A summary of the Proceedings of the Fourteenth International Symposium on the Neurobiology and Neuroendocrinology of Aging, Bregenz, Austria July 15-20, 2018.

A summary of the Fourteenth International Symposium on the Neurobiology and Neuroendocrinology of Aging that was held July 15-20, 2018 in Bregenz, Austria, is presented. Seventeen of the speakers that presented at the conference submitted papers relevant to the topic of their presentation as well as overviews of their respective fields and are included in this special issue. The abstracts from each poster presentation as well as the speaker abstracts are also included at the end of the preface to the special issue.

Metabolic adaptation of short-living growth hormone transgenic mice to methionine restriction and supplementation.

Extension of mammalian health and life span has been achieved using various dietary interventions. We previously reported that restricting dietary methionine (MET) content extends life span only when growth hormone signaling is intact (no life span increase in GH deficiency or GH resistance). To understand the metabolic responses of altered dietary MET in the context of accelerated aging (high GH), the current study evaluated MET and related pathways in short-living GH transgenic (GH Tg) and wild-type mice following 8 weeks of restricted (0.

A summary of the Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Symposium on the Neurobiology and Neuroendocrinology of Aging, Bregenz, Austria July 17-22, 2016.

A summary of the Thirteenth International Symposium on the Neurobiology and Neuroendocrinology of Aging that was held July 17-22, 2016 in Bregenz, Austria, is presented. Nineteen of the speakers that presented at the conference submitted review papers covering the topic of their presentation as well as an overview of their respective fields and are included in this special issue. The abstracts from each poster presentation as well as twenty-two of the speaker abstracts are also included at the end of the preface to the special issue.

A summary of the Proceedings of the Twelfth International Symposium on the Neurobiology and Neuroendocrinology of Aging, Bregenz, Austria July 27-August 1, 2014.

A summary of the Twelfth International Symposium on the Neurobiology and Neuroendocrinology of Aging that was held July 27-August 1, 2014 in Bregenz, Austria, is presented. Fifteen of the speakers that presented at the conference submitted review papers covering the topic of their presentation as well as an overview of their respective fields and are included in this special issue. The abstracts from each poster presentation as well as seven of the speakers' abstracts are also included at the end of the preface to the special issue.

A summary of the proceedings of the Eleventh International Symposium on the Neurobiology and Neuroendocrinology of Aging, Bregenz, Austria, July 29-August 3, 2012.

A summary of the Eleventh International Symposium on the Neurobiology and Neuroendocrinology of Aging that was held in July 29-August 3 in Bregenz, Austria, is presented. Sixteen of the speakers who presented at the conference submitted review papers covering the topic of their presentation as well as an overview of their respective fields and are included in this special issue. The abstracts from each poster presentation are also included at the end of the special issue.

Gain of chromosomal region 20q and loss of 18 discriminates between Lynch syndrome and familial colorectal cancer.

Lynch syndrome and familial colorectal cancer type X, FCCTX, represent the two predominant colorectal cancer syndromes. Whereas Lynch syndrome is clinically and genetically well defined, the genetic cause of FCCTX is unknown and genomic differences between Lynch syndrome and FCCTX tumours are largely unknown. We applied array-based comparative genomic hybridisation to 23 colorectal cancers from FCCTX with comparison to 23 Lynch syndrome tumours and to 45 sporadic colorectal cancers.

Transcriptional adaptation of neuroblastoma cells to hypoxia.

Low oxygen pressure (hypoxia) is a physiological condition that has been linked to tumor progression and increased malignancy in several cancer forms. Cells of the childhood neoplasm neuroblastoma respond to hypoxia by attaining a lower grade of differentiation, which clinically is associated with poor prognosis. Furthermore, expression of the hypoxia inducible factor-2alpha correlates to poor outcome in neuroblastoma patients.

Sickness absence with low-back, shoulder, or neck diagnoses: an 11-year follow-up regarding gender differences in sickness absence and disability pension.

