People with MS performed worse on memory tasks at baseline compared with controls. Cognitive change differed between people with MS and controls in executive functions. Although people with MS and controls improved over time, beyond practice effects, people with MS improved less than controls. Overall, no cognitive deterioration was noted over time, and CR did not predict change in cognition. Sample homogeneity in terms of disease stage and CR may explain these findings.

The menstrual cycle is a series of physiological changes that occur under hormonal control in females during the childbearing age. Its neurohormonal regulation is made via the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis that regulates hormones levels like luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and indirectly via oestrogens and progesterone. Their plasma levels can vary during the phases of the menstrual cycle: the follicular, ovulatory and luteal phase. Changes in hormonal balance, in the luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone alter the oestrogen/progesterone balance, and can disrupt the menstrual cycle. The aim of this study was to explore the reciprocal relationships between sex steroid hormones, oestrogen and progesterone and gonadotropic hormones, such as luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone, during the physiological ovulatory menstrual cycle. For this study we used 20 nulliparous female mice and 15 multiparous female mice. The obtained results show that plasma concentrations of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone and oestrogens were altered significantly between the phases of the menstrual cycle in nulliparous compared to multiparous female mice, but the progesterone values were not different for the two groups of mice studied. It is recognized that ovarian factors, including steroid and protein hormones, are critical in regulating pituitary gonadotropin feedback, but nevertheless, their individual contributions are less defined. We have shown that the administration of angiotensin II, in the same nulliparous and multiparous female mice, in which the hormonal assessment was performed, significantly increases the muscular contractility stimulated by the electric field. RezumatCiclul menstrual este reprezentat de o serie de modificări fiziologice care se produc sub control hormonal la sexul feminin în timpul vârstei fertile. Reglarea neurohormonală este reprezentată de axa hipotalamo-hipofizo-ovariană care reglează ciclul menstrual. Nivelele de hormoni, precum estrogenul, progesteronul, hormonul luteinizant (LH) și hormonul foliculostimulant (FSH), pot varia în timpul fazelor ciclului menstrual: faza foliculară, ovulatorie și luteală. Modificările echilibrului hormonal, hormonul luteinizant și hormonul foliculostimulant, ale balanței estrogeni/progesteron pot perturba ciclul menstrual. Scopul acestui studiu a fost explorarea relațiilor reciproce dintre hormonii steroizi sexuali, estrogeni și progesteron și hormonii gonadotropi, precum hormonul luteinizant și hormonul foliculostimulant, de-a lungul ciclului ovulator fiziologic. Pentru acest studiu am folosit 20 șoareci femele nulipare și 15 șoareci femele multipare, de la care sângele a fost colectat și ulterior analizat în laborator. Rezultatele obținute arată că hormonul luteinizant, hormonul foliculostimulant și estrogenii s-au schimbat semnificativ între fazele ciclului menstrual la nulipare comparativ cu șoarecii femele multipare, dar valorile progesteronului nu au fost modificate pentru cele dou...

Given the structural resemblances between glass fiber and asbestos, it is important to understand the mechanisms through which exposure to glass fibers may affect the respiratory system. To study the effect of glass fiber on rat lung through intratracheal exposure, considering the subject�s weight variation, together with haematological parameters, C-reactive protein (CRP), total number of lymphocytes, and IL8 concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage. We performed an intratracheal instillation study on four groups of 8 randomly selected Wistar rats, by administering 3 different doses of glass fiber. The hematocrit value was an indirect indicator of chronic hypoxemia; leukocytes and the C-reactive protein assessed systemic inflammation, and total number of lymphocytes and IL8 concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid determined the lung�s inflammatory response. Weight variation evaluated in all 8 measurements revealed no statistically significant changes (p=0.768). The decrease in mean blood leukocytes was interpreted in relation with the glass fiber dose, with a statistically significant difference between the study groups (p=0.003). Statistically significant differences were found in the CRP values, with dose correlations (p[0.001). The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid showed increased levels of IL-8 (p[0.05), and decrease of lymphocytes (p[0.001) in correlation with the administered glass fiber dose. The inflammatory response following exposure to glass fibers in rats is correlated with administrated glass fiber dose. The alterations described as a result of intratracheal glass fiber instillation could predict the effects which occupational exposure to glass fiber may produce in humans.

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