Cortisol Concentrations In Group Research Articles

Safety and effectiveness of a drug-loaded haemostatic sponge in chronic rhinosinusitis: a randomized, controlled, double-blind study

Some cases of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) require surgical treatment and postoperative nasal packing, but bleeding and adhesion are common complications after nasal surgery. Biodegradable drug-loaded implants hold great therapeutic options for the treatment of CRS, but little data are available regarding the safety and efficacy of a novel drug-loaded haemostatic sponge (DLHS) in the sinus. The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of DLHS in the sinus. We conducted a prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical trial. In this clinical trial, 49 patients were enrolled and randomly divided into 2 groups: group A (n = 25) had the DLHS containing 1 mg budesonide and 0.67 mg sodium hyaluronate placed into the sinus, and group B (n = 24) had the Nasopore placed after ESS. Endoscopic follow-up was performed for 12 weeks, and the findings were classified using the discharge, inflammation, polyps/oedema (DIP) endoscopic appearance scores. All patients completed questionnaires to evaluate their sinonasal symptoms by using the sinonasal outcome test-22 (SNOT-22) Chinese version and visual analogue scale (VAS). Serum cortisol concentration in group A was measured prior to surgery and at days 1, 3, 7, and 14 after nasal surgery. Comparing group A and group B, at 2 weeks, no significant differences were observed in either objective or subjective parameters. The mean value of VAS for rhinorrhoea and DIP for oedema and the mean value of nasal adhesion were significantly lower in Group A than in Group B at 6 and 12 weeks, but a significant difference did not occur in SNOT-22 and VAS for dysosmia between the two groups at 6 and 12 weeks. The mean serum cortisol concentrations in group A at the follow-up were within normal limits without remarkable fluctuations. This study demonstrates the safety and efficacy of a novel biodegradable DLHS with the possibility of being used in CRS patients, and this sponge may reduce inflammation and minimize adhesions via controlled local drug delivery without measurable systemic exposure.

Effect of leash walking on weight loss and assessment of hair cortisol in overweight dogs

Abstract Obesity results from excessive body fat accumulation. Leash-walking is a practical way to increase activity in treating obesity; however, limited studies have focused on the frequency and duration of dog leash-walking. There is few research reporting on whether initiating exercise or increasing physical activity in obese dogs can induce stress. Therefore, the present study conducted a clinical trial of the leash-walking effect on weight management and identified the relationship between stress and weight management. Thirty-one dogs participated in a 4-week weight management and were divided into four groups according to their leash-walking frequency and duration. Low walking group (LW): approximately 30 min, 3 times per week; Group 1: approximately 60 min, 3 times per week; Group 2: approximately 30 min, 5 to 7 times per week; Group 3: approximately 60 min, 5 to 7 times per week. Body weight and hair cortisol concentrations of participated dogs were also evaluated. There were significant () differences in the weight loss rate between the Group 2 (−1.08 ± 0.34%/week) and Group 3 (−1.26 ± 0.54%/week) compared to the LW (−0.13 ± 0.49%/week). However, there was an increasing tendency of hair cortisol concentration in Group 1 (0.15 ± 0.10 μg/dl to 0.20 ± 0.19 μg/dl) and Group 3 (0.19 ± 0.19 μg/dl to 0.45 ± 0.76 μg/dl) which are approximately 60 min of leash-walking duration groups. The results of this study suggest that it is more efficient to increase leash-walking frequency than duration for weight loss. However, suddenly increasing leash-walking may be a stress-inducing factor during weight management in overweight dogs. Therefore, it is important to start weight management with appropriate frequency and manageable duration of leash-walking and gradually increase the leash-walking times step by step.

Hair Cortisol, Perceived Stress, and the Effect of Group Dynamics: A Longitudinal Study of Young Men during Compulsory Military Training in Lithuania.

Previous research shows a nonlinear dependency between hair cortisol concentrations and perceived stress levels. This may be due to stress being targeted at the individual level despite it also being a social phenomenon which is often affected by group dynamics. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the influence of perceived stress on the hair cortisol level, considering the impact of the variables of group dynamics (interpersonal, task, and norm cohesion). Information was collected on 11 groups of, in total, 112 young men in three phases of time during their compulsory military training (covering nine months in total). The classification and regression tree (C&RT) method was used to predict hair cortisol concentrations in groups. The results show that the variability of the hair cortisol level in young men groups can be explained by perceived stress only when the groups were in formation process (47.7% normalised importance in Model 1) and when the groups were working on their final tasks (37.80% normalised importance in Model 3); meanwhile, the importance of perceived stress in explaining hair cortisol concentrations is low when the group is in a routine period of a group life-span (28.9% normalised importance in Model 2). Interpersonal cohesion (normalised importance 100% in Model 1 and 80.0% in Model 3) and task cohesion (normalised importance 78.6% in Model 2) were the most important predictors in the study area. These results point to the importance of the elements of group dynamics when it comes to explaining the nature of hair cortisol as accumulated stress biomarkers in young men.

Alpha-Actinin-3 R577X Polymorphism Influences Muscle Damage and Hormonal Responses After a Soccer Game.

