in 21 healthy controls. RESULTS: Serum ghrelin levels of the patients were high in the pre-treatment. After the treatment, ghrelin levels were not different from those of the controls. We found no difference in serum levels of leptin between the patients and controls and no change with treatment. body mass index of the patients increased after the treatment especially in the drug-treated group. CONCLUSION: The present study found increased serum ghrelin levels in depressive patients and normalization with improving of depression but no alteration in leptin levels.
Antidepressive Agents ; Body Mass Index ; Depression* ; Electroconvulsive Therapy ; Ghrelin* ; Humans ; Leptin*

OBJECTIVE: Mental fatigue, cognitive disorders, and sleep disturbances seen in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) may be attributed to cholinergic deficit. A functional deficiency of cholinergic neurotransmission may cause the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hypoactivity seen in CFS. Therefore, we investigated the alterations in stress hormones such as cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) in CFS patients before and after 4-week administration of galantamine hydrobromide, a selective acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, and aimed to investigate whether there are any relationships between the probable hormonal changes and cholinergic treatment. METHODS: Basal levels of cortisol and DHEAS were measured in 29 untreated CFS patients who were diagnosed according to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) criteria and in 20 healthy controls. In the patient group, four weeks after 8 mg/d galantamine hydrobromide treatment, cortisol and DHEAS levels were measured again. After the treatment 22 patients who stayed in study were divided into two subgroups as responders and nonresponders according to the reduction in their Newcastle Research Group ME/CFS Score Card (NRG) scores. RESULTS: Important findings of this study are lower pre-and post-treatment cortisol levels and in all CFS patients compared to controls (F=4.129, p=0.049; F=4.803, p=0.035, respectively); higher basal DHEAS values and higher DHEAS/cortisol molar ratios which were normalized following four weeks' treatment with 8 mg/d galantamine hydrobromide in the treatment-respondent group (F=5.382, p=0.029; F=5.722, p=0.025, respectively). CONCLUSION: The findings of the decrease in basal DHEAS levels and DHEAS/cortisol molar ratios normalizing with galantamine treatment may give some support to the cholinergic deficit hypothesis in CFS.
Acetylcholinesterase ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Dehydroepiandrosterone ; Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate ; Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic ; Galantamine ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Mental Fatigue ; Molar ; Synaptic Transmission

PURPOSE: Severe local and systemic tissue damage called ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury occurs during the period of reperfusion. Free oxygen radicals and proinflammatory cytokines are responsible for reperfusion injury. IL-18 binding protein (IL-18BP) is a natural inhibitor of IL-18. The balance between IL-18 and IL-18BP has an important role in the inflammatory setting. The present study aimed to investigate whether IL-18BP had a protective role in remote organ hepatic IR injury. METHODS: Wistar-Albino rats were divided into three groups that contained seven rats. Group I (sham): Laparotomy and infrarenal abdominal aorta (AA) dissection were done but no clamping was done. Group II (I/R): The infrarenal AA was clamped by atraumatic microvascular clamp for 30 minutes and then was exposed to 90 minutes of reperfusion. Group III (IR + IL-18BP): 75 microg/kg of IL-18BP in 0.9% saline (1 mL) was administered 30 minutes before infrarenal AA dissection and clamping; 30 minutes of ischemia was applied and then was exposed to 90 minutes of reperfusion. RESULTS: Serum AST, ALT, and LDH levels were remarkably higher in IR group and returned to normal levels in treatment group. The proinflammatory cytokine levels had decreased in treatment group, and was statistically significant compared with the IR group. Serum levels of total oxidant status and oxidative stress index decreased and levels of total antioxidant status increased by IL-18BP. CONCLUSION: This study suggested that IL-18BP has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effects in cases of IR with infrarenal AA induced liver oxidative damage.
Animals ; Aorta, Abdominal ; Carrier Proteins* ; Constriction ; Cytokines ; Interleukin-18* ; Ischemia ; Laparotomy ; Liver ; Oxidative Stress ; Rats ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Reperfusion ; Reperfusion Injury* ; Transplantation