Endocrine Abstracts

After its first description in 1924, and naming by Evelyn Howard in 1939 to reflect its transient and unknown function, the X-zone of the mouse adrenal attracted a great deal of attention from endocrinologists. What factors were responsible for its appearance at the age of 8–12 days, growth, and then disappearance with puberty in the male and first pregnancy in the female? A great deal was discovered, even given the limited techniques available, about which hormones contr...

The Women’s Health Initiative studies reported that the menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) regimen containing conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) and medroxyprogesterone acetate increased, whereas CEE alone reduced breast cancer incidence. These observations suggest the possibility that CEE might exert unique actions on breast and also suggest the need to eliminate the progestogen from MHT regimens. A MHT regimen called a tissue selective estrogen complex (TSEC), containing CE...

Cross-sectional and prospective data reveals significant dose-wise health-risk reductions with higher vitamin D status, each with proven mechanistic explanations. RCT causality confirmation is sparse but support is emerging with better appreciation of vitamin D’s biology. Confounding factors in vitamin D RCT design include that nutrients are not pharmaceuticals [increases in serum 25(OH)D concentrations and efficacy with supplementation of deficiency are ‘S’-sha...