Browsing by Author "Mladenovic, Dusan (36764372200)"

Neuroactive steroids are a type of steroid hormones produced within the nervous system or in peripheral glands and then transported to the brain to exert their neuromodulatory effects. Neuroactive steroids have pleiotropic effects, that include promoting myelination, neuroplasticity, and brain development. They also regulate important physiological functions, such as metabolism, feeding, reproduction, and stress response. The homoeostatic processes of metabolism and reproduction are closely linked and mutually dependent. Reproductive events, such as pregnancy, bring about significant changes in metabolism, and metabolic status may affect reproductive function in mammals. In females, the regulation of reproduction and energy balance is controlled by the fluctuations of oestradiol and progesterone throughout the menstrual cycle. Neurosteroids play a key role in the neuroendocrine control of reproduction. The synthesis of neuroestradiol and neuroprogesterone within the brain is a crucial process that facilitates the release of GnRH and LH, which in turn, regulate the transition from oestrogen-negative to oestrogen-positive feedback. In addition to their function in the reproductive system, oestrogen has a key role in the regulation of energy homoeostasis by acting at central and peripheral levels. The oestrogenic effects on body weight homoeostasis are primarily mediated by oestrogen receptors-α (ERα), which are abundantly expressed in multiple brain regions that are implicated in the regulation of food intake, basal metabolism, thermogenesis, and brown tissue distribution. The tight interplay between energy balance and reproductive physiology is facilitated by shared regulatory pathways, namely POMC, NPY and kisspeptin neurons, which are targets of oestrogen regulation and likely participate in different aspects of the joint control of energy balance and reproductive function. The aim of this review is to present a summary of the progress made in uncovering shared regulatory pathways that facilitate the tight coupling between energy balance and reproductive physiology, as well as their reciprocal interactions and the modulation induced by neurosteroids. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024.

Neuroactive steroids are a type of steroid hormones produced within the nervous system or in peripheral glands and then transported to the brain to exert their neuromodulatory effects. Neuroactive steroids have pleiotropic effects, that include promoting myelination, neuroplasticity, and brain development. They also regulate important physiological functions, such as metabolism, feeding, reproduction, and stress response. The homoeostatic processes of metabolism and reproduction are closely linked and mutually dependent. Reproductive events, such as pregnancy, bring about significant changes in metabolism, and metabolic status may affect reproductive function in mammals. In females, the regulation of reproduction and energy balance is controlled by the fluctuations of oestradiol and progesterone throughout the menstrual cycle. Neurosteroids play a key role in the neuroendocrine control of reproduction. The synthesis of neuroestradiol and neuroprogesterone within the brain is a crucial process that facilitates the release of GnRH and LH, which in turn, regulate the transition from oestrogen-negative to oestrogen-positive feedback. In addition to their function in the reproductive system, oestrogen has a key role in the regulation of energy homoeostasis by acting at central and peripheral levels. The oestrogenic effects on body weight homoeostasis are primarily mediated by oestrogen receptors-α (ERα), which are abundantly expressed in multiple brain regions that are implicated in the regulation of food intake, basal metabolism, thermogenesis, and brown tissue distribution. The tight interplay between energy balance and reproductive physiology is facilitated by shared regulatory pathways, namely POMC, NPY and kisspeptin neurons, which are targets of oestrogen regulation and likely participate in different aspects of the joint control of energy balance and reproductive function. The aim of this review is to present a summary of the progress made in uncovering shared regulatory pathways that facilitate the tight coupling between energy balance and reproductive physiology, as well as their reciprocal interactions and the modulation induced by neurosteroids. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024.

Bronchial asthma is defined as a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways. Nowadays, it is believed that asthma is not a single entity, but a spectrum of diseases (syndrome rather than a disease), that have more or less common pathophysiologic outcomes. In all forms of asthma fibroblasts and other effector cells of the inflammatory response secrete a wide range of preformed and newly generated mediators, which damage the bronchial epithelium, contract smooth muscle and increase mucous secretion. Besides, fibroblasts are of great importance in development of subepithelial fibrosis, smooth muscle hypertrophy and new vessel formation, which lead to the remodelling of airway wall. They also stimulate and modulate inflammation by increasing synthesis of interleukin-8 and monocyte chemotactic proteins. There is ample evidence that oxidants generation is increased during an asthma exacerbation. Fibroblast-derived oxygen metabolites can directly damage a variety of extracellular membrane proteins and/or impair function of antiproteases and/or inactivate enzymes that are involved in elastin synthesis and pulmonary tissue regeneration. However, scientists are still far from the complete understanding of bronchial asthma pathogenesis. Since fibroblasts have been recognized as effector cells capable of inducing pathophysiological features of asthma, there is a hope that further investigations of their role in bronchial asthma pathogenesis will improve treatment of this disease.