Endocrine Abstracts

Cyclic AMP (cAMP) is the principal intracellular mediator of TSH effects in the thyroid, inducing both thyroid hormone production and cell proliferation. This notion derives from a large series of evidences, mainly obtained by biochemical approaches on cell lines or primary thyrocytes. However, given the limited resolution in time and space of the techniques employed so far, little is know about the spatial localization and temporal dynamics of cAMP signaling in thyroid cells....

Dopamine (DA) therapy of non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFA) can result in tumor stabilization and shrinkage. However, this effect is not always apparent and the mechanism of action is still unknown. Previous evidence showed that DA inhibits pituitary Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor expression (VEGF), that, in turn, is related to pituitary tumor growth. Our study aimed at clarifying whether VEGF secretion modulation might mediate the effects of DA agonists and chimeric...

Introduction: We have previously identified (using a whole-genome large scale SNP- screening approach) germline inactivating stop codon mutations of the PDE11A4 in patients with Cushing syndrome due to micronodular adrenal hyperplasia. PDE11A4 is a cAMP/cGMP phosphodiesterase.Aim of the study: To investigate the role of PDE11A genetic alterations in a large cohort of ACT.Materials and methods: Leukocyte DNA from 117 adrenocortical ...

GLUT8 is a class 3 sugar transport facilitator, and transports glucose with high affinity (km~2 mM). GLUT8 mRNA is expressed in brain, heart, skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, adrenal gland, liver and at particulary high levels in testis. In testis, the GLUT8 protein is located in an intracellular compartment of spermatocytes, spermatids and mature spermatozoa. GLUT8 contains an N-terminal dileucine sorting signal retaining the transporter in an intracellular compartment. So fa...

KLF11 is a pancreas enriched member of the Sp1/KLF transcription factor family which plays an important role in mammalian gene regulation. Previously we demonstrated that human (h)KLF11) inhibits human insulin promoter (hInsP) activity in rodent beta-cell lines via an unknown mechanism. Here we present results from ongoing experiments in which we test the hypothesis that KLF11 interferes with the major hInsP transactivator PDX1. We performed transient cotransfections of INS-1E...

Aims: Recently, the endocannabinoid system emerged as a pivotal regulator of food intake, ingestive behavior and energy metabolism, acting through CB1 and its endogenous ligands, the endocannabinoids. CB1 antagonists may reduce body weight and improve metabolic profiles in animals and humans by a double mechanism: at first, they target mesolimbic and hypothalamic nuclei and, thereafter, peripheral organs involved in energy storage and expenditure. Nevertheless, it is still unk...