Endocrine Abstracts

One of the most important but as yet unanswered questions in inflammation research is not why chronic inflammation occurs but why is does not resolve. Current models of inflammation stress the role of antigen-specific lymphocyte responses and attempt to address the causative agent. However recent studies have begun to challenge the primacy of the lymphocyte and have begun to focus on an extended immune system in which stromal cells, such as macrophages and fibroblasts play a r...

The increase in marrow adipogenesis associated with osteoporosis and age-related osteopenia is well known clinically. However, we are only now beginning to understand the mechanisms that control the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells to either osteoblasts or adipocytes. Recent work with gene silencing and overexpression has provided insight into critical pathways that determine the fate of these multipotential cells. In vitro and in vivo studies strongly s...

WAT and BAT are two different tissues devoted to store energy in the form of triglycerides. WAT provides the organism with fuel during intervals between meals. BAT oxidizes fatty acids to produce heat. BAT is activated by cold exposure, but it is also activated by food intake suggesting its involvement in anti-obesity mechanisms. The two tissues are contained into the adipose organ. This new concept implies that, in mammals, each fat depot contains both tissues. The relative p...

The liver performs essential functions including the control of blood nutrient levels; the synthesis of many blood proteins; the metabolism of bile components and the conversion of ammonia to urea for excretion by the kidney. Impaired urea synthesis is often the cause of coma and death in patients with liver failure. The only treatment for liver failure at present is transplantation.Stem cells may be a promising future resource for the treatment of acute...