Perinatal alterations of thyroid hormones and behaviour in adult rats.

Several studies have shown the relevance of the neuroendocrinological system in the development and function of the nervous system. In order to observe the influence of thyroid hormones during development on the behaviour of adult rats we induced dysthyroid states during the perinatal period. Results indicate that some behaviours are more susceptible to the action of thyroid hormones than others. We observed that the thyroid hormone deficiency causes an increase of activity in animals in spite of a large period of rehabilitation. Thyroxine-treated rats showed an anxiogenic behavioural pattern in the elevated plus-maze, while animals rehabilitated from perinatal deficit of thyroid hormones showed an anxiolitic pattern. These findings suggest that an excess of thyroid hormones has less effect on behaviour than a deficiency of these hormones.

Is prolactin related to activity and emotional reactivity in rats?

Recent studies have shown different relationships between hormones and personality in humans, including a relationship between prolactin levels and impulsivity. The aim of the present work was to study the relationships between basal levels of prolactin and some measures of activity and emotional reactivity in rats. One of the most consistent results showed a negative correlation between basal prolactin levels and activity. This finding is in line with the serotonergic theories of impulsive behavior and with the effects of dopamine upon activity.

[Horner's syndrome and brachial radiculopathy related to vertebral metastases]. / Síndrome de Horner y radiculopatía braquial en relación con metástasis vertebrales.

INTRODUCTION: Horner's syndrome consists of sympathetic ocular paralysis, with lesions occurring at different levels. When it's associated with involvement of the C8-T1 roots, the commonest causes are the tumours responsible for Pancoast's syndrome. CLINICAL CASE: We describe the case of a patient who presented with a clinical condition in which a complete right Horner's syndrome was associated with ipsilateral C8-T1 brachial radiculopathy. On investigation, there was a tumour involving the vertebral segments between C8 and T5. Histological studies showed this to be a metastasis from an adenocarcinoma at the base of the right lung. CONCLUSION: We consider this case to be interesting because of its unusual aetiology, since metastatic vertebral lesions are an uncommon cause of Horner's syndrome.

[Diffuse melanosis in metastatic malignant melanoma with melanuria]. / Melanosis difusa en melanoma maligno metastásico con melanuria.

We report an additional case of diffuse melanosis secondary to metastases from malignant melanoma in a patient, who was seen in our department shortly before death. We couldn't localize the origin of the primary neoplasm. After reporting the case, we discuss the pathogenesis of melanosis and possible sites of the primary tumor.

[Hormones and aggression]. / Hormonas y agresión.

This work is a review about psychoendocrinologic aspects of aggressive behavior. We have considered two approaches, the classical view focused on hormonal influences in the regulation of aggression and the most recent view which accounts for the influences of aggressive behavior and social status on hormonal secretion. In this review we differentiate the organizational from the activational effects. The main conclusions are referred to the gonadal steroids effects both organization and activation of the neural subtract of aggression. Among them it seems that aromatizable androgens have the most important effects. On the other hand, the testosterone would be predictive for dominant social status, the corticosterone would be for submission and finally, the ACTH would be predictive for the aggressive behavior but not for submission. In addition to that the literature point that the defeat experience is the main factor in submission. Referred to the effects of behavior on hormonal secretions, all the studies point out that social interaction elicits sympathetic-medullar and gonadal activation in the dominant animals and cortico-adrenal activation in the submissive ones.