Endocrine Abstracts

Cannabinoids and ghrelin are potent appetite stimulators. The ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a), endocannabinoids and the cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptor are expressed in the hypothalamus. There is evidence that the novel CB1 antagonist, rimonabant, causes weight loss by both central and peripheral effects. The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a sensor of cellular energy status and regulates the energy metabolism within the single cell but also at whole body level. We have shown p...

Familial isolated pituitary adenoma (FIPA) occurs if two or more members of a family develop pituitary adenoma with no features of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 or Carney complex. FIPA is an autosomal dominant disease with incomplete penetrance. FIPA families can be divided into two distinct groups based on genetic and phenotypic features. In 20% of FIPA families mutations have been identified in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein (AIP) gene. The AIP-posit...

Somatostatin and its analogues negatively regulate the growth of multiple epithelial cell types. This anti-proliferative effect occurs through multiple mechanisms, one of which is cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase. p27, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, has a negative influence on cell cycle progression, and there are recent data suggesting that somatostatin increases p27 levels. We have previously shown that pituitary adenoma cells contain less p27 protein than normal p...

Background: The most reliable biochemical markers in the follow-up of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) are serum calcitonin (CAL) and carcinoembrional antigen (CEA).Case: A 82 years male presented with rapidly growing neck tumour in April 2008. The patient underwent total thyroidectomy with lymph node dissection (June 2008). The pathology revealed MTC localized only in the left lobe (pT3NoMx), the immunohistology showed CAL-, synaptophysin, chromogranin...

We report the case of a 55 years old female patient with parallel appearance of mucoepidermoid carcinoma and papillary thyroid carcinoma. She had autoimmune adrenal insufficiency and a pulmonary adenocarcinoma cured by lobectomy and external irradiation six years before. She had been referred to our department because of a rapidly growing thyroid nodule. Aspiration cytology suspected papillary tumor and a tumor of non-thyroid origin as well. Thyroidectomy and bilateral neck ly...

Cannabinoids and ghrelin exert hypothalamic orexigenic effects and independent peripheral effects have also been reported. We have recently reported that ghrelin and cannabinoids can stimulate hypothalamic and heart AMPK activity, and can inhibit liver and adipose tissue AMPK activity, in rats (Kola et al., JBC, 2005). These data are concordant with the known orexigenic, adipogenic and diabetogenic effects of these compounds as well as with their beneficial effects on t...