Endocrine Abstracts

Selective enhancement of glucocorticoid action in adipose tissue has been shown to induce characteristic features of the metabolic syndrome. Adipocyte-derived factors provide a link between altered adipose tissue mass and function and cardiovascular disease. However, key mechanisms controlling these pathophysiological alterations in adipose tissue are poorly understood. Recently, both, the glucocorticoid (GR) and the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), have been shown to mediate ...

The biguanides metformin and phenformin enhance insulin sensitivity and improve glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes. Metformin is the most prescribed oral agent for type 2 diabetes but phenformin has been withdrawn because of its propensity to cause lactic acidosis. Metformin has a major effect in the liver where it reduces glucose output via AMPK activation. As the adipocyte is now considered to be a critical participant in whole-organism metabolic homeostasis we investigate...