1,721,027 research outputs found

    Failure of metergoline to affect the circadian periodicity of plasma cortisol levels in healthy man

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    The manuscript shows that metergoline does not affect the circadian periodicity of plasma cortisol levels in healthy ma

    The effects of dermorphin on the endocrine system in man

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    This paper summarizes the results of our recent studies in a group of healthy subjects on the endocrine effects of the new potent opioid peptide, dermorphin (H-Tyr-D-Ala-Phe-Gly-Tyr-Pro-Ser-NH2), originally isolated from amphibian skin. Intravenous infusion (5.5 μg/kg/min for 30 min) of dermorphin (D) significantly increased plasma levels of prolactin (PRL), growth hormone (GH), thyrotropin (TSH) and renin activity (PRA), but decreased plasma levels of cortisol. D produced a small decrease in ACTH, and a small increase in plasma aldosterone. Pretreatment with the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone (N) suppressed the PRL and TSH response to D, blunted the D-induced GH and PRA increase, and completely prevented the D-induced plasma cortisol decrease, but enhanced plasma cortisol and ACTH levels. These data indicate that the action of D is mediated through opioid receptors, and are consistent with the conclusion that: (1) D, a new opioid peptide, can stimulate PRL, GH, and TSH release in humans; (2) D increases PRA levels, perhaps via activation of the sympathetic nervous system, providing evidence that opioid peptides may exert an influence on renin secretion; (3) D suppresses plasma cortisol levels, by affecting ACTH secretion, corroborating previous observations that opioid peptides might affect the function of the pituitary-adrenocortical axis. © 1985

    Effect of somatostatin on growth hormone and prolactin response to dermorphin in man

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    The effects of iv somatostatin (somatotrophin release inhibiting factor (SRIF) on growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (Prl) response to dermorphin (D) were tested in 6 healthy men. In all subjects D induced a significant increase in GH and Prl levels, as expected. SRIF completely blocked the GH-releasing activity of D, whereas it only reduced the Prl-releasing activity. The results confirm that D is a potent stimulant for GH and Prl release in man, and furthermore demonstrate that the action of D on GH secretion can be completely overridden by SRIF

    Failure of angiotensin II to affect prolactin concentration in normal women

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    The manuscript demonstrates that angiotensin II does not affect prolactin concentration in normal wome

    Effect of domperidone on prolactin secretion in healthy subjects.

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    The effects of domperidone on prolactin secretion in healthy subjects are described

    Two cases of medullary thyroid carcinoma associated with papillary carcinoma

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    This manuscript reports two cases of medullary thyroid carcinoma associated with papillary carcinom

    The response of TSH and ACTH to pentagastrin in man

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    The manuscript describes the effects of pentagastrin on TSH and ACTH secretion in ma

    Allelic discrimination in the diagnosis of somatic BRAF V600E mutation on fine-needle aspiration biopsies

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    Many studies demonstrated that somatic BRAF gene mutation analysis increases diagnostic accuracy for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), even from very small samples. The gold standard for point mutations research is direct sequencing, that implies DNA extraction, PCR with specific primers, sequencing reaction and run on an automatic sequencer. This is an expensive and time consuming method, and the possible contamination with wild-type DNA not coming from the nodule significantly reduces sensitivity. Allelic discrimination is a real-time PCR application that can discriminate between two alleles differing for the insertion, substitution or deletion of a single base, due to the presence of two real time Taqman probes, each labelled with a different fluorochrome (FAM for the mutated allele and VIC for the wild-type allele). The aim of our study is to verify whether allelic discrimination can be useful in the diagnosis of BRAF somatic mutation, starting from fine needle aspiration biopsies (FNAB). In each allelic discrimination reactions three positive controls are present, one for each possible genotype; omozygous controls are oligonucleotides containining the target sequence (wild-type or mutated), whereas the eterozygous control is a 4:1 mix of wild-type omozygous control and mutated omozygous control, respectively, in order to mimic wild-type contamination. To evaluate the method sensitivity, mutated DNA has been diluted in wild-type DNA at variable concentrations (1:2, 1:4, 1:10, 1:20, 1:100) and analyzed both by direct sequencing and allelic discrimination. Allelic discrimination was more sensitive since it detected the presence of mutated DNA in all dilutions, while direct sequencing detected the mutation until 1:20 dilution. Five hundred FNAB have been analyzed with both methods; allelic discrimination identified 55 V600E mutated samples, while direct sequencing identified only 50 V600E mutated samples. Post surgical histological examination confirmed 54 PTC and one anaplastic carcinoma. In conclusion, allelic discrimination is more sensitive (P<0.05) and more accurate (P<0.05) than direct sequencing, and its use in diagnostic procedures is very useful, even when samples (i.e. FNAB) are contaminated with wild-type DNA
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