Endocrine Abstracts

Context: Exogenous oestrogen administration causes prolactinoma formation in rats and there are anecdotal reports of oestrogen treatment and prolactinoma formation in gender reassignment males to females. It remains unclear whether chronic exposure to high dose oestrogen in women is linked with prolactinoma development.Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of high dose subcutaneous estrogen on prolactin and gonadotrophin levels of 101 wo...

Introduction: MicroRNAs (miRNA) are a novel class of small noncoding single-stranded RNA molecules 18–24 nucleotides long that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. There is increasing evidence of their importance in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), with their differential expression depending on obesity. There is recent evidence that miRNA-93 and mi-RNA-223 may have a role to play in the modulation of insulin resistance, through GLUT4 modulation in...

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 5–10% of reproductive-aged women and is associated with hyperandrogenism and chronic anovulation. Leukocytes, together with granulosa cells, may contribute to the pathogenesis of PCOS via their ability to secrete an array of cytokines implicated in follicle growth.Aim: Using RT-PCR, we screened for the expression of a range of cytokines in ovarian biopsies obtained from PCOS patients and normal individuals to...

SOM230 is one of the long-acting somatostatin analogues, which has been developed for the treatment of neuroendocrine tumours. Recently we found that SOM230 inhibits the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The aim of this study is to further investigate its antiproliferative effect using adult human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) and human dermal microvessel endothelial cells (HDMECs). The expression of SSTRs and the potential mechanism were obs...

Context: There is growing evidence that cannabinoid receptor-1 (CB-1) blockade reduces inflammation and neovascularization by decreasing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels associated with a reduction in inflammatory markers, thereby potentially reducing cardiovascular risk.Objective: To determine the impact of CB1 antagonism by rimonabant on VEGF and inflammatory markers in obese PCOS women.Design: Randomised, open-la...

Isoflavones are a subgroup of phytoestrogens and have a chemical structure similar to oestrogen, leading to concerns regarding possible adverse effects of isoflavones in men. Testosterone levels in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are lower.Materials and methods: A randomised double-blind, parallel study was undertaken with 200 men with T2DM, of median age of 50 years (25th/75th centiles; 50, 55) years with a total testosterone level ≤12 nm...

Background: Endothelial damage is one of the early signs of cardiovascular disorders. Assessing endothelial function in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has shown evidence of cardiovascular disease in the absence of clinically evident disorder. Flow mediated dilation (FMD) and reactive hyperaemia peripheral arterial tonometry (RH-PAT) are the frequently used non-invasive techniques for assessing endothelial function. Both the techniques have been used to assess endo...

: In patients with subclinical hypothyroidism, soy protein and isoflavone combination has been shown to increase the risk of developing overt hypothyroidism; however, it is unclear if soy affects thyroid function in those without existing thyroid compromise.Materials and methods: Two double blind randomised trials were undertaken in which thyroid function was performed routinely at the beginning and end as a secondary end point. In both trials soy protei...

Context: Soy phytoestrogens are suggested to have an adverse effect on thyroid function but the contribution to this by soy protein alone when free from isoflavones is unknown.Objective: The primary aim was to determine the effect of isoflavone free soy protein supplementation on thyroid function, with a secondary aim of assessing the effects on cardiovascular risk indices in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism.Design and sett...

Introduction: Microparticles (MPs) are membrane sheds formed during cell activation or apoptosis and are characteristic to the cell of origin. Microparticles are thought to have procoagulant activity and a potential role in the inflammatory process. They have also been identified as potential cardiovascular risk factor markers. Microparticles are found to be elevated in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Annexin-V is a general apoptosis marker that binds to phospha...