Search

The plasma concentrations of gastrin and somatostatin were measured by radioimmunoassay before and after breast feeding in healthy 4 day old infants who had been born at full term. The mean (SD) concentrations of gastrin and somatostatin before breast feeding were 120 (30) pmol/l and 35 (12) pmol/l, respectively. Breast feeding in these infants was not followed by increased concentrations of gastrin and somatostatin in peripheral blood. High preprandial peptide concentrations, as seen during the neonatal period may limit the further release of peptide after feeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A tradition of separation of the mother and baby after birth still persists in many parts of the world, including some parts of Russia, and often is combined with swaddling of the baby. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare possible long-term effects on mother-infant interaction of practices used in the delivery and maternity wards, including practices relating to mother-infant closeness versus separation.Methods:A total of 176 mother-infant pairs were randomized into four experimental groups: Group I infants were placed skin-to-skin with their mothers after birth, and had rooming-in while in the maternity ward. Group II infants were dressed and placed in their mothers' arms after birth, and roomed-in with their mothers in the maternity ward. Group III infants were kept in the nursery both after birth and while their mothers were in the maternity ward. Group IV infants were kept in the nursery after birth, but roomed-in with their mothers in the maternity ward. Equal numbers of infants were either swaddled or dressed in baby clothes. Episodes of early suckling in the delivery ward were noted. The mother-infant interaction was videotaped according to the Parent-Child Early Relational Assessment (PCERA) 1 year after birth.Results:The practice of skin-to-skin contact, early suckling, or both during the first 2 hours after birth when compared with separation between the mothers and their infants positively affected the PCERA variables maternal sensitivity, infant's self-regulation, and dyadic mutuality and reciprocity at 1 year after birth. The negative effect of a 2-hour separation after birth was not compensated for by the practice of rooming-in. These findings support the presence of a period after birth (the early 'sensitive period') during which close contact between mother and infant may induce long-term positive effect on mother-infant interaction. In addition, swaddling of the infant was found to decrease the mother's responsiveness to the infant, her ability for positive affective involvement with the infant, and the mutuality and reciprocity in the dyad.Conclusions:Skin-to-skin contact, for 25 to 120 minutes after birth, early suckling, or both positively influenced mother-infant interaction 1 year later when compared with routines involving separation of mother and infant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A necessary condition for the individual's survival is the capacity for mental, behavioral, and physiological adaptation to external and internal conditions. Consequently, the integrated organism strives to maintain a dynamic, functional balance and integrity under varying conditions. Effective individual adaptation processes are basically dependent on the functioning of the integrated psychophysiological system. In humans, the brain plays a fundamental role in these processes. It serves the adaptation of individuals to current and anticipated conditions by selecting, interpreting, and transforming information into mental, behavioral, and physiological responses. In doing so, the incoming information is linked to existing structures of emotions, values, and goals. Consequently, the interpretation of external information may vary and become subjective depending on an individual's present and past experiences (see e.g., Magnusson, 2003). Hitherto, empirical research has been mainly concerned with the aspect of the psychophysiological system, which is activated in situations that are perceived by the individual as threatening, harmful, or demanding and in which the fight-flight and stress responses described by Cannon (1929) and Selye (1976) play an important role. The aim of this article is to draw attention to a component of the psychophysiological system, the calm and connection system, underlying well-being and socialization. By including this new system, the model of the integrated individual becomes more complete and it enriches the understanding of emotional aspects of brain functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to apply and modify an inventory measuring maternal foetal attachment (MFAS) for use in a Swedish population, and to relate these data to personality traits measured by the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP). Previously, we found changes in women's personality traits at childbirth. The attachment and personality profiles were studied in women expecting their first child at the 13th ( n =50, response rate 87%) and 36th week of gestation ( n =50, response rate 76%). The scores on the total MFAS were high, significantly higher for women tested in the later phase of pregnancy ( p <0.01). A factor analysis revealed a four-factor structure ('visualizing motherhood', 'wonder and worry', 'nourishing self and foetus', and 'relation to foetus and own body'), not replicating the five a priori factors of Cranley. Linear regression analyses showed positive correlation