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Biomedical subjects

M Kammerer

Publications and source records attributed to M Kammerer.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

The HPA axis and perinatal depression: a hypothesis.

Episodes of depression and anxiety are as common during pregnancy as postpartum. Some start in pregnancy and resolve postpartum, others are triggered by parturition and some are maintained throughout. In order to determine any biological basis it is important to delineate these different subtypes. During pregnancy, as well as the rise in plasma oestrogen and progesterone there is a very large increase in plasma corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), and an increase in cortisol. The latter reaches levels found in Cushing's syndrome and major melancholic depression. Levels of all these hormones drop rapidly on parturition.We here suggest that the symptoms of antenatal and postnatal depression may be different, and linked in part with differences in the function of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. There are two subtypes of major depression, melancholic and atypical, with some differences in symptom profile, and these subtypes are associated with opposite changes in the HPA axis. Antenatal depression may be more melancholic and associated with the raised cortisol of pregnancy, whereas postnatal depression may be more atypical, triggered by cortisol withdrawal and associated with reduced cortisol levels. There is evidence that after delivery some women experience mild bipolar II depression, and others experience post traumatic stress disorder. Both of these are associated with atypical depression. It may also be that some women are genetically predisposed to depression of the melancholic type and some to depression of the atypical type. These women may be more or less vulnerable to depression at the different stages of the perinatal period.

Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone↗
PubMed2004

Liver and kidney concentrations of vanadium in oiled seabirds after the Erika wreck.

Vanadium was measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in the liver and kidney of several oiled seabirds that were stranded on the French Atlantic coasts after the Erika wreck and died in wildlife care Centers. Estimated averages were 30 to 77 ng g(-1) wet weight (ww) in the liver and 52 to 72 ng g(-1) wet weight in the kidney. These concentrations were not higher in oiled birds than in dead birds found later, without visible traces of petroleum on beaches not affected by the Erika pollution. Vanadium hepatic and renal concentrations do not seem to be appropriate biomarkers for recent exposure to fuel in seabirds.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed2001

Glide2, a second glial promoting factor in Drosophila melanogaster.

The fly glial cell deficient/glial cell missing (glide/gcm) gene codes for a transcription factor that induces gliogenesis. Lack of its product eliminates lateral glial cells in the embryonic nervous system. Here we identify a second gene, glide2, that is homologous to glide/gcm in the binding domain and that is also necessary and sufficient to promote glial differentiation. glide2 codes for a transcription factor that displays a weaker and delayed expression compared with glide/gcm. The two genes, which are located 27 kb apart and share cis-regulatory elements, are able to auto- and cross-regulate, indicating that they form a gene complex. Finally, we show that lack of both products eliminates all lateral glial cells, which means that the two genes contain all the fly lateral glial promoting activity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Gliogenesis depends on glide/gcm through asymmetric division of neuroglioblasts.

Some neurons and glial cells originate from neuroblasts and glioblasts, stem cells that delaminate from the ectoderm of developing fly embryos. A second class of glial cells and neurons differentiates from multipotent precursors, the neuroglioblasts. The differentiation of both glial cell types depends on glial cell deficient/glial cell missing (glide/gcm). Although it has been shown that this transcription factor promotes gliogenesis at the expense of neurogenesis, the cellular mechanisms underlying this fate choice are poorly understood. Using loss and gain of function glide/gcm mutations here we show that the cell fate choice takes place in the neuroglioblast, which divides and produces a glioblast and a neuroblast. Such choice requires the asymmetric distribution of glide/gcm RNA, which accumulates preferentially on one side of the neuroglioblast and is inherited by one cell, the presumptive glioblast. Interestingly, glial cells can differentiate from cells that delaminate as neuroglioblasts or they can arise from cells that start expressing glide/gcm several hours after delamination of a neuroblast. Altogether, these findings identify a novel type of asymmetric cell division and disclose the lineage relationships between glia and neurons. They also reveal the mode of action of the glide/gcm promoting factor.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

GCMB, a second human homolog of the fly glide/gcm gene.

