Breast metastases from neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are considered infrequent. We report a case of a patient with ileocecal neuroendocrine tumor (NET) metastases to both breasts, for whom the initial clinical presentation was chronic diarrhea. Breast metastasis was initially suspected by a 68-Gallium DOTANOC positron emission tomography (PET)/CT and was confirmed by histopathology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProg Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry
April 2008
Preclinical and clinical evidence suggests that neuropeptides play a role in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. In the present study, we investigated the involvement of the peptides corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), neuropeptide Y (NPY) and nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) and of their receptors in the regulation of emotional behaviours. In situ hybridization experiments were performed in order to evaluate the mRNA expression levels of these neuropeptidergic systems in limbic and limbic-related brain regions of the Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) rats, a putative genetic animal model of depression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDysregulation of the monoaminergic systems is likely a sufficient but not a necessary cause of depression. A wealth of data indicates that neuropeptides, e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPreviously we reported that basal neuropeptide Y (NPY)-like immunoreactivity-(LI) in hippocampus of the "depressed" Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) rats was lower compared to the control Flinders Resistant Line (FRL) and that electroconvulsive stimuli (ECS) raise NPY-LI in discrete brain regions. Here we studied NPY mRNA expression, NPY Y(1) receptor (Y(1)) mRNA expression and binding sites, and behavior under basal conditions (Sham) and after repeated ECS. Baseline NPY and Y(1) mRNAs in the CA1-2 regions and dentate gyrus were lower while the Y(1) binding was higher in the FSL.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Alcohol misuse early in life is associated with an increased risk of alcoholism. It is possible that this increased risk in adolescent drinkers is in part related to the susceptibility of the adolescent brain to ethanol. This study assessed the effects of ethanol exposure on several neuropeptides to begin to elucidate potential substrates that could mediate the differential effects of ethanol on adolescent and adult rats.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of the enantiomers of citalopram (CIT), its N-demethylated metabolite demethylcitalopram (DCIT) and its deaminated metabolite citalopram propionic acid derivative (CIT-PROP) were measured in plasma and CSF in 22 depressed patients after a 4-week treatment with 40 mg/d citalopram, which was preceded by a 1-week washout period. CSF 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and homovanillic acid (HVA) were measured at baseline and after the 4-week CIT medication period. Patients were assessed clinically, using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (21-item HAM-D): at baseline and then at weekly intervals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) are proteins involved in neuronal survival and plasticity of dopaminergic, cholinergic and serotonergic neurons in the central nervous system. Since decreased size and impaired function of some neuronal populations may be relevant in depression it has been hypothesized that these molecules may have a functional role in the pathophysiology as well as treatment of depression. Using an animal model of depression, the Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) rats and their controls, the Flinders Resistant Line (FRL), we investigated the effects of chronic lithium treatment on brain NGF, BDNF and GDNF.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are proteins involved in neuronal survival and plasticity of dopaminergic, cholinergic and serotonergic neurons in the central nervous system (CNS). Moreover, it has been hypothesized that these molecules play a role in the pathophysiology as well as treatment of depression. Using an animal model of depression, the Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) rats and their controls, the Flinders Resistant Line (FRL), we investigated the effects of electroconvulsive stimuli (ECS) on brain NGF and BDNF.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this study we investigated whether electroconvulsive stimuli (ECS) altered the regional brain protein concentrations of nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in Sprague Dawley rats. Electroconvulsive stimuli were administered once daily for 8 days. At the end of the experiment, rats were killed, the brains were dissected into five regions, and the neurotrophic factors were extracted and measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Central tachykinin levels (i.e., substance P [SP], neurokinin A [NKA], neurokinin B [NKB] and neurokinin K [NKK]) have been reported to fluctuate in association with stress and anxiety.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Flinders Sensitive Line rats showed an increased immobility response by 104% (P<0.01) in the forced swim test with respect to the Flinders Resistant Line rats (control). The Flinders Sensitive Line rats also had an increase of [(125)I]galanin (porcine) binding in the dorsal raphe (55+/-3.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBrain Res Dev Brain Res
November 2001
Human and animal studies support the involvement of neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the pathophysiology of depression. Thus, hippocampal NPY-LI is decreased in genetic models of depression, the Flinders Sensitive Line and Fawn Hooded rats. Maternal "deprivation" has been identified as one risk factor in the development of psychopathology, including depression in adulthood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHuman and animal studies suggest that neuropeptide Y (NPY), a peptide co-localized and co-released with classical neurotransmitters, is involved in the pathogenesis of affective disorders. In addition, lithium, electroconvulsive treatments (ECT in humans and ECS in rodents) and antidepressants affect NPY in a specific temporal- and brain-region fashion. These results have been obtained on healthy male rats; females and/or "depressed" animals have essentially not been studied.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeuropeptide Y (NPY), has been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression and the mechanisms of action of electroconvulsive treatment (ECT). In this series of experiments, we explored whether there are differences between Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) rats, an animal model of depression, and controls, Flinders Resistant Line (FRL) in (1) baseline brain NPY-LI concentrations, (2) effects of ECS on locomotion and brain neuropeptides, (3) amphetamine effects on behavior, and (4) effects of ECS pretreatment on subsequent effects of amphetamine on behavior. Both strains were divided into two groups, receiving eight ECS or ShamECS.
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