between the total attachment score and the tendency to feel 'guilt' and the desire for 'social desirability' as reflected by the KSP. Attachment subscales showed a positive correlation with 'somatic anxiety', 'guilt', 'psychasthenia', 'social desirability', 'inhibited aggression' and phase of pregnancy. Negative correlation with 'psychic anxiety' and 'emotional detachment' was found. These findings are, to our knowledge, a fairly new contribution to the literature on maternal foetal attachment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate how different delivery-ward routines influence temperature in newborn infants.Methods: A total of 176 newborn mother-infant pairs were included in a randomized study. The babies were kept skin-to-skin on the mother's chest (Skin-to-skin group), held in their mother's arms, being either swaddled or clothed (Mother's arms group), or kept in a cot in the nursery, being either swaddled or clothed (Nursery group). Temperature was measured in the axilla, on the thigh, back and foot at 15-min intervals at from 30 to 120 min after birth.Results: During this time period the axilla, back and thigh temperatures rose significantly in all the treatment groups. The foot temperature displayed a significant fall in the babies in the Nursery group and this decrease was greatest in the swaddled babies. In contrast, foot temperature rose in the babies in the Mother's arms group and in particular in babies in the Skin-to-skin group. Foot temperature remained high in the Skin-to-skin group, whereas the low temperature observed in the Nursery group gradually increased and two days after birth the difference was no longer significant.Conclusion: The results show that delivery-ward routines influence skin temperature in infants in the postnatal period. Allowing mother and baby the ward routine of skin-to-skin contact after birth may be a "natural way" of reversing stress-related effects on circulation induced during labour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The modulation of the central cardiovascular effects of α2 -adrenoceptor activation by oxytocin in the nucleus tractus solitarii has been evaluated by cardiovascular analysis and by quantitative receptor autoradiography. Microinjections in the nucleus tractus solitarii of a threshold dose of oxytocin effectively and significantly counteracted the vasodepressor and bradycardic actions of an ED50 dose of the α2 -adrenoceptor agonist clonidine. The coinjection of a threshold dose of oxytocin with a threshold dose of clonidine did not produce any changes in the mean arterial pressure but a tachycardic response was observed. Receptor autoradiographical experiments showed that oxytocin (3 nM) significantly increased the K d and B max values of [3 H]p -aminoclonidine binding sites in the nucleus tractus solitarii compatible with a possible antagonistic interaction with the α2 -adrenoceptors, and this effect was blocked by the presence of the specific oxytocin receptor antagonist 1-deamino-2-D-Tyr-(OEt)-4-Thr-8-Orn-oxytocin. These findings suggest the existence of an antagonistic oxytocin/α2 -adrenoceptor interaction in nucleus tractus solitarii that may be of relevance for the demonstrated modulation of α2 -adrenoceptor induced cardiovascular responses by oxytocin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the pattern of gastrointestinal hormonal variations in plasma and to relate this to possible pathophysiological mechanisms in functional dyspepsia.Method: There were 25 patients, 12 men and 13 women, aged 24 to 50 years, with recurrent functional dyspepsia, compared with community control subjects pair-wise, matched for age and sex. The subjects participated in a laboratory stress experiment with timed provocations. At fixed intervals, 22 samples of blood were drawn from each subject and frozen for later peptide analyses. Levels of gastrin, cholecystokinin (CCK), and somatostatin were measured by radioimmunoassay. Peptide levels were studied during a friendly greeting, a stress interview, and a food stimulation.Results: Mean hormone values did not differ between the groups. Smokers had lower mean CCK than nonsmokers. Patients with a high degree of dyspeptic symptoms during the week preceding the experiment had a higher mean somatostatin level than patients with a low degree of dyspeptic symptoms. Heartburn correlated positively with the mean somatostatin level. Mean gastrin correlated with body mass index. During the 15-minute stress interview, significant changes in peptide variations were noted: Gastrin increased in both patient and control group subjects. CCK levels increased in patients from 7.2 pmol/l (6.0-8.5) to 9.8 pmol/l (8.2-11.4), but not in control subjects (p < 0.04, two-way interaction). Somatostatin increased significantly earlier in patients than in the control subjects during the stress interview.Conclusions: A positive relationship was found between the mean level of somatostatin and the degree of dyspeptic symptoms. Gastrin, CCK, and somatostatin were all sensitive to an anxiety-provoking interview. CCK and somatostatin may possibly link psychological reactions to the pathophysiology of functional dyspepsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 15 women investigated during the follicular, ovulatory and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle, only small variations in plasma levels of oxytocin were found. There was no mid-cycle surge in oxytocin levels. A parallel variation in oxytocin and oestradiol levels was found in five of the women. In 10 women examined every 4th week during gestation starting at week 12, a small but significant increase in oxytocin levels was found. Pronounced fluctuations in oxytocin levels were observed in four of the pregnant women. These fluctuations were independent of the stage of gestation and were also observed in three of the menstruating women. Seven out of 12 women treated with human menopausal gonadotrophin exhibited a marked elevation of oestradiol levels; oxytocin levels also increased and were significantly elevated when the oestradiol level exceeded 2 pmol/ml. Oxytocin levels were higher in the pregnant and human menopausal gonadotrophin-treated women than in the menstruating women. The oxytocin levels appeared to be only partly related to the oestradiol level. It is possible that the stimulatory effect of oestradiol is antagonized by a concomitantly high progesterone level. Alternatively, there may not be a linear dose-effect relationship between oestradiol and the release of oxytocin. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A new specific method for determination of cholecystokinin, CCK-8, and CCK-33, 39 in rat plasma is described. Plasma CCK radioimmunoassay (RIA) is difficult, because of cross-reactivity with gastrin. In the rat, problems because of difficulties in separating gastrin from CCK by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) exist. These were solved by enzyme digestion of gastrin before HPLC separation of molecular variants of CCK from gastrin fragments. Cholecystokinin immunoreactive forms in the HPLC fractions were determined by an antibody, which recognises the carboxyl terminus of CCK and gastrin. Fasting concentrations of small (CCK-8) and large (CCK-33, 39) molecular forms of CCK averaged 1.9 (0.3) pM and were raised to 13.4 (3.8) pM in rats fed ad libitum. Cholecystokinin in lactating rats rose two-fold after suckling, compared with 2.8 fold in response to feeding. The basal ratio between CCK-8 and CCK-33, 39 was approximately 1:1, but increased in favour of CCK-8 after feeding and in response to suckling. Gastrin like immunoreactivity measured in unextracted plasma was found to rise after feeding, but was unchanged in response to suckling. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Twelve primiparous sows were grouped into six pairs. One sow from each pair (T) received subcutaneous injections of porcine insulin as follows: pairs 1 and 2, 0.5 IU/kg at 07.00 h; pairs 3 to 6, 0.5 IU/kg at 07.00 and 15.00 h. Insulin administration was started one day before weaning and continued until the last day of post-weaning oestrus. Control sows (C) received physiological saline solution as a sham treatment. Blood samples were collected every 3 h from 09.00 to 21.00 h and, additionally, at 07.00 h during the period of insulin treatment. Additional blood samples were collected at 15-min intervals for 6 h for 2 days before and for 3 days after weaning, and for 12 h on the day of weaning (D 35 of lactation). Exogenous treatment with insulin increased plasma levels of insulin (53 v 36 mU/l, P < 0.001) and decreased plasma levels of glucose (4.6 v 5.5 mmol/l, P < 0.001) in T-sows as compared to C-sows. During the treatment period, the average levels of cortisol (31 v 35 nmol/l, P < 0.001) and non-esterified fatty acids (0.13 v 0.16 mmol/l, P < 0.01) were lower in T- than in C-sows. No differences in glucagon or urea levels were observed between the two groups. Plasma levels of LH were higher in T- than in C-sows both before and during the treatment period. However, no differences in number of LH pulses/6 h were found between the two groups. Plasma concentrations of oestradiol-17β were higher in C- than in T-sows before the treatment started, but no between-group difference was found during the treatment period. Administration of insulin did not shorten the interval from weaning to oestrus (T-sows, 5.1 ± 1.0 days; C-sows, 5.2 ± 1.0 days). The average number of corpora lutea found was lower in T-sows (13.8 ± 3.4) than in C-sows (20.1 ± 2.8). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After 5 weeks of lactation 14 standard-fed primiparous sows were divided into a low weight-loss group (L-gr, loss < 25 kg, n = 7) and a high weight-loss group (H-gr, loss ≥ 25 kg, n = 7). Body weights of the sows and their litters were recorded on days 2, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 of lactation. Blood samples were collected before the morning feeding on each weighing day. Samples were analysed to determine concentrations of insulin, glucagon, glucose, triglycerides, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), urea and creatinine. The H-gr sows lost weight throughout lactation, whereas the L-gr sows gained weight during the last week. Weight loss was higher in the H-gr than in the L-gr during weeks 2, 3 and 5 of lactation. Litter size and litter weight gain were higher in the H-gr than in the L-gr. Significant changes in levels of insulin, glucagon, glucose, triglycerides and creatinine were observed over lactation. No significant differences in concentrations of any of the parameters were found between the two groups, except for insulin and cholesterol which were higher in the L-gr. Catabolism of adipose tissue and muscle protein was observed in both groups during the first week of lactation. This catabolic state was more pronounced and tended to be prolonged in the H-gr. Concentrations of all parameters seemed to be stable in both groups during the last two weeks of