Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Hypocalcaemia is a biochemical abnormality noted in neonates and considered a possible side-effect of maternal MgSO4 administration. Suggested mechanism is maternal hypermagnesemia inhibits secretion of maternal parathyroid hormone, causing maternal and foetal/neonatal hypocalcaemia.Objectives: This study is aimed to identify common risk factors, presentation, biochemical abnormalities, severity, and any co...

Introduction: Bile acid malabsorption (BAM) may be a contributing factor causing diarrhoea in patients with NETs, particularly among those who have undergone previous surgical resection of the terminal ileum and/or right colon or cholecystectomy (Naraev et al 2019). Aim(s): To identify the prevalence of bile acid malabsorption in neuroendocrine tumour patients (NET) at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB). Materi...

Background: In the UK, adults with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) are treated with recombinant Growth Hormone (GH) therapy according to NICE guidelines (TA64). Provided that patients show an initial improvement in their quality-of-life score, assessed using the Quality-of-Life Assessment of GHD in Adults (Qol-AGHDA) questionnaire, they can continue with their GH treatment long-term. However, in clinical practice, many patients are observed to discontinue GH r...

Adult growth hormone deficiency (AGHD) is a metabolic syndrome characterised by osteoporosis, increased visceral fat, adverse lipid profiles, decreased muscle mass and reduced energy levels. As such, it is associated with reduced quality of life (QoL) and increased mortality from cardiovascular disease. Synthetic growth hormone (GH) can be given to replace natural GH; however, treatment is costly at around £3350 per patient per year and could cause side effects including ...

Background: Endocrinology, taught in Year 2 of the Edinburgh undergraduate MBChB curriculum to approximately 200 medical students, can present a complex challenge and a test of engagement. Core biomedical curriculum content is delivered as large group teaching (lectures) and then revisited in smaller groups (clinical-cased based tutorials, PBL) designed to integrate learning by applying basic knowledge in a clinical context. PBL first implemented in the 1960s at McMaster Unive...

Life events occurring during the perinatal period have strong permanent long-term effects on the behavioural and neuroendocrine response to stressors. In rats, repeated restraint stress of the pregnant dam during the last week of pregnancy produces long lasting changes in the HPA axis function and behaviours in the offspring. These changes include a hyperactivity of HPA axis response associated with a reduction in the number of hippocampal corticosteroid receptors. The HPA dys...

The mouse steroid 21-hydroxylase-A gene promoter (21-OH) directs adrenal cortex-specific expression of the β-galactosidase reporter in 21-OHase/LacZ transgenic mice. Multiple independent 21-OHase/LacZ transgenic lines show a similar mosaic pattern of reporter expression probably reflecting stochastic transgene silencing. In the adult, the mosaic reporter expression occurs as radial stripes spanning the adrenal cortex. A similar radial striped pattern occurs ...

The hepatic peptide hormone hepcidin is the principal regulator of iron absorption and tissue iron distribution. Hepcidin circulates in blood plasma and acts at nanomolar concentrations by inducing degradation of its receptor, the cellular iron exporter ferroportin. Ferroportin exports iron into plasma from absorptive enterocytes, from macrophages that recycle the iron of senescent erythrocytes, and from hepatocytes that store iron. Therefore, hepcidin-mediated degradation of ...

3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3beta-HSD) expression is essential for the synthesis of all classes of steroid hormones, converting delta5beta-hydroxysteroids into hormonally active delta4-3-ketosteroids in NAD+-dependent reactions. Numerous 3beta-HSD isoforms have been described in mouse, rat, human and other mammals, all with distinct tissue and developmentally specific expression, distinct kinetics, with alternative substrate specificity...

Introduction: Psychological symptoms such as aggression, confusion, irritation, anxiety and depression have been observed clinically in patients with carcinoid syndrome. It has been suggested that vasoactive-hormone secretion are involved in provoking psychological symptoms. The objective of this qualitative study is to explore the presence and experience of specific psychological symptoms in vasoactive hormone-secreting NET (carcinoid syndrome).Methods:...