Endocrine Abstracts

During the menstrual cycle, selection of the dominant follicle is characterized by changes of gonadotropin and steroid hormone receptor expression. We aim to evaluate whether co-existing follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) and G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) form heterodimers, suggesting their role in ovarian follicle selection. FSHR-GPER dimerization was evaluated in transfected HEK293 cells in vitro by bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (B...

Introduction: The developmental stages of the ovarian follicle are characterized by changes of gonadotropin and steroid hormone receptor expression and their potential interactions on the surface of granulosa cells. In this study in vitro, we aim to evaluate whether the co-existing follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) and G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) form heteromers, which may play role in selecting the dominant ovarian follicle.<p class="abs...

In this study we employed a novel bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) biosensor to study the coupling specificity of somatostatin receptor 5 (SST5) and its naturally occurring mutant R240W in living cells. Our previous data demonstrated that SST5 carrying the R240W mutation as well as other mutations in the third intracellular loop maintained the ability to inhibit intracellular cAMP levels similarly to the wild-type but failed to mediate the inhibition of intrace...

Objective: PTP1B is a protein tyrosine-phosphatase, predominantly localized on the endoplasmic reticulum, which plays a major role in the regulation of the tyrosine-kinase activity of the insulin receptor (IR). A better understanding of the dynamics of the interaction between the IR and PTP1B constitutes a major task for the development of compounds that will improve insulin sensitivity.Methods: The BRET methodology represents a major advance for the stu...

Sarcopenic obesity is a clinical condition characterized by the coexistence of excess fat mass and sarcopenia, i.e. a decrease in muscle mass or function. This coincidence leads to an increased risk of complications. Sarcopenia induces increased insulin resistance and worsens the metabolic status of obesity, while impairing functional capacity. Obesity itself can induce changes in muscle mass and function, as a consequence of changes in diet and physical activity and alteratio...

IntroductionThe choice of a specialty in medicine is a decision that is imposed on new graduates. The aim of our study was to assess the perception of the specialty of Endocrinology and Nutrition among a large sample of medical students in their final year of their degree or prior to taking their Medical Internship Examination in order to know if they would choose Endocrinology and Nutrition for their specialised training, as well as the most and least a...

Background: Evidence suggests that muscle mass depletion is associated with poor clinical outcomes in clinical population. However, the significance of sarcopenia in the liver transplantation (LT) population remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence and the impact of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity in cirrhosis patients awaiting LT.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent LT at our center between Jan...

The melanocortin 2 receptor accessory protein (MRAP) is essential for the functional expression of the ACTH receptor/melanocortin 2 receptor (MC2R). The pituitary hormone ACTH acts via this complex to stimulate glucocorticoid production in the adrenal cortex. Using the bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) system we investigated the formation of MC2R–MRAP homo/heterodimers in living cells and the influence of ACTH on these interactions. ACTH was found to have a...

Introduction: β-Arrestins are cytosolic proteins, which play key roles in the desensitization, internalization and signaling of G protein-coupled receptors. Currently, little is known about the role of β-arrestins in the internalization of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R). Therefore, the interaction between β-arrestins and CB1R, and its role in receptor internalization were studied.Materials and methods: The β-arrestin binding of C...

Background: Loss of function mutations of the type-2 vasopressin receptor (V2R) in kidney lead to nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI). The function of mutant receptors can be rescued using ligands resulting sufficient amount of plasma membrane localized V2Rs in a conformation which are able to generate cAMP signal. We examined a previously described, not characterized mutation. In order to determine personalized therapy for the individual the properties of the mutant receptor...