Endocrine Abstracts

The delivery of genes encoding neurotrophic growth factors (NFG) to injured CNS neurons promotes survival and sustains axon regeneration. The plasmid-based non-viral vectors that we have used are less toxic and safer than viruses. However, their efficiency is low, particularly in non-proliferating cells like neurons, where penetration of the nuclear membrane to access transcriptional machinery is a major factor limiting activity. We are, therefore, exploiting cytoplasmic expre...

Glucocorticoids have profound effects in development, altering cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and network formation. It has been shown that the developing fetus is protected from high maternal glucocorticoid levels by the presence of 11beta-HSD2 in the placenta and if this enzyme is inhibited, programmed changes of adult health are observed (hypertension, hyperglycaemia, insulin resistance). The developing brain is a sensitive target for glucocorticoids and hen...

Folliculostellate (FS) cells form a three-dimensional network within the anterior pituitary gland and play a key role in regulating the endocrine response to inflammation and anoxic stress. Adenosine, released under such conditions in high concentration, modulates a number of inflammatory processes and can regulate the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The identities of the adenosine receptor (AR) subtypes mediating these responses, however, and the si...

The activin-binding protein follistatin is produced by folliculostellate (FS) cells of the anterior pituitary. FS cells make numerous contacts with the classical endocrine cells of the anterior pituitary including gonadotrophs. Follistatin released from the FS cells could therefore play a role in the regulation of gonadotrophin secretion, in particular of FSH. We have previously shown by confocal microscopy (1) that annexin 1, which is also produced by FS cells, is secreted fr...

11beta-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11beta-HSD-1) is a key enzyme which amplifies intracellular levels of active glucocorticoids within specific tissues, including the brain. The hippocampus highly expresses both corticosteroid receptors and 11beta-HSD-1, making it a prime target for glucocorticoid actions. This brain region plays an important role in fear/anxiety behaviours and learning and memory. We examined the anxiety-related behaviours (elevated plus maze and ope...

The peptides, cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART), alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) are present in the circulation and may act as peripheral anorectic signals. CART, alpha-MSH and GLP-1 may play a role in tumour anorexia, but their roles in anorexia nervosa (AN) are unknown. These studies aimed firstly to measure plasma CART, alpha-MSH and GLP-1 in control and AN subjects and secondly, to measure plasma CART ...

The hypothalamic peptide, cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript (CART) was originally reported to act as an anorexigenic peptide. However, we have recently shown that CART injection into the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC), acutely stimulates food intake. Here, we characterise the role of arcuate nucleus CART in the long term regulation of food intake and brown adipose tissue (BAT) using i) repeated intra-arcuate injection of CART peptide [CART(55-102)] and ii) polye...

Cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript (CART) was originally isolated from rat brain but CART is also synthesized and stored in the anterior pituitary. The localisation and factors regulating pituitary CART synthesis are largely unknown.Using a specific assay for the pituitary form of CART, CART(55-102), CART-immunoreactivity was detectable in the medium of the corticotroph cell line, AtT-20 (1.73 ± 0.54 fmols per millilitre per 24h) but not in control medium....