Relation between visfatin, insulin resistance and androgen levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome with and without clinical hyperandrogenism running title: visfatin and polycystic ovary syndrome

Background: Polycyhc ovary syndrome PCOS is the most common cause of infertility due to anovulation. PCOS patients are at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Controversial results were reported regarding levels of visfatin among PCOS patients

Objectives: the aim of the present study was to investigate serum visfatin, testosterone and insulin resistance and the association between these parameters in PCOS patients with and without clinical hyperandrogenism

Subjects and Methods: A total of forty PCOS patients and twenty age BMI-matched overweight healthy control subjects were enrolled in this study. PCOS patients were further divided according to the presence or the absence of clinical hyperandrogenism. Serum visfatin, testosterone, insulin and glucose were measured and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance [HOMA-IR] was calculated

Results: PCOS patients had higher levels of visfatin, testosterone and HOMA-IR compared with the controls. Positive correlation was seen between insulin and testosterone in PCOS patients. PCOS patients with clinical hyperandrogenism had relatively higher levels of visfatin, testosterone and HOMA-IR compared with those without clinical hyperandrogenism. Furthermore, serum visfatin positively correlated with serum insulin and testosterone in PCOS patients with clinical hyperandrogenism, but not in those without clinical hvperandrogenism

Conclusion: There are strong relationships between visfatin and hyperinsulinemia, and hyperandrogenism. Further investigation is needed to elucidate the molecular mechanism behind these relationships

Insulin resistance and cognitive impairment in type II diabetes mellitus

Background: Type II Diabetes mellitus [DM] is a metabolic disorder that is characterized by high blood glucose because of the insulin resistance. Significant 1 more interest has been dedicated to the effect of type II diabetes on the brain. Along with cerebrovascular disease, type II diabetes is implicated in the development of other neurological co-morbidities

Aim of the work: To study cognitive functions in type II DM and the effect of insulin resistance on it

Subjects and methods: In the present study, cognitive function tests were done for 37 subjects; control [n= 17], type II DM [n= 20]. These tests include mini mental state examination [MMSE], Wechsler adult intelligence scale [WAIS], Wechsler memory scale [WMS] and Cognitive Event related potential [P300]. Circulating levels of glycosylated haemoglobin [HbA[1c]] and insulin were determined in venous blood samples of both groups

Results: MMSE was significantly lower in type II DM than control group [p-value = 0.034]. However no significant difference between type II DM and control group in WAIS and WMS except in visual reproduction [p-value = 0.048]. P300 latency was significantly longer in type II DM than controls [p- value 0.0001]. P300 amplitude was decreased significantly in type II DM than controls [p-value= 0.0001]. HbA[1c] and insulin was significantly higher in type II DM than controls [p-value= 0.0001]

Conclusion: type II DM is associated with cognitive impairment which may be due to insulin resistance

Effects of melatonin on blood cells

Daily subcutaneous injection of melatonin in a dose of 200 ug [0.5 ml] for seven days in one group of rats and for twenty-one days in another group produced an increase in the total number of WBCs, neutrophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils and basophils. These changes were marked in the twenty-one days treated group of rats. In seven days treated group, melatonin produced an increase in RBCs count and PCV% associated with a decrease in MCH and MCHC. In twenty-one days treated group, melatonin decreased PCV, Hb, MCV, MCH and MCHC. These findings suggested an immunostimulatory role for melatonin

Effect of melatonin on the initiation and growth of mammary tumors in female rats

The effect of the pineal hormone, melatonin, on the development of mammary tumors in rats treated, with 7, 12 dimethlbenz [a] anthracene [DMBA] was investigated. Daily subcutaneous treatment of melatonin [250 micro g] into female rats, previously injected with single dose [10 mg] of DMBA, prevented the appearance of any preneoplastic lesions in 30% of rats treated for three months. Melatonin treatment for six months prevented the appearance of pathological lesions in 20% of rats. It also prevented the appearance of adenocarcinoma, in 83, 33% of treated rats. Also, the preneoplastic changes in the remaining rats were prevented and improved by different values after melatonin treatment for three and six months. In addition to preventing and modifying tumor growth, melatonin decreased significantly serum prolactin, estradiol, and progesterone in these animals. Moreover it has been shown that the effect of melatonin after six months was more marked than after three months in both tumor growth and hormonal levels especially prolactin and estradiol which were claimed to be an important factor in the development of cancer breast

