PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

K Rossol-Haseroth

Publications and source records attributed to K Rossol-Haseroth.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Delayed genomic and acute nongenomic action of glucocorticosteroids in seasonal allergic rhinitis.

BACKGROUND: Glucocorticosteroids are effective in the treatment of allergic rhinitis, a disease characterized by a variety of symptoms, e.g. rhinorrhea and itching. The time course of symptomatic relief for allergic rhinitis by steroids has not been examined in detail to date, although the onset of steroid action is one of the main discriminations between genomic and nongenomic actions of steroids. We therefore investigated the time course of subjective and objective measures of nasal affection after steroid administration in patients with allergic rhinitis following specific allergen challenge. METHODS: Six female and 18 male volunteers (median age 26 years) with a history of allergic rhinitis but currently free of symptoms were included in this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, three-period crossover study. A single dose of either betamethasone (60 mg), methylprednisolone (400 mg) or placebo was given intravenously, 5 min after intranasal allergen provocation. After 10, 20, 60, 150 and 240 min, nasal itching and nasal obstruction were assessed using a standardized visual analogue scale. In addition, nasal airflow was measured by anterior rhinomanometry. RESULTS: Nasal itching was markedly reduced following either of the two steroids within 10 min after administration of study drug. Itching was depressed by 38% following betamethasone (P<0.05) and by 18% following methylprednisolone (P=0.07) compared with placebo. Nasal airflow and nasal obstruction were not significantly altered by steroids during the first 2 h of the study. However, after 150 min, nasal airflow was 21% rsp. 19% higher after methylprednisolone and betamethasone (P<0.05) compared with placebo. After 240 min, nasal airflow was increased by 20% following betamethasone (P<0.05) and by 19% following methylprednisolone. Nasal obstruction was also beneficially affected by both steroids 150 and 240 min after administration compared with placebo (P<0.05 for both time points following betamethasone). CONCLUSION: This study for the first time shows rapid in vivo effects of external glucocorticosteroids in humans. Itching, a pathophysiologically complex sensation, is favourably influenced by steroids within 10 min, therefore presumably via nongenomic mechanisms. Though no detailed mechanisms can be derived from this study, steroid interaction with receptors in the central nervous system may play an important role in mediating this effect.

Allergens↗
PubMed2002

Seminal plasma hormone concentration after oral application of progesterone.

Previous studies have revealed beneficial in vitro effects of progesterone on sperm function. The aim of this pilot study was to prove if orally given micronized progesterone leads to elevations in progesterone and/or 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone levels in seminal plasma, since higher seminal plasma levels of these hormones could possibly have a beneficial effect on sperm function as seen in in vitro investigations. Multiple application of micronized progesterone given over 4 days (daily dose 400 mg) to 6 healthy subjects resulted in elevated seminal plasma levels of progesterone (10.90 +/- 9.02 nmol/l vs. 1.43 +/- 0.56 nmol/l, p = 0.04) and 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (3.09 +/- 1.72 nmol/l vs. 1.62 +/- 1.26 nmol/l, p = 0.04) whereas no significant difference could be found in testosterone levels (34.82 +/- 13.00 vs. 30.91 +/- 8.56 nmol/l, p = 0.43). In contrast, androstendione levels in seminal plasma were reduced (2.68 1.28 nmol/l vs. 3.65 +/- 1.36 nmol/l, p = 0.01). Although micronized progesterone is rapidly metabolized, oral application resulted in pronounced elevations of progesterone and 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone in seminal plasma. Further studies will show if oral application of micronized progesterone can induce beneficial effects on sperm function such as those seen in in vitro investigations.

17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone↗
PubMed2001

Regulating genes with electromagnetic response elements.

A 900 base pair segment of the c-myc promoter, containing eight nCTCTn sequences, is required for the induction of c-myc expression by electromagnetic (EM) fields. Similarly, a 70 bp region of the HSP70 promoter, containing three nCTCTn sequences, is required for the induction of HSP70 expression by EM fields. Removal of the 900 base pair segment of the c-myc promoter eliminates the ability of EM fields to induce c-myc expression. Similarly, removal of the 70 bp region of the HSP70 promoter, with its three nCTCTn sequences, eliminates the response to EM fields. The nCTCTn sequences apparently act as electromagnetic field response elements (EMRE). To test if introducing EMREs imparts the ability to respond to applied EM fields, the 900 bp segment of the c-myc promoter (containing eight EMREs) was placed upstream of CAT or luciferase reporter constructs that were otherwise unresponsive to EM fields. EMREs-reporter constructs were transfected into HeLa cells and exposed to 8 microT 60 Hz fields. Protein extracts from EM field-exposed transfectants had significant increases in activity of both CAT and luciferase, compared with identical transfectants that were sham-exposed. Transfectants with CAT or luciferase constructs lacking EMREs remained unresponsive to EM fields, i.e., there was no increase in either CAT or luciferase activity. These data support the idea that EMREs can be used as switches to regulate exogenously introduced genes in gene therapy.

Base Sequence↗