Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Adipokines, such as resistin and fasting-induced adipose factor (FIAF), are implicated in the regulation of insulin sensitivity and regulated by nuclear receptors like peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), and retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα). Primarily expressed in murine fat, we also showed that these adipokines are expressed in the mouse hypothalamus, as well as in N-1 hypothalamic neurons. We hypothesized that rosiglitazone (R...

Background: Acromegaly has until now been managed almost entirely in tertiary care. Introduction of nurses specialising in endocrinology has enabled us to take their care into the community.Method: 39 patients (P) mean age 57y(29-82) with active acromegaly, required Octreotide LAR treatment, and lived 5-173(median 38) miles from the endocrine unit. A shared care (SC) protocol was approved whereby the patient's first injection was given at the hospital, ...

Glucocorticoids suppress insulin secretion, inhibit glucose uptake in peripheral tissues, and promote gluconeogenesis in the liver. These effects are known to be mediated via genomic mechanisms of slow onset. Despite recent evidence on rapid non-genomic glucocorticoid signaling in several organs, there is no information on rapid glucocorticoid effects on carbohydrate metabolism in humans.Here we present data on the rapid effects of hydrocortisone on the ...

AZP-3601, a long-acting PTH/PTHrP(1-36) analog, is a candidate new treatment option for hypoparathyroidism (HP). As compared to conventional PTH(1-34), AZP-3601 binds with higher affinity to the R0 conformation of the PTH-1 receptor, resulting in prolonged signaling and sustained elevations in blood calcium (Ca++) in vivo, despite a very short circulating half-life. We assessed whether repeated injection of AZP-3601 into TPTX rats at doses aimed to normalize serum C...

Changes in maternal dietary intake during gestation can affect muscle development1 and may be linked to the catabolic actions of hormones, such as glucocorticoids, which inhibits the insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF1) pathway. This study examines the potential effects of glucocorticoids and skeletal muscle adaptations in seven-day-old offspring exposed to suboptimal gestational environments.Pregnant sows were randomly assigned to a commercial...

Primary hyperaldosteronism (PHA), accounts for 5–10% of all hypertensive patients and is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. However, making the diagnosis is not always straightforward.A 50-year-old male was admitted with an acute myocardial infarct. He was markedly hypertensive (BP 190/100 mmHg) and hypokalemic. He was commenced on beta-blockers and an Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI). Plasma aldosterone concentratio...

Glucose is slowly linked to haemoglobin in a non-enzymatic reaction and the determination of a glycated protein (HbA1c) is used for long term monitoring blood glucose concentrations. Radiometabolism studies in sheep showed that a haemoglobin-adduct formation also takes place with epinephrine or norepinephrine.The aim of our study was to elucidate if there is a competition between catecholamines and glucose for binding sites on proteins of the erythrocyte...

A 64-year-old woman who had been on Lithium 600 mg/day for 6 years for affective neurosis, presented in 2005 with acute confusion associated with a serum calcium concentration of 3.02 mmol/ which improved with rehydration. She was followed-up in outpatients and diagnosed with ‘Lithium-associated hypercalcaemia’ likely to be secondary to parathyroid hyperplasia. Results showed a corrected calcium of 2.74 mmol/l (2.1–2.55), phosphate 1.00 mmol/l (0.74–1.52), ...

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), encompasses hepatic steatosis alone (NAFL), steatohepatitis (NASH), NAFL/NASH with fibrosis and cirrhosis. Severe fibrosis and cirrhosis are associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality (due to cardiovascular events, end-stage liver failure and cancer). Postmenopausal women are a high-risk group of patients that have worse outcomes, but the specific factors that place them at higher risk are incompletely under...

Background: Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) are a rare, understudied form of cancer with few curative options, and their occurrence is rising. With approximately 4,000 new cases diagnosed per year in the US, and a 5-year relative survival rate of 54%, it’s imperative to understand the molecular mechanisms governing PNET carcinogenesis. To date, most studies used whole-tumor sequencing to characterize PNETs, which hampers the discovery of their microenvironment, c...