Endocrine Abstracts

Probucol is a traditional anti-hyperlipidemic agent harboring marked antioxidant activity. While probucol is highly hydrophobic, its succinic acid ester, succinobucol, was reported as a water-soluble derivative and was in clinical trials. Succinobucol was shown to be more potent in lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic effects than probucol in animal models. In addition, succinobucol reduced HbA1c in diabetic patients. Although the clinical trials finally ende...

T Yoshimura, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan AbstractProf. Takashi Yoshimura graduated from the Graduate School of Agriculture, Nagoya University in 1996. In 1995 he was awarded the JSPS Research Fellowship for young scientists and between 1996 and 1999 he worked as a Research Associate at the School of Agriculture, Nagoya University. At the same institution he was Assistant professor until 2005 and later became the ...

For years it was thought that the excess male mortality compared to age-matched females was explained by unhealthy behaviours that were more acceptable for men, and not the inherent sex differences in biology. The intention of this review is to illustrate whether it is our environment, hormones or genes that really make the sexes different in terms of the cardiovascular system. My focus will be on the genetic difference between men and women, in particular, the Y chromosome, a...

Appropriate timing of various seasonal processes, such as reproduction, migration and hibernation, is crucial to the survival of animals living in temperate regions. Although this phenomenon has been studied for decades, the underlying mechanisms of seasonal changes in behavior are not well understood. Medaka fish (Oryzias latipes) are an excellent model for studying seasonal adaptation, as they are active and exhibit clear phototaxis in conditions simulating summer, ...

The inhibition of aldosterone activity is a significant approach for preventing the progression of cardiovascular diseases in hypertensive patients. We hypothesized that N-type calcium channels might regulate aldosterone biosynthesis and firstly examined in vivo studies using rats. We investigated the effects of cilnidipine, an L-/N-type calcium channel blocker (CCB), and nifedipine, an L-type CCB, on aldosterone levels and found that only cilinidipine significantly red...

Animals living outside the tropics use changes in daylength to adapt to seasonal changes in environment, but the molecular and endocrine mechanisms underlying seasonal reproduction are not fully understood. The Japanese quail is a robust model for the study of these mechanisms because of its rapid and dramatic response to changes in photoperiod. In the previous study, we have demonstrated that local thyroid hormone catabolism within the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) by thyroid...

Introduction: Couple’s infertility is a major public health problem. Its prevalence is estimated at 15%. In half of the cases, this infertility is of male origin. Different etiologies may be involved, among which genetic abnormalities of the Y chromosome. In this context, we report the cases of two patients with a structural abnormality of the Y chromosome responsible for the abnormalities of spermatogenesisCase Description: The first 26-year-old ca...

The hypothalamus regulates multiple homeostatic systems, and is essential for the regulation of appetite and energy balance. Neuropeptide Y, a 36 amino acid peptide and member of the PP-fold family, is a key hypothalamic neuropeptide involved in the regulation of energy balance, potently stimulating food intake following central administration. NPY is expressed in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and NPYergic neurones project to multiple hypothalamic nuclei and extra-hypothalamic sit...

Introduction: Vasovagal syncope (VVS) is a transient loss of conscioussness due to hypoperfusion of the brain caused by vasodepressoric and/or cardioinhibitory reflex. In the pathogenesis, a dysregulation of autonomic nervous system is playing an important role. There is a growing evidence about more complex neurohumoral background of VVS. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is hormone involved in the regulation of blood pressure with potent vasoconstriction effect. Moreover, NPY is also a c...

Introduction: Patients presenting with isodicentric chromosome Y (idicY) formation in a mosaic karyotype can present with phenotypic features ranging from mixed gonadal dysgenesis, to females with stigmata of Turner’s syndrome. The presence of the SRY gene increases the risk of germ-cell tumours.Case report: A 12-year-old prepubertal girl was referred for evaluation of extreme short stature (height 122 cm; −4.58 SDS; weight 26.7 kg; a...