Endocrine Abstracts

TSH-secreting pituitary adenomas (thyrotropinomas or TSH-omas) are rare. At diagnosis, TSH-omas are frequently macroadenomas presenting with variable symptoms, and signs of hyperthyroidism. Somatostatin analogs (SSA) are a very efficient treatment to improve clinical signs in patients with TSH-omas, reducing hormone levels (90%) and causing tumor shrinkage (50%).Inhibitory effects of SSA are mediated by a family of five somatostatin receptor subtypes (sst1-5), with sst2 and ss...

Ghrelin was isolated from stomach by its ability to stimulate growth hormone (GH) release through the GH-secretagogue receptor (GHS-R1a). However, ghrelin/GHS-R expression in multiple tissues and tumor types suggested additional roles for this tandem. Ghrelin, a 28-aminoacid peptide, requires a unique O-acylation at its Ser-3 residue to bind GHS-R1a and release GH. Conversely, unacylated ghrelin (UAG), initially considered inactive, seems to play distinct metabolic role...

Ghrelin is a 28-aa peptide originally isolated from stomach but present also in many tissues, including hypothalamus and pituitary, where it stimulates growth hormone (GH) release through the ghrelin/GH secretagogue receptor (GHS-R). Ghrelin also increases food intake and adiposity and could play a key integrative role in the endocrine–metabolic interface. Although its primary pituitary cell target are somatotropes, ghrelin also modulates other pituitary cell types, speci...