Endocrine Abstracts

Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) metabolic fingerprints differ according to the individual’s BMI and glycemic status. GLP-1 and Glucagon are two hormones that participate in energy homeostasis and glycemic control. Dual GLP-1/Glucagon agonists are a drug class under development for obesity and diabetes treatment. Although the pancreas and the liver are considered major GLP-1 and glucagon targets, these hormones act in other tissues, which could contribute for its effects on ...

Obesity incidence is increasing globally at an alarming rate, particularly amongst children and young adults. Male obesity has been linked with a reduction in sperm quality and consequently decreased fertilization rates. Seminal vesicles are considered fundamental for male fertility and though for men’s health. Vesicle seminal secretion contributes to a significant volume of seminal fluid, being extremely important for semen coagulation and sperm motility. Recent studies ...

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....

Metabolic disorders, such as overweight and obesity, are serious health societal challenges due to their high incidence rates. Obesity leads to metabolic dysregulation, promoting hormonal imbalance, oxidative stress, and a chronic inflammation state. Eating habits towards the intake of highly caloric fat-rich regimes induce epigenetic changes in the information transgenerationally transmitted. Furthermore, obesity promotes carcinogenesis. It is known that the prostate is sensi...

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most prevalent endocrine disorder of women at reproductive-age and accounts for 80% of the causes of anovulatory infertility. Despite the widely characterized reproductive, endocrine, and metabolic abnormalities, the mechanisms underlying PCOS remain unclear. Thus, it is essential to identify novel biomarkers that will allow to disclosure novel pathways involved PCOS pathophysiology, which could then be used to improve PCOS manage...

Low testosterone levels are one of the causes of male infertility since testosterone is a crucial hormone for the regular functioning of the male reproductive tract. Testosterone is produced by Leydig cells (LC) in a process called testicular steroidogenesis, and if these cells are injured in any way, then the steroid production may be compromised. Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) are a group of substances that disturbs hormonal signaling. Their chemical nature and mode o...

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...

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...