Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Thyroid disorders affect metabolism and body composition; however, literature data have been conflicting on whether this is also the case for thyroid hormone levels within the euthyroid range. Therefore, we have investigated the relationship between indices of thyroid status and both body composition and metabolic parameters in a population of healthy euthyroid men.Methods: Healthy male siblings (n=941, 25–45 years, median BMI 2...

The octapeptide hormone angiotensin II (Ang II) exerts its major biological effects via angiotensin AT1 receptors (AT1Rs). Signaling of AT1Rs is regulated by ß-arrestins, which bind to activated AT1Rs, uncouple them form G proteins, and initiate their internalization via clathrin-coated pits and cause G protein independent MAP kinase activation. It has been shown previously that AT1Rs internalize via ß-arrestin-d...

Introduction: 3-Iodothyronamine (T1AM) is a novel endogenous relative of thyroid hormone able to interact with specific G protein-coupled receptors, known as trace amine-associated receptors (TAAR). Metabolic, endocrine and cardiac effects of exogenous T1AM have been reported.Methods: We synthesized radiolabelled T1AM, [125I]-T1AM, and explored its distribution in different mouse organs after injection in the tail vein. The specificity of [<su...

Prolactin is expressed in lymphoid cells and differentiating (decidualised) endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) under the control of an alternative upstream promoter, distinct from the pituitary-specific promoter. Local prolactin action may have immunomodulatory effects. Th1/Th2 imbalance may be an important cause of habitual abortions in man but the mechanism is unknown. Recently, we characterised a G/T SNP at position -1149 that altered prolactin production by lymphocytes, and ...

Abiraterone acetate is a potent, selective inhibitor of CYP17, a key enzyme that catalyses the conversion of pregnenolone to dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and progesterone to androstenedione. Inhibition of this enzyme causes suppression of the synthesis of both androgens and oestrogens. Hence treatment with abiraterone acetate could impact on the development and progression of hormone-dependent breast and prostate cancers.In a phase I/II1,2 st...

Growth through the pubertal progress is notoriously difficult to track and interpreting abnormal patterns is tricky. Current growth charts are unhelpful. I will present new analyses of understanding of growth patterns and the tempo of pubertal changes and how they all link together. The RCPCH has launched a specialist growth chart in June to help identify and diagnose abnormal growth patterns during puberty. These include growth centiles for extremes of stature and weight, and...

Once induction of puberty has been completed the options for sex steroid hormone replacement change to take in to account long term health outcomes and the issues of transition from pediatric to adult care. With regard to the late stages of development, some thought has to be given to the fact that bone mass continues to increase to reach a peak at about the age of 25. It may not be until the age of 18 that meaningful bone density results can be obtained. For those who are slo...

Thyroid hormones T4 and T3 regulate many different physiological processes in different tissues in vertebrates. Most of the actions of thyroid hormones are mediated by the thyroid hormone receptor (TR), which is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily of ligand-activated transcription regulators. There are two different genes that encode two different TRs, TR alpha and TR beta, and these two TRs are often co-expressed at different levels in different...

We have proposed twelve years ago that bone mass accrual, energy metabolism and reproduction must be coordinately regulated by hormones that would appear during evolution with bone. This hypothesis has been tested and verified in several ways one of them being to show that osteocalcin, the most osteoblast-specific secreted protein, is a hormone that regulates insulin secretion, glucose homeostasis, energy expenditure and male fertility. The metabolic function of osteocalcin ha...

The presence of a craniopharyngioma, and/or treatment related damage to centres in the hypothalamus that regulate energy balance often results in severe obesity and abnormal eating behaviours. This may be exacerbated by hormonal deficits from coexistent hypopituitarism.Decreased activity of sympathoadrenal activity, deregulated parasympathetic activity, marked hyperinsulinaemia and elevated leptin disproportionate to fat mass are evident. Plasma levels o...