lactation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To describe the patterns of release of oxytocin, prolactin, insulin and LH in relation to suckling and to investigate relationships between them, blood was collected continuously from four sows at a rate of 1 ml per min for 12 h (0900-2100 h) on day 10 (D10) and day 20 (D20) of lactation. The 12-h period was divided into four smaller periods: P1 (0900-1200 h), P2 (1200-1500 h), P3 (1500-1800 h) and P4 (1800-2100 h). The number of nursings occurring during a 12-h period tended to decrease between D10 (17.3 ± 0.3) and D20 (16.0 ± 0.3). About 40-50% of all sucklings induced a significant rise in plasma oxytocin, while prolactin gradually increased following each suckling. Decrease in the levels of oxytocin (14.1 ± 0.4 vs 7.1 ± 0.4 pmol/l, P < 0.001), prolactin (12.9 ± 0.3 vs 7.9 ± 0.1 μg/l, P < 0.001) and insulin (24.8 ± 1.7 vs 14.4 ± 1.7 mU/l, P < 0.001) were observed between D10 and D20. Average and basal levels of LH and the number of LH pulses increased (P < 0.01) between D10 and D20. A negative correlation between number of sucklings and number of LH pulses was demonstrated on D20 (r = −0.59, P = 0.07). There was a positive correlation between levels of LH and oxytocin on D10 (r = 0.54, P = 0.001) and between prolactin and insulin levels on D20 (r = 0.34, P = 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twelve conventionally fed primiparous sows with a similar number of piglets were divided into 3 groups (n = 4) according to their body weight loss after a 5-week lactation as follows: H-gr (loss > 25 kg), M-gr (loss 11-25 kg) and L-gr (loss ≤ 10 kg). Blood samples were collected at 9, 12, 15, 18 and 21 h, from 4 days before weaning until 3 days afterwards, and every 15 min for 6 h on the day before and the day after weaning. The group of sows with higher weight loss during lactation tended to have a higher farrowing weight and higher pre-weaning plasma prolactin levels. At weaning, the L-gr sows had higher plasma insulin and lower plasma cortisol concentrations, especially when compared with H-gr sows. Among the ten sows that showed oestrus within 10 days of weaning, no between-group differences were found in the length of the interval from weaning to oestrus. No significant differences between groups were observed in levels of oestradiol-17β and LH. The higher level of insulin in L-gr sows might relate to the higher number of corpora lutea observed in this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of oral natural prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) on symptoms, disease activity, and gastrointestinal functions in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were studied in an open pilot trial. Twelve patients, six taking and six not taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), received 1 mg natural PGE2 three times a day for six weeks. The treatment was tolerated well and the only side effect noted was slightly looser stools in three patients. Half of the patients reported subjective improvement and none had aggravation of symptoms. The Ritchie articular index and several biochemical inflammation markers decreased and were significantly reduced at the end of the treatment period. The thickness of the small intestinal mucosa increased during the PGE2 treatment. The intestinal permeability pattern, measured by urinary excretion of polyethylene glycols (PEG 400), differed between the patients taking and not taking NSAIDs. The initially high urinary PEG 400 excretion values in the patients taking NSAIDs decreased and the initially low excretion values in patients not taking NSAIDs increased during the PGE2 treatment. The jejunal contents became sterile in 5/6 patients not taking NSAIDs and remained sterile in 1/6 patients taking NSAIDs at the end of the treatment. The treatment period was associated with a reduction of lactobacilli in patients not treated with NSAIDs. Thus the treatment appeared to decrease disease activity and to improve small intestinal functions in patients with RA, findings that need confirmation in a controlled trial. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The relation between the basal and stimulated gastric acid secretion, plasma gastrin, and the gastric microflora was examined in 45 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Sixteen patients (36%) had basal achlorhydria, and of these, 10 (22%) had achlorhydria or hypochlorhydria after stimulation with pentagastrin. The peak acid output and acidity showed inverse correlation with the disease duration but were not associated with age or with the degree of physical disability. Hypergastrinaemia was found in nine patients (20%), of whom 6 (13%) had significant titres of parietal cell antibody. The acidity of the peak acid output showed negative correlation with plasma gastrin. It was confirmed that the gastric secretory state is a determinant of plasma gastrin levels and in addition influences the growth of micro-organisms in the gastric lumen. The type of microflora in the non-acid stomach was similar to that found in the saliva. A subgroup of eight females was identified who showed low gastric acid secretion rates, positive bacterial cultures, and atlantoaxial subluxation. Gastrin- and insulin-like immunoreactivities were found in joint fluid. The concentrations reflected their plasma levels, suggesting that the peptides are not released at the inflammatory site, but rather that they reach synovial fluid from circulating blood. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]