Endocrine Abstracts

The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is an endocrine system within the body that is essential for regulation of blood pressure (BP) and fluid balance. The system is mainly comprised of three hormones renin, angiotensin II (Ang II) and aldosterone. The RAAS pathway is initiated in the kidney with the proteolytic conversion of liver derived angiotensinogen to angiotensin I (Ang I) by renin secreted by juxtaglomerular apparatus of the nephron. Ang I is cleaved by angio...

Puberty, one segment of a larger developmental continuum in humans, is characterized by major transformations in body such as highest growth, sexual development and distribution of fat in different body regions. Leptin is regarded as an essential adipokine that regulates intake of food, expenditure of energy and body fat mass. It is well known that alterations in nutritional states markedly influence growth hormone (GH) secretion, which in turn regulates linear growth, muscle ...

The maturation of hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis causes the onset of puberty, which stimulates the development of secondary sex characteristics and changes in the size and composition of the body. Furthermore, the size of the thyroid gland increases and its function also changes as an adaptation to the requirements of the transformation of child to an adult. It has also been reported that the thyroid hormones including thyroxin (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) have a f...

Puberty, a crucial biological process, ends up in sexual maturation, reproductive capability and adult body size. It is controlled by hypothalamo–pituitary–gonadal axis (HPG), where hypothalamus synthesizes and secretes gonadotropin releasing hormone, which stimulates the adenohypophysis to produce follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). FSH causes formation of sperms and LH stimulates production of testosterone (T). Puberty needs an intact H...

Hypertension or elevated arterial blood pressure (BP) is the most common cause of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The arterial BP is regulated by renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), whereas dysfunctional RAAS may lead to development of hypertension and associated CVDs. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) secreted by parathyroid glands regulates RAAS by directly stimulating aldosterone synthesis in zona glomerulosa cells, which leads to development of hypertension. Conversely, R...

Diabetes mellitus type-II (DM-2) is a metabolic disorder characterized by high blood glucose levels due to insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency. DM-2 often leads to hypertension, a prolonged condition of elevated blood pressure (BP). Both hypertension and diabetes have a pathological role in causing cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). While renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) regulates arterial BP, any pathology in RAAS system may lead to hypertension and rel...

The acceleration in linear growth at puberty is attributed to the combined physiological effects of both somatotropic and gonadal axes. In synergy, growth hormone (GH) and gonadal steroids (testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2)) stimulate longitudinal bone growth through direct stimulation of chondrocytes and osteoblast. Nutrition such as sufficient amount of nutrients including calcium, phosphate, sodium, potassium and iron and vitamins like vitamin D, vitamin A and vitamin C p...

The short children have lower social competence and show more social problems than children with normal stature. The physical appearance has consequences in terms of how short stature children are judged and treated by others as they can be teased or bullied due to short stature, which may affect future prospects of finding a job or a spouse. These psychosocial stressors are risk factors for the psychological adjustment for children of short stature. Stress responses are activ...

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by deficiency of 21-hydroxylase (CYP21), which inhibits adrenal synthesis of cortisol and aldosterone. The reduced cortisol synthesis leads to increased ACTH secretion, which results in adrenal gland hyperplasia, accumulation of steroid precursors and excessive adrenal androgen production, causing pseudoprecocious puberty. The study aimed at determining variance in two SNPs, I172N and V281L, of CYP2...