According to a research that has major implications for understanding how steroids work and can open novel avenues for new therapies, scientists at the University of Bristol and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), USA have found that intermittent signaling by steroid hormones may affect the way genes are expressed in rodents.

The findings were published online and appeared in the September 2009 issue of Nature Cell Biology.

From News-Medical.Net:

The release of hormones by the body’s glands can occur in an episodic, or ultradian, pattern, which consists of repeated periods of release that take place throughout a 24-hour, or circadian, period. Glucocorticoid hormones, which were investigated in this study, are steroid hormones secreted by the adrenal glands that are involved in a large variety of animal and human physiological responses.

Glucocorticoids act through the glucocorticoid receptor, which is expressed in almost every cell in the body and regulates genes controlling development, metabolism, and immune response.

Professor Stafford Lightman, head of the Henry Wellcome Laboratories for Integrative Neuroscience and Endocrinology at the University of Bristol, said the results suggest that the pattern of hormone release is critical for good health besides offering a novel concept for new drug design.

Tags: glucocorticoids, health, steroid hormones, steroids

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According to a research published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, patients suffering from severe asthma and insensitive to steroids spend lesser time at the hospital beside needing less of the asthma medications while using intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in conjunction with steroids.

It was remarked by Erwin Gelfand, M.D., a pediatric immunology and asthma specialist and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at National Jewish Medical and Research Center that many incidences have been noticed in which asthma patients need high doses of steroids for controlling the disease.

From News-Bio-Medicine.Org:

While steroid-insensitive patients must take higher doses to achieve minimal control of their disease, they also may become dependent on the medication to breathe normally. Researchers found that by taking IVIG in conjunction with glucocorticoids, patients could use less glucocorticoids more efficiently.

Long-term use of glucocorticoids can stunt growth in children or cause osteoporosis, while IVIG has few side effects. “Compared to steroids, IVIG is not toxic at all,” Dr. Gelfand said. “In addition, lowering the amount of steroids a patient takes reduces side effects and the patient’s quality of life improves dramatically.”

The researchers were of the view that IVIG increases the sensitivity of lungs to steroids to result in reduced lung inflammation.

Tags: Asthma, glucocorticoids, intravenous immunoglobulin, IVIG, steroids

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Research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has revealed that steroids called glucocorticoids, which are important for treating diseases such as asthma and arthritis, may trigger diabetes and hypertension.

It was found by the involved team that a protein called peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPAR-alpha) is important in the process. The finding explained the high incidence of diabetes and hypertension in obese individuals.

From News-Bio-Medicine.org:

The team found that when given the glucocorticoid dexamethasone, mice lacking only LDLR had increased levels of insulin, fasting glucose and leptin, all signs of diabetes. The animals also became less hypoglycemic when given insulin, suggesting that they were developing insulin resistance, the precursor to diabetes. Mice lacking both LDLR and PPAR-alpha showed no signs of diabetes.

Surprisingly, dexamethasone also increased blood pressure in mice that had PPAR-alpha but not LDLR; it did not have an affect on blood pressure in mice lacking both PPAR-alpha and LDLR.

“Somehow, animals missing PPAR-alpha were protected from developing diabetes and hypertension,” Semenkovich says.

The team then replaced PPAR-alpha in the liver in mice lacking both PPAR-alpha and LDLR. The animals developed the same symptoms of diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure) when chronically treated with dexamethasone as mice with normal levels of PPAR-alpha throughout the body.

The study appears online and in the August issue of the journal Nature Medicine. Bernal-Mizrachi led the study, in collaboration with Clay F. Semenkovich, M.D., professor of medicine and of cell biology and physiology and director of the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research, and Daniel P. Kelly, M.D., professor of medicine, of molecular biology and pharmacology and of pediatrics and director of the Center for Cardiovascular research.

Tags: Asthma, dexamethasone, diabetes, glucocorticoids, steroids

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As per the biggest study of its kind, rituximab that is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is safe and effective at the same time. The results of this study were presented for the first time at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology, EULAR 2005, in Vienna.

It was remarked by lead author, Professor Paul Emery from the University of Leeds in the UK, of the DANCER Study (Double blind placebo controlled dose ranging study) that rituximab is very much effective and better option than a placebo.

From News-Medical.Net:

Professor Paul Emery from the University of Leeds in the UK led the DANCER study (Double blind placebo controlled dose ranging study), designed to confirm the efficacy of rituximab for the treatment of patients with active RA who have failed to improve on one or more disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Rituximab targets a specific type of immune cell and helps to control inflammation and pain.

The DANCER study involved 465 men and women who had had arthritis for about 10 years. It examined the relative efficacy of two different dose levels of rituximab, as well as the role of anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticoids (steroids), in the treatment programme.

