Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia is a rare cause of Cushing’s syndrome (CS) characterized by multiple adrenal nodules >1 cm. It can be diagnosed in patients with overt CS but is more often diagnosed incidentally, especially in the 5th or 6th decades of life.Clinical case: 61-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes, arterial hypertension and dyslipidemia treated with metformin+sitagliptin 1000/50 mg bid, valsartan+hydrochlorot...

IntroductionMetabolic homeostasis in the testis is essential for a healthy spermatogenesis. Insulin is regarded as one of the most important intervenients in the metabolic regulation of spermatogenesis, where it acts directly on the differentiation of spermatogonia into primary spermatocytes or indirectly through the metabolic modulation of Sertoli cells. Additionally, insulin is hypothesized to play a major role on human spermatozoa capacitation, althou...

Introduction: Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is rare in the paediatric population when compared to adults. Paediatric patients often present with advanced disease at diagnosis, characterized by multifocal disease, heightened lymph node involvement, and distant metastasis. Additionally, they face a higher risk of post-operative complications in comparison to adults. Despite that, paediatric DTC exhibits an excellent prognosis.Methods: A retrospective...

Introduction: Adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare type of cancer that usually has a dismal prognosis. The concurrent hormonal excess of some of these tumours can have an additional negative impact on patients´ morbidity and mortality.Clinical Case: We present the case of a 57-year-old woman diagnosed with stage IV adrenocortical carcinoma, with liver and bone metastasis, and associated ACTH-independent Cushing syndrome and hyperandrogenism. The patie...

Introduction: Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) originate from neuroendocrine islet cells and can therefore secrete several neuropeptides. Multiple and secondary hormone secretion have been described in a minority of cases, mostly with advanced disease, and it has been hypothesized that this complex secretion pattern can serve as a marker for tumor behavior.Case report: Male patient, 69 years old, diagnosed with a glucagonoma with pulmonary and he...

Infertility is a growing concern in Western countries. Several factors, including lifestyle habits and increased prevalence of chronic disorders associated with hormonal alterations, increased chronic inflammation and systemic oxidative stress (such as obesity and diabetes mellitus), are contributing to the reduction of reproductive potential among males in modern societies. Evidence suggests these factors negatively impact human sperm quality resulting in a combination of alt...

Introduction: Mitochondrial uncoupling proteins (UCPs) are mitochondrial transmembrane channels belonging to the anion carrier family. Six UCP homologues (UCP1-6) had been identified with a ubiquitous distribution throughout the body and many different physiological functions. UCPs are important regulators of several biological processes, including thermogenesis, oxidative phosphorylation, ROS production, as well as cellular metabolism. However, the knowledge concerning the mo...

Infertility is a global health problem that affects about 15% of couples and approximately half of infertility cases are associated with male factors. Oxidative Stress (OS) is reported as one of the major causes of male infertility, mainly due to spermatozoa’s vulnerability to the attack of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Infertile couples often recur to assisted reproductive technology (ART) to achieve a successful pregnancy. However, ART protocols also increase the expos...

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 ...

Introduction: Mitochondrial uncoupling proteins (UCPs) are transmembrane channels present in the inner mitochondrial membrane whose function is the transport of protons and small substrates between the intermembrane space and the mitochondrial matrix. UCPs are key regulators of cellular metabolism, including mitochondrial function, oxidative phosphorylation, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. UCPs’ dysfunction has been associated with the onset of metabolic dis...