Endocrine Abstracts

Metformin is a first-line therapy for type-2 diabetes mellitus and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) which shows significant benefits for maternal health. However, offspring exposed to metformin in-utero have an increased risk of being born small for gestational age and developing cardiometabolic complications in adulthood. The mechanisms responsible are unknown. As fetal growth is dependent on optimal placental function, we assessed whether metformin exposure alter...

This presentation will describe the barriers, the business case and the benefits of employing returners to science, engineering and technology (SET) careers by the only organisation in the UK solely dedicated to returning scientists to careers. The Daphne Jackson Trust is an organisation that offers Fellowships to men and women who have taken a career break from science, engineering or technology. With falling numbers of graduates entering SET careers, employers in both academ...

The adrenal cortex functions to produce steroid hormones that are essential for life and regulate key biological processes, such as control of blood pressure, metabolism, reproduction, stress, and the immune response. In order to achieve both a rapid and precise response, the adrenal cortex employs hormonal feedforward-feedback systems that function in the context of histologically distinct adrenocortical zones. These layers, the outer zona glomerulosa (zG), intermediate zona ...

Low testosterone is associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) disease. Testosterone replacement improves several CV risk factors including lowering cholesterol and may protect against atherogenesis. Macrophage liver X receptor α (LXRα) stimulates cholesterol efflux which is a therapeutic target for the treatment of atherosclerosis. It was therefore proposed that the anti-atherogenic effect of testosterone may be mediated via LXRα. THP-1 macr...

Low testosterone is associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) diseases such as atherosclerosis. Testosterone replacement improves several CV risk factors including lowering cholesterol. Liver X receptor α (LXRα) is present in various cell types such as macrophages where it stimulates cholesterol efflux and this ability means LXRα agonists are a potential therapy for atherosclerosis. It was therefore proposed that testosterone acts to reduce ...

Background: There is no published guidance on when to request a pituitary MRI in hypogonadal men. The presence of low or low normal gonadotrophins is common in men with symptomatic testosterone deficiency and metabolic syndrome and/or type 2 diabetes. Our practise is to perform pituitary MRI scans in men with isolated hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism who have LH< 4 Iu/l.Method: One hundred and eighty-one patients that had a pituitary MRI scan between J...

A 52-year-old woman presented in 1998 at age 26 with hirsutism, obesity, and purple striae. She had history of learning difficulties and hyperphagia since age7. Physical examination revealed a supraclavicular pad of fat and hypertension. Biochemical analysis indicated a non-suppressed low-dose dexamethasone suppression test and an ACTH level of 55 ng/l, with all other pituitary hormones normal. MRI findings showed a midline hypodense area anterior to the posterior lobe, with d...

Context: Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) has shown benefit on insulin resistance, glycaemic control and cardiovascular risk markers in hypogonadal men with diabetes. Arterial stiffness and intima-media thickness (IMT) are vessel wall properties associated with future cardovascular risk which allow the progress of atherosclerosis to be assessed non-invasively. Low testosterone has been associated with the presence and progression of carotid atherosclerosis as assessed by...

Explosive, multiple episodes of diarrhoea are common in patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms affecting around 30% of the patient population. This is combination with other symptoms such as red, dry flushing and wheezing constitute carcinoid syndrome. This syndrome can have a devastating effect on patients impacting upon all aspects of their being. Somatostatin analogues alone can be successful in the management of diarrhoea however in some cases this is inadequate. In 2018 T...

A 42 year old female presented with classical symptoms of hypothyroidism. Thyroid function tests confirmed hypothyroidism: TSH >100 mu/L and free T4 7 pmol/L. Thyroid peroxidase antibodies were significantly elevated at >3340 iu/ml. She was started on thyroxine 150 mcg but 3 months later the TSH remained elevated at 45 mu/L. Further review indicated no significant symptomatic improvement and TSH remained high at 61 mu/L. Her thyroxine dose was increased to 200 mcg but ...