Endocrine Abstracts

A characteristic of aging in humans, as well as in nonhuman primates, is the disruption and attenuation of many biological rhythms. A desynchronization or dampening of cyclical neuroendocrine patterns, such as the circulating melatonin rhythm, may help to explain age-related disturbances in sleep and daytime alertness. Although the cause of age-associated disruptions of biological rhythms is largely unknown, it may be partially due to cumulative neuronal damage of relevant bra...

The neuropeptide PACAP regulates numerous endocrine functions such as growth, metabolism and reproduction. In pituitary gonadotrophs, PACAP acts as a potent stimulator of gonadotrophin gene transcription and secretion, and potentiates the stimulatory effects of GnRH. We have examined the combinatorial effects of PACAP with GnRH or other activators of GnRH-signalling pathways in mouse αT3-1 gonadotroph and rat PC12 phaeochromocytoma cells. αT3-1 cells transiently tran...

BackgroundSR141716 (Rimonabant) has been shown to significantly inhibit food intake and reduce body weight in rodents and humans by antagonising CB1 receptors. The gut hormones peptide YY3–36 (PYY3–36) and oxyntomodulin (OXM), released from L-cells in the small intestine inhibit food intake in both rodents and humans and this effect is thought to be mediated via the hypothalamus.Objective<...

AFC is related to ovarian function and outcome in assisted reproduction programmes. Current regimens for ovulation induction consider patient age to determine initial FSH dose and may exclude patients from treatment when FSH is high. Increased BMI is also an indication to defer treatment. We aimed to investigate the relationship between AFC and other predictors of ovarian response in candidates for assisted conception.We studied 89 patients referred to a...

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive neuro-endocrine tumour with an abysmal prognosis. These cancers are characteristically resistant to glucocorticoid (Gc) action, and display glucocorticoid receptor (GR) abnormalities. We therefore selected model cell lines displaying reduced GR expression and Gc insensitivity as tractable in vitro systems in which to discover the effects of restored GR expression. GR fused to the yellow fluorescent protein, eYFP, was over-e...

NIS and Tg are viewed as characteristic markers for thyrocytes. They are still expressed in a high percentage of differentiated and undifferentiated thyroid carcinomas but these data are obtained by conventional immunohistochemistry. Here we used tissue microarrays and confocal microscopy to compare subcellular localization of Tg and NIS in a large series of benign and malignant thyroid samples.Methods157 papillary (PTC), 56 follic...

T3 and T4 rapidly activate intracellular signalling cascades via thyroid hormone receptor (TR)-independent actions, suggesting the existence of a plasma membrane receptor. Recent studies support a role for the RGD recognition site of integrin, a transmembrane glycoprotein, as a cell surface TR. We have demonstrated, using PCR and Western blotting, the expression of integrin αVβ3 mRNA and protein in the transformed human osteosarcoma cell line MG...

The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) signal through the type 1 IGF receptor (IGFIR) to regulate cellular proliferation and survival. A current theory suggests that a subset of plasmalemmal lipid rafts, termed caveolae, may orchestrate such IGF-mediated signalling.In order to investigate the role of caveolae and the marker protein caveolin in controlling IGF signals, two cell models of caveolin deficiency were generated. Using shRNA, caveolin-1 expressi...