Nicotinic acid attenuates amyloid β-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and inhibits the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive memory loss and behavioral disorders. The excessive accumulation of amyloid β (Aβ) and the formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) damage synaptic connections and the death of neurons. However, the underlying mechanisms of pathogenesis of AD remain unclear.

Measures of Shared Decision Making for People With Mental Disorders and Limited Decisional Capacity: A Systematic Review.

Objective: Shared decision making (SDM) is a health communication model to improve treatment decision making and is underused for people with mental health conditions and limited, impaired, or fluctuating decisional capacity. SDM measures are essential to enhancing the adoption and implementation of SDM practices, yet no tools or research findings exist that explicitly focus on measuring SDM with such patients. The aim of this review was to identify instruments that measure SDM involving individuals with mental health conditions and limited decisional capacity, their family members, and their health and social care providers.

Peer support and shared decision making in Open Dialogue: Opportunities and recommendations.

Open dialogue (OD) is a person-centred social network model of crisis and continuing mental healthcare, which promotes agency and long-term recovery in mental illness. Peer support workers who have lived experience of mental illness play a key role in OD in the UK, as they enhance shared understanding of mental health crisis as part of the OD model and provide a sense of belonging and social inclusion. These elements are in alignment with the shared decision making (SDM) approach in mental health, which focuses on person-centred communication in treatment decision-making.

Exploring patients' experience of peer-supported open dialogue and standard care following a mental health crisis: qualitative 3-month follow-up study.

Background: Experience of crisis care may vary across different care models.

Aims: To explore the experience of care in standard care and 'open dialogue' (a peer-supported community service focused on open dialogue and involving social networks for adults with a recent mental health crisis) 3 months after a crisis.

Method: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 participants (6 received open dialogue; 5 received treatment as usual (TAU)) in a feasibility study of open dialogue and analysed the data using a three-step inductive thematic analysis to identify themes that (a) were frequently endorsed and (b) represented the experiences of all participants.

Social network interventions in mental healthcare: a protocol for an umbrella review.

Introduction: Social networks (SNs) can play a crucial role in the process of recovery from mental illness. Yet there is no standard best practice for involving SNs to optimise patient recovery. It is therefore critical to explore the diversity of SN approaches in mental health, highlight gaps in the evidence and suggest future directions for research and practice.

Shared decision making interventions in mental healthcare: a protocol for an umbrella review.

Introduction: Shared decision making (SDM) has been advocated as a key component of person-centred care and recovery from mental illness. Although the principles of SDM have been well documented, there is a lack of guidance about how to accomplish SDM in mental healthcare. The objective of the present protocol is to describe the methods for an umbrella review to determine the effectiveness elements of SDM interventions for persons diagnosed with a mental illness.

NICE shared decision making guidelines and mental health: challenges for research, practice and implementation.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) initiated an ambitious effort to develop the first shared decision making guidelines. The purpose of this commentary is to identify three main concerns pertaining to the new published guidelines for shared decision making research, practice, implementation and cultural differences in mental health.

Exogenous orexin-A downregulates luteinizing hormone secretory activity in prepubertal female rats.

Introduction: Orexin-A is a neuropeptide synthesized in the lateral hypothalamus. Orexin-A immunoreactive fibres overlap distribution with GnRH neurons. In adult rats, orexin A is known to affect LH secretion via GnRH release modulation.

All-trans-retinoic acid ameliorates atherosclerosis, promotes perivascular adipose tissue browning, and increases adiponectin production in Apo-E mice.

All-trans-retinoic acid (atRA), an active metabolite of vitamin A, exerts a potential role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. It has been shown that atRA ameliorates atherosclerosis while the exact mechanism underlying this protection remains unknown. This study investigated the influence of atRA on insulin resistance (IR), atherosclerosis, and the process of perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) browning.

The Effects of Alpha-Linolenic Acid on the Secretory Activity of Astrocytes and Amyloid-Associated Neurodegeneration in Differentiated SH-SY5Y Cells: Alpha-Linolenic Acid Protects the SH-SY5Y cells against Amyloid Toxicity.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder. Amyloid - (A-) induced mitochondrial dysfunction may be a primary process triggering all the cascades of events that lead to AD. Therefore, identification of natural factors and endogenous mechanisms that protect neurons against A toxicity is needed.

Intimate partner violence and mental ill health among global populations of Indigenous women: a systematic review.

Purpose: Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been recognised as a major obstacle to the achievement of gender equality and human development. Its adverse physical and mental health consequences have been reported to affect women of all ages and backgrounds. Although Indigenous women seem to experience higher rates of partner abuse than non-Indigenous women, mental health consequences of IPV among this population are not yet clearly established in the literature.

The effect of CART on pituitary hormones release from cultured pituitary cells harvested from fasted and fed ad libitum male rats.

