Tag Archives: stress
Stressful childhoods lead to shorter adult height, but via different pathways for boys and girls
As children grow into adults, they face compromises between prolonging growth, and reaching milestones such as puberty and the start of reproduction. They respond to cues in their environment in order to choose the best compromise. In
A transcriptomic approach for cardiac (heart) safety assessment
New drug discovery relies on several phases of safety assessment. One such prominent in vitro safety assessment assay is the “hERG potassium channel assay” for cardiac safety. If a compound blocks the hERG potassium channel in a
Good morning… let the stress begin. What is stress and how do we study it?
The American Psychological Association estimates that more than 70% of Americans regularly experience the physiological or psychological symptoms associated with chronic stress, with a third of the population thought to be living with extreme levels of stress.
Cushing’s Syndrome: an update on current pharmacotherapy and future directions
Cortisol is an adrenal hormone essential for the maintenance of homeostasis, especially in response to stress. When cortisol levels are increased, this is defined as Cushing’s syndrome (CS). CS can be associated with increased morbidity, and when
Hormetic use of stress in gerontological interventions requires a cautious approach
Hormesis is a biphasic dose-response pattern in which the response at low doses is opposite to that at higher doses. According to the hormesis concept, a small dose of a potentially harmful agent can exert a beneficial
Cortisol levels as index for vulnerability to stress
Stress exposure is known to precipitate psychological disorders. However, large differences exist in how individuals respond to stress; whereas some people thrive under stressful situations, others break down and are at risk to develop psychopathology. One important
What predicts who will do well in treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common psychological response following a traumatic event and affects about 8% of the population. Effective psychological treatments do exist and should be made available to anyone who is diagnosed with PTSD.
With a little help from friends: how plastids aid the ER to deal with misfolded proteins
Almost a third of all proteins in eukaryotic cells are synthesized and folded in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) before being secreted and redistributed to other organelles, such as the Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, and the plasma membrane. To
Do Bucentaur family proteins represent true monsters in the fight against stress?
The BCNT (Bucentaur) protein family, which is conserved from fungi to humans, is classified by the presence of an ~80 amino acid sequence at the C-terminus called BCNT-C. Family members in fungi, flies, fish, and chicken play
Psychosocial dispair in adolescents with Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes is among the diseases that cause high death rates and disability around the world. The most common complications of diabetes that lead to death and disability include heart diseases, neuron, kidney, eyes and foot ulcers diseases.
Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder report sexual problems
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a distressing and disabling condition that can develop after experiencing a life threatening or horrifying experience such as an accident, disaster, or combat. Recent research shows that problems with sexual functioning may
“Chemobrain” prior to cancer treatment? The cause is probably cancer-related post-traumatic stress
Cancer patients often complain about deficits of attention, memory, and other basic cognitive functions, which considerably impact on their lives. Long time, these problems were simply attributed to side effects of chemotherapy and have therefore been termed
Mothers of children with autism report worse immunity
Parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) report higher levels of parenting stress than almost any other group of parents of children with disabilities. In addition, parents of children with ASD often report high levels of
Do the costs and benefits of group living in a proportional manner with group size
Identifying the ecological and social factors that underlie vertebrate group size and social organization has been a question that has intrigued biologists for decades. This interest stems from the enormous variability in group size found both within
Increased stress hormone exposure can be beneficial
Under challenging circumstances, such as predator exposure or lack of food, animals naturally secrete stress hormones. Production, secretion and release into the bloodstream of these hormones is tightly regulated by the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis (the stress axis), a
ER stress: a new molecular target to treat hyperglycemia-induced vascular damage
Endothelium is a thin layer of cells, which covers the inner surface of blood vessels and has a key role in the maintenance of vascular and metabolic homeostasis. Its functions include regulation of vascular tone, inhibition of
Preterm birth does not impair parenting behaviour
Having a new baby and taking it home can invoke anxiety and stress for any mother. Now imagine, taking home a baby that has been very ill and for months under nursing care. Parents might feel nervous
Highlighting inflammatory markers in anxiety disorders
Anxiety disorders, often originating early in life, are very common and effect 28.3% of the population. With this high prevalence comes an associated cost to the economy, mostly related to the extensive overuse of primary care services
A variant RNA polymerase controls bacterial pathogenicity and stress responses
In order for cells to carry out normal functions, the genetic information stored in DNA needs to be first converted to RNA. This conversion – known as transcription – is carried out by a class of enzymes
A gentle look at the heart
Coronary artery disease is one of the major causes of death in the Western population, mainly because of the potential risk of a heart attack. The latter often occurs out of the blue and the only chance
