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Biomedical subjects

B Wallner

Publications and source records attributed to B Wallner.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Cortisol resistance in conditions such as asthma and the involvement of 11beta-HSD-2: a hypothesis.

The two types of corticosteroid hormones, the mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids, act in a complementary manner and are functionally closely linked. Aldosterone and glucocorticoids express their functions through the glucocorticoid receptors (GRs; GRalpha and GRbeta) and the mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs). Commercially available steroidal drugs used in conditions such as asthma may act on both GR and MR receptors; although glucocorticoid-receptor agonists play a fundamental role in the treatment of inflammatory conditions, prolonged exposure may have adverse effects such as the development of resistance. Glucocorticoid resistance in such conditions has been observed to be accompanied by a downregulation of GRalpha, a twofold decrease in GR protein half-life, downregulation of GRalpha mRNA expression, and enhanced expression of GRbeta. Other suggestions for glucocorticoid resistance include alternative splicing of the GR gene with subsequent expression of the GRbeta protein isoform, defective regulation of gene transcription of the GR gene or GR mutations, defective DNA binding and transactivating domains of the GR. In addition, we would like to suggest that dysregulation of the MR enzyme 11beta-HSD-2 may be one of the causes of resistance. When expressed in cells with MRs, this enzyme's major role is to prevent permanent occupancy of MR by glucocorticoid hormones, allowing concentration-dependent binding of aldosterone to MR. However, deficiency of the 11beta-HSD isoforms (particularly 11beta-HSD-2) leads to the activation of MRs by glucocorticoids rather than the glucocorticoids interacting with its "normal" receptors, the GRs. We will substantiate on support for our hypothesis in the dysregulation of this enzyme, which is typically associated with significantly higher levels of circulating plasma cortisol and elevated levels of cholesterol, little or no response to systemic glucocorticoids, and problems associated with homeostasis primarily in the distal nephron and distal colon. These are some of the symptoms typically noted in cortisol resistance.

11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 2↗
PubMed2005

Patterns of anogenital swelling size and their endocrine correlates during ovulatory cycles and early pregnancy in free-ranging barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) of Gibraltar.

In macaques and other cercopithecoid primates, large anogenital swellings (AS) are generally found only in those species in which reproduction is not seasonally restricted. In this respect, the Barbary macaque is unusual because while it shows a marked degree of reproductive seasonality, it also exhibits a striking, exaggerated swelling of the circumanal region and labia. Information on the characteristics of AS in female Barbary macaques is limited in that it is largely based on semiquantitative assessments of swelling size, and there are no data on endocrine parameters associated with AS during ovulatory cycles or early pregnancy. In the present study, we combined quantitative measurements of four swelling size parameters (AS width, height, and depth, and labial width) using a video-imaging technique with fecal estrogen and progestagen determinations in free-ranging females of the Gibraltar Barbary macaque population to 1) characterize the pattern of AS throughout the mating season and early gestation, and 2) examine the relationships among changes in swelling size and endocrine parameters. The patterns of all four swelling parameters correlated significantly with one another, although measures of AS depth and labial width were difficult to obtain. Using the product of AS height and width, the data demonstrate that the occurrence of AS is highly seasonal, with pronounced cyclical changes during the mating season and early pregnancy. Furthermore, the swelling cycles are characterized by progressive size increases from the early to the late follicular phase, in association with an elevated estrogen:progestagen (E:P) ratio, with ovulation occurring during the maximum swelling phase. The results also demonstrated a conspicuous postconception increase in swelling between days 18-30 of gestation. The postconception swellings were on average 80% of the size of that of the conception cycles, and were preceded by a large increase in fecal estrogen levels and the E:P ratio. This is the first study to characterize swelling patterns and their endocrine correlates during ovarian cycles and early pregnancy in naturally reproducing female Barbary macaques. The data provide a solid basis for further studies to explore sociosexual behavioral patterns and the functional significance of AS in this species.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Effects of season of birth on reproduction in contemporary humans: brief communication.

