In previous studies the effect of endogenous opioid peptides (EOP) on LH secretion was mainly considered at the hypothalamic level, while opioid involvement in the modulation of LH secretion at the pituitary level remains insufficiently elucidated. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to determine the expression of genes encoding opioid precursors--proopiomelanocortin (POMC), proenkephal...

BACKGROUND Bladder cancer (BCa) remains a lethal malignancy that can be cured if detected early. DNA hypermethylation is a common epigenetic abnormality in cancer that may serve as a marker of disease activity. METHODS We selected 10 novel candidate genes from the most frequently hypermethylated genes detected by DNA microarray and bisulfite pyrosequencing of bladder cancers and applied them ...

The delta opioid system is involved in the behavioral effects of various drugs of abuse. However, only a few studies have focused on the possible interactions between the opioid system and the effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). In order to examine the possible role of the delta opioid system in MDMA-induced behaviors in mice, locomotor activity and conditioned place preference...

The ability to map the functional connectivity of discrete cell types in the intact mammalian brain during behavior is crucial for advancing our understanding of brain function in normal and disease states. We combined designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drug (DREADD) technology and behavioral imaging with μPET and [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) to generate whole-brain metabolic ...

BACKGROUND Using quantitative methylation-specific PCR (QM-MSP) is a promising method for colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis from stool samples. Difficulty in eliminating PCR inhibitors of this body fluid has been extensively reported. Here, spermidine is presented as PCR facilitator for the detection of stool DNA methylation biomarkers using QM-MSP. We examined its effectiveness with NPY, PENK ...

BACKGROUND Levodopa is the gold standard in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, long-term levodopa replacement therapy is accompanied by abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs), known as levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID). Until now, the precise mechanisms of LID were only partially understood. Previous studies have shown that continuous dopamine stimulation was helpful in reducing...

Sutherlandia frutescens (L) R. Br. (Sutherlandia) is a South African botanical that is traditionally used to treat a variety of health conditions, infections and diseases, including cancer. We hypothesized Sutherlandia might act through Gli/ Hedgehog (Hh)-signaling in prostate cancer cells and used RNA-Seq transcription profiling to profile gene expression in TRAMPC2 murine prostate cancer cell...