Tag: Brain
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Microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1)
Microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1) or Prostaglandin E synthase is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the PTGES gene. The protein encoded by this gene is a glutathione-dependent prostaglandin E synthase. The expression of this gene has been shown to be induced by proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 1 beta (IL1B). Its expression can also be induced by tumor suppressor protein TP53, and may be involved in…
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Paracetamol (acetaminophen) use in infants and children was never shown to be safe for neurodevelopment: a systematic review with citation tracking
Although widely believed by pediatricians and parents to be safe for use in infants and children when used as directed, increasing evidence indicates that early life exposure to paracetamol (acetaminophen) may cause long-term neurodevelopmental problems. Furthermore, recent studies in animal models demonstrate that cognitive development is exquisitely sensitive to paracetamol exposure during early development. In…
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Prenatal exposure to paracetamol/acetaminophen and precursor aniline impairs masculinisation of male brain and behaviour
Paracetamol/acetaminophen (N-Acetyl-p-Aminophenol; APAP) is the preferred analgesic for pain relief and fever during pregnancy. It has therefore caused concern that several studies have reported that prenatal exposure to APAP results in developmental alterations in both the reproductive tract and the brain. Genitals and nervous system of male mammals are actively masculinised during foetal development and…
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The PVN Powerhouse: How the Paraventricular Nucleus Rules Hormone Secretion
Hold onto your hypothalamus, folks! We’re about to dive into the wild world of the Paraventricular Nucleus (PVN), where tiny cells pack a mighty hormonal punch! Picture this: deep in the brain’s control center, the hypothalamus, sits the PVN – a cluster of cells that’s like the body’s own hormone factory. But we’re not talking…
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Ommochrome (visual pigment) and Kynurenine (a metabolite of the amino acid l-tryptophan used in the production of niacin)
Ommochrome (or visual pigment) refers to several biological pigments that occur in the eyes of crustaceans and insects. The eye color is determined by the ommochromes. Ommochromes are also found in the chromatophores of cephalopods, and in spiders. Ommochromes are metabolites of tryptophan, via kynurenine and 3-hydroxykynurenine. They are responsible for a wide variety of colors, ranging from yellow over red and brown to black. Lighter colors tend to be generated by ommatins,…
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Leu-enkephalin and Met-enkephalin
Leu-enkephalin is an endogenous opioid peptide neurotransmitter with the amino acid sequence Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Leu that is found naturally in the brains of many animals, including humans. It is one of the two forms of enkephalin; the other is met-enkephalin. The tyrosine residue at position 1 is thought to be analogous to the 3-hydroxyl group on morphine. Leu-enkephalin has agonistic actions at both the μ- and δ-opioid receptors, with significantly greater preference for the…
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Enkephalins
An enkephalin is a pentapeptide involved in regulating nociception (pain sensation) in the body. The enkephalins are termed endogenous ligands, as they are internally derived and bind to the body’s opioid receptors. Discovered in 1975, two forms of enkephalin have been found, one containing leucine (“leu”), and the other containing methionine (“met”). Both are products of the proenkephalin gene. Endogenous opioid peptides There are three well-characterized families of opioid…
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Olfactory tubercle (OT) aka tuberculum olfactorium
The olfactory tubercle (OT), also known as the tuberculum olfactorium, is a multi-sensory processing center that is contained within the olfactory cortex and ventral striatum and plays a role in reward cognition. The OT has also been shown to play a role in locomotor and attentional behaviors, particularly in relation to social and sensory responsiveness, and it may be necessary for behavioral flexibility. The OT is interconnected with numerous brain regions,…
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Nucleus accumbens aka accumbens nucleus
The nucleus accumbens (NAc or NAcc; also known as the accumbens nucleus, or formerly as the nucleus accumbens septi, Latin for “nucleus adjacent to the septum“) is a region in the basal forebrain rostral to the preoptic area of the hypothalamus. The nucleus accumbens and the olfactory tubercle collectively form the ventral striatum. The ventral striatum and dorsal striatum collectively form the striatum, which is the main component of the basal ganglia. The dopaminergic neurons of the mesolimbic pathway project onto the GABAergic medium…
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This guy (1745 – 1821) was a German physician and hygienist who wrote about ‘medical police’…a lot
Johann Peter Frank is considered a pioneer in the field of social hygiene and social medicine as well as public health and the public health service and was one of the founders of hygiene as a university subject. The six-volume (some say six, some say nine) system of a complete medical police is his main work. It took Frank almost four decades to compose it. It was the most comprehensive…
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Ryania speciosa, Ryanodine and Ryanoids
Ryania speciosa is a species of plant in the family Salicaceae. The species is significant partly because the ryanoid insecticides are derived from, and have the same mode of action as the alkaloid ryanodine, which was originally extracted from this South American plant, which is also used as a piscicide (fish poison). M. Vahl, 1797 In: Eclog. Am. 1: 51, t. 9 (1796) [1797] The Plant list Roskov…
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Somatostatin
Not to be confused with Somatocrinin or Somatomedin. Somatostatin, also known as growth hormone-inhibiting hormone (GHIH) or by several other names, is a peptide hormone that regulates the endocrine system and affects neurotransmission and cell proliferation via interaction with G protein-coupled somatostatin receptors and inhibition of the release of numerous secondary hormones. Somatostatin inhibits insulin and glucagon secretion. “somatostatin”. Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2016. Web. 04 mag. 2016…
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Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) aka PMCH
Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), also known as pro-melanin stimulating hormone (PMCH), is a cyclic 19-amino acid orexigenic hypothalamicpeptide originally isolated from the pituitary gland of teleost fish, where it controls skin pigmentation. Barson JR, Morganstern I, Leibowitz SF (2013). “Complementary roles of orexin and melanin-concentrating hormone in feeding behavior”. International Journal of Endocrinology. 2013: 983964. doi:10.1155/2013/983964. PMC 3727095. PMID 23935621. In mammals it is involved in the regulation of feeding behavior, mood,…
