Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: There are limited data on the incidence and prevalence of pituitary adenomas (PA). Although classically considered rare, systematic assessments from autopsy and radiological studies have shown a prevalence of 17% in the general population.Objective: We describe the epidemiologic of PA in Braga, the third most populous district of Portugal (860 000 inhabitants, 2673 km2), over the last 20 years.Methods: We r...

Metabolic diseases represent a threatening worldwide epidemic that affects the entire body. It is known that metabolic diseases, namely diabetes, and obesity affect spermatogenesis via suppressing testosterone synthesis, inducing oxidative stress and other changes that lead to decreased male fertility. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) receptor agonists, like liraglutide, are pharmacological agents recommended to normalize glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus....

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) and insulin resistance (IR) in kidney cells are considered the main cause of end-stage renal failure. Additionally, hyperglycemia and increased fatty (FA) acids are observed in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, where lipid accumulation has been correlated to IR. Nonetheless, the impact of IR in early disease stages is still unclear. Moreover, proximal renal tubular cells have high mitochondrial content where aerobic respiration is their primary ...

Background: Permanent hypoparathyroidism can result from immune-mediated destruction of the parathyroid glands. Alternatively it may result from activating antibodies to the calcium sensing receptor that decrease parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion. Autoimmune hypoparathyroidism is a common feature of poliglandular autoimmune syndrome type I. Other causes, all very rare, include irradiation and storage of infiltrative diseases of the parathyroid glands. Neurological signs of h...

Introduction: Anorchia or vanishing testis syndrome is defined as the absence of testicular tissue in genetic and phenotypic males. To establish this diagnosis certain criteria must be present, namely non palpable testis during examination under anaesthesia and blind ending spermatic vessels visualized within the retroperitoneu, or the spermatic vessels and vas deferens exiting a closed internal inguinal ring. Bilateral congenital anorchia affects one in 20 000 males.<p cl...

The modulation of appetite, satiation and food intake stems from the interplay of central mechanisms of homeostasis, hedonism and cognitive control, receiving and integrating information on energy balance and feeding status of the body from peripheral organs, including dietary and gut-related signals. Obesity is a phenotype, likely resulting from the dysregulation of one or more of the above mechanisms. Different mechanisms may prevail in different people, though leading to a ...

The neural crest-derived, catecholamine-secreting tumors pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas are genetically heterogeneous. More than one-third of these tumors result from germline mutations in one of at least ten genes that belong to a variety of functional classes. Characterization of the molecular signals transduced by these genes and their respective mutants has enhanced our understanding of kinase signaling pathways, hypoxia regulation, and the link between metabolic dis...

That obesity protects mammals from osteoporosis led us to show in the past that bone remodeling, and thereby bone mass, is regulated by the adipocyte-derived hormone leptin via a central relay and the sympathetic nervous system. To test whether in response to this regulation bone could exert a feedback control of energy homeostasis we performed a functional genetic screen in mice designed to identify genes expressed specifically in osteoblasts, encoding signaling molecules and...

Introduction: Leydig cell tumors are a type of steroid cell tumor, account for 0.1% of all ovarian tumors. The clinical presentation is usually a hyperandrogenic state with signs of virilisation. The tumor has a benign behavior, with an excellent prognosis and reversion of symptoms after surgical treatment.Case report: Woman, 81 years-old, nulliparus, with clinic hyperandrogenism and vaginal bleeding during the last year. She had history of dementia synd...

Background: Apart from signs of hyperprolactinaemia, patients with macroadenomas with extrasellar extension generally seek medical attention due to mass effect. Macroprolactinomas, particularly in men, may occasionally exhibit a very aggressive clinical course.Case report: Male 37 years old that went to a Neurology consultation complaining of progressively more frequent self-limiting episodes of restraint, silence and time and space disorientation in the...