Endocrine Abstracts

Objectives: Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) almost universally complain of exercise intolerance due, in part, to alterations of skeletal muscle. In men, testosterone is an important determinant of muscle bulk and strength. Relative androgen deficiency in men with CHF could contribute to exercise intolerance. We studied the relationship between plasma levels of testosterone and measures of skeletal muscle bulk and strength and exercise capacity in men with CHF.<p ...

Background: Testosterone acts as a coronary vasodilator, and improves myocardial ischaemia in men with coronary artery disease. The dilatory mechanism of testosterone is independent of the classical androgen receptor and also of the release of endothelial-derived vasodilators. The aim of the present study was to determine whether testosterone has any demonstrable calcium antagonistic action, and if so to determine whether this is via inhibition of voltage-operated calcium chan...

Background: Testosterone is a coronary vasodilator, and improves myocardial ischaemia in men with coronary artery disease. The dilatory mechanism of testosterone is independent of the classical androgen receptor and endothelial-derived vasodilators. The aim of this study was to determine whether testosterone increases cAMP production in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) derived from the primary culture of rat thoracic aortae or in a VSMC cell line (A7r5).<p class="abste...

Background: The testicular feminised (Tfm) mouse exhibits an X-linked single base-pair deletion in the gene encoding the androgen receptor. Gene transcription produces a truncated form of the receptor protein, which has a conformational change in the androgen binding site, preventing androgen binding. Affected male animals (XTfmY) are rendered androgen insensitive and 17-alpha hydroxylase deficient, a key enzyme in the steroidogenesis pathway. XTfmY males have reduced circulat...

Introduction: Blood glucose control in insulin-dependent diabetes is heavily influenced by compliance, and how insulin is administered, which is emphasised to those with diabetes. However, when a patient is admitted to hospital, the administration of insulin is often by a nurse. The aim of this study was therefore to assess the knowledge of nurses around this subject, and to identify if there was a need for further training.Method: We conducted a prospec...

IntroductionParaneoplastic hypercalcemia is extremely rare in the pediatric population, requiring urgent treatment. Pediatric malignancy-related hypercalcemia (PMRH) has been associated with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). Hypercalcemia with elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH), ectopic PTH secretion, is rarer (< 1% of cases). Reports of the use of Zoledronic Acid (ZA) as a second line bisphosphonate are limited. The monoclonal antibody, Denosumab, which inhib...

Background: Acidosis activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and induces glucocorticoid-mediated atrophy of skeletal muscle. The enzyme 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) converts inactive cortisone to active cortisol and modulates glucocorticoid signalling locally within skeletal muscle. Here, we address a gap in knowledge how acidosis affects 11β-HSD1 activity in human skeletal muscle cells.Methods: Quadrice...

Background: Elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), which arises due to genetic and environmental factors, has a causal role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors are approved for patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) and patients at high risk of CVD due to non-familial hypercholesterolaemia (non-FH). In clinical trials, PCSK9 inhibitors are well-tolerated and lead to redu...

The objective of the study was to assess the effect of intra-muscular testosterone on glycemic control, metabolic parameters and hypogonadal symptoms in men with hypogonadism and poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. This is a randomised double-blinded placebo-controlled add-on trial of intramuscular-testosterone undecanoate(Nebido®) administered every 12 weeks in 65 hypogonadal men with poorly-controlled diabetes. Phase-1 patients were randomly assigned to either...

Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the effect of intra-muscular testosterone on body composition in men with hypogonadism and poorly controlled type 2 diabetes.Research design and methods: This is a randomised double-blinded placebo-controlled add-on trial of intramuscular testosterone undecanoate administered every 12 weeks in 65 hypogonadal men with poorly-controlled diabetes. Phase 1 patients were randomly assigned to either treatment...