BACKGROUND: At high latitudes the external environment varies with season, and therefore the season of birth may contribute to the developmental processes during the perinatal period. METHODS: We investigated the association between birth season and measures of reproductive performance (offspring count, percentage childless individuals) in a contemporary sample of women and men. RESULTS: In the male sample (n = 2342), men born in autumn had fewer offspring (mean 1.4 versus 1.62; P < 0.01) and a higher probability of remaining childless (32.6% versus 25.6%; P = 0.01) than men born in spring. The photoperiod at a male's birth was significantly positively correlated with his subsequent offspring count (P = 0.023). In the female sample, an association between birth season and reproduction was not found. CONCLUSIONS: We assume that in men, among other seasonal factors, pre- or perinatal photoperiod might be involved in the underlying physiological mechanism.

Family Characteristics↗
PubMed2004

Brief communication: birth month influences reproductive performance in contemporary women.

BACKGROUND: Season of birth has been reported to affect later reproduction in samples of pre-modern women and contemporary men. METHODS: To examine whether the effect of birth date is also valid in contemporary women, we investigated the association between birth month and measures of reproductive performance (number of live-born children, % childless individuals) in a representative sample of contemporary Austrian women. RESULTS: Among reproducing women, birth month is significantly associated with the number of live-born children (n = 2839, P = 0.032). On average, women born in summer months have fewer children than women born during the remainder of the year. No association between birth month and the percentage of childless individuals was found. CONCLUSIONS: As has been reported in pre-modern women, month of birth also appears to affect later reproduction in contemporary women.

Austria↗
PubMed2003

Fixed nucleotide differences on the Y chromosome indicate clear divergence between Equus przewalskii and Equus caballus.

The phylogenetic relationship between Equus przewalskii and E. caballus is often a matter of debate. Although these taxa have different chromosome numbers, they do not form monophyletic clades in a phylogenetic tree based on mtDNA sequences. Here we report sequence variation from five newly identified Y chromosome regions of the horse. Two fixed nucleotide differences on the Y chromosome clearly display Przewalski's horse and domestic horse as sister taxa. At both positions the Przewalski's horse haplotype shows the ancestral state, in common with the members of the zebra/ass lineage. We discuss the factors that may have led to the differences in mtDNA and Y-chromosomal observations.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Effect of low level zinc pretreatment on zinc-mediated toxicity in different lung cell lines.

Reduced toxicity of high zinc exposure was observed after pretreatment of various lung cells with nonlethal zinc concentrations. This effect became significant when various parameters of cytotoxicity were assessed (e.g., inhibition of protein synthesis, depletion of reduced glutathione [GSH], increase of oxidized glutathione [GSSG], release of lactate dehydrogenase [LDH]). Similar protective effects by zinc have already been shown by several investigators for a variety of toxicity studies dealing with cadmium, in vitro and in vivo. Zinc-induced toxicity has been linked to glutathione metabolism and cellular GSH contents. Activity of glutathione reductase (GR) and rates of glutathione synthesis were identified as determinants of zinc (cyto)toxicity. However, these variables were virtually unaffected in our adapted cells. Consequently, another variable appears to be crucial for modulating cellular suscepticibility in zinc pretreated cells. Protection in our cells was achieved by pretreatment with 80-120 micromol/L zinc chloride for 24-72 h, roughly 10-fold more zinc in the medium than is normally found in human plasma. Protection was not observed when the cells were concomitantly exposed to cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis, or actinomycin D, an inhibitor of RNA synthesis, but it was found in the presence of amanitin, an inhibitor of mRNA synthesis. It is therefore concluded that the altered zinc tolerance of pretreated cells is not attributable to the induction of metallothionein.

Cell Line↗
PubMed2001

The Z-line appearance and prevalence of intestinal metaplasia among patients without symptoms or endoscopical signs indicating gastroesophageal reflux.

BACKGROUND: A four-graded classification of the Z-line appearance (ZAP) has been proposed, which was shown to correlate with the prevalence of intestinal metaplasia (IM) among patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The aim of this study was to determine the ZAP grade and the prevalence of IM among patients without GERD. METHODS: In this study, 53 consecutive patients without signs or symptoms of GERD were included. RESULTS: A normal Z-line (ZAP grade 0) was found in 26 patients (51%), and this group had a lower prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and atrophy in the cardia than ZAP grade patients. The non-GERD patients in this study had less ZAP pathology than the GERD patients in our previous study. Intestinal metaplasia at the Z-line, observed in 17% of the patients, was found to associate with peptic ulcer and carditis. CONCLUSION: The normal Z-line is feasibly defined as ZAP grade 0.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Immunohistochemical markers for Barrett's esophagus and associations to esophageal Z-line appearance.

