Endocrine Abstracts

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....

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...

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrinopathies in women of reproductive age and, accounts for 80% of the causes of anovulatory infertility. Despite PCOS being often associated with obesity and insulin-resistance, these are not invariably present. As PCOS aetiology and underlying mechanisms remain unclear, clinical management is limited to target symptoms. Recent evidence suggested the potential of GLP-1 receptor agonists therapies in ameliorating P...

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) and insulin resistance (IR) in kidney cells are considered the main cause of end-stage renal failure. Additionally, hyperglycemia and increased fatty (FA) acids are observed in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, where lipid accumulation has been correlated to IR. Nonetheless, the impact of IR in early disease stages is still unclear. Moreover, proximal renal tubular cells have high mitochondrial content where aerobic respiration is their primary ...

Introduction: Mitochondrial uncoupling proteins (UCPs) are transmembrane channels present in the inner mitochondrial membrane whose function is the transport of protons and small substrates between the intermembrane space and the mitochondrial matrix. UCPs are key regulators of cellular metabolism, including mitochondrial function, oxidative phosphorylation, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. UCPs’ dysfunction has been associated with the onset of metabolic dis...

Introduction: Mitochondrial uncoupling proteins (UCPs) are channel proteins present in the mitochondrial inner membrane which are responsible for the transport of protons between the mitochondrial intermembrane space and the matrix. Currently, six UCP homologues had been identified (UCP1-6). UCPs are major regulators of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, general cellular redox state and metabolism. UCPs also exhibit specific functions, such as UCP1 and thermogenesis or ...

Metabolic and endocrine dysregulation induced by high-fat diet (HFD) can lead to decreased male fertility potential and have a negative impact on the offspring’s metabolic health. Small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) were proposed as being potential mediators of metabolic queues across transgenerational inheritance. During development and epidydimal transit, spermatozoa become enriched with tRNA-derived stress-induced RNAs (tiRNAs). This sncRNAs class appears to be particularl...

Introduction: Atrazine is one of the most widely used pesticides worldwide and a common contaminant in human drinking water. Atrazine is also a potent endocrine disruptor capable of causing a variety of negative health outcomes, including decreased testosterone production and infertility. Although harmful effects of atrazine on male reproductive health have been reported, little is known about its molecular mechanisms. Within the seminiferous tubules, Sertoli cells are respons...