Endocrine Abstracts

Somatostatin (SS) receptors (SSR) expression may be modulated by estrogens in breast cancer cells. Aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of estradiol (E2) on SSR levels in prostate epithelial cells (PEC).Methods: We investigated the effects of E2 and SS-analogue SOM230 combined treatment on two PEC lines: EPN that expresses both ERalfa and beta and CPEC, showing no ERalfa and very low ERbeta expression. Cells starved in red ...

Introduction: The presence of truncated variant of somatostatin receptors (SSTR) has been demonstrated in pituitary tumours. These variants seems act as dominant negative of SSTR and induce the resistance to SST analogue (SSTA) treatment. A variant of SSTR5, sst5TMD4, has been found to disrupt SST signalling in breast cancer cells. In present study, we assayed the expression of sst5TMD4 in two non-transformed epithelial prostate cell lines (EPC): EPN, derived from a normal sur...

Erythrocytosis is a frequent adverse event associated with testosterone (T) administration in aged hypogonadal men, but the mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. T administration to aged men reduced hepcidin (Hpc) levels, a cytokine regulating iron availability, suggesting a potential role in deregulated erythropoiesis. Aim of present study was to evaluate the effects of T replacement therapy on Hpc levels in young hypogonadal men.Methods: Fifty-...

Insulin-like factor 3 (INSL3) is produced by Leydig cells. In boys, the levels of INSL3 rise at pubertal stage P2 and further increase throughout puberty in close correlation with T and LH concentrations. In men with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) INSL3 levels have been found very low and increased after short-term hCG treatment. Whether FSH plays a role in regulating INSL3 secretion is questioned. Aim of this study was to evaluate serum INSL3 levels during long-term hCG a...

Prokineticins (PK1 and PK2) are peptides regulating multiple biological processes through two G-protein coupled receptors, PK-R1 and PK-R2. PK2/PKR2 signalling is critical for neurogenesis of olfactory bulb and GnRH migration. Mutant mice lacking PKR2 have abnormal development of olfactory bulb and reproductive system atrophy, suggesting that these genes may be novel candidate for Kallmann syndrome (KS) in humans. Recently, mutations in PK2 and PKR2 genes have been found in ne...

The regulation of insulin-like factor 3 (INSL3) secretion from Leydig cells is still incompletely clarified. In this study we measured INSL3 serum levels in transsexual men under estrogen (E) and antiandrogen therapy or after orchiectomy. The effects of gonadotropins on testicular secretion in vitro was also evaluated.Methods: Blood samples were obtained from 14 transsexual men under long-term E (n=5) or E plus cyproterone acetate (E+CPA, <...

Raloxifene (RAL) is a selective estrogen receptor (ER) modulator (SERM) proposed for chemoprevention of breast cancer and osteoporosis. SERMs exert agonist–antagonist effects depending on tissue or ERs expressed. RAL induces apoptosis in both androgen-dependent and independent cell lines, suggesting a selective activation of ERβ and prevalent antagonist effect on ERα in prostate cells (PC). In this study we evaluated effects of estradiol (E2) and RAL on epitheli...