Association between fatigue, peripheral serotonin, and L-carnitine in hypothyroidism and in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Background: Fatigue of unknown origin is a hallmark symptom in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and is also found in 20% of hypothyroidism patients despite appropriate levothyroxine treatment. Here, we suggest that in these disorders, peripheral serotonin levels are low, and elevating them to normal range with L-carnitine is accompanied with reduced fatigue.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of follow-up clinical data (CFS N=12; hypothyroidism with fatigue N=40) where serum serotonin and fatigue levels were compared before after 7 weeks of oral L-carnitine supplementation.

Cyclic AMP and gastric secretion in man. An in vivo study in healthy volunteers, duodenal ulcer patients, and pernicious anaemia patients.

The metabolism of cyclic AMP and HCl secretion has been studied in eight healthy volunteers, in eight duodenal ulcer (DU) patients, and in four pernicious anaemia patients. Pentagastrin showed a tendency to increase adenylate cyclase and cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activities in the fundal mucosa and caused a significant increase in cyclic AMP output into the gastric juice in healthy volunteers and in DU patients. Cimetidine inhibited all these events but had no effect on basal cyclic AMP output.

Comparison of the effects of adrenergic agonists and alpha-, beta 1-, beta 2-antagonists on the intraocular pressure and adenylate cyclase activity in the ciliary processes of the rabbit.

The hypotensive effect of different adrenergic agonists and antagonists were screened both in normo- and hypertensive rabbit eyes. The drugs were applicated topically and intraocular pressure (IOP) was monitored constantly with a manometric method. Subsequently the inhibitory effect of the antagonists on isoproterenol-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in the ciliary processes was analyzed in vitro.

Urinary cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate excretion in children in short stature: effect of somatotropin.

Excretion of urinary cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) was determined in twenty-four children of short stature and in sixteen normal children. Of the patients, eight suffered from anterior panhypopituitarism, six from isolated deficiency or somatotropin, seven had a family history of short stature, and three had growth failure of pre-natal onset. In children suffering from anterior panhypopituitarism or from isolated somatotropin deficiency, excretion of cAMP was found to be depressed.

Effects of corticotrophin and choriogonadotrophin on urinary cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate.

The actions of exogenous corticotrophin (ACTH) and human choriogonadotrophin (HCG) were assessed by measuring cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP), 17-ketosteroids (17-KS), 17-ketogenic steroids (17-KGS), androsterone (A), etiocholanolone (E), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and pregnanetriol (P3) in 24 h urine. ACTH was infused intravenously into six healthy women. A dexamethasone (DXM) suppression test was also performed, and continued when HCG was injected intramuscularly.

Determination of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate in urine.

A modification of Aurbach & Houston's enzymic method for measuring cAMP is presented. The procedure is relatively simple and in several respects new. Urinary cAMP is separated from other nucleotides and phosphate by ZnSO4-Ba(OH)2 precipitation and column chromatography.

Effect of the carboxyl-terminal tripeptide of vasopressin on plasma free fatty acids and cyclic adenosine monophosphate in man.

The carboxyl-terminal tripeptide of casopressin (Pro-Arg-Gly.NH2) and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) were injected intravenously into six human subjects, and the effects of these peptides on plasma free fatty acids (FFA) and cAMP concentrations were compared with that of saline. Twenty mug of the tripetide and 100 mug of ACTH INCREASED THE PLASMA FFA CONCENTRATION TO THE SAME EXTENT, WHEREAS 200 MUG OF THE TRIPETIDE WAS WITHOUT THIS LIPOLYTIC EFFECT.