The UW School of Nursing Biobehavioral Laboratory, part of the Center for Women's Health Research funded by NINR in 1989, has focused on reproductive and stress-related hormone and neurochemical analyses in investigating the interactive elements of stress and reproductive systems in women and laboratory rodents. High stress affects menstrual cyclicity, fertility and ovarian aging. Altered autonomic nervous system (ANS) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity is associated with many common problems in women (irritable bowel syndrome, premenstrual syndrome, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue), and varies by menstrual cycle and menopausal status. Recent research indicates that both the stress response and reproductive systems are highly interactive with the immune system. Sex-related differences in both humoral and cell-mediated immune functions exist, while auto immune disorders such as SLE and rheumatoid arthritis affect primarily women. In humans, immune changes accompany examination stress, interpersonal loss (bereavement, divorce, separation), and anticipation of surgery. Stressed animals (inescapable shock, sleep loss) exhibit immune effects. Affective state (psychic depression, loneliness, social introversion, lack of emotional expression, perhaps chronic stress due to sociocultural context) has a profound influence on immune function. Of interest to nurse scientists is the potential for nonpharmacological interventions (e.g., relaxation training, exercise, dietary manipulations, sleep hygiene) to induce changes in immune functions. The goals of this core are to develop the capacity to measure immune function indicators; expand and refine ANS, HPA, and hypothalamic- pituitary-ovarian axis measures; and perform assays for the purpose of supporting studies where interaction among these systems is relevant.
The specific aims are to: 1. Expand laboratory capabilities to include measures of immunological functions, specifically: Natural Killer Cell Activity, using chromium release methods; cell surface markers for lymphocyte subtype identification, using flow cytometry; lymphocyte beta adrenergic receptors using radiochemical binding; and cytokines using Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assays (ELISA). 2. Refine and expand steroid and peptide hormone measures, specifically to implement an ELISA method for detecting estrogen and progesterone metabolites in urine. 3. Provide assay services (Aims 1 & 2) to Center investigators across studies of women. 4. Provide equipment access, advice, and training for measures of GI motility, sleep and stress physiology, and basal and exercise metabolism to existing grants and the proposed small grants.
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