ABSTRACT
Plasma cortisol, prolactin, oestrogen, progesterone, thyroxine, thyrotrophin (TSH) were collected from 23 pregnant, 70 postpartum women at 7 days postpartum, and 38 non-gravid controls. Sixty two postpartum women were screened for depression by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) on day 7 after delivery and 34 of them were assessed by the Present State Examination (PSE) at 8 +/- 2 weeks after delivery. Postpartum women had a significantly greater level of cortisol, prolactin, thyroxine and oestrogen than non-puerperal women. Postpartum women with current depression (EPDS > or = 11) had significantly lower plasma prolactin levels than those without depression and those who developed depression within 6-10 weeks after delivery (PSE level > or = 5) had significantly lower plasma prolactin and significantly greater progesterone levels than those who were not depressed. There were significant correlations between age and plasma cortisol and prolactin levels. Higher thyroxine levels predicted greater severity of concurrent symptoms of depression (total EPDS score) whilst higher progesterone and lower prolactin levels predicted the occurrence of depression (total PSE score) 6-10 weeks after delivery. Women who breastfed had significantly lower EPDS and total PSE scores and higher plasma prolactin levels than those who did not breastfed their infants whilst women who had previous episodes of depression had significantly greater EPDS and PSE scores, lower prolactin and higher TSH levels than those who had not suffered from previous episodes of depression.
Subject(s)
Depression, Postpartum/blood , Hormones/blood , Adult , Breast Feeding/psychology , Depression, Postpartum/psychology , Female , Humans , Pregnancy , Psychiatric Status Rating ScalesABSTRACT
Gonadectomy reversed the susceptibility response of male and female Swiss mice to Ancylostoma caninum infection. Orchiectomy decreased the survival of filariform larvae (p greater than 0.001 to less than 0.25), whereas ovariectomy increased it significantly (p greater than 0.001 to less than 0.01).
Subject(s)
Ancylostoma/pathogenicity , Castration , Ancylostoma/isolation & purification , Ancylostomiasis/parasitology , Animals , Estrogens/physiology , Female , Male , Mice , Sex Factors , Testosterone/physiologyABSTRACT
Remarkable hypertrophic changes were observed in the adrenal and thyroid glands of male mice after 7 to 16 days of infection with the filariform larvae of Ancylostoma caninum, but not in females. The adrenal gland revealed enormous enlargement of cells in the zonae glomerulosa, fasciculata and medulla, and also the formation of big vacuoles in the glomerular zone, whereas the thyroid gland showed distinctly hypertrophied follicular epithelium with marked acolloidal condition and follicular mass formation. These changes in the cellular diameter were highly significant (P greater than 0.001 to less than 0.005). The possible reasons for hyperactivity of these glands are discussed.
