Abstract:
:The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the regular practice of mindfulness meditation is associated with increased physiological levels of melatonin. Melatonin may be related to a variety of biologic functions important in maintaining health and preventing disease, including breast and prostate cancer. Previous studies have shown melatonin production is photosensitive and we suggest here that it also may be psychosensitive. A cross-sectional study of 12-hour (20:00-08:00) urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin was conducted from which we analyzed data from 8 women who regularly meditate (RM) and 8 women who do not meditate (NM). All samples were collected in the homes of study participants. Volunteers were recruited to provide 12-hour overnight samples of urine. All subjects collected the samples on one night during the same 1-week period. There was no explicit intervention. However, all RM were either graduates of, or teachers in, the University of Massachusetts Stress Reduction and Relaxation Program. The main outcome measure was the total excretion of urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin. Multiple linear regression (Proc GLM in SAS) was performed to test the effect of meditation (RM vs NM) on 6-sulphatoxymelatonin. The results of the study were that after controlling for the non-significant effect of menstrual period interval, we found an effect of meditation group (RM vs NM: b = 1.983; F = 6.78; p = 0.02) and age (for each integer year: b = 0.169; F = 8.41; p = 0.01). The conclusion is that study results are consistent with our hypothesis and indicate that melatonin might be a useful parameter in testing similar psycho-social interventions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
journal_name
Med Hypothesesjournal_title
Medical hypothesesauthors
Massion AO,Teas J,Hebert JR,Wertheimer MD,Kabat-Zinn Jdoi
10.1016/0306-9877(95)90299-6subject
Has Abstractpub_date
1995-01-01 00:00:00pages
39-46issue
1eissn
0306-9877issn
1532-2777pii
0306-9877(95)90299-6journal_volume
44pub_type
杂志文章abstract::Dental caries, a bacterial process that results in the acidic destruction of tooth structure, has historically been managed by the mechanical excavation of diseased tooth structure and then restoration with a synthetic material. The mechanical excavation of the infected site is most commonly achieved by a dental handp...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2011.05.002
更新日期:2011-09-01 00:00:00
abstract::The weight of available evidence suggests that leukaemogenesis is a multi-step, complex process. Since there are different types of leukaemia, it seems likely that a variety of distinct molecular mechanisms are involved, arising from different combinations of genetic defects. It is not therefore surprising that studie...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(87)90188-5
更新日期:1987-03-01 00:00:00
abstract::The goal in the treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head is to preserve, not replace, the femoral head. Although many methods have been proposed, none has proved completely satisfactory. Cellular mediators as a supplement to bone grafting and decompression is an attractive approach to this problem because it com...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2006.08.024
更新日期:2007-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::In this communication I propose a technique for manipulating the idiotype anti-idiotype network with the aim of enhancing the immune response to tumors. The theoretical basis for this technique follows from Jerne's network theory of the immune system. By tolerizing the host to immunoglobulin bearing idiotypes directed...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(85)90029-5
更新日期:1985-11-01 00:00:00
abstract::Researchers have recently reported a possible inverse relationship between taking steroids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or both, and the development of Alzheimer's disease. In this article it is hypothesized that the reduction in the human body of the amount of available arachidonic acid, the precursor of...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/s0306-9877(98)90007-x
更新日期:1998-04-01 00:00:00
abstract::In normal and hypertensive subjects, many stimuli which increase ACTH secretion also increase blood pressure and conversely, many drugs which decrease ACTH secretion also decrease blood pressure. We postulate that the hypothalamopituitary adrenal axis plays a role in blood pressure regulation in normal and hypertensiv...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(87)90014-4
更新日期:1987-07-01 00:00:00
abstract::Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has gained prominence since 1988 and a substantial amount of research has been done in this domain. However, it is still regarded as a controversial condition. Moreover, most of the symptoms of CFS itself are non-specific, occurring in many illnesses; some of the symptoms are also common...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/s0306-9877(03)00103-8
更新日期:2003-07-01 00:00:00
abstract::Seasonal affective disorder is defined as recurrent episodes of major depression, mania, or hypomania with seasonal onset and remission. In this class of mood disturbances, a unipolar major depressive disorder known as winter depression is common in populations living in northern latitudes far from the equator. Winter...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2016.11.020
更新日期:2017-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) not only have increased risk of hypothyroidism, they also tend to develop a relatively novel mild form of neonatal hypothyroidism. One problem that may predispose those with trisomy 21 to hypothyroidism is the overexpression of the gene DYRK1A, which may have an affect on the thyroi...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2007.01.068
更新日期:2007-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::Transcendental mediation (TM) is a stylized form of physical and mental relaxation which is associated with changes in the secretion and release of several pituitary hormones. The hormonal changes induced by TM mimic the effects of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA). It is hypothesized that...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(95)90181-7
更新日期:1995-04-01 00:00:00
abstract::It has been speculated that the rise of the adaptive immune system in jawed vertebrates some 400 million years ago gave them a superior protection to detect and defend against pathogens that became more elusive and/or virulent to the host that had only innate immune system. First, this line of thought implies that ada...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2010.02.031
更新日期:2010-08-01 00:00:00
abstract::A wide range of hyperimmune-associated diseases plague post-industrial society, with a prevalence and impact that is staggering. Strong evidence points towards a loss of helminths from the ecosystem of the human body (the human biome) as the most important factor in this epidemic. Helminths, intestinal worms which are...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2011.06.019
更新日期:2011-10-01 00:00:00
