Endocrine Abstracts

The glycoprotein hormone, TSH, is synthesized and secreted by thyrotrophs in the anterior pituitary gland. It acts at the TSH receptor (TSHR), a 7-transmembrane G-protein coupled cell membrane receptor expressed in thyroid follicular cells. The TSHR, thus, plays a key role in the regulation of thyroid status and growth of the thyroid gland. In recent years TSHR expression has also been identified in a wide variety of extra-thyroidal tissues including: anterior pituitary; hypot...

Central vasopressin facilitates social recognition and modulates numerous complex social behaviours in mammals, including parental behaviour, aggression, affiliation and pair-bonding. In rodents, social interactions are primarily mediated by the exchange of olfactory information, and there is evidence that vasopressin signalling is important in brain areas where olfactory information is processed. We recently discovered that the rat olfactory bulb (OB)1 and the ante...

Androgen-independent recurrence is the major limit of androgen ablation therapy for prostate cancer. Identification of alternative pathways promoting prostate tumor growth is thus needed. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (Stat5) has been recently shown to promote human prostate cancer cell survival/proliferation and to be associated with early prostate cancer recurrence. Stat5 is the main signaling pathway triggered by prolactin (PRL), a polypeptide hormone m...