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Volume 38 / No. 3 / 2004
Original articles
Instructions to authors
New books in PDF format (39,7 kB)
Endocrine Regulations (since 1967 to 1990 Endocrinologia Experimentalis) is an international journal on experimental and clinical endocrinology edited quarterly in English by care of the Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Slovak Academy of Sciences (Bratislava, Slovakia) and published by the Slovak Academic Press (Bratislava, Slovakia).
This journal aims to publish original manuscripts or minireviews on experimental and clinical endocrinology and diabetes.
The submission of a manuscript to Endocrine Regulations implies that it has not been previously published or is not being submitted for publication elsewhere and that the manuscript has been approved by all authors who are ready to take public responsibility for the content.
All materials relating to human investigation will be published upon the understanding that design of the work has been approved by the local Ethical Committee or that it conforms to ethical guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki. The animal experiments should state the conformance to guidelines on animal care.
Manuscripts in triplicate with three sets of illustrations (of which one is an original) should be sent to:
Richard Kvetnansky, Ph.D., Dr.Sc., Chief Editor,
Institute of Experimental Endocrinology,
Vlárska 3, 833 06 Bratislava, Slovakia
All text must be printed on one side of the sheet only with appropriate margins and double spacing to give adequate space for editorial notes. The corresponding author should indicate his/her full mailing address including phone and fax numbers and the e-mail address.
Manuscripts on disc. The submissions of manuscripts prepared on 3.5 inch discs on IBM compatible computers is encouraged, the preferred word processors being Microsoft Word. However, also in this case the disc must be accompanied by three hard copies of the manuscript. The disk should be labelled by the name of the first author, type of word processor, its version and file name and must also accompany the final version of the manuscript.
Types of manuscripts. Standard original papers should contain following sections: * Title, * Abstract (divided into sections Objective, Methods, Results, Conclusions), * Key Words, * Introduction, * Materials and Methods (in clinical papers this section should read * Subjects and Methods), * Results, * Discussion, (* Acknowledgements), * References. There is no length limit for these papers.
Minireviews should give an overview of a defined field preferably of author,s own professional interest and experience. They should not exceed 25 typed pages including complete References and should usually contain * Abstract, * Key Words, * Individual sections and subsections, * References.
Title page should give * the title of the article (main key words should be preferably included into the title to give sufficient information to allow the reader to judge the relevance of a paper to his field), * full names of authors, * institute of origin, * short title (running head), * name and full address of corresponding author including phone and fax numbers and e-mail naddress as well.
Abstract should clearly indicate the purpose of the study (Objective), basic procedures (Methods), main findings (Results) and principal conclusions (Conclusions). New and original findings should be emphasized, clearly defined and defended. The abstract must be easily understood indepenently of the full text of the paper
Key Words. Up to 8 key words (in exceptional cases even more) should be carefully selected to give appropriate information to the users of international information networks.
Introduction should give a brief overview of background informations and clearly define the purpose of the study...
Materials and Methods (in clinical manuscripts Subjects and Methods) should give full informations sufficient to allow others to repeat the work. It is recommended to divide it into subsections. Established and routine methods (if not considerably modified) should be just cited by the appropriate references, the modifications being briefly but clearly described. Statistical methods should be clearly described.
Results should describe concisely and clearly the results in logical sequence. Any interpretations should be avoided and definitely shifted to the Discussion. Do not repeat Materials and Methods, and do not repeat the data presented in tables and figures.
Discussion. Do not simply repeat the data presented in Introduction and Results section. Define and emphasize the new and important aspects of the study and the conclusions that follow. Relate results to other relevant studies, interpret them and explain the differences, if any. Working hypotheses and theories may be briefly outlined.
Acknowledgements. This short section, if necessary, contains acknowledgements of personal and/or financial assistance.
