Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: Children with malignant disease are at increased risk of bone disorders, cardiovascular disease and further neoplasia. Vitamin D status may influence this risk and so we assessed Vitamin D levels in children with malignant disease undergoing active treatment or surveillance post-therapy.Study design: This was an outpatient-based cross-sectional study of 60 children with a history of malignancy (cases: median age 11.1 years; range 1.5–24.4...

We have previously shown that β-endorphin reduces muscle fatigue and increases glucose uptake in contracting and non-contracting skeletal muscles of the mouse. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of these peptides on glucose uptake and muscle fatigue in normal mice and obese-diabetic mice (which provide a model for non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, NIDDM). The uptake of glucose into contracting and non-contracting muscle was assessed using the non-metab...

Reproduction is controlled by hypothalamic GnRH acting on the pituitary gonadotrope to regulate LH and FSH. Activin, follistatin, and gonadal steroids modulate the gonadotrope as well. We have created immortalized pituitary gonadotropes and a series of their progenitor cells that represent sequential stages of differentiation. These have allowed the identification of transcription factors responsible for specific developmental transitions such as the initiation of LH and FSH g...

Introduction: Somatostatin and its analogues (SSA) have been reported to have anti-proliferative effects. We have recently demonstrated expression of all 5 somatostatin receptor sub-types in normal and malignant colonic tissue. SOM-230 (Novartis) is a novel SSA that has a wider binding affinity to somatostatin receptors compared to octreotide (OCT). Its effects on proliferation of colonic cancer cells are unknown.Aims: To determine the effects of SOM-230...