Professor Emery said that findings of this study clearly suggest that rituximab is safe and well-tolerated for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Tags: glucocorticoids, placebo, Rheumatoid arthritis, rituximab, steroids

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Alendronate used to be the drug of choice in patients with steroids-induced osteoporosis. Recently, however, researchers discovered that the drug teriparatide can help increase bone density better and is better at reducing incidence of vertebral fractures in osteoporotic patients.

Steroid induced osteoporosis is common among patients taking maintenance drugs like prednisone, prednisolone, dexamethasone and cortisone. These types of steroids are called glucocorticoids. They are hormones that are also produced naturally by the body. It helps reduce inflammation among patients with autoimmune disease. Patients with lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and asthma usually take these types of medicines.

In a study conducted, 428 patients with confirmed osteoporosis were divided into two groups. The first group was given 5 mg of prednisone a day for three consecutive months or more. The second group received 10 mg of alendronate a day with an additional placebo injection. All participants received 1,000mg of calcium everyday and 800 International Units of Vitamin D a day.

Results showed patients who received teriparatide had an 11% increase in bone mineral density while patients who received alendronate and placebo showed a 5.3% increase in their bone mineral density.

Researchers concluded that teriparatide is a more effective and safe treatment for steroid induced osteoporosis.

From AJC:

The drug teriparatide is better at increasing bone density and reducing vertebral fractures in patients with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis than the drug alendronate, a new study finds.

Tags: alendronate, glucocorticoids, osteoporosis, steroids, teriparatide

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If you are a diabetic and there is a need for you to undergo steroid therapy, your doctor should advise you on adjusting your diabetes therapy.

Steroids, particularly glucocorticoids can affect the glucose level in a person’s bloodstream. Glucocorticoids include hydrocortisone, prednisone, prednisolone, dexamethasone and betamethasone.

Since insulin is the only hormone that could overcome this effect, increase in insulin doses may be needed. The diabetic may also need to plan his meals or control his food intake since steroid can increase hunger.

Steroids can also make a non-diabetic increase their blood sugar levels. Steroids can make the liver produce sugar from substances such as proteins and fats. Steroids can also inhibit insulin release from the pancreas and its action in our body tissues.

The type of steroids and the form of administration can have various effects on sugar levels. Generally, inhaled and topical steroids have less effect on blood sugar levels compared to other types and routes of delivery.

Dosages also affect sugar levels. If steroids are given in low doses, it may have no effect on sugar levels, while moderate to higher doses can increase sugar levels significantly.

Fortunately, this effect is reversible. Once steroid therapy is stopped, blood sugar levels usually returns to normal.

From Caller:

CORPUS CHRISTI — The word steroids has become synonymous with sports and medicine. But these two associations could not be more different. The family of anabolic steroids abused by athletes is quite different than the family of glucocorticoid steroids that patients get.

Tags: betamethasone, dexamethasone, diabetes, glucocorticoids, hydrocortisone, prednisolone, Prednisone

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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease in which the body’s immune system attacks and destroys healthy joint tissue. The hands and feet are frequently affected, and as the disease progresses it can cause pain, swelling, deformity and disability.

A review revealed that this disease can be treated with low doses of steroids which inhibit joint damage when used during the early phase of RA. The steroids studied in the review are known as glucocorticoids and include the well-known anti-inflammatory prednisone. This medication is often prescribed in the first few months after diagnosis to relieve the discomfort of RA until slower-acting drugs begin protecting the joints.

From Bio-Medicine:

The review appears in the most recent issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research. Systematic reviews draw evidence-based conclusions about medical practice after considering both the content and quality of existing medical trials on a topic.

The systematic review is based on 15 studies including 1,414 patients. In most of the studies, patients received low dose s of glucocorticoid pills along with so-called disease-modifying drugs for one to two years. Periodic X-rays revealed the extent of joint erosion and other signs of damage.

Because of the known health risks associated with intensive steroid use, concern persists regarding long-term use at any level. The authors cite a 2006 systematic review covering the adverse effects of low-dose glucocorticoids, which concluded that “few of the commonly held beliefs about their incidence, prevalence and impact are supported by clear scientific evidence.”

All studies except one showed reduced progression of joint damage in patients taking glucocorticoids.

The most immediate concern of low dose of steroids in RA is the reduced bone mineral density. However, recent clinical trials have proven that this side effect can now be readily treated.

Tags: glucocorticoids, RA, Rheumatoid arthritis, steroids

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People with severe asthma who are insensitive to steroids need less of the medication, fewer bursts of it in emergencies and spend less time in the hospital when using intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in conjunction with steroids.

