Endocrine Abstracts

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta)is present, predominantly in latent forms, in normal and malignant breast tissue. The mechanisms by which TGF-beta is activated physiologically remain largely an enigma. The aim of this study was to assess whether the proteases, cathepsin D and PSA could activate latent TGF-beta 1 and 2 in the MCF-7 hormone responsive and MDA-MB-231 hormone unresponsive human breast cancer cell lines. For the experiments, 1 x 106cells were s...

Maternal nutrient restriction (NR) during late-gestation can influence liver growth by altering maturation of the hypothalamus. Maternal NR during late-gestation increases fetal plasma GH levels whilst circulating IGF-I and IGF-II levels decrease. This study aimed to determine whether maternal NR during late-gestation altered the hepatic IGF system in resultant offspring.Fourteen primiparous twin pregnant Border Leicester cross Swaledale ewes were fed <i...

The abundance of class 1 cytokine receptors for hepatic growth hormone (GH) and long form of prolactin (PRL) receptor peak near to term coincident with the rise in fetal plasma PRL. The extent to which maintenance of high plasma PRL may alter mRNA abundance for the GH or PRL receptors is not known. The present study aimed to determine whether chronic administration of PRL alters the hepatic GH and/or prolactin (PRL) receptor mRNA abundance in livers of 1-week-old lambs.<p ...

Background: We have previously shown that systemic levels of the growth hormone (GH) dependent proteins IGF-I and IGFBP-3 are significantly lower in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients than in age and sex matched healthy controls.Aim: To investigate whether low levels of systemic IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels in RA patients are due to GH deficiency or GH insensitivity.Methods: Eight RA patients (6 females, mean plus/minus SD, age 52.5 pl...

Arginine and other aminoacids have been reported to induce GH discharge, even if their site of action has not been clearly established. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of different culture media on GH secretion by pig pituitary cells. Pituitary cells from adult female pigs were cultured for 72 h in the following media: DMEM-F12 (Group A), DMEM-F12 SALTS (Group B) and DMEM-F12 ARGININE FREE (Group C), in standard culture condition (0-48 h: FCS 10%; 48-72 h: F...

Adrenomedullin and pro-adrenomedullin N terminal 20 peptide (PAMP) are multi-functional peptides that are cleaved from a precursor peptide named proadrenomedullin. It has been well documented that adrenomedullin has an effect on cell growth and differentiation in many cell types. However, the effects of PAMP on cell growth still remain to be elucidated.Using the human endothelial cell line (HMEC-1) and human adrenocortical cell line (H295R), cells were p...