Therapeutic effect of systemic cryostimulation

Whole body cryotherapy (WBC) involves exposing individuals to extremely cold dry air (under -100 °C) for a period ranging from 1.5 to 3 minutes. The treatment is painless and is intended to produce and use physiological reaction, which is medically beneficial and effective in restoring normal body functions. Whole body cryotherapy provides various benefits such as: analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, decreases muscle soreness, improves muscle strength and joint function, boosts blood circulation. It also causes a hormonal reaction, growth of ACTH, cortisol, beta-endorphin and testosterone. Cryotherapy is not only used as a way of treatment but also as a part of wellness and spa. WBC is used prophylactically to improve physical comfort and mental health. It is necessary to use kinesis immediately after cryotherapy to achieve its desirable affects. Kinesitherapy is a 20 minutes set of exercises performed on machines under the guidance of a physiotherapist. The purpose of kinesitherapy is the restoration of normal motion stereotypes, which will prevent overloads.

Acute peaks of testosterone suppress paternal care: evidence from individual hormonal reaction norms

A long-standing tenet of evolutionary endocrinology states that testosterone mediates the life-history trade-off between mating and paternal care. However, the support for a role of testosterone in suppressing paternal care is mixed: implantation studies in birds suggest that high-level testosterone implants suppress paternal care, but circulating levels of testosterone and paternal care are typically not correlated. Because any trade-off in real life must be realized with hormone levels that are within an individual's reaction norm, it is crucial to show that natural changes in the hormone can modulate behaviour. Here, we used GnRH-injections to alter testosterone levels of free-living male black redstarts within each individual's hormonal reaction norm: individuals experiencing a short-term peak in testosterone resumed feeding their offspring later and showed a stronger suppression of offspring-feeding behaviour than control males. For the first time, this study demonstrated that short-term peaks in testosterone within the hormonal reaction norm of individuals can suppress paternal behaviour. Our findings reconcile previous seemingly contradictive effects that testosterone implants had on paternal care and the absence of correlations between circulating testosterone levels and paternal care, and demonstrate that the differential production of testosterone within the hormonal reaction norm of single individuals can indeed function as a mechanism to mediate a potential trade-off between mating and parenting. On a broader note, our results suggest that natural and short peaks in testosterone can elicit adaptive behavioural changes.

Plasma Catecholamines and the Counterregulatory Responses to Hypoglycemia in Infants: A Critical Role for Epinephrine and Cortisol

The purpose of this study was to define plasma catecholamine responses as part of the counterregulatory hormonal reaction to hypoglycemia in infants after a regular 3- to 4-h feed was omitted. Hormone levels were assessed once, at the end of the fast or at hypoglycemia. The 121 infants were subdivided into three groups for analysis: normoglycemia (n = 94, 78%); transient hypoglycemia (n = 11, 9%); or severe and persistent hypoglycemia (n = 16, 13%). The severe and persistent hypoglycemic group had significantly higher levels of cortisol and epinephrine than the normoglycemic group. Norepinephrine and glucagon levels did not differ between the groups. Human GH levels were higher in the transiently hypoglycemic group but not in the severe and persistent hypoglycemic group. Prefeed blood lactate levels differed significantly among the groups and were highest in the severe and persistent groups. Multiple regression analysis showed that cortisol levels were significantly higher in infants who had severe and persistent hypoglycemia. The counterregulatory hormonal response in infants to severe and persistent hypoglycemia was limited to elevations in only cortisol and epinephrine levels but did not involve glucagon or human GH. This limited hormonal response may also contribute to the frequent occurrence of hypoglycemia in these infants.

A SIMPLE SHORT ASSAY OF PREGNANT MARES' SERUM GONADOTROPHIN

ABSTRACT Swiss Albino mice, 22-days old, received a single subcutaneous injection of the desired dosage of gonadotrophic hormones, and were autopsied 12 hours later. In the group of mice treated with 0.25 IU of pregnant mares' serum gonadotrophin (PMS), macroscopical observation showed clear evidence of hormonal reaction in 41.7 % of the animals, and a lesser stimulation in 28.8 %. In the group of animals receiving a 0.5 IU of PMS, 52.5 % exhibited marked, and 26.4 %, slight, hormonal reaction. In the group of mice receiving 1 IU of PMS, macroscopical observation showed 84.4 % markedly stimulated and only 11.1 % exhibited slight reaction. Finally, mice treated with 2.5 IU of PMS all exhibited a strong positive reaction. In 12 hours morphological changes occurring in the ovaries and uterus of immature female mice accurately depict hormonal activity of even a fraction of 1 IU of PMS. Quantitative assay is made by checking the weight of ovaries and uterus. Characterization of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) may be obtained by serial histological sections of the injected animals. Three mice should be used for every test.