Endocrine Abstracts

A defect in klotho gene expression in mice leads to a syndrome resembling aging, including a shortened life span, hypogonadism, growth arrest, hypoactivity, skin atrophy, muscle atrophy, hearing loss, premature thymic involution, cognition impairment, motor neuron degeneration, arteriosclerosis, osteopenia, soft tissue calcification, and pulmonary emphysema among others. In contrast, overexpression of the klotho gene extends life span in the mouse. Thus, the k...

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Bone metabolism can be measured indirectly with specific biochemical markers. Desoxypyridinolin (DPD) is a derivate of hydroxypyridinium, which is discharged by bone resorption and is totally excreted urinary. A further marker of collagen resorption is the c-terminal telopeptide of collagen type I, which is liberated to blood circulation within the bone’s degradation and undergoes renal elimination. The aim of our investigation was to look after a correlation of these par...

Hepcidin is a small circulating 25-amino-acid cysteine-rich peptide first identified in human blood and urine. The hepcidin gene is expressed mainly in the hepatocytes, secreted in the circulation and cleared by the kidney. In mammals, convincing evidence indicates that hepcidin constitutes the master regulator of iron homeostasis; the circulating peptide acts to limit gastrointestinal iron absorption and serum iron by inhibiting dietary intestinal iron absorption and iron rec...