abstract::Low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) diets are emerging in popularity. Several athletics have adopted LCHF diets in an attempt to improve exercise performance and body composition by enhancing fat utilization. However, these diets impair maximal and supramaximal exercise performance due to limited glycogen stores as well ...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2020.110369
更新日期:2021-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::Hyperuricemia has been labeled both a risk factor and marker for cardiovascular pathology in addition to being associated with gout and kidney disease. Uric acid in vitro acts as a potent antioxidant capable of scavenging hydroxy radicals and peroxynitrite and reacting with nitric oxide. Some clinical studies have pro...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1054/mehy.2000.1221
更新日期:2001-06-01 00:00:00
abstract::Immunotherapy has attracted attention as a novel treatment modality for malignant melanoma. Although the use of immunotherapy in metastatic melanoma has shown promising results, there remains a lack of predictive biomarkers indicating treatment benefit from immunotherapy. There is growing evidence suggesting that micr...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2016.05.023
更新日期:2016-08-01 00:00:00
abstract::The hypothesis is proposed that: 1. Aflatoxin B1 and polycyclic hydrocarbon carcinogens bind to the regions of DNA to which steroid hormones bind and cause the deletion of genes in these regions. 2. The deletion of these genes may be responsible for a reduced number of ribosomes bound to the endoplasmic reticulum. 3. ...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(77)90063-9
更新日期:1977-07-01 00:00:00
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journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1054/mehy.1999.0979
更新日期:2000-06-01 00:00:00
abstract::Toll-like receptor 7 is critical in recognition of single strand RNA viruses, including SARS CoV-2, and generation of anti-viral immunity. Coronaviruses evolved strategies to dampen the host immunity. Herein, we discuss the potential use of TLR7 agonists in the early stages of COVID-19 treatment. ...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 信件
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2020.110202
更新日期:2020-11-01 00:00:00
abstract::Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a physiological state in which the patient feels high levels of fatigue without an obvious organic cause, which affects around 1 in 400 people in the developed world. A wide range of causes have been suggested, including immune or hormonal dysfunction, viral or bacterial infection, and psyc...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2008.02.022
更新日期:2008-10-01 00:00:00
abstract::Recent studies suggest that blood-borne metabolites of gut microbiota, such as trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) are involved in the aetiology of cardiovascular diseases and may serve as markers of cardiovascular risk. To enter the bloodstream the microbiota-derived molecules need to pass the gut-blood barrier (GBB). The ...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2016.11.012
更新日期:2017-01-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:In smoking cessation trials, placebo response rates are reported to be rather low, and they are lowest when compared to the placebo response rates of treatment of other addictions. We hypothesized that high placebo response rates in trials outside of cessation treatment may predict low participation of smoke...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2014.06.012
更新日期:2014-09-01 00:00:00
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journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2013.07.001
更新日期:2013-10-01 00:00:00
abstract::Although the role of the lymphatic circulation in the uptake of dietary fat is well established, the absorption of water-soluble compounds, secreted by the enterocyte into the lymph, has received little attention. In the present study an estimate is made of the amount of dietary glucose that can be absorbed via the ly...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(90)90169-f
更新日期:1990-11-01 00:00:00
abstract::Numerous medical conditions present with acute and severe autonomic and muscular overactivity. These syndromes include Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome, Serotonin Syndrome, Dysautonomia (or paroxysmal sympathetic storms) following acquired brain injury, Autonomic Dysreflexia, Parkinsonian-Hyperpyrexia Syndrome, Malignan...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2007.04.037
更新日期:2008-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::Hypertension has become a large burden of global development, but the mechanisms of it have still not been well elucidated. Increased contractility of vascular smooth cells induced by the overactivity of neurohormonal system or stress is one of the main and popular explanations until now. Smoothelin-B, recognized as t...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2009.01.038
更新日期:2009-07-01 00:00:00
abstract::The high rate of mutation which is inherent in reverse transcription of the HIV genome is a result of the lack of proof-reading function of the reverse transcriptase enzyme. This has allowed the HIV virus to develop resistance to multiple antiviral agents. It may be possible to use this viral property to advantage by ...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1054/mehy.2000.1077
更新日期:2000-11-01 00:00:00
abstract::The universal 24-hour circadian clock has a profound impact on many daily biological processes. Disturbance of circadian rhythms has been implicated in the etiologies of many chronic illnesses, including cancer; with correlations most profoundly found among hormone-related breast and prostate cancers. Given the fact t...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2007.07.040
更新日期:2008-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::The morphological changes used to confirm a diagnosis of coeliac disease (CD) are precisely those predicted if the surface energy of the interface between duodenal epithelium and the luminal contents were raised to levels comparable to those demonstrated by the hydrophobic nature of the stomach wall. This hypothesis p...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(90)90126-y
更新日期:1990-07-01 00:00:00
abstract::We develop here the hypothesis that polycystic kidneys (PCK) may maintain, to a certain extent, the ability to perform endocrine functions. We know that patients with adult polycystic kidney disease (APCKD) produce more erythropoietin and maintain a higher hematocrit than patients with other primary diseases of the ki...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(89)90127-8
更新日期:1989-09-01 00:00:00
abstract::Chronic viral liver disease may evolve to cirrhosis. The medical treatment to slow down this passage is based on anti-viral and anti-fibrotic properties of interferon. Recently, we evidenced significant increase of portal vein flow velocity and volume after a prostacyclin analog (iloprost) infusion in subjects without...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2004.05.017
更新日期:2005-01-01 00:00:00