Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Germ cell tumors (germinoma, teratoma, embryonal carcinoma, yolk sac tumor and choriocarcinoma) constitute 0.3–3.4% of all primary intracraneal tumors. Germinoma is the most common and of better prognosis.Aim: Describing the behaviour of germ cell tumors of the pituitary–hypothalamic region: location, clinical characteristics, diagnosis and follow-up.Material and methods: Review of medical records of patients ...

Introduction: Since there is no completely effective therapy available for malignant phaeochromocytomas (PCCs) and paragangliomas, we have been investigating novel targeted therapies utilising one more benign (MPC) and one more malignant (MTT) PCC cell line. We have previously shown that the IGF1-receptor-inhibitor NVP-AEW541 led to compensatory ERK and mTORC1 up-regulation at suboptimal doses and that the dual PI3K/mTORC1-inhibitor NVP-BEZ235 also resulted in compensatory ERK...

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...

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...

Ghrelin is an orexigenic hormone, the endogenous ligand of the previously orphan growth-hormone-secretagogue receptor (GHS-R). Recently, it has been reported that pancreatic beta-cells are replaced by ghrelin-producing cells in a diabetic mice model implicating these genes as attractive candidates in the aetiology of type 2 diabetes (T2D) (PNAS;101:2924). The ghrelin gene is located at 3p25-26 and its cognate receptor at 3q26. We aimed to test for an association of these two g...

Introduction: Thyroid autoimmunity is related to iodine supply. Iodine nutrition has improved in our country, but the prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis in our children is unknown.Objectives: To determine the status of iodine nutrition in children and adolescents in our city. To calculate local prevalence of thyroid autoimmunity and autoimmune thyroiditis in pediatric ages.Design: Cross-sectional epidemiological study.<p clas...

Introduction: The autