Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Cigarette smoking is one of the most serious substance abuse problems. It is generally accepted that nicotine and other chemicals in tobacco smoke alter endocrine function in women, induce changes in female hormonal balance and likely contributes to reported associations of smoking with adverse reproductive outcomes, including menstrual dysfunction, infertility, and earlier menopause. Studies on the effects of smoking and smoking cessation on female sex hormones ...

Background: A high percentage of adult smokers try to quit, but most of these attempts fail. The ability to predict the success or failure of smoking cessation efforts will be useful for clinical practice. Stress response is regulated by two primary neuroendocrine systems. Salivary cortisol has been used as a marker for the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical axis and salivary α-amylase as a marker for the sympathetic adrenomedullary system.Method...

The aim of the study was to obtain the basic data about adrenomedullin after 1 μg ACTH stimulation.Adrenomedullin has direct effect on adrenal cortex secretion, therefore we studied the changes of its concentrations during ACTH stimulation in diabetic patients suspected of hypocorticalism.Thirty-two diabetics type 1 (DM1) were investigated; 16 with and 16 without autoimmune thyroditis (AIT); age 44±10 years (mean±<sm...

The majority of pregnancy steroids originate in the fetal zone of the fetal adrenal (FZ). The data in the literature indicates that placental CRH directly stimulates the FZ. Despite the substantial alterations in the placental CRH production in late pregnancy, the predictivity of CRH for an estimation of term is poor. To sidetrack the expensive determination of unstable CRH, it may be expediential to use the FZ steroids. However, even these substances may not be optimal for pr...

Background: Familial resemblance was shown for body composition and risk factors in several studies. In twin studies which are powerful tool to assess genetically mediated traits significant resemblance was found in twins reared apart. In pairs of monozygotic twins was found significant resemblance in response to positive and negative energy balance. Aim of the study was to evaluate relationship of anthropometric parameters of parents and socioeconomic characteristics of famil...

Introduction: 7-hydroxyl DHEA derivatives are labelled as natural anti-glucocorticoid and neuroprotective substances. Their impact on the production of cytokines, their activation of apoptosis, influence on the migration of macrophages to peripheral tissue, their possible effect on angiogenesis, effect on inflammatory mediators (arachidonic acid metabolites) and their role in the mechanism of oxidative stress have been described.Methods: In our study we ...

The aim of the study was to obtain data about peripheral metabolism of cortisol.We compared diabetics with low response (LR), and with normal response (NR) during low dose ACTH test, and a control group (C).Twelve diabetics were investigated; LR (n=6), NR (n=6), age 44±10 year (mean±S.D.), age at diagnosis of DM1 28.5±10 year, disease duration 15±8 year, BMI 24.5±2.7 kg/cm2...

Melatonin has a key role in circadian timing system. At present, many other functions of melatonin are known. It shows a remarkable functional versatility exhibiting antioxidant (direct free radical scavenging and indirect antioxidant activities), oncostatic, anti-aging, immunomodulatory properties and many other functions. In addition to pineal gland, gastrointestinal tract is the second biggest source of melatonin. Question remains whether changes in endogenous melatonin may...

Insulin hypersecretion during oral or intravenous glucose tolerance test (OGTT, ivGTT) was described previously in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Little attention was given to the regulation of insulin secretion in these subjects. We aimed to study the secretion of incretins (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, GIP, glucagon-like peptide 1, GLP-1), during OGTT in normoglucose-tolerant PCOS women.After signing written informed cons...

Introduction: Melatonin plays a key role in the circadian timing system. The question remains whether changes in endogenous melatonin may be associated with food intake. Orexin and ghrelin are involved in the regulation of energetic homeostasis. Therefore, we decided to obtain more detailed data on the circadian changes of orexin, ghrelin and melatonin for identification of the changes in these hormones to food intake and day-time, together with glycemic and C-peptide levels.<...