Background: There is very little knowledge on the long-term outcomes of sickness absence. The aim was to investigate sickness absence and disability pensions over 11 years in a cohort of young persons initially long-term sick listed with back, neck, or shoulder diagnoses.

Method: A prospective population-based cohort study of all 213 individuals in the Municipality of Linköping, Sweden, who in 1985 were aged 25-34 and had at least one new sick-leave spell > 28 days with such diagnoses.

High follicular phase luteinizing hormone levels in young healthy BRCA1 mutation carriers: implications for breast and ovarian cancer risk.

BRCA1 mutation carriers have up to 80% life-time risk of developing breast cancer and 20-40% risk of developing ovarian cancer. High LH levels have been linked to increased risks of both breast and ovarian cancers in some studies and it is unknown whether gonadotropin levels are associated with BRCA1 mutation status. The aim of the study was to explore whether gonadotropin levels were associated with BRCA1 mutation status among healthy 40-year-old-women from hereditary breast cancer families.

Clients' perceptions of contact with professionals within healthcare and social insurance offices.

Aims: An increasing number of people interact with professionals within healthcare and social insurance offices during periods of sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders. Knowledge of clients' perceptions of such contact is scarce. This study analysed clients' perceptions of their contact with professionals within healthcare and social insurance offices.

Endocrine physiology in a patient-centered learning curriculum.

The medical curriculum at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences has recently been redesigned into a problem-based/traditional hybrid model that utilizes an integrated organ systems-based approach to teach basic and clinical sciences. The number of lecture hours in general has been greatly reduced, and, in particular, lecture hours in physiology have been reduced by 65%. Students learn basic science in small groups led by a faculty facilitator, and students are responsible for a great deal of their own teaching and learning.

The health-line--a method for collecting data on self-rated health over time: a pilot study.

Background: There is a need for an instrument to record a life-course perspective of self-rated health.

Aim: To test the "health-line", a simple, comprehensive method of collecting data on self-rated health over time.

Method: In 1996, a questionnaire was mailed to people who in 1985 were aged between 25 and 34 years old and had a sick-leave spell >28 days with "back diagnoses".

Prolactin regulation of pim-1 expression: positive and negative promoter elements.

The lactogen-dependent rat Nb2 lymphoma is a useful model to investigate PRL signaling pathways that lead to regulation of gene transcription. A primary mechanism coupled to PRL receptor (PRLR) activation in Nb2 cells involves phosphorylation by Jak-family tyrosine kinases of one or more signal transducers and activators of transcription (Stat) factors which subsequently bind to gamma-interferon activation sequences (GAS) within promoter regions of target genes. However, it is presently unclear whether this mechanism is operative as a means for regulating PRL-induced gene expression to the exclusion of other signaling pathways.

Hormonal regulation of spermatogenesis in the hypophysectomized rat: FSH maintenance of cellular viability during pubertal spermatogenesis.

The potential for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) to promote germ-cell survival and the cellular sites of FSH action were studied using a gonadally maturing (pubertal), hypophysectomized (Hx) rat model in which residual testosterone (T) activity was blocked by injections of an androgen-receptor antagonist, flutamide. Recombinant human FSH was given to androgen-deprived and androgen-blocked male rats at 27 days of age to determine maintenance of individual germ-cell types at 35 days of age. Follicle-stimulating hormone significantly increased testis weights and tubular diameters as compared with Hx and Hx-flutamide controls, although testis weights in FSH-treated animals were significantly lower than in pituitary-intact animals.

The effects of short photoperiod, pinealectomy, and melatonin treatment on oxytocin synthesis and release in the male syrian hamster.

The pineal gland has been shown to affect plasma oxytocin (OT) levels, but the mechanism of this action is not apparent. In the present study, the ability of the photoperiod to affect plasma OT levels, neurointermediate lobe (NIL) OT content, and hypothalamic OT mRNA levels was studied in male Syrian hamsters. In addition, the ability of pinealectomy to prevent and melatonin (MEL) to mimic the short photoperiod-induced changes were also determined.

Assessment of the primary adrenal cortical and pancreatic hormone basal levels in relation to plasma glucose and age in the unstressed Ames dwarf mouse.

