Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Obesity is the excessive accumulation of adipose tissue to the extent that health may be impaired. Determination of the mechanisms governing adipose deposition and body weight regulation are now a scientific priority. High dietary fat intake is generally considered to be a factor in obesity’s multi-factorial aetiology and the metabolic syndrome. Yet not all dietary fats appear to be obese genic to the same degree.Objective: To study the ...

Leptin is an adipocyte-derived cytokine critical to the integration of energy homeostasis and reproduction which putatively acts as a metabolic gate for the onset of puberty. However, it is unknown whether the age of puberty reflects leptin levels or leptin sensitivity. If pubertal age reflects leptin sensitivity, it may also reflect susceptibility to diet-induced obesity.We hypothesised that age of pubertal onset reflects leptin sensitivity. We assessed...

Neuromedin B (NMB) is a highly conserved bombesin-related peptide found in mammals. The mammalian bombesin family of receptors consists of three closely related G protein coupled receptors, BB1, BB2 and BB3. The BB1 receptor subtype has the highest affinity for NMB. NMB mRNA is detected in the CNS and is expressed at relatively high levels in the rat hypothalamus, in particular the medial preoptic area and the arcuate nucleus.<p ...

Peptide YY (PYY) is a satiety hormone that communicates nutritional status to the central nervous system. PYY is released postprandially from endocrine L-cells in proportion to calories consumed. It is processed to generate the principle bioactive form PYY3–36, which acts on Y2 receptors in feeding centres within the brainstem and hypothalamus to reduce appetite. Chronic intravenous infusion of PYY3–36 induces weight loss in rodents, and obese humans display low plas...

3-iodothyronamine (T1AM) is a novel, endogenous rapid acting biogenic amine, which is a potent agonist of the G-protein coupled trace amine-associated receptor 1, TAAR1. It has been suggested that endogenous T1AM could be generated by enzymatic deiodonation and decarboxylation of T4. The presence of T1AM in rat brain and the distribution of the TAAR1 receptor in the hypothalamus suggest that T1AM may affect food intake and regulate e...

Kisspeptin, the endogenous ligand of the GPR54 receptor, is a key regulator of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. GPR54-null mice exhibit reproductive dysfunction and exogenous kisspeptin potently stimulates the HPG axis in rodents, primates and human males. The effects of kisspeptin administration to human females are not known.Aim: To investigate the effects of kisspeptin on luteinising hormone (LH) release during the menstrual cycle in fema...

(This poster is based on OC17)...