The book details many studies on the transfer of immunoglobulins across both the placental and intestinal barriers, the latter phenomenon being more important in some animals than in humans. Documented are the papers themselves, the discussions that followed and a useful amount of bibliographic material for further reading. There are numerous diagrams in the book which are well thought out and ...

BACKGROUND Reproductive endocrine disorders and sexual dysfunction are common among men with epilepsy. We investigated sexual hormone serum levels among men with newly diagnosed epilepsy, before starting any antiepileptic drug (AED), and then after starting carbamazepine (CBZ), to determine the role and effects of epilepsy versus CBZ in creating reproductive endocrine disorders. METHODS In th...

Schizophrenia is a clinical syndrome of variable, but profoundly disruptive psychopathology that involves cognition, emotion, perception and other aspects of behaviour. It ranks among the top ten causes of disability in developed countries worldwide. Gonadal hormones have recently been implicated in the psychopathology, sex differences in onset, prognosis and treatment of schizophrenia. The pre...

The mechanisms involved in cardiovasular changes during human pregnancy and the complicated aetiology of gestational hypertension are unclear. Reproductive hormones have known effects on the cardiovascular system in the non-pregnant state and in animal systems, but their effects in human pregnancy are uncertain. In this study of pregnant women, the effects of serum concentrations of relaxin, pr...

Diets can alter the concentrations of circulating hormones such as insulin and IGF-I. Such responsive hormones are related directly to nutritional status and moreover, directly or indirectly, associated with reproductive function and fertility. Metabolic hormones are involved in follicular development, number and size of ovarian structures, circulating concentrations of steroid hormones, durati...

There is a strong association between nutrition and reproduction. Chronic dietary energy deficits as well as energy surpluses can impair reproductive capacity. Metabolic status impacts reproductive function at systemic level, modulating the hypothalamic GnRH neuronal network and/or the pituitary gonadotropin secretion through several hormones and neuropeptides, and at the ovarian level, acting ...

With critical illness, serum testosterone levels fall markedly, whereas estrogen levels rise. Although animal studies suggest adaptive advantages, no prospective model has been available for studies in humans. We hypothesized that coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery would provide such a model by eliciting the same reproductive hormone and other endocrine responses as reported with major...