Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) is the most reliable and accurate technique for analyses of gene expression. Endogenous reference genes are being used to normalize qPCR data even though their expression may vary under different conditions and in different tissues. Nonetheless, verification of expression of reference genes in selected studied tissue is essential in order to accurately assess t...

The hypothalamus is the region of the brain in charge of homeostasis as well as homeostatic behaviors like eating and drinking. The anatomical, connectional and physiological complexity of this region matches the importance and intricacy of its functions. Perhaps because of this, research on the developing hypothalamus has lagged behind that on the cortex or hippocampus. The realization that cu...

Apolipoprotein AIV (apo AIV) is a satiety protein secreted by the small intestine. We demonstrate for the first time that apo AIV protein and apo AIV mRNA are present in rat hypothalamus, a site intimately involved in the integration of signals for regulation of food intake and energy metabolism. We further characterized the regulation of hypothalamic apo AIV mRNA levels. Food-deprived animals ...

During illness, major changes in thyroid hormone metabolism and regulation occur; these are collectively known as non-thyroidal illness and are characterized by decreased serum triiodothyronine (T(3)) and thyroxine (T(4)) without an increase in serum TSH. Whether alterations in the central part of the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis precede changes in peripheral thyroid hormone metabo...

Since the.discovery of Anand and Brobeck (1951), the hypothalamus is considered a s the main "food center". From this time many authors (Miller 1957, Wyrwicka 1957, Morgane 1961, Teitelbaum and Epstein 1962, Balinska 1963, and others) studied different aspects of the effects of hypothalamic lesions and hypothalamic stimulation on food intake mechanisms and conditioned reflexes in cats, rats, ra...

recognized as a reliable tool for assessing the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (hpa) axis, measurement of salivary cortisol plays an important role in both the clinical and research settings. to establish a normative data, which forms the basis for the usage of this valuable parameter, we gathered 8:00 h saliva samples from 94 healthy individuals aged 6-14 years. cortisol levels were measured b...

The hypothalamus is commonly believed to play only a subordinated role in schizophrenia. The present review attempts at condensing findings of the last two decades showing that hypothalamus is involved in many pathways found disturbed in schizophrenia (hypothalamus-pituitaryaxis, hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis, hypothalamus-pituitarygonadal axis, metabolic syndrome, sleep-wakefulness cycle...

The pollution of endocrine disruptors and its impact on human reproductive system have attracted much attention. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), an environmental endocrine disruptor, is widely used in food packages, containers, medical supplies and children's toys. It can cause diseases such as infertility, sexual precocity and uterine bleeding and thus arouse concerns from the society and ...

A new orexigenic peptide called hypocretin (orexin) has recently been described in neurons of the lateral hypothalamus and perifornical area. The medial and lateral hypothalamus have been loosely called satiety and feeding centers of the brain, respectively. Approximately one-third of all medial and lateral hypothalamic neurons tested, but not hippocampal neurons, show a striking nanomolar sens...