Endocrine Abstracts

Aims: We investigated the association between urinary pentosidine concentration (UPC) and vascular complications.Methods: UPC was measured in 66 patients (31 men and 35 women) with type 2 diabetes. We compared UPC between patients with and without diabetic microangiopathy, and between patients with and without macroangiopathy (cerebral infarction (CI), coronary artery disease, and peripheral arterial disease). Stepwise regression analysis was performed t...

Here, we investigated roles of p38 MAPK pathway in the regulation of FSH-induced steroidogenesis using co-culture of rat primary granulosa cells with oocytes. The p38 protein was readily phosphorylated in granulosa cells by treatment with activin and FSH. The activin effect on p38 phosphorylation was abolished by a selective ALK-4, -5, -7 inhibitor SB431542. SB431542 suppressed FSH-induced estradiol production, but had no effect on progesterone production with a marginal reduc...

Background: Adrenal vein sampling (AVS) is the gold standard test for identification of unilateral primary aldosteronism (PA) which is curable by surgery, but is a difficult procedure with low success rates. Rapid cortisol assays during AVS improved AVS success rates.Methods: We have developed a gold nanoparticles based immunochromatographic quick cortisol assay (QCA) in which cortisol concentration could be measured both quantitatively and semi-quantita...