Stress, Thyroid Dysregulation, and Thyroid Cancer in Children and Adolescents: Proposed Impending Mechanisms

Temporary sensory separation of lamb groups from ewes affects behaviors and serum levels of stress-related indicators of small-tailed Han lambs

Under the current meat sheep breeding system, newborn lambs usually live with their mothers until weaning, and in daily management, they often need to be separated from their ewes for a short period due to dehorning, disease treatment, etc. Such short-term separation was considered to be a high-intensity stress for the lambs. This study aimed to explore the effects of 1 h sensory separations on behaviors and the concentration of stress-related indicators of small-tailed Han lambs. Lambs were assigned to four groups: auditory, visual, and tactile separation (AVT) group; visual and tactile separation (VT) group; tactile separation (T) group; and control (C) group. Then they were separated from their mothers for one hour on postnatal days 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42. Results showed the separated lambs (AVT, VT, and T groups) spent less time lying down relaxing and more time looking around, exploring, vocalizing, and attempting to escape (P < 0.05). Lambs separated by lack of tactile contact only exhibited the most escaping and moving behavior. Twin-born lambs showed less moving, escaping, and vocalizing than single-born lambs (P < 0.05). The separation also led to a rise in serum globulin levels and a decrease in tetraiodothyronine. In conclusion, this study showed that temporary 1 h ewe-lamb separations could affect behaviors and the serum levels of stress indicators of lambs. The behavioral responses were more obvious when lambs were separated by lack of tactile contact only, and in single-born lambs. It can conclude that indicated that when lambs need to be temporarily separated from ewes in daily management production, it would be better to let them stay together with their littermates, and make them avoid hearing or seeing the ewes, such management may partially reduce the separation stress, thereby improving the welfare and breeding efficiency of sheep.

Historical context, process, and development trends of pediatric thyroid cancer research: a bibliometric analysis

Objective

At present, the structure of knowledge in the field of childhood thyroid cancer is not clear enough, and scholars lack a sufficient understanding of the developing trends in this field, which has led to a shortage of forward-looking outputs. The purpose of this research is to help scholars construct a complete knowledge framework and identify current challenges, opportunities, and development trends.

Methods

We searched the literature in the Web of Science Core Collection database on August 7, 2023 and extracted key information from the top 100 most cited articles, such as the countries, institutions, authors, themes, and keywords. We used bibliometric tools such as bibliometrix, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace for a visualization analysis and Excel for statistical descriptions.

Results

The top 100 most cited articles fluctuated over time, and the research was concentrated in European countries, the United States, and Japan, among which scientific research institutions and scholars from the United States made outstanding contributions. Keyword analysis revealed that research has shifted from simple treatment methods for pediatric thyroid cancer (total thyroidectomy) and inducing factors (the Chernobyl power station accident) to the clinical applications of genetic mutations (such as the BRAF and RET genes) and larger-scale genetic changes (mutation studies of the DICER1 gene). The thematic strategy analysis showed an increasing trend towards the popularity of fusion oncogenes, while the popularity of research on traditional treatments and diagnostics has gradually declined.

Conclusion

Extensive research has been conducted on the basic problems of pediatric thyroid cancer, and there has been significant outputs in the follow-up and cohort analysis of conventional diagnostic and treatment methods. However, these methods still have certain limitations. Therefore, scholars should focus on exploring fusion genes, the clinical applications of molecular targets, and novel treatment methods. This study provides a strong reference for scholars in this field.

Recent insights into the role of hormones during development and their functional regulation

Introduction

Hormones play a vital role in development from conception to birth and throughout the human lifespan. These periods are logically divided into fetal development, pre-pubertal growth, puberty, and adulthood. Deviations from standard physiological levels and release patterns of constituent hormones can lead to pathology affecting the normal developmental trajectory. Research is ongoing to better understand the mechanisms of these hormones and how their modulation affects development.

Methods

This article focuses on recent developments in understanding the role hormones play in development. We also cover recent discoveries in signaling pathways and hormonal regulation.

Results

New and continuing research into functional hormone regulation focuses on sex hormones, gonadotropic hormones, growth hormones, insulin-like growth factor, thyroid hormone, and the interconnectedness of each of these functional axes. Currently, the abundance of work focuses on fertility and correction of sex hormone levels based on an individual's condition and stage in life.

Discussion

Continuing research is needed to fully understand the long-term effects of hormone modulation in growth and sexual development. The role of each hormone in parallel endocrine axes should also be more thoroughly investigated to help improve the safety and efficacy in endocrine pharmacotherapeutics.

Pathogenesis of the crosstalk between reproductive function and stress in animals - part 2: Prolactin, thyroid, inflammation and oxidative stress

Stress has a significant impact on reproductive health and fertility in both humans as well as various animal species. In particular, chronic stress can disrupt the delicate balance of the hormonal system that regulates reproductive function, leading to a variety of reproductive disorders and fertility issues. Beside the action of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system and the sympatho-adrenomedullary system (SAM), other subsequent mechanisms have been incriminated. Thus, stress has also been associated with increased prolactin level, resulting in an inhibition of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) system leading to several reproductive disorders. Thyroid function is inhibited during chronic stress, and therefore considered an important regulator of reproductive function. Thus, and in particular by interfering with the HPA system, stress-induced immune dysregulation can have adverse effects on reproduction. In addition, oxidative stress and inflammation have been proposed as potential mechanisms by which chronic stress affects reproductive function. This is caused by an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production that has a harmful effect on cells. Furthermore, inflammation can lead to tissue damage and scarring, which can affect fertility. The present review completes the complex mechanism linking stress and reproduction through the current knowledge in various animal species in a comparative point of view.

Stress and surgical diseases of thyroid gland in environment of the armed conflict (review of literature and own observations)

Stress and surgical diseases of thyroid gland in environment of the armed conflict (review of literature and own observations)