References. Begin this section on a new page. References should be assembled in alphabetical order according to the first author. More than one paper from the same author(s) in the same year must be identified by the letters a, b, c etc. placed after the year of publication. All listed references must be cited in the text by the first author et al. and the year (in a case of two authors only cite both). Following possibilities are recommended: (1) Brown and White (1993) found that ...; (2) ... as observed by Black et al. (1992); (3) ... as previously reported by several authors (Black et al. 1992; Brown and White 1993; Green et al. 1995).
The names of authors in the text and in references should be typed in small letters and underlined (e.g. White and Brown). The volume should be typed in bold.
The style for the list of references is as follows:
A.Journal Articles:
Itoh M, Okugawa T, Shiratori N, Ohashi H: Treatment with triiodothyronine (T3) against multinodular goiter fails to prevent the onset of Graves disease. Endocrine Regul 29, 151-156, 1995B. Book Chapters:
Mornex R, Orgiazzi JJ: Hyperthyroidism. In: The Thyroid Gland (Ed. M de Visscher), pp. 279-362, Raven Press, New York 1980
C. Books:
Podoba J: Endemic goiter in Slovakia. VEDA, Bratislava, 1962
The statement “in press” may be used only for a paper accepted for publication in the indicated journal. Unpublished data or Personal communication may be used in the text, but must not be listed in References.
Tables should be constructed as simply as possible, typed on separate sheets and numbered consecutively with Arabic numeral. There should be a short and descriptive heading and appropriate footnotes. Not more than 4 vertical rows should be used in a table planned to occupy one column and not more than 8-10 rows for that designed for two columns of a page.
Figures should be prepared in proportional way with lettering of appropriate size in order to permit such reduction in size to occupy either one or two columns on the page. Drawings (graphs, charts, diagrams etc.) should be submitted either as original or camera ready glossy photographs. Computer generated graphs must be printed by high quality laser printers on high quality camera ready paper. High quality photographs should be submitted on glossy paper.
Units of Measurement. Results should be expressed in SI units.
Abbreviations. Non-standard abbreviations should be properly defined in the text the first time they are used.
There are no page charges. Reprints order forms are sent to the corresponding author together with galley proofs. Color illustrations may be published for extra charges.
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KIJIMA H, KUBO M1, SHIMIZU C, ISHIZUKA T, TAKANO K, NAGAI S, KOIKE T
Department of Medicine II, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, N-15, W-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan;
1 Health Administration Center, Hokkaido University of Education, 5-3-1 Ainosato, Sapporo 002-8501, Japan, e-mail: kubom@sap.hokkyodai.ac.jp
Abstract: Objective. In rodents, ACTH induces steroidogenesis in the adrenal cortex and also lipolysis in adipose tissues via the sole specific receptor for ACTH. Up-regulation of the ACTH receptor (ACTHR) mRNA by ACTH was found to be evident in adrenocortical cells. However, a role of in vivo ACTH on ACTH-R mRNA expression in the adrenal cortex is not well understood. In addition, so far less attention has been also paid to the regulation of ACTH-R expression in adipose tissues. We investigated the effects of hypophysectomy and in vivo administration of ACTH or dexamethasone on the level of ACTH-R mRNA in the adrenal gland and adipose tissues of mice.
Methods. ACTH mRNA in the adrenal glands and epididymal adipose tissues of mice sacrified 10 days after hypophysectomy or sham operation, and 24 hours after ACTH-Z (2 IU i.m.) or physiological saline solution (PSS) injection, and also 3-days after dexamethasone (300 µg/day i.m.) or PSS administration was analysed by Northern blot, and intensities of autoradiographic bands were quantified.
Results. In the adrenal gland, in vivo administration of ACTH-Z significantly increased the level of ACTH-R mRNA to 342 % of control values, but in vivo administration of dexamethasone or hypophysectomy induced no significant alteration of ACTH-R mRNA. In adipose tissues, these conditions did not significantly alter the level of ACTH-R mRNA.
Conclusion. Low circulating ACTH may not be a substantial factor for ACTH-R gene expression in the adrenal gland, but a high level of in vivo ACTH dose up-regulated the expression. A different regulation of ACTH-R gene expression exists in the adrenal cortex and adipose tissues of mice.