BACKGROUND: Data from previous studies on intestinal metaplasia at the gastroesophageal junction have been conflicting, which makes the diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus less obvious. This may partly be due to the lack of a reliable classification of the Z-line appearance. We previously proposed such a classification (the ZAP classification) that was shown to correlate with the prevalence of intestinal metaplasia. The use of different immunohistochemical techniques has increased in the study of intestinal metaplasia. In the present study our aim was to 1) evaluate the impact of different antibodies, namely cytokeratin (CK) 7, 13, and 20, CaCO3/73, and FBB2/29, in order to differentiate between Barrett's esophagus and cardia intestinal metaplasia, and 2) explore the staining patterns in different ZAP grades. METHODS: Thirty-nine specimens with intestinal metaplasia were compared--9 from Barrett's esophagus, 6 from cardia, and 24 from the Z-line. The Z-line specimens were evaluated with respect to ZAP grade. RESULTS: No differences were encountered regarding staining patterns for CK13 and CaCO3/73 in Barrett's esophagus and cardia. The staining pattern of CK7/20 was significantly different between Barrett's esophagus and cardia. CK7/20 showed a rising frequency of Barrett's esophagus staining pattern with rising ZAP grade. CONCLUSION: CK7/20 is a feasible marker for Barrett's esophagus. Intestinal metaplasia in different ZAP grades differs regarding expression of immunohistochemical markers.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

A postfundoplication study on Z-line appearance and intestinal metaplasia in the gastroesophageal junction.

The purpose of this study was investigate the Z-line appearance by using a previously proposed classification, the ZAP classification, and to investigate the prevalence of intestinal metaplasia in the Z-line, among fundoplicated patients. Sixty patients, who had undergone fundoplication 2 to 17 years earlier, were included in the study. The prevalence of intestinal metaplasia was 20%. Intestinal metaplasia was found to be associated with age, more than 10 years of symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease preoperatively, tongues of columnar epithelium in the distal esophagus, carditis, and ZAP grade. ZAP grade, furthermore, was associated with male gender and more than 10 years of symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease preoperatively. Among patients with intestinal metaplasia, different ZAP grades can indicate different etiologic factors. Even among patients undergoing fundoplication (i.e., patients with an anatomically altered gastroesophageal junction), the ZAP classification is a feasible tool to characterize the Z-line appearance. The ZAP classification could prove valuable in selecting patients for follow-up treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Seasonal relationships between plasma and fecal testosterone in response to GnRH in domestic ganders.

In two groups (eight individuals each) of socially acquainted, outdoor-kept, domestic ganders (male Hungarian white: Anser domesticus), basal and GnRH-stimulated plasma testosterone (T) concentrations were compared with fecal testosterone metabolites (TM) in and between three seasons, spring peak of reproductive activity, summer photorefractoriness, and fall sexual reactivation. Plasma was sampled 90 min following the challenge and T was analyzed by radioimmunoassay following the GnRH challenge. Fecal TM were measured by enzyme immunoassay using two group-specific antibodies against 17beta-OH-androgens or a novel antibody against 17-oxo groups, which was found to react with major testosterone metabolites without prior hydrolytic deconjugation. Baseline plasma T and systemic levels were high in spring and fall but low in summer. Plasma T increases in response to GnRH were followed by significantly elevated fecal TM levels 2 to 6 h following the challenge in spring and fall. In fall, at high plasma T levels, fecal TM levels were disproportionally lower than in spring. Variability of TM levels was two to five times higher in feces than in plasma, which explains why correlations between individual plasma T and fecal TM levels generally remained nonsignificant. This points to a low-level short-term relationship between the excreted TM and the plasma T levels. However, the reliability of the method was demonstrated by standard inter- and intraassay variabilities and by a high correspondence between results obtained by the two assays. It is suggested that, with appropriate sample size, fecal TM reflects plasma T increase. However, fecal TM was more variable than the plasma T, and fecal TM responses to GnRH did not always parallel the plasma T response. In addition, seasonal changes in androgen excretion regimes must be taken into account.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