Cocaine and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript (CART) is widely expressed in the central nervous system and in several endocrine organs. CART is an important factor in the regulation of energy homeostasis. The aim of the study was to assess the role of CART in physiological response of pituitary cells in a course of starvation.

Nanoscale conductive pattern of the homoepitaxial AlGaN/GaN transistor.

The gallium nitride (GaN)-based buffer/barrier mode of growth and morphology, the transistor electrical response (25-310 °C) and the nanoscale pattern of a homoepitaxial AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) have been investigated at the micro and nanoscale. The low channel sheet resistance and the enhanced heat dissipation allow a highly conductive HEMT transistor (Ids > 1 A mm(-1)) to be defined (0.5 A mm(-1) at 300 °C).

Effect of orexin A on the release of GnRH-stimulated gonadotrophins from cultured pituitary cells of immature and mature female rats.

Orexin A (OxA), also known as hypocretin 1, is a regulatory neuropeptide involved in the control of various autonomic and neuroendocrine functions. It appears to have a significant impact on the regulation of trophic hormones secretion by influencing the hypothalamus and the pituitary. Orexin A acts through two types of receptor found in the pituitary.

The effect of valproate (VPA) treatment on inositol phosphates (IPs) accumulation in non-stimulated and GnRH-treated female rat anterior pituitary cells in vitro.

Objective: Mechanism(s) responsible for VPA-induced effects on reproductive axis activity are not fully recognized. Previously we reported that VPA suppressed only GnRH-stimulated but not the basal LH release from rat anterior pituitary (AP) cells in vitro. Since the inhibitory effect of VPA was exerted only in GnRH-activated cells, potential VPA impact on GnRH-R-coupled IP3/PKC signaling could not be excluded.

The evaluation of estradiol and leptin action on the activity of the somatotropic and gonadotropic axes in peripubertal female rats.

Objective: Available data suggest that estrogens and leptin play a role in the control of the pubertal process. In humans and some mammal species the increase of the activity of gonadotropic axis accompanies the decrease in the rate of growth at puberty. The effect of 17β-estradiol and/or leptin administration on the somatotropic and gonadotropic axes was studied using prepubertal female rats as an animal model.

Evaluation of orexin A activity on LH and FSH release from primary culture pituitary cells in immature and mature female rats.

Objectives: Orexin A (OxA) is a regulatory neuropeptide which is involved in the control of various autonomic and neuroendocrine functions. It regulates sleep-wake cycle, food intake and modulates the hypothalamic and pituitary hormones secretion. Orexin A acts through two types of receptors, which proved to exist in the pituitary.

Valproate inhibits GnRH-induced gonadotropin release from anterior pituitary cells of male rat in vitro.

Objective: Valproate (VPA) a potent antiepileptic drug has been claimed to induce reproductive disturbances in men. Long-term VPA treatment can affect sperm morphology and induce testicular atrophy in non-epileptic rats. It has been reported that VPA reduced testosterone secretion stimulated by hCG in isolated rat Leydig cells.

The influence of cocaine-amphetamine regulated transcript (CART) on pituitary hormones, corticosterone and leptin levels in starved rats.

Objective: CART is involved in the control of food intake and hormonal secretion. We aimed to evaluate the effects of CART on hormonal profile in starved rats.

Methods: Study group included 100 male rats.

Cortistatin and pituitary hormone secretion in rat.

Cortistatin (CST), a novel neuropeptide, shows high structural homology and functional resemblance with somatostatin. CST binds with high affinity to all somatostatin receptors, and contrary to somatostatin, is also able to bind with MrgX2 and GH secretagogue receptor of ghrelin (GHS-R1) receptors. The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate in vivo the effect of peripheral administration of cortistatin on pituitary hormone release in comparison with somatostatin (SS) treatment.

Involvement of the cocaine-amphetamine regulated transcript peptide (CART 55-102) in the modulation of rat immune cell activity.

Objective: Cocaine-amphetamine regulated transcript peptides (CART) belong to a neuropeptide family expressed in the central nervous system, especially in the hypothalamus, and also in peripheral tissues. The physiological functions of CART include modulation of pituitary hormone release, regulation of body weight, and the control of feeding behavior and metabolic activity. The reciprocal relationships between CART and immune system function have to be established.

Plasma beta amyloid and cytokine profile in women with Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) belongs to a group of neurodegenerative disorders. It is characterized by irreversible and progressive memory loss accompanied with decline in other cognitive functions. At a microscopic level, the typical neuropathologic features, senile plaques and neurofibrillary lesions are found.

Controversial opinions on the role of cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) in prolactin release.

Cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript (CART) is widely expressed in the central nervous system and in several endocrine organs. The physiological role of this peptide includes modulation of appetite control, energy expenditure, thermoregulation and hormone secretion. It has been suggested that CART influences prolactin (PRL) secretion both directly and indirectly.