Key words: ACTH receptor - ACTH - Hypophysectomy - Dexamethasone - Adrenal - Adipose tissue
ENDOCRINE REGULATIONS, VOL. 38, 87-95, 2004
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ALEXANDER KISS1, DANIELA JEZOVA1, JENS D. MIKKELSEN2
1 Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Vlarska 3, 833 06 Bratislava, Slovak Republic;
2 Department of Molecular Anatomy and Physiology, NeuroSearch A/S, Ballerup, Denmark
e-mail: ueenkiss@savba.sk
Abstrakt: Objective. The aim of the present study was to investigate the extent of activation of hypocretin (HCRT) synthesizing neurons after a single intraperitoneal administration of insulin using Fos-HCRT dual immunohistochemistry. In addition, there was also an attempt to depict the spatial organization of activated HCRT perikarya within the whole portion of the medial and lateral hypothalamic (LHA) areas.
Methods. The animals (rats) were fixed 90 min after i.p. administration of insulin (2.5 IU/kg). The brains were removed, and sectioned through the hypothalamus into 40 µm thick alternate coronal sections. Fos-HCRT perikarya were double immunostained with avidin-biotin-peroxidase (ABC) technique using Nickel-DAB and single DAB as the two chromogens. For the mapping of Fos- HCRT double-labeled perikarya a light microscopy was employed. Counting of Fos-labeled HCRT perikarya was performed manually and blindly with no insight into the treatment of the animals.
Results. The data demonstrate that in the early phase of the acute hypoglycemia, the number of the dually labeled Fos-HCRTir perikarya in the entire LHA was only moderately increased from 9.54 to 15.64 % in spite of the fact that within the same period the plasma glucose levels were declined by more than 70 %. Moreover, within the LHA, the distribution of activated double-labeled Fos-HCRTir perikarya did not show any special spatial organization.
Conclusion. The present data indicate that a large fall in plasma glucose in early phase of acute hypoglycemia does not represent an appropriate stimulus for massive activation of HCRT neurons in the LHA of rats.
Key words: Fos - Hypocretin (orexin) - Dual immunohistochemistry - Lateral hypothalamus - Glucose - Insulin induced hypoglycemia - Rat
ENDOCRINE REGULATIONS, VOL. 38, 97-102, 2004
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MARIANA BAKALSKA, NINA ATANASSOVA, YVETTA KOEVA1, BOYCHO NIKOLOV, MICHAIL DAVIDOFF2
Institute of Experimental Morphology & Anthropology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria;
1 Department of Anatomy & Histology, Higher Medical Institute, Plovdiv, Bulgaria;
2 Institute of Anatomy, University of Hamburg, Germany, e-mail: mbakalska@abv.bg
Abstrakt: Objective. To carry out a detailed quantitative analysis of male germ cell apoptosis in seminiferous epithelium in a long period after EDS administration.
Methods. The apoptosis in adult rat testes was induced by a single i.p. injection of ethane dimethanesulphonate (EDS) in a dose of 75 mg/kg body weight. The TUNEL assay for in situ detection of apoptosis and quantitation of apoptotic germ were performed in testicular sections days 1, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 35 after EDS treatment. Plasma levels of testosterone (T) and luteinizing hormone (LH) were measured by RIA.
Results. First signs of seminiferous epithelium regression were manifested by a marked increase in the number of apoptotic cells on 3rd day after EDS treatment. The maximal value of germ cell apoptosis was established on 7th day post EDS that coincided with lowest T levels. Later, until the end of investigated period, the elevated values of all investigated parameters for quantification of germ cell apoptosis decreased, but remained still higher as compared to control and, in addition, also T concentrations returned to normal range and their mean values were lower than these in controls. The pachytene spermatocytes and spermatids were the predominant cell types that underwent apoptosis after EDS treatment.
