Endocrine Abstracts

The measurement of plasma renin activity is required in a number of clinical situations, in particular screening for primary aldosteronism (PA) and monitoring mineralocorticoid replacement therapy. PA is a treatable cause of hypertension and has an estimated prevalence of up to 20% amongst resistant hypertensives. Consequently, recent guidelines now recommend screening for PA in all patients groups with a high prevalence of PA. At present, the most reliable method of screening...

Background: During fetal development, the heart switches substrate preference from glucose to fatty acids, such that in the adult heart, 50–70% of ATP is derived from fatty acid oxidation. What triggers this switch is currently unclear. In vivo, the late gestation rise in glucocorticoid levels is essential for structural and functional maturation of the fetal heart. Glucocorticoid treatment of fetal cardiomyocytes induces express...

Background: During fetal development, the heart switches substrate preference from glucose to fatty acids, such that in the adult heart, 50–70% of ATP is derived from fatty acid oxidation. What triggers this switch is currently unclear. In vivo, the late gestation rise in glucocorticoid levels is essential for structural and functional maturation of the fetal heart. Glucocorticoid treatment of fetal cardiomyocytes induces express...

Background: Diabetes mobile phone applications (hereafter referred to as diabetes apps) are a promising tool for self-management. Due to the ubiquitous, low cost, interactive and dynamic health promotion, and there is potential for a cost-effective intervention in diabetes self-care. However, there is uncertainty of the clinical effectiveness.Objectives: To investigate the effect of mobile phone applications on glycemic control in the self -management of...

Background: Oral corticosteroids are a known risk factor for developing osteoporosis and subsequent fracture at higher bone mineral density than post menopausal osteoporosis. Bone loss is thought to be most pronounced in the first 12 weeks of steroid use, and existing guidelines recommend a fracture risk assessment and appropriate osteoporosis prophylaxis with calcium and vitamin D supplements and bisphosphonates. There is also a recognized role for FRAX scoring to help strati...

Introduction: Aldosterone is a potent adrenal steroid hormone which regulates renal sodium reabsorption and potassium secretion. Clinically, measurement of aldosterone is important to identify patients with primary hyperaldosteronism, and has traditionally been performed by immunoassay. The specificity of immunoassays is often poor due to antibody cross reactivity to other structurally related steroid hormones, resulting in falsely elevated concentrations. To overcome these li...

Various psychiatric conditions have been associated with stress and alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity. Yet while stress is a general phenomenon, illness is only seen in a proportion of individuals, suggesting genetic modifiers of ability to cope with stress. 11-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (HSD1) regenerates corticosterone from inert 11-dehydrocorticosterone, amplifying the levels of glucocorticoids and is expressed in the brain. To deter...

Bone is the major sink and store for calcium and it fulfils essential roles in the maintenance of extracellular free ionised calcium concentration ([Ca2+e)within its homeostatic range (1.1 to 1.3mM). In response to acute hypercalcaemia or hypocalcaemia, Ca2+ is rapidly transported into or out of bone. Bone turnover (and therefore bone Ca2+ turnover) achieves the long term correction of the [Ca2+e] by the metabolic actions of osteoblasts (i.e., bone-forming cells) and osteoclas...

The global prevalence of obesity continues to rise, creating a growing need for new effective medicines. Selective targeting of visceral obesity (fat around the internal organs) would be particularly advantageous because it carries a greater risk for cardiometabolic diseases. The ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase (ENPP) enzyme family participates in several pathological conditions including diabetes (ENPP1, and ENPP2, also known as autotaxin) and vascular dysfunction (ENPP3-4). O...

• A 54-year old Lithuanian man presented with symptomatic hyperglycaemia and weight loss.• A diagnosis of new onset diabetes type 2 was confirmed for which he received treatment. In addition, his serum potassium remained low despite of intervention.• CXR was done and showed a bulky right sided hilar mass.• The combination of refractory hypokalaemia, hyperglycaemia, and lung cancer suspicio...