Peripheral glucose concentrations in mammals are maintained within very narrow limits to provide a continuous, uninterrupted supply of this nutrient to tissues. Numerous factors have been shown to influence and/or regulate glucose levels. One such influence is growth hormone (GH) produced by the pituitary somatotrophs.

Functioning of the porcine pituitary-adrenocortical axis during neonatal development.

A study was conducted with neonatal boars to measure age-related changes in functioning of the pituitary-adrenocortical axis. Pigs were randomly assigned to control (n = 7-10/age) or treated (1-min restraint, n = 9-11/age) groups to be sampled at either 12, 19, or 26 days of age. Blood samples were taken via catheter 10 min before and 3, 10, and 20 min after restraint or at similar time intervals in controls.

Effects of photoperiod on testicular inhibin-alpha and androgen binding protein mRNA expression during postnatal development in Siberian hamsters, Phodopus sungorus.

The effects of short photoperiod (SPP) on testicular inhibin-alpha and androgen binding protein (ABP) mRNA expression were investigated in Siberian hamsters during postnatal development. Hamsters were raised in either long photoperiod (LPP; 16L:8D) or in a SPP (6L:18D). Hamsters were sacrificed at the following developmental ages: preweaning (18-20 days), immature (28-30 days), pubertal (38-40 days), postpubertal (48-50 days) and adult (60-62 days; n = 7-12 animals per group).

Sertoli cells in testes containing or lacking germ cells: a comparative study of paracrine effects using the W (c-kit) gene mutant mouse model.

Background: Paracrine effects of germ cells on Sertoli cell structure were examined in a mouse model with the W locus (dominant white spotting) mutation in which animals with the W/Wv genotype (referred to as mutants) lack virtually all germ cells.

Results: Morphometric determination of Sertoli cell parameters in mutant and control (+/+) animals showed that although the testes of mutant animals were about eight times smaller than controls, the numbers of Sertoli cells in the two groups did not differ. Sertoli cell volume, Sertoli cell cytoplasmic and nuclear volumes, and Sertoli cell surface area in mutant animals were significantly smaller than in control animals.

Recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone is capable of exerting a biological effect in the adult hypophysectomized rat by reducing the numbers of degenerating germ cells.

There is considerable controversy as to whether FSH can, under normal circumstances, exert an effect to promote spermatogenesis in the adult rat. Recombinant human FSH (rhFSH) was used to answer a more limited question relating to whether FSH is capable of exerting a biological effect in promoting adult spermatogenesis. Can a pure preparation of FSH prevent the regressive changes seen after hypophysectomy (Hx) in a short term experiment? To answer this question, five groups of adult rats were used as follows: pituitary-intact animals, 3-day hypophysectomized (Hx), 3-day Hx given 3 mg testosterone propionate (T)/day for 7 days, 3-day Hx given 22 IU rhFSH for 7 days, and 3-day Hx given saline vehicle for 7 days.

Semen characteristics, testicular size, and reproductive hormone concentrations in mature duroc, meishan, fengjing, and minzhu boars.

Chinese breeds of swine are known for their reproductive prolificacy and are noted for large litter size. The current investigation evaluated reproductive components of three breeds of Chinese boars in comparison to a contemporary site breed common in the U.S.

Prolactin and growth hormone clearance in neonatal boars.

The pharmacokinetics of prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone (GH) are not known in neonatal pigs. In this study, six boars, ages 13 and 26 d, were used to determine metabolic clearance rate (MCR), half-life (t1/2), and volume of distribution (Vd) of immunoreactive porcine PRL (ipPRL) and immunoreactive porcine GH (ipGH). Blood samples were collected through indwelling jugular catheters at 0, 1, 2.

Association between low birth weight and increased adrenocortical function in neonatal pigs.

This study examined differences in adrenocortical function between low- and high-birth-weight female neonatal pigs. Pigs born to unilaterally hysterectomized, ovariectomized sows were grouped by birth weight; "small" were < or = 1.2 kg and "large" were > 1.