Endocrine Abstracts

Obesity is linked to common metabolic diseases including insulin resistance, which constitutes a principal risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Increasing evidence indicates that changes in adipose-secreted factors in obesity, dramatically affect insulin sensitivity. Among these adipokines, resistin is described as a key factor in obesity-mediated both inflammation and insulin resistance. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms mediating resistin effects particular...

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids modulate the risk factors for metabolic syndrome via multiple mechanisms. However, their underlying mechanisms on insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes are still unknown. Here, we report that Odontella aurita, a microalga rich in the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), prevents high saturated fat diet induced insulin resistance and inflammation in the liver of Wistar rats. High fat diet (HFD), given for 8 weeks, ...

Fibrosis represents a major health concern and presently has no successful treatment. Chronic liver fibrosis leads to portal hypertension, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and liver failure. Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ), the main profibrogenic factor, mediates its actions mainly through activation of Smad transcription factors. We have previously observed a cross-talk between the thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) and the TGFβ pathway by which the thyroid...

Nuclear corepressor 1 (NCoR) associates with nuclear receptors and other transcription factors leading to transcriptional repression. Genomic studies have shown the presence of inactivating mutations of the NCoR gene in human tumours and we have found that NCoR depletion with siRNA in hepatocarcinoma SK-hep1 cells enhances invasion, tumour growth and metastasis in nude mice, while expression of the thyroid hormone receptor β (TRβ) increases NCoR levels, repr...

Over 70% of breast tumours express oestrogen receptor alpha (ERa). Stimulation with oestradiol results in receptor binding to oestrogen response elements (ERE) in target gene regulatory sequences in association with transcription cofactors, and altered gene expression, resulting in proliferation and tumour growth. Our study aimed to systematically identify genes contributing to ER signalling and oestrogen-dependent proliferation in breast cancer. A genome-wide screen for genes...