IVIG is an antibody that is removed from the plasma portion of blood and is concentrated for use as a medication. IVIG regulates the immune system and has been shown to reduce inflammation in the lungs.

From Bio-Medicine:

Researchers found that during the 6-month study, patients had fewer hospitalizations for asthma attacks than in the 6 months prior to the study, even though they used less glucocorticoids, known generally as steroids. IVIG also was as effective in people whose asthma can be treated with glucocorticoids, as it was in people whose asthma usually doesn’t respond to glucocorticoids, or who are “steroid-insensitive.” Researchers believe IVIG increases steroid sensitivity of the lungs to steroids, in part, by reducing lung inflammation.

“We saw patients whose asthma does very poorly and who needed high doses of steroids to control the disease,” said Erwin Gelfand, M.D., chair of the Department of Pediatrics at National Jewish Medical and Research Center.

While steroid-insensitive patients must take higher doses to achieve minimal control of their disease, they also may become dependent on the medication to breathe normally. Researchers found that by taking IVIG in conjunction with glucocorticoids, patients could use less glucocorticoids more efficiently.

“Compared to steroids, IVIG is not toxic at all,” Dr. Gelfand said. “In addition, lowering the amount of steroids a patient takes reduces side effects and the patient’s quality of life improves dramatically.”

IVIG treatments cost several thousand dollars each month for people with severe asthma, but many health insurance companies cover the cost because, hence, IVIG can help lower emergency room and hospital use by patients with severe asthma.

Tags: glucocorticoids, intravenous immunoglobulin, IVIG, steroids

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According to researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, a female mouse has a steroid known as glucocorticoids (GCCs) in urine. These compounds are meant to activate nerve cells in nose of the male mouse with extraordinary effectiveness.

These steroids are believed to affect energy metabolism, stress and immune function, as remarked by senior author Timothy E. Holy, Ph.D., assistant professor of neurobiology and anatomy. By just sniffing physiology and theoretically, a mouse can get detailed insider’s view of the health of the animal they came from. Studies also showed that female mice or their odors caused male mice to sing.

From science daily:

The new study, led by graduate student Francesco Nodari, identified compounds that are unusually potent stimulators of the mouse nose. The pheromones activate nerve cells 30 times as often as all the other pheromones previously identified in female mouse urine combined. In addition, several of the new signals activate specific nerve cells. This may mean the male mouse‘s brain can assess different aspects of female mouse health by selectively analyzing individual pheromones.

We all aware of the fact that urine, sweat, and other bodily fluids contain chemical communication signals called pheromones that can trigger this kind of a behavior. A male mouse can identify the different aspects of female mouse’s health by individual pheromones. These signals might be helpful in gaining the information for social purposes, such as establishing territory, or dominance, or in courtship and mating. A male mouse has an ability to distinguish these pheromones with the help of an extensive olfactory system.

A male mouse has an ability to recognize 75% of female mouse pheromones as shown by the studies.

Tags: glucocorticoids, neurobiology, pheromones, physiology

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Bronchiolitis infections begin most frequently with a fever, runny nose, coughing, and wheezing. Most children recover from the illness in eight to 15 days. The majority of children hospitalized for bronchiolitis infections are under 6 months old. This viral infection on infants is the leading cause of hospitalization for infants in the United States and accounts for more than 100,000 admissions each year.

This disease is usually treated with steroid medication called dexamethasone. This is a glucocorticoid form of steroid medication. But in the study made by the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN), steroid medications and the standard placebo treatment produce similar results.

From Medical News Today:

The study compared hospitalization rates for 600 children between the ages of 2 months and 12 months who visited emergency rooms with moderate-to-severe bronchiolitis. Patients were treated with either a dose of dexamethasone (a glucocorticoid form of steroid medication) or a placebo and evaluated after one hour, and again at four hours. The hospital admission rate for both groups was identical at nearly 40 percent. Both groups improved during treatment, but the placebo group did as well as the group treated with active medication. The study was conducted in the emergency departments at 20 hospitals across the United States between November and April during a three-year period.

“We learned that a commonly used treatment doesn’t work,” said Howard M. Corneli, M.D., professor of pediatrics at the University of Utah and the principal investigator on the study. “Now that we’ve demonstrated glucocorticoids aren’t effective in treating bronchiolitis, we can focus our efforts on finding better treatments and better preventive strategies.”

The group concluded that glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone aren’t effective in treating bronchiolitis among infants. Although, experts still believe that steroid medications remain the best options in treating other respiratory illnesses such as asthma and croup.

Tags: bronchiolitis, dexamethasone, glucocorticoids, steroid medications

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