George Mastorakos, Maria Pavlatou, Evanthia Diamanti-Kandarakis, George P. Chrousos
Exercise represents a physical stress that challenges homeostasis. In response to this stressor, autonomic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis are known to react and to participate in the maintenance of homeostasis. This includes elevation of cortisol and cathecholamines in plasma. However, sustained physical conditioning in highly trained athletes is associated…
Eero Kajantie
During the last two decades, a considerable body of evidence has emerged showing that circumstances during the fetal period and childhood may have lifelong programming effects on different body functions with a considerable impact on disease susceptibility …
Elissa S. Epel
Chronic stress can affect human health through a myriad of behavioral and biochemical pathways. Τhis review focuses on some key hormonal and metabolic pathways that appear important today. In modern society, we are faced with excessive psychological stress, as well as an epidemic of overeating, and the two together appear to have synergistic effects …
Eva N. Kassi, George P. Chrousos
Optimal regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is critical for a successful response to any stressor as well as in non-stressful situations. At the hypothalamic-pituitary level, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is released into the hypophyseal portal system …
Salvatore Alesci, Ioannis Ilias, Emmanuil Souvatzoglou, Alan G. Harris, Philip W. Gold, Alejandro R. Ayala, George P. Chrousos
The standard intravenous short Synacthen® test (SSST) has long been accepted as one of the most reliable diagnostic tests of adrenocortical insufficiency. Intramuscular (i.m.) administration of ACTH obviates the need of venous cannulation and can be used as an alternative to the intravenous test …
Guilherme Rosa, Estelio H.M. Dantas, Danielli Braga de Mello
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of concurrent training (CT) on serum leptin, cortisol and zinc concentrations in physically active adults. DESIGN: Ten subjects aged (27.1±4.8 years, BMI 25.49 ± 2.65) were recruited to participate in three sessions: control session (CS), concurrent training 1 (CT1) and concurrent training 2 (CT2) sessions with five days of resting between them. In each session blood samples for leptin …
Evangelos Karanikas, Faidon Harsoulis, Ioannis Giouzepas, Ioannis Griveas
OBJECTIVE: Psychocutaneous diseases constitute a large proportion of psychosomatic disorders, with psoriasis being one of the most typical cases. Though alteration of Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis function has been suggested as underlying several psychiatric disorders and psychosomatic diseases, there is little evidence of reduced response of the HPA axis in psoriasis after psychosocially …
Eugenia I. Marova, Nikolay P. Goncharov, Galina S. Kolesnikova, Svetlana D. Arapova, Anastasiya M. Lapshina
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the direct action of desmopressin (agonist of vasopressin) on the hypophysis and the three zones of the adrenal cortex in patients with different forms of hypercortisolism. DESIGN: Forty-three patients with hypercortisolism—21 with Cushing’s disease (14 females, 7 males), 11 with extrapituitary …
Djuro Macut, Ivana Božić Antić, Jelena Nestorov, Vladanka Topalović, Jelica Bjekić Macut, Dimitrios Panidis, Biljana Kastratović Kotlica, Efstathios Papadakis, Gordana Matić, Danijela Vojnović Milutinović
OBJECTIVE: Most women with PCOS have increased adrenal androgen production, enhanced peripheral metabolism of cortisol and elevation in urinary excretion of its metabolites. Increased cortisol clearance in PCOS is followed by a compensatory overdrive of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis …
Antonis Polymeris, Peter D. Papapetrou, Fotini Papandroulaki, Stavroula Thanou
OBJECTIVE: Previous studies showed that insulin stimulated directly calcitonin (Ct) secretion in the pig thyroid, while dexamethasone stimulated the production of Ct and Ct mRNA in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) cell lines. The objective of this study was to investigate if hyperinsulinemia during the oral glucose tolerance test …
Michela Rosaria Campo, Olga Lamacchia, Anna Farese, Antonella Conserva, Giuseppe Picca, Gianpaolo Grilli, Mauro Cignarelli
OBJECTIVE: Primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD), an uncommon cause of Cushing’s syndrome, is frequently associated with a wider clinical spectrum, the Carney complex (CC), a multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome …
Panagiota Pervanidou, Despoina Bastaki, Giorgos Chouliaras, Katerina Papanikolaou, Christina Kanaka-Gantenbein, George Chrousos
OBJECTIVE: Pediatric obesity commonly co-exists with emotional and behavioral disorders, while disturbed cortisol concentrations have been reported in both obese and chronically stressed individuals with anxiety and/or depression. We investigated the prevalence of internalizing and externalizing problems …
Georgia Kostopanagiotou, Konstantinos Kalimeris, Kalliopi Christodoulaki, Constantinos Nastos, Nikolaos Papoutsidakis, Cleanthi Dima, Charalampos Chrelias, Ageliki Pandazi, Iordanis Mourouzis, Constantinos Pantos
OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of various anaesthetics on stress response in the presence and absence of surgical stimulation. DESIGN: Twenty-nine pigs scheduled to undergo surgical central vein catheter placement were randomly allocated to receive only sedation with ketamine-midazolam (group SHAM, n=5) or general anaesthesia …
Stelios Fountoulakis, Dimosthenis Malliopoulos, Labrini Papanastasiou, Theodora Pappa, George Karydas, George Piaditis
OBJECTIVE: Non-insulinoma pancreatogenous hypoglycemia syndrome (NIPHS) is one of the rare causes of endogenous hyperinsulinism. Its diagnosis is challenging and may require selective intraarterial calcium stimulation and concomitant hepatic vein sampling (SACVS). Impaired counterregulatory hormones’ production in response to hypoglycemia …
Aline Freitas-de-Melo, Juan Pablo Damián, Maria José Hötzel, Georgget Banchero, Rodolfo Ungerfeld
OBJECTIVE: In rodents, progesterone (P4) pretreatment increases anxiety and response to stressors. Social isolation is a stressor that generates physiological and behavioural stress responses in sheep. The aim of the study was to compare the stress response of anoestrous ewes previously treated or not with P4 to the social isolation test. DESIGN: Ten ewes received P4 treatment during 13 d (group P4-W) and another 10 remained untreated as controls (group Con) …