Conclusions. Quantitative patterns of germ cell death after testosterone deprivation reveal in advance the kinetic of germ cell depletion and regeneration in a long period after EDS. These new findings bring additional support to the concept that germ cell apoptosis is a hormonally regulated process. Induction of germ cell apoptosis by EDS could be considered as a result of differential alterations occurring in the main testicular cell types, more than one pathway being probably involved in that physiological cell death in the testis.
Key words: EDS - Apoptosis - Spermatogenesis - Rat
ENDOCRINE REGULATIONS, VOL. 38, 103-110, 2004
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B. KOS–KUDLA, Z. OSTROWSKA1, B. MAREK, D. KAJDANIUK, M. NOWAK, M. KUDLA2, J. GLOGOWSKA-SZELAG, V. LISIK
Dept. of Pathophysiology and Endocrinology, 1 Division of Clinical Biochemistry Silesian Medical University, Zabrze,
2 III Dept. & Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Silesian Medical University, Katowice, Poland, e-mail: beatakos@ka.onet.pl
Abstract: Objective. Objective of this study was to assess daily rhythm of androstendione (?4A ) and free testosterone (FT) levels in postmenopausal asthmatic women before and after hormonal replacement therapy and the influence of inhaled glucocorticosteroids (GC).
Methods. 54 asthmatic and 20 healthy postmenopausal women (aged 48-59) before and after 6 months of estrogen plus progestin therapy (EPT) were studied. Hormone concentrations in serum (?4A and FT) were assessed with the use of RIA method. Statistical analysis of the circadian rhythm was performed with the use of cosinor test according to Halberg et al
Results. Cosinor analysis of ?4A and FT secretion during the day showed existence of daily rhythm in three studied groups before as well as after postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT). A statistically significant decrease of circadian concentrations of ?4A and FT in groups of patients treated with GC was observed. Changes in amplitude of ?4A and FT rhythm between studied groups were not observed. However, displacement of rhythm acrophase of studied hormones in asthmatic women in comparison to control group before and after HT was shown. No significant differences in circadian values of ?4A and FT concentrations before HT use compared to values after HT were shown.
Conclusions. Postmenopausal asthmatic women show diminished circadian concentrations of androstendione and free testosterone in serum caused among other things by inhalative GC. Postmenopausal hormone therapy did not influence any changes in function of studied endocrine organs.
Keywords: Androstendione - Testosterone - Circadian rhythm - Asthma bronchiale - Postmenopausal hormone therapy
ENDOCRINE REGULATIONS, VOL. 38, 111-118, 2004
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ANNA GORACA
Department of Experimental and Clinical Physiology, Institute of Physiology and Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, Poland
e-mail: agoraca@zdn.am.lodz.pl
Abstract: Objective. Magnocellular neuroendocrine cells of the supraoptic nucleus of the hypothalamus produce and release the hormones vasopressin and oxytocin in response to a variety of stimuli to regulate body water and salt as well as and parturition and lactation. The aim of the present study was to estimate oxytocin release into the blood dialysate outflowing from the vicinity of the cavernous sinus and from the femoral vein after NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartic acid) infusion or acute hypoxia.
Methods. The samples of dialysates of venous blood outflowing from the vicinity of the cavernous sinus and, for comparison, from the femoral vein were collected in anesthetized rats. Oxytocin was determined in the sample of dialysates by radioimmunoassay.
Results. NMDA acid infusion or acute hypoxia caused an increase of oxytocin concentration in the blood dialysate outflowing from the vicinity of the cavernous sinus of the sella turcica and from the femoral vein. A blockade of the NMDA receptors by specific and non-specific antagonists significantly inhibited the increase in the blood dialysate oxytocin concentration.
Conclusion. The results indicate the involvement of excitatory amino acid or acute hypoxia in the control of oxytocin release into the blood.
Key words: Oxytocin - Cavernous sinus - Blood dialysates
ENDOCRINE REGULATIONS, VOL. 38, 119-125, 2004
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