Glial cells play fundamental roles in neurogenesis. In addition, defective or abnormal gliogenesis is associated with severe diseases. To understand the molecular basis of such diseases, it is crucial to identify the genes promoting normal gliogenesis. Here we identify GCMB, which encodes a human protein homologous to the fly glial promoting factor glial cell deficient/glial cell missing (glide/gcm).

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Effect of added drinking water nitrate on the vitamin A status of rabbits.

In animals, chronic exposure to nitrates has been shown to affect vitamin A nutrition, and researchers have explored this effect with conflicting results. To study this relationship, 24 female rabbits were given 8, 250 or 500 mg nitrate/L drinking water for 22 w, and their second litters were given the same dose for 5 w from 18 to 53 d of age. Liver samples were analyzed for retinol and retinyl palmitate. There was no effect of the nitrate on total liver vitamin A stores, but the balance between esterified and nonesterified forms of retinol was altered in pregnant females and their weaned young.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Residues depletion in egg after warfarin ingestion by laying hens.

Accidental ingestion of anticoagulant rodenticide bait by poultry rarely leads to clinical signs of poisoning, but represents a risk for the consumer because of potential residues in the laid eggs. An assay was conducted for a better risk assessment. Three groups of laying hens were given a single oral dose of 10, 30 or 90 mg warfarin/kg BW. Eggs were collected for 14 d, and warfarin was analyzed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Warfarin was present in the white for 3 to 4 d following anticoagulant ingestion, while concentration increased in the yolk until the 5th or 6th d, and then gradually decreased. At the end of experimentation, warfarin was still detected at below 100 ng/g in the yolk of eggs in each group.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

[Midterm toxicity of nitrates: experimental evaluation of the effects on reproductive functions in the female rabbit].

Chronic exposure to low levels of nitrate are associated with detrimental effects on reproduction in animals. In order to determine this relationship, an experiment was conducted: female rabbits were given nitrate doses of 0, 250 or 500 mg/l in drinking water for several months. After 2 successive gestations, no detrimental effect was observed on fertility, litter size or weight at birth and weaning, or on plasma oestradiol and progesterone concentration. Hemoglobin level was slightly decreased in dams given 500 mg/l.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1993

[Influence of nitrates on reproduction in domestic mammals].

Nitrates and nitrites ingestion has been linked to adverse effects on reproductive efficiency, on the one hand by abortion in acute or subacute toxicity, on the other hand by impairment of fertility in chronic exposition. However, experimental studies show heterogeneous results and proposed mechanisms are still hypothetic. Experimental studies realised in rabbit in National Veterinary School of Nantes are presented. No detrimental effect on reproduction performances was seen in female rabbits given nitrate in the drinking water at levels of 250 or 500 mg/l during 22 weeks, but a decrease in retinol concentration in the liver of young rabbits born of exposed mother, and drinking themselves water with nitrate during 5 weeks, was observed.

Abortion, Veterinary↗
PubMed1992

[Content of nitrate in milk. Relationship with its concentration in the water supply for livestock].

Environmental pollution leads to increasing nitrate levels in dairy cattle's water supply. Possible repercussions regarding nitrate content in milk should therefore be considered. The results are presented of nitrate dosage in milk collected from cows provided with drinking water containing 0-180 mg/l nitrate. They show that drinking water has no significant effect on milk nitrate content which remains very low. It is concluded that this product does not constitute a health risk to consumers.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Zurich Intervention Planning and Evaluation Form (ZIPEF): a procedure for quality control of therapeutic interventions].

This paper introduces the Zurich Intervention Planning and Evaluation Form (ZIPEF). The instrument covers (1) treatment problems, (2) interventions as to type, duration, and time expenditure, (3) treatment outcome and (4) causal factors. A total of 413 treatment problems were evaluated with the ZIPEF in a public child and adolescent psychiatric service. Depending on the target (e.g. symptoms, personality, relationship) the distribution of types of intervention differed. Time expenditures were significantly higher only for client-centred interventions than for parent counseling and similar for all other interventions. Treatment outcome and cooperation were independent from type of intervention. The main causal factor of treatment outcome for almost all types of interventions was cooperation followed by resources in some types of intervention. Complexity of the treatment problem tended to be another important determinant for treatment outcome. In summary, the ZIPEF can contribute to quality management in the area of intervention planning and evaluation of clienteles with mental health problems.

Adolescent↗