ABSTRACT
It is estimated that in patients taking antipsychotic drugs (APDs), metabolic syndrome occurs 2-3 times more often than in the general population. It manifests itself in abdominal obesity, elevated glucose concentration, and dyslipidemia. Despite the high prevalence of this disorder, only a small percentage of patients receive appropriate and effective treatment, and none of the available methods for preventing or treating APD-induced metabolic side effects is satisfactory. A promising supplement to antipsychotic therapy appears to be ligands of the serotonin 6 (5-HT6) receptor. The present study aimed to examine the chronic effects of the selected APDs (haloperidol, risperidone, olanzapine), administered alone and in combination with a selective 5-HT6 agonist (WAY-181187) or antagonist (SB-742457), on weight gain, food intake, serum lipid profile, glucose level, and a spectrum of hormones derived from adipose (leptin, adiponectin) and gastrointestinal (insulin, ghrelin) tissue in rats. SB-742457 inhibited increased weight gain and alleviated hyperglycemia induced by APDs more strongly than did WAY-181187, but also intensified dyslipidemia. WAY-181187 tended to improve the lipid profile, but increased the glucose level. The greatest benefits were obtained when WAY-181187 or SB-742457 were co-administered with haloperidol. It is difficult to assess whether the modification of the serum levels of insulin, leptin, ghrelin, and adiponectin depended on the treatment applied or other drug-independent factors; therefore, further research is needed.
ABSTRACT
The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of menopausal symptoms, and the use of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) and nonconventional methods of alleviating menopausal symptoms and their health benefits in peri- and postmenopausal women. A sample of 349 peri- or postmenopausal women were studied, all of whom had experienced menopausal symptoms. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to assess the kinds of menopausal symptoms experienced, the types of therapies used, and the health benefits of using MHT or alternative therapies (AT). The mean age of peri- and postmenopausal women was 49.55 (±2.51) and 61.32 (±6.77) years, respectively. The most common symptoms in both groups of peri- and postmenopausal women related to mental health. Altogether 45% of women used MHT and 27.8% AT. Those using MHT reported significant benefits in their sexual life (p < 0.001), whereas those using AT reported significant benefits of better sexual life (p < 0.001), skin condition (p < 0.001), and physical activity (p < 0.05). This study indicated that the most common symptoms connected with the menopausal transition were mental ailments. In order to prevent them, the women more frequently applied MHT in comparison to alternative methods, with postmenopausal women using MHT more often than perimenopausal women. Satisfaction was found with both conventional and alternative treatments for the relief of menopausal symptoms.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The presence of depressive and anxiety symptoms in patients with schizophrenia may have an important impact on treatment and compliance. Hence, interventions addressing such comorbidity in schizophrenia should be explored. One target may be a serotonergic 5-HT6 receptor (5-HT6R) since its ligands displayed antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like activities in preclinical experiments. METHODS: Acute and chronic (21 days) administration of haloperidol or risperidone in combination with a selective 5-HT6R agonist (WAY-181187) or antagonist (SB-742457) to rats was performed for detecting antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like behaviors. In addition, the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein and its gene expression in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex were determined. RESULTS: Both single and chronic administration of WAY-181187 with haloperidol produced antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like activities. SB-742457 did not provide full benefits in terms of improvement of haloperidol-induced adverse mood effects. However, the administration of SB-742457 with risperidone triggered its anxiolytic-like activity. Both 5-HT6R ligands evoked no changes in haloperidol-induced effects on BDNF level. WAY-181187 induced repression of the BDNF gene while SB-742457 increased its expression in both structures. 5-HT6R ligands, when combined with risperidone, did not change BDNF protein level and increased gene expression in the hippocampus, while they elevated BDNF level and potentiated gene expression in the prefrontal cortex. CONCLUSION: The combined administration of WAY-181187 and haloperidol provided the greatest benefits, which were manifested by antidepressant-like effects and suppression of the anxiogenic-like properties. The combined administration of risperidone with both agonist and antagonist resulted only in an anxiolytic-like effect. It seems that the anxiolytic-like effects induced by haloperidol or risperidone with the addition of 5-HT6R ligands are task-specific. The data on BDNF protein and gene expression did not fully correspond with the behavioral outcomes, and thus it appears that other factors/mechanisms are involved in the observed antidepressant- and/or anxiolytic-like effects.
ABSTRACT
Current reports indicate that there is a relationship between women's socio-economic status (SES) and their level of knowledge on the menopausal transition. The aim of the study was to assess the level of knowledge in pre-menopausal women on the most frequent symptoms accompanying the menopausal transition as well as conventional and nonconventional therapies of alleviating symptoms in relation to women's SES. The study was conducted among 114 women with the mean age of about 44 (± 2.51) years. A self-prepared questionnaire was used to investigate their SES and level of knowledge on the most common menopausal symptoms and methods of alleviating them. Most of the women (66.7%) were familiar with the most frequent menopausal symptoms. The women associated menopause with hot flashes (41.2%), mood swings (27.2%) and depression (15.8%). The majority of the women (84.2%) were familiar with hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and 43% of them were familiar with alternative therapies (AT). Better-educated women were more likely to take AT in the future while less-educated women intended to take HRT. Place of residence and income did not differentiate whether women intended to use HRT or AT during the menopausal transition. There was no difference in the level of women's knowledge on HRT in relation to SES. There was an association between the level of knowledge on AT and education as well as place of residence. Better-educated women from medium and large urban centres tended to know unconventional methods of alleviating climacteric symptoms. Education was the most significant predictor of self-assessed level of knowledge on the menopausal transition.