The esophageal Z-line appearance correlates to the prevalence of intestinal metaplasia.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal metaplasia at the gastroesophageal junction is associated with Barrett esophagus, gastric cardiac cancer, and gastritis. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of intestinal metaplasia among patients with symptoms suggestive of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and to study clinical, endoscopic, and histologic associations with intestinal metaplasia at the squamocolumnar junction. METHODS: One hundred and eighty-six patients with symptoms indicating gastroesophageal reflux were included in the study. A new classification of the Z-line appearance was used. RESULTS: The Z-line appearance was found to correlate with the prevalence of intestinal metaplasia at the squamocolumnar junction (P = 0.0001). Intestinal metaplasia at the squamocolumnar junction was found in 15.0% of the patients. There was a statistically significant association between intestinal metaplasia at the squamocolumnar junction and tongues of columnar epithelium at the Z-line (P = 0.020), intestinal metaplasia in the cardia (P = 0.020), positive CLO test (P = 0.026), smoking (P = 0.041), and age (P = 0.050). There was no association with endoscopic or histologic signs of esophagitis or with the severity or duration of GERD symptoms. CONCLUSION: Intestinal metaplasia at the squamocolumnar junction correlates with the Z-line appearance, which would justify a new classification.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Fecal glucocorticoids document stress in female Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus).

Patterns of received aggression and the endocrine response were related to an increase in fecal glucocorticoid metabolites in an intact semifree-ranging group of Barbary macaque females in order to quantify the social stress incurred over a 20-week observation period. The novel result showed that immunoreactive cortisol and 11-oxoetiocholanolone found in the feces can indeed determine the endocrine response of the adrenal gland after a social stressor. After HPLC separation of pooled fecal samples, EIA analyses using three different assays (corticosterone, cortisol, and 11-oxoetiocholanolone) to quantify immunoreactive steroids showed that the corticosterone EIA had no distinctive immunoreactive peaks. Cortisol and 11-oxoetiocholanolone immunoassays showed respectively four and two immunoreactive substances. Time series analyses revealed a behaviorally initiated increase in concentrations of cortisol and 11-oxoetiocholanolone equivalents. Furthermore, both hormone curves exhibit comparable time functions. Either antibody is very suitable for determining glucocorticoid secretion after periods of stress.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Human evolutionary aspects and urban dwelling features.

Planning and architecture of modern housing projects should take into account the fact that human well-being depends very much on needs derived from the natural history of human evolutionary aspects, which include territoriality, security, and a balance between privacy and communal activity. Although model housing projects should consider space, all to often the need for privacy and the importance of the residential environment has been neglected. Putative consequences are a loss of social coherence, resulting in anonymity, vandalism and an increase in crime rates. On a game theoretical basis, we predict that a tendency for cooperation grows with the increasing probability of future meetings among inhabitants. The higher the probability to re-meet co-residents, the more interactions are to be expected. Frequent meetings lead to reciprocal recognition and enable the inhabitants to control their environment by identifying straners. This mechanism results in the identification with a common territory. Friendly interactions between residents are a motor for and an indicator of satisfactory living conditions. For this study, six different Viennese residential apartment blocks were selected and their quality measured using a checklist. The behavior of the residents was recorded using ethological standard methods (N = 1653), their subjective evaluation was assessed by on-site interviews (N = 300), and the frequency of physical incivilities was counted. The results support the hypotheses. The classification of urban environments relating to the presence of the above-listed features indicates that high habitat quality covaries with differences in preference for the site, extent of friendly interactions and familiarity with other residents, and occurrences of incivilities. One may conclude that the importance of the quality of the habitat environment cannot be overestimated, as its socially integrative potential is a means to counteract anonymity and crime incidence in cities.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Perineal swellings: a social and endocrine advantage for Barbary macaque females (Macaca sylvanus).

This study focuses the relationship between social rank, intersexual behavior, age, fecal cortisol equivalent excretion rates and perineal swelling size in contraceptive-treated Macaca sylvanus females. Behavioral data and fecal samples were collected during a twenty-week period from 24 females. Females were categorized with regard to perineal swelling (enlarged or reduced), and to their dominance rank (high or low); we found that swelling size was not associated with it. However, females with an enlarged perineum received more male grooming interactions, had closer spatial relations to males, and received significantly more interventions from males than did the others. Endocrinologically, females with enlarged swelling showed decreased fecal cortisol equivalent excretion rates. Multiple regression models showed a positive relationship between the extent of the swelling size and grooming, inspection and spatial relation. There was a negative relationship between the extent of swelling size and fecal cortisol equivalents. These results imply that enlarged perineal swellings among implanted Barbary macaque females have a greater impact on intersexual contact and adrenocortical activity than does social rank or age.

Animals↗