Endocrine Abstracts

Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) derived peptides coordinate energy balance via central melanocortin receptors. In order to monitor central POMC expression and processing in-vivo, we have quantified the POMC derived peptides ACTH, alpha-MSH and the high molecular weight precursors POMC/proACTH in rat cerebrospinal fluid (csf). POMC/proACTH levels were significantly lower in csf samples from fasted versus fed rats (65.2 ± 4.5 pmol/l versus 112 ± 10.1 pmol/l; p = 0.00...

Background and aims: People with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are increasingly suffering from overweight and at risk of developing insulin resistance (IR). IR may hamper glucose control and augment the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Simultaneously, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming increasingly prevalent in T1DM. The pathophysiology of NAFLD is linked to IR. The gold standard to assess IR is the euglycaemic clamp, an invasive and time-consuming test that ca...

Leptin, 16 kDa polypeptide hormone is produced primarily, although not exclusively, by adipocytes. It has been proposed to play a role in neonatal growth and development. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of chronic leptin administration on the growth performance and endocrine profile of neonatal pigs. Ten Meishan sows gave birth naturally at term and siblings were paired by birth weight and gender. Piglets were subsequently randomly allocated to either ...

Introduction: SIADH is a disorder of sodium and water balance characterized by hypotonic hyponatremia and impaired urinary dilution in the absence of renal disease or any identifiable non-osmotic stimulus known to relase ADH. SIADH is usually observed in hospitalized patients and its prevalence may be as high as 35%.Case Report: A 70 year old women was admitted to the Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinical Institute of Aosta on October 2011. She had a chan...

In humans, pregnancy is considered a diabetogenic event1. A similar situation occurs in sows1. The amount of fat in the sows' diet is inversely correlated to glucose clearance time, thus modifying glucose tolerance2. The aim was to investigate the influence of altered maternal diet during gestation (term = 115days) on the glucose tolerance of the sow. Thirty-four pregnant sows were randomly allocated to 4 isocaloric diets for either the first (G1) or second (G2) 60 days of ges...

In humans, pregnancy is considered a diabetogenic event1. A similar situation occurs in sows1. The amount of fat in the sows' diet is inversely correlated to glucose clearance time, thus modifying glucose tolerance2. The aim was to investigate the influence of altered maternal diet during gestation (term = 115days) on the glucose tolerance of the sow. Thirty-four pregnant sows were randomly allocated to 4 isocaloric diets for either the first (G1) or second (G2) 60 days of ges...

Leptin, the 16 kDa product of the obese gene, and uncoupling proteins (UCP) are both involved in energy expenditure. Piglets have recently been shown to express UCP2, it has been speculated that the induction of UCP2 in adipose tissue by leptin may stimulate thermogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of leptin administration on body temperature, leptin and UCP2 mRNA. Ten Meishan sows gave birth naturally at term and siblings were paired by birth weight ...

Introduction: Anti-TSH-receptor binding antibodies can cross the placenta and can stimulate or inhibit the fetal thyroid, causing fetal and neonatal thyroid dysfunction. We test for these antibodies in all pregnant women with a history of thyroid disease using a TSH binding inhibitor immunoglobulin (TBII) assay. Our aims were to audit our management of TBII positive pregnancies and to review pregnancy outcomes.Methods: Serum TBII concentration was measur...

Salivary cortisol is an increasingly popular tool in endocrine, psychological and sports studies. Immunoassays used for its measurement are limited by cross-reactivity from related steroids, mainly cortisone, which is abundant in saliva.A method was developed for the simultaneous measurement of cortisol and cortisone (SalF and SalE respectively) in saliva using LC-MS/MS. 40 μl of extract was injected onto a C8 4×2 mm guard cartridge attached to...

Serum ALT concentrations give some insight into liver fat accumulation and relate to metabolic syndrome: values >29 IU/L double risk of type 2 diabetes independent of other risk predictors. Women with PCOS are at increased risk of diabetes and CVD whereas metformin treatment modulates the progress of metabolic syndrome. Consequently, we investigated the effects of protracted metformin treatment on circulating ALT in obese women with PCOS.Metformin tr...