Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Pregnancy leads to extensive adaptations in the female’s body, by changing the secretion and responses to several hormones. GH is required for fetal nutrition, growth during pregnancy and for mammary development and lactation, although its central effects are not completely clarified.Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate whether central GH signaling regulates physiological and metabolic adaptations during pregnancy.<p class...

The hormone leptin is required for the energy balance regulation. However, leptin also controls many other biological functions. Among these actions, some authors suggest that leptin exhibits neurotrophic effects in early life and plays a key role in the development of neurocircuitries that regulate energy metabolism. However, the precise role of leptin during development is still unclear. Thus, our study had the objective to investigate the consequences of the absence of lept...

In utero exposure to maternal obesity programs an increased risk of obesity. Animal models have shown that offspring obesity is often preceded by increased food intake, however, the mechanisms that mediate these changes are not understood. Using a mouse model of maternal diet-induced obesity we observed increased intake specifically of a high-fat pellet in adult offspring of obese mothers. Through small RNA sequencing, we identified programmed overexpression of miR-505-5p in t...

Growth hormone (GH) is an important factor involved in the regulation of multiple biological functions. Although the influence of GH is widespread throughout several organs and tissues, the effects of GH on brain functions, such as those related to reproductive functions, are still elusive. GH deficiency or resistance can be related to late puberty onset, lack of sexual maturation and infertility. In contrast, GH therapy can accelerate puberty onset or be used to increase preg...

Growth hormone (GH) responsive cells are extensively distributed in central nervous system, including in neurons of the arcuate (ARH) and ventromedial nucleus (VMH) of hypothalamus, areas that control food intake, energy expenditure and blood glucose. During metabolic stresses, such as food restriction and hypoglycemia, GH secretion is stimulated and may be important to maintain survival. In the present study, we first verified that an acute GH injection stimulates food intake...

Journal of Molecular Endocrinology, 2019, 64(1): 13–27 (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1530/JME-19-0158)...