Endocrine Abstracts

Insulin resistance (IR), characterized by an impairment of target tissues to insulin responsiveness, is the core defect preceding diabetes. Preclinical and clinical data have suggested a role for the dopaminergic system in glucose homeostasis control. The aim of the current study was to investigate the role of the dopamine agonist cabergoline (CAB), displaying high affinity for dopamine type 2 (DR2) receptor and low affinity for serotonin receptors (5-HTRs), in the regulation ...

Fertility represents a major concern in patients with acromegaly and the peculiar PCOS-like condition is commonly found in acromegalic women. The current retrospective study aimed at investigating gonadal function and fertility rate in acromegalic women with disease onset (DO) within the reproductive age. In 50 women hormonal parameters and gynecological ultrasound were evaluated at diagnosis (DD) and after disease control (DC). Data about menstrual disturbances (MD), pregnanc...

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including bisphenol A (BPA) may promote obesity. The role of 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VitD) in counteracting adipogenesis is still a matter of question. Thus, the current study aims to investigate whether and how VitD exposure during adipogenesis could prevent the BPA pro-adipogenic effect in adipocyte models: the mouse pre-adipocytes 3T3-L1 and the human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSC). 3T3-L1 and hAMSC were treated with VitD (1...

Context: Although diabetes mellitus is a major complication in patients with acromegaly, prevalence and determinants of microvascular and macrovascular complications of diabetes remains unexplored in this population.Aim: To investigate prevalence and determinants of microvascular and macrovascular complications in acromegaly patients with diabetes and to compare them with a group of diabetic patients without acromegaly.Methods: Pro...

The transcriptional activator Bmal1, reaching acrophase in the morning and bathyphase in the evening, is the main regulator of circadian clock. A mutual interaction between circadian clock and glucocorticoids (GCs) has been described as well as their implication in muscle metabolism. The current in vitro study aims at investigating Bmal1 involvement in muscle catabolism induced by GCs circadian exposure. To this aim, mouse myocytes C2C12 were serum-shocked to synchron...

In vitro studies suggest that glucocorticoids (GC) long-term exposure downregulates SSTR2 but not SSTR5 expression in human and mouse ACTH-secreting tumor cells (AtT20), limiting the efficacy of octreotide (OCT), a somatostatin-receptor ligand with high affinity for SSTR2, in the treatment of Cushing’s disease (CD). In AtT20, dexamethasone treatment increased miR-375 expression, whose analysis revealed a seed-sequence for SSTR2, supporting the hypothesis that exc...

Introduction: Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) represent a group of rare neoplasms characterized by wide heterogeneity in terms of biological characteristics and clinical behavior. Despite their increasing relevance in the oncology field, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and sexual function remain poorly investigated.Aim: To investigate sexual function in patients affected by NEN; to evaluate the impact of clinical severity (presence or absence of me...

Life-long glucocorticoid (GC) treatment is needed in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency, to replace GC deficiency and to control androgens excess. Multiple daily immediate-release-hydrocortisone (IR-HC), characterized by GC overexposure, peaks and troughs, is frequently associated with a suboptimal androgen control, due to ACTH overnight increase. Once daily dual-release-HC (DR-HC), approved for adrenal insufficiency and, despit...

Acquired resistance has limited the use of systemic molecular therapy in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Immunotherapy, alone and in combination with systemic molecular therapy, is now the first-line standard of care for HCC. The current in vitro study aims at investigating PER2 role in the HCC aggressiveness and drug resistance acquisition. Parental PLC/PRF/5, PLC/PRF/5 resistant to Everolimus (EveR) and to Sorafenib (SorR) cell lines were used. To evaluate ...

Context: Prolactin (PRL) exerts a crucial role in the regulation of mammalian reproduction and in the promotion of lactation as response to the suckling reflex. Beyond this, it directly modulates gluco-insulinemic metabolism.ObjectiveTo dissect glucose metabolism during and after pregnancy in patients with chronic hyperprolactinemia (CTPE).MethodsThis longitudinal study included 52 reproductive aged women with CTPE due to pituitary adenomas (43 microadenomas, 9 macroadenomas),...