Effect of non Hodgkin's lymphoma [NHL] in children on serum ferritin and iron status

To detect the effect of Non Hodgkin 's lymphoma [NHL] on serum Ferritin and iron status in children, serum level of ferritin, iron total iron binding capacity and percentage of transferrin saturation were studied in 17 [10 male and 7 female] children with NHL as well as 10 [6 male and 4 female] healthy children who served as controls. NHL children showed significantly increased ferritin, iron and% of transferrin saturation together with significant decrease of total iron binding capacity compared with control children. After chemotherapy, serum ferritin exhibited a further significant increase. The high concentration of circulating ferritin seemed to be related to increased synthesis by tumor cells. The further increase after therapy could be attributed to cell injury by chemotherapeutic agents. Significant positive correlation was observed between serum ferritin and the number of circulating lymphocytes, serum iron and% of transferrin saturation in NHL children. However, no significant correlations were found between serum ferritin levels and blood haemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular volume [MCV] and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration [MCHC] or the number of units of blood transfusions used during therapy. The levels of serum iron and% transferrin saturation did not correlate with number of units of blood transfusions used during therapy. The changes in iron concentration could reflect iron overload developing on top of increased requirements for iron by the growing tumor cells. Thus, ferritin could not function as a tumor marker in these children

Effect of caffeine on movements of the small intestine isolated from male rabbits

Caffeine [Caffeine-Sodium benzoate in doses of 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 mg in 0.1 ml distilled water stimulated the amplitude of intestinal movements isolated from mature male rabbits. His stimulation increased with gradual increase in caffeine dosage. On the other hand, a small dose of caffeine [0.3 mg in 0.1 ml distilled water] was without effect on intestinal - movements while larger doses of caffeine [1.8 and 2.4 mg in 0.1 ml distilled water] decreased these movements. Avil [Pheniramine hydrogen maleate] which is a histaminic antagonist in a dose of 4.55 mg in.1 ml distilled water antagonized the effect of caffeine on the amplitude of intestinal movements, while other antagonists [atropine as anticholinergic drug and indomethacin as a prostaglandin inhibitor] failed to antagonize the effect of caffeine on isolated intestinal movements. These results led to the conclusion that caffeine acts through the release and potentiation of action of histamine on intestinal movements

Studies on testosterone level in female mature rabbits

This work was done to investigate the presence and origin of testosterone [T]T in the plasma of female mature rabbits. T was found to be present in a concentration of 0.129 ng/100 ml plasma. Intravenous [IV] injection of human chorionic gonadotropin [HCG] in a dose of 1000 IU resulted in a significant increase [P < 0.001 and P < 0.05] in plasma T level I and 6 hours after HCG injection. The level returned to the control value 10 hours after the injection. To study the origin of T in female rabbits bilateral ovariectomy was done in one group of rabbits and bilateral adrenalectomy was done in another group. In both groups, plasma T level significantly decreased [P < 0.05 and P < 0.001] 2 and 4 hours respectively after the operation. This indicates that both the ovaries and adrenals are important source for T production in mature female rabbits

Changes in ionic composition and O2 consumption of skeletal muscle in chronically alcoholic rabbits

Ingestion of ethanol [1.36 gm/kg BW] twice daily by mature male rabbits for period of 28 days produced significant increase in skeletal muscle Na+ and Ca++ and significant decrease in its K+ contents compared with the control group. Serum levels of these ions did not show any significant changes. O2 consumption of skeletal muscle and liver was significantly decreased compared with that of the control. Serum lactic dehydrogenase enzyme showed significant increase than the control. Rabbits receiving isocaloric amount of glucose did not show any significant change in their muscle ion content, serum ion level and serum lactic acid dehydrogenase enzyme. The results indicated that ethyl alcohol might induce muscle damage. This could be proved by decreased K+ and increased Ca++ contents in the muscle, decreased O2 consumption of the muscle and increased serum lactic acid dehydrogenase enzyme