Coelho, DB, Pimenta, EM, Rosse, IC, Veneroso, C, Pussieldi, GDA, Becker, LK, De Oliveira, EC, Carvalho, MRS, and Silami-Garcia, E. Alpha-actinin-3 R577X polymorphism influences muscle damage and hormonal responses after a soccer game. J Strength Cond Res 33(10): 2655-2664, 2019-The purpose of this study was to evaluate indicators of muscle damage and hormonal responses after soccer matches and its relation to alpha-actinin-3 (ACTN3) gene expression (XX vs. RR/RX), considering that the R allele produces alpha-actinin-3 and provides greater muscle strength and power. Thirty players (10 XX and 20 RR/RX) younger than 16 years were evaluated in this study. Blood samples were collected immediately before, after, 2, and 4 hours after the games to assess muscle damage (creatine kinase [CK] and alpha-actin) and hormonal responses (interleukin-6 [IL-6], cortisol, and testosterone). Postgame CK was higher as compared to the pregame values in both groups and it was also higher in the RR/RX (p < 0.05) than in the XX. The concentrations of alpha-actin and IL-6 were similar for both groups and did not change over time. Testosterone was increased after the game only in the RR/RX group (p < 0.05). Cortisol concentrations in group RR/RX were higher immediately after the game than before the game, and 2 and 4 hours after the game the concentration decreased (p < 0.05). The RR and RX individuals presented higher markers of muscle microtrauma and hormonal stress, probably because they performed more speed and power actions during the game, which is a self-regulated activity. From the different responses presented by RR/RX and XX genotypes, we conclude that the genotypic profile should be taken into account when planning training workloads and recovery of athletes.

Effects of different remifentanil doses on the stress reaction and BIS value of video laryngoscope-guided tracheal intubation

Purpose: To explore the affinity of different remifentanil doses for intravenous anesthesia in video laryngoscope-guided tracheal intubation.Methods: Eighty patients who required anesthesia for elective non-ophthalmic surgery were included. They were divided into four groups (A, B, C and D) and received a different dose of either 1, 1.5, or 2 μg/kg remifentanil or a dose of 2 μg/kg fentanyl, respectively. An anesthetic state was achieved and maintained by administration of 3 - 5 mg/kg propofolum and 0.1 - 0.3 mg/kg remifentanil. The mean value of the various indices, including arterial pressure (MAP), bispectral index and heart rate (HR) wererecorded prior to anesthesia induction (T0), prior to intubation (T1), instantly before intubation (T2), and at 1 (T3), 3 (T4) and 5 (T5) after the intubation. Cortisol concentration was measured at T0, T1 and T5.Results: Remifentanil (1 μg/kg) induced a moderate increase in HR and MAP at T3 compared with fentanyl. HR and MAP in the lower dose group were significantly higher than those in groups B and C at T3. Compared to T1, the concentrations of cortisol decreased after anesthesia and then significantly increased during tracheal intubation. Cortisol concentration in group B was the lowest at T5.Conclusion: The most effective concentrations of remifentanil are 1 and 1.5 μg/kg for anesthesia induction and tracheal intubation, respectively.Keywords: Remifentanil, Stress reaction, Bispectral index, Video laryngoscope, Tracheal intubation

Effects of dietary probiotics on beef cattle performance and stress

Abstract Dietary probiotics have been shown to benefit cattle production; however, little is known about how they affect beef cattle temperament and stress. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to evaluate how dietary probiotics impact beef cattle performance and stress. Two treatments were used for this study: (1) control, receiving feed without probiotics and (2) probiotics, receiving feed containing 10 g per head per day of probiotics (Probios feed granules, Chr. Hansen Inc., Milwaukee, WI). Three groups of cattle were evaluated. Group 1 consisted of 7 weaned calves that were 7-10 months old and used a crossover experimental design where the calves were given each treatment for 3 weeks. Group 2 consisted of 33 female cattle ≥ 1 year of age and had treatments applied for 6 weeks using a randomized complete block design (control n = 16, probiotics n = 17). Group 3 consisted of calves that were nursing group 2 cows allocated to the control and probiotics treatment for 6 weeks (n = 8 per treatment). Weekly body weight, average daily gain, feed efficiency (group 2 only), chute exit velocity, behavior during a novel object test (group 1 and 2), and serum cortisol during weeks 0 and 6 (group 2) were measured. Group 1 cattle receiving probiotics had a greater overall change in body weight, average daily gain, and gain:feed ( P ≤ 0.05). No differences in group 2 or 3 growth performance were observed ( P > 0.10). No treatment effect was observed for group 1 weekly chute exit velocity; however, group 2 and 3 cattle of the probiotics treatment had an overall slower weekly chute exit speed compared with control cattle ( P ≤ 0.02). No treatment differences were observed in serum cortisol concentrations in group 2 cattle during weeks 0 or 6 ( P ≥ 0.72). During the novel object test, group 1 cattle receiving probiotics exited the arena slower and group 2 cattle receiving probiotics crossed zone lines more frequently and had less frequent vocalizations compared with control treatment cattle ( P ≤ 0.05). These results suggest that dietary probiotics can improve performance in weaned, growing calves and may have benefits for cattle handling without negatively affecting cattle welfare with respect to stress.

Changes in cortisol and glucose concentrations in rabbits transported to the slaughterhouse

The effect of transport on Cortisol and Glucose serum concentrations were assessed in rabbits during summer and winter. Animals were divided into high (HSA, 307cm2/rabbit), medium (MSA, 373cm2/rabbit) and low space allowance (LSA, 475cm2/rabbit) transport groups, and rabbits slaughtered directly in the farm were used as control group (C). During summer, cortisol and glucose concentrations were significantly higher in HSA (high space allowance), MSA and LSA than in C rabbits (P < 0.01). LSA cortisol concentrations were significantly lower than MSA and HSA samples and MSA rabbits’ glycaemia was significantly higher (P < 0.01) compared with HSA animals. During winter, cortisol concentrations in group C were significantly lower than in MSA and HSA groups. Glycaemia in group C was lower than in LSA (P < 0.01) and HSA (P < 0.02) groups. Cortisol and glucose levels in summer were significantly higher than in winter. Our data clearly show that some stress-related physiological parameters are significantly modified by transport, in particular in the case of overcrowded transport crates.

Changes in plasma cortisol and ascorbic acid in horses with and without recurrent airway obstruction upon exercise and ascorbic acid supplementation

AbstractDiminished basal plasma cortisol concentrations and a blunted cortisol response to exercise have been observed in human asthmatics. In horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), plasma concentrations of cortisol at rest are not significantly different from those of healthy horses, but the effect of exercise on endogenous cortisol concentrations has not been described. Ascorbic acid is a non-enzymatic antioxidant with proposed immune-modulating properties. In man, supplementation with ascorbic acid has been shown to attenuate the exercise-induced increase in plasma cortisol following prolonged, submaximal exercise. The relationship between cortisol and ascorbic acid has not previously been investigated in the horse. In a blinded cross-over design, five horses with RAO and six healthy non-RAO controls performed a standard exercise test following 4 weeks of supplementation with either an antioxidant (providing 10 mg ascorbic acid kg−1day−1) or a placebo (&lt;1 mg ascorbic acid kg−1day−1). Venous blood samples were obtained 1 h prior to exercise and at 0, 15, 60 min and 24 h thereafter. Exercise resulted in a significant increase in plasma cortisol concentrations in both groups of horses (P&lt;0.05). Basal and post-exercise concentrations of plasma cortisol in the RAO group (136±16 and 210±16 μmol l−1, respectively) were not significantly different from those in the non-RAO group (129±43 and 218±30 μmol l−1, respectively). Antioxidant supplementation increased basal and post-exercise concentrations of plasma ascorbic acid in RAO and non-RAO horses (P&lt;0.05) but had no effect on plasma cortisol concentration in either group, before or after exercise (RAO: rest 157±27 μmol l−1, post-exercise 222±21 μmol l−1; non-RAO: rest 140±11 μmol l−1, post-exercise 227±35 μmol l−1). In conclusion, RAO-affected horses in remission demonstrate the same cortisol response to exercise as healthy controls. Antioxidant supplementation had no impact on post-exercise concentrations of plasma cortisol in either healthy or RAO-affected horses in remission.

A nonlinear model of stress hormone levels in rats—the interaction between pollution and parasites

The impact of an infection with a parasite and a simultaneous cadmium exposure on the stress hormone levels of rats was studied. To this end, we introduce a nonlinear heteroscedastic model, which is able to describe the temporal evolution of cortisol concentrations in groups of rats treated by cadmium or parasite infection. A thorough analysis gives strong evidence that parasitic infection and cadmium exposure affect the stress hormone level of rats in an additive manner. Therefore, the host's response to environmental pollution should be studied in relation to parasite infections.

The immune-endocrine interaction varies with the duration of the inflammatory process in cardiac surgery patients.

The present study investigated the perioperative course of cytokine release and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation in relation to the duration of the inflammatory response in cardiac surgery patients. Twelve male patients scheduled for elective coronary artery bypass grafting surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass and general anaesthesia were divided into two study groups: group 1 (n=6) underwent surgery at 13.00 h+/-30 min, group 2 (n=6) at 08.30 h+/-50 min. Blood samples were collected preoperatively and up to the first postoperative day. Postoperatively, on the day of surgery, serum concentrations of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1beta and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha were not significantly different between the two groups, while blood concentrations of cortisol, adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and beta-endorphin in group 2 patients were significantly higher than in group 1 patients. Postoperatively, on the day of surgery, ACTH and cortisol concentrations in group 1 patients were positively correlated to the blood concentrations of IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha. By contrast, group 2 patients showed no significant relationship between cytokine release and activation of HPA axis at this time. Our results suggest that in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, the cytokine response is initiated before the HPA axis is fully activated. In the early postoperative period, cytokines appear to be involved in the activation of the HPA axis, while in the later postoperative period, high cortisol concentrations may inhibit the release of IL-6.