No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Aircraft* ; Mass Media*

BACKGROUND: Leptin secreted from adipose tissue activates not only its receptors expressed abundantly in the brain, including arcuate nucleus but the POMC neurons resulting in secretion of a-MSH. Activation of MC4R by a-MSH increases the energy expenditure and decreases the food intake, and promotes the sympathetic activity. METHODS: To analyze the biologic activity of a-MSH analogues, the rat MC3R DNA and human MC4R DNA were stably and independently expressed in CHO cell lines, and we performed the competitive receptor binding assay with [125I]NDP-MSH as a radioligand and cyclic AMP accumulation assay following treatment with different ligands. a-MSH (Ac-Ser-Tyr-Ser- Met-Glue-His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Gly-Lys-Val-NH2) and its analogue a-MSH-ND (Ac-Nle-Asp-His-Dphe- Arg-Trp-Lys-NH2) were synthesized by Genosys Biotechnologies, Inc. The HPLC purified samples for NMR experiments were dissolved in 90% HO/10% DO or 99.9% DO solutions at pH 7.0 with concentrations of 2 mM in 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer. The NMR spectra were acquired on a Bruker AMX-500 or DMX-600 spectrometer in quadrature detection mode equipped with a triple-resonance probe with an actively shielded pulsed field gradient coil. RESULTS: The preferential order of binding activity for MC3R was NDP-MSH > a-MSH-ND > [Nle4]-MSH with IC50 values (nM) being 0.367 +/- 0.074, 47.20 +/- 9.08 and 106.70 +/- 32.25, respectively. For MC4R, the same preferential order, NDP-MSH (0.566 +/- 0.194) > a-MSH-ND (6.70 +/- 1.07) > [Nle4]a-MSH (238.30 +/- 30.47), were obtained. In c-AMP generation assay, the potency order of peptides was NDP-MSH > a-MSH-ND > a-MSH at both MC3R and MCAR. Accumulated food intake of Sprague Dawley rats was low significantly for six hours after injection of a-MSH-ND into peritoneum. a-MSH forms a hair pin loop conformation, whereas a-MSH-ND, a linear form of MTII, prefers a type I B-turn comprising residues Asp5-His6-DPhe7-Arg8 in NMR study. CONCLUSION: we developed in vitro and in vivo bioassay system to evaluate the biologic activity of a-MSH analogues and we also showed that the type I B-turn structure of a-MSH-ND might enhance the binding activity to MC4R.
Adipose Tissue ; Animals ; Arcuate Nucleus ; Biological Assay ; Biotechnology ; Brain ; CHO Cells ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Cricetinae ; Cyclic AMP ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; DNA ; Eating ; Energy Metabolism ; Hair ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Leptin* ; Ligands ; Neurons ; Peptides ; Peritoneum ; Pro-Opiomelanocortin ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sodium

The author studied the mental status of 497 patients admitted in non-psychiatric wards and 42 patients diagnosed as mental disorders by DSM-III-R criteria and admitted in three general hospitals located in Pusan city, using NADS and PSCS. The assessment were obtained from October, 1991 to March, 1992 and the results as follows: The mean±SD of Anxiety-Depression scores were 34.4±10.4 in non-psychiatric patients and 50.0±18.3 in psychiatric patients. The psychiatric group had significantly higher scores than non-psychiatric group. The mean±SD of Psychosis scores were 3.9±4.4 in non-psychiatric patients and 20.3±9.8 in psychiatric patients. The psychiatric group had significantly higher scores than non-psychiatric group. In the psychosocial factors, dissatisfaction in family atmosphere and acquaintanceship with parents (P<0.001, relatively), pessimistic in future, present and past self-images (P<0.001, relatively), and yes in previous psychiatric treatment of admission (p<0.01, relatively) had common significant relationships to Anxiety-Depression and Psychosis scores. There were correlationships between NADS scores and PSCS scores (γ=0.74), past and present self-images (γ=0.45), present and future self images (γ=0.45), past and future self-images (γ=0.34) and family atmosphere and acquaintanceship with parents (γ=0.49) The regression analysis revealed that present self-image, acquaintanceship with parents, future self-image, past self-image, and family atmosphere, in order of significance were to be descriptive or predicable variances for Anxiety-Depression status. The discriminant analysis according to Anxiety-Depression scores showed that the cases of incorrect classification were 22 for non-psychiatric patient group and 2 for psychiatric patient group.
Anxiety ; Atmosphere ; Busan ; Classification ; Depression ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Mental Disorders ; NAD ; Parents ; Psychology ; Psychotic Disorders

No abstract available.
Diagnosis, Differential* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

The safe clinical practice of growth hormone(GH) replacement requires judgement of the overall GH status, however, there is no biological marker for this in adults. In addition, diverse actions of GH in healthy individuals render the assessment of optimal GH replacement difficult. As in other fields of clinical practice, strategies and protocols vary between centers, however, most physicians experienced in pituitary diseases agree that GH replacement should begin at low doses, and increased to the final maintenance dose. The adequacy replacement is best determined by combination of clinical response and serum IGF-I, level avoiding supraphysiological levels of this GH-dependent peptide. Actually, GH can reduce body fat and restore muscles, bones, and quality of life. Appropriate using of GH will elicit antiaging effects.
Adipose Tissue ; Adult ; Biomarkers ; Growth Hormone* ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Muscles ; Osteoporosis ; Pituitary Diseases ; Quality of Life

No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Headache*

No abstract available.
Cerebral Palsy*

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Growth Hormone* ; Humans

The symptoms and signs of stroke vary according to the location of the lesions. Middle cerebral artery territory infarction produces symptoms such as contralateral hemiparesis (worse in the arm than in the leg), hemihypesthesia, dysarthria, aphasia (left lesion), and hemineglect (right lesion). Anterior cerebral artery infarction produces hemiparesis worse in the leg than in the arm, abulia, apathy, and urinary incontinence. Posterior cerebral artery infarction produces hemianopia. An occlusion of small penetrating branches such as lenticulostriate arteries or thalamogeniculate arteries is responsible for the so-called lacunar syndrome : pure hemiparesis, ataxic-hemparesis, dysarthria clumsy hand syndrome, or pure sensory stroke. The symptoms and signs of the brain stem infarction also vary greatly according to the area of involvement. Generally, they are characterized by virtigo, dizziness, diplopia, and ataxia. Major occlusion of the basilar artery may produce grave conditions characterized by altered consciousness, quadriparesis, and horizontal gaze paresis. Intracerebral hemorrhage occur in the basal ganglia, thalamus, lobar area, pons, and the cerebellum, in order of decreasing frequency. The symptoms and signs are dependent on the location and the amount of hemorrhages. The symptoms of subarachnoid hemorrhages are characterized by sudden headache and neck stiffness.
Apathy ; Aphasia ; Arm ; Arteries ; Ataxia ; Basal Ganglia ; Basilar Artery ; Brain Stem Infarctions ; Cerebellum ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Consciousness ; Diplopia ; Dizziness ; Dysarthria ; Hand ; Headache ; Hemianopsia ; Hemorrhage ; Infarction ; Infarction, Anterior Cerebral Artery ; Infarction, Posterior Cerebral Artery ; Leg ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Neck ; Paresis ; Pons ; Quadriplegia ; Stroke* ; Stroke, Lacunar ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Thalamus ; Urinary Incontinence