Endocrine Abstracts

Background: By providing a non-invasive, functional insight into brain chemistry, MRS has the potential to provide objective longitudinal data on mammalian brain development.Aims: To assess the sexual dimorphism in rodent brain chemistry and development using in vivo MRS.Methods: 26 (19 males) Sprague–Dawley rats were scanned at 6 weeks and 12 male rats at 10 weeks using a 7T MRI scanner. Testosterone concentrations w...

Glomerular podocytes are directly regulated by insulin (1) and podocyte insulin resistance is implicated in diabetic kidney disease. Information theory derived statistical measures can be used to quantify information transfer via cell signalling pathways (2). This novel approach takes into account cell-cell variation in responses and the impact that this noise has on information transfer but has not yet been applied to signalling in podocytes. Here we quantify the mutual infor...

After they are released from the testis, spermatozoa pass into the epididymis where they mature. The epididymis is a single, highly coiled duct that develops from a portion of the embryonic Wolffian duct (WD) under the control of testosterone. We have used a model system in which the androgen receptor (AR) antagonist flutamide is administered to pregnant rats to investigate the cellular mechanisms responsible for androgen-dependent WD differentiation.Tim...

Osteoclasts are long lived highly specialised bone resorbing cells which form through the fusion of mononuclear pre-cursor cells and are believed to follow a linear fate and undergo apoptosis at the end of their life cycle. A number of anti-resorptive therapeutics target these cells, either preventing their resorptive function, Bisphosphonates, or inhibiting their formation, Denosumab (Anti-RANKL-Dmab). These agents have achieved success i...

Aims: Exercise increases beta cell health in people at risk of, and with established type 2 diabetes (T2D). These benefits of exercise have not been characterised in T1D. Over 10% of beta cells are still present at the time of diagnosis with T1D, and exercise has the potential to preserve them. We aimed to explore the mechanisms through which exercise could improve beta cell health in T1D by investigating the effects of exercise serum on apoptosis and proliferation of the MIN6...

Episodes of in-hospital hypoglycaemia are uncommon but serious events, which cost the NHS financially and cost the patient in terms of poor clinical outcomes, and rarely, mortality. The National Patient Safety Agency reported that in 2007, one in four adult diabetics experienced an episode of hypoglycaemia whilst in hospital. Moreover, one in 30 required i.v. glucose or i.m. glucagon therapy, and between 2003 and 2009 there were four deaths involving insulin overdose2</su...

The use of digital technology to improve accessibility and efficiency of services has been recognised and telemedicine has been increasing over recent years, particularly for patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes. The onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic rapidly accelerated the use of virtual consultations into everyday practice. The aim of this study was to assess feedback from paediatric diabetes patients and their parents regarding virtual consultations. The st...

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) act as precursors for prostaglandin (PG) synthesis. PGs both inhibit and stimulate ovarian steroidogenesis. We have therefore examined the hypothesis that high n-3 PUFA diets affect ovarian steroid synthesis through modulating prostaglandin synthesis.Welsh mountain ewes were individually fed a control diet or a diet containing linseed (high in n-3 PUFA) for 6 weeks. To assess the impact of the diet during differe...

In Northern Ireland the annual marching season starts around April/May and can last until the end of September. This is a time when those children and young people with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus who are involved in parades, need advice from the diabetes team regarding the variations in their activity levels. This can be a very delicate subject within the cultural setting, revealing their allegiance for one side of the community or the other and can be very sensitive. As a resul...

MLE4901 (previously AZD4901) is a potent and selective neurokinin 3 receptor (NK3R) antagonist being developed for the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Clinical studies indicate the compound negatively regulates the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadotropin (HPG) axis to reduce pituitary luteinizing hormone and gonadal sex steroids. To understand the longer-term in vivo effects of MLE4901, a 13-week safety study was carried out. Groups of 3 male and female dog...