Endocrine Abstracts

The global prevalence of obesity continues to rise, creating a growing need for new effective medicines. Selective targeting of visceral obesity (fat around the internal organs) would be particularly advantageous because it carries a greater risk for cardiometabolic diseases. The ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase (ENPP) enzyme family participates in several pathological conditions including diabetes (ENPP1, and ENPP2, also known as autotaxin) and vascular dysfunction (ENPP3-4). O...

Malignancy-related hypercalcaemia occurs in over 20% of cancer patients. Most cases are due to enhanced production of parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) by tumours and carry a poor prognosis of survival of weeks to months. A 74 year old man with a history of prostate cancer treated with radical radiotherapy in 2013 and androgen blockade until 2015 underwent CT and PET/CT scans in 2017, which showed liver and spleen abnormalities, suggestive of metastases, but unlikely...

Introduction: Hypo-&hyperkalaemia are common laboratory abnormalities, complicating up to 10% of all hospital admissions and contributing to mortality. Ideally, patients with mild deviations can be treated as outpatients, and only those patients with objectively severe or life-threatening levels are hospitalized. Once admitted, there are few data as to whether the degree of electrolyte disturbance consumes greater resource(s). We analysed the admission and discharge data, ...

Background: Acetyl-CoA-Carboxylase (ACC1), the rate-limiting enzyme of de novo lipogenesis, plays a critical role in beta cell growth and insulin secretion. In spite of plethora evidence for the role of ACC1 in insulin secretion and beta cells function both in vivo and in vitro, very little is known about how ACC1 activity is regulated in pancreatic beta cells. The aim of the current study was to screen for novel phospho-sites that may regulate ACC1 activity ...

Introduction: Hyponatraemia is a common biochemical abnormality, complicating up to 15% of all hospital admissions and associated with increased mortality. Hypernatraemia, occuring less frequently, is strongly associated with mortality and is almost always due to a free water deficit. There is limited data about hospital healthcare burden of these two relatively common electrolyte imbalances. We analysed the length of stay, for acute admissions, with reference to the admission...

Case History: 17 year old boy presented with a six week history of polyuria, polydipsia, headaches and easy fatiguability. Further investigations confirmed hypopituitarism with low early morning urine osmolality. MRI brain revealed soft tissue mass arising from tectal plate extending into cerebral aqueduct resulting in hydrocephalus with normal pituitary gland. Hydrocortisone, Levothyroxine and Desmopressin were started and urgent in-patient transfer to Neurosurgical unit in t...

Introduction: Polycystic Ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a metabolic disorder associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. Exercise is an effective treatment strategy to manage symptoms and reduce long-term health risk. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been suggested as a more efficient exercise mode in PCOS; however, it is not clear whether HIIT is superior to moderate intensity steady state exercise (MISS).Methods: We synthesized availabl...

Gestational diabetes (GDM) occurs when beta-cell insulin secretory capacity is insufficient to meet the increased demands required to maintain normoglycemia during pregnancy. Considerable clinical evidence supports a link between depression and GDM, although underlying mechanisms are unclear. We used the unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) rodent model of depression to examine the metabolic effects of depression in pregnant mice. C57BL/6J females were divided at 4-weeks-o...

Clinical Case: A 48-year old male presented with gradual onset of shortness of breath and atrial tachycardia requiring admission to intensive care unit. He was normally fit and well and did not have any history of thyroid/neck surgery. He was an ex-smoker who drank more than 40 units of alcohol per week.Investigations: Laboratory tests revealed low serum calcium of 1.03 mmol/l (2.15–2.6 mmol/l), high serum phosphate of 2.77 mmol/l (0.9–1.50 mmo...

A 68-year-old lady presented with a right-sided breast lump detected on routine mammography. Past medical history included type 2 diabetes, asthma, and hypothyroidism following radioactive iodine for toxic multinodular goitre. Staging CT showed 2 presumed metastases in the left lung, and one in the right lung. She was referred for biopsy and/or resection of these lesions. Histology of the left lower lobe lesion showed a typical carcinoid tumour with an adjacent neuroendocrine ...