Endocrine Abstracts

Glucocorticoids are effective for the treatment of many chronic conditions but their use is associated with frequent and wide-ranging adverse effects including osteoporosis and growth retardation. The mechanisms that underlie the undesirable effects of GCs on skeletal development are unclear and there is no proven effective treatment to combat them. An in-vivo model that investigates the development and progression of GC-induced changes in bone is, therefore, importan...

Glucocorticoids are effective for the treatment of many chronic conditions but their use is associated with frequent and wide-ranging adverse effects including osteoporosis and growth retardation. The mechanisms that underlie the undesirable effects of GCs on skeletal development are unclear and there is no proven effective treatment to combat them. An in-vivo model that investigates the development and progression of GC-induced changes in bone is, therefore, importan...

Short stature and osteoporosis are common in DMD. Glucocorticoids slow disease progression but are associated with further growth retardation and skeletal fragility. The muscular dystrophy x-linked (mdx) mouse is the most commonly used animal model of DMD. However, the phenotype is relatively mild and few medications that have shown therapeutic benefit in the mdx have translated clinically. The utrophin heterozygous mdx mice might be more appropriate...

Background: Data remain conflicting regarding the long-term metabolic consequences of prematurity and the impact of early nutrition and catch-up growth. Adiponectin and leptin are adipocyte derived proteins (adipokines) and are thought to be important regulators of insulin action.Objectives: i) To investigate the influence of infant growth and contemporary body composition on adolescent adipokine secretion.ii) To investigate the co...

Background: Many adolescents and young adults with DMD receive long-term glucocorticoids (GC), a well-recognised cause of hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. Pubertal induction is routinely offered to DMD adolescents in our centre but few individuals remain on supplementation into adulthood and it is unclear whether these men have age-appropriate endogenous testosterone production. Salivary testosterone (SalT) measurement is available but has not been used to assess androgen statu...

Background: Preterm infants represent around 10% of births worldwide and have increased risk of adverse metabolic outcomes in later life. The approach to feeding preterms must balance the need to promote brain growth by providing adequate nutrients whilst avoiding potentially harmful excess nutrition.Objective: To investigate the association between patterns of weight gain in infancy and childhood with later insulin sensitivity in adolescents who were bo...

Central precocious puberty (CPP) is a common and well-recognised condition characterised by premature activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, with consequent potential adverse health and psychosocial outcomes. Standard management of CPP is with periodic injections of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue therapy. Decapeptyl SR (Triptorelin pamoate) has for several years been available as a long-acting (12-weekly, 11.25 mg) preparation, but more recently is ava...

Introduction: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is associated with progressive decline in muscle function and loss of ambulation in the teenage years. Objective assessments of upper limb performance are required but functional assessments and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are time consuming and costly. ACTIVE-seated (Ability Captured Through Interactive Video Evaluation) is a fun, inexpensive, movement tracking video game that can measure Functional Reaching Volume (FRV). <...