Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF) are the key transcription factor induced by hypoxic condition, which regulate expression of specific target genes including angiogenic factors, erythropoietin, glucose transporters, and glycolytic enzymes. Recently, many studies connected to intracellular calcium levels and regulation of HIF-1α protein level. Calbindin-D9k is a cytosolic calcium-binding protein and compensate with other calcium transporter protein f...

Introduction: Calbindin-D9k (CaBP-9k), which is a calcium ion buffering and transporter gene, is known to be regulated by the vitamin D and steroid hormones, and is mainly expressed in mammalian intestine, kidney and uterus. However, CaBP-9k expression in lung has not been studied. Maintaining lung structure using pulmonary surfactant is important for pulmonary gas exchange. Steroids are known to accelerate maturation of the fetal lung and secretion of surfactant. Otherwise th...

Introduction: 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) has been associated with several human metabolic disorders and is converted from inactive 11-keto form to glucocorticoid (GC or cortisol). GC overproduction or hypercortisolism is a major diagnostic factor of Cushing syndrome and Anorexia. GCs regulate carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism.Materials and methods: Previously we established porcine fibroblasts overexpressing 11&#...

It has been proposed that cellular Ca2+ signals activate hormone secretion. In pancreatic β cells, which produce insulin, Ca2+ signals have been known to contribute to insulin secretion. In previous study, demonstrated that endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as bisphenol A (BPA) and Octylphenol (OP) could cause increase in insulin level and insulin transcription factors. But in regulations of plasma glucose level were not decreased as much as...

Introduction: Phthalates are chemicals used to improve the plasticity of industrial polymers and used in commercial products such as toys, paints, packaging materials, medicals devices and personal care items. Phthalates, endocrine disrupting chemicals, have been documented to cause adverse effects to the human health such as breast cancer in female, reduced uroogenital distance and changed the expression of steroidogenesis and folliculogenessis. In this study, we investigated...

Glucocorticoid, known as cortisol, is a steroid hormone essential to the maintenance of homeostasis, and is released in response to stress and low blood glucose concentration. It is converted from cortisone by 11β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β HSD1). The liver plays a major organ in metabolism, has numerous functions, mostly consists of hepatocytes, and is a principal target of cortisol. In murine model, it was observed that too much cortisol or overexpres...

Sex steroid hormones effect on the early embryo-development and regulate the calcium signaling in cardiac muscle. Progesterone (P4) has been reported to affect both blood pressure and other aspects of the cardiovascular system. To confirm the effect of P4 on early differentiation of mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells into cardiomyocytes, the hanging-drop method was performed to form embryoid bodies (EB). The mouse EBs (mEB) were suspended, attached onto six well plates and cultu...

Placenta exchanges vital factors including oxygen, carbon dioxide, cation (copper, iron, calcium) and glucose that are essential to fetal growth. Copper, iron, calcium cation and glucose transfer genes are regulated by reproduction-related hormones, vitamin D and human placental lactogen. These molecules are transferred by specific receptors located on cell membrane or cytoplasm in placenta. These substances disturb action of reproduction-related hormones (ex> estrogen, pr...

Synthesized chemicals that not existed in the environment have been troubled endocrine physiology. These endocrine disruptors (EDs) had been noted and replaced with other chemicals. Most of compound banned for production act as an estrogen. But other than estrogen, especially thyroid hormone related EDs are noted for early brain and neural development. Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are representative known as thyroid disruptor because of its structural similarity. 2,4,6-t...

Calcium is important for physiological functioning in many tissues and is essential in mucus secretion and muscle contraction. Intracellular concentrations of calcium are regulated by calcium-related proteins such as TRPV4, TRPV6, CaBP-9k, NCX1, and PMCA1. In this study, the relationship between secretion of pulmonary mucus and calcium regulation was investigated. To confirm the effect of steroid hormones, immature mice were injected with estrogen (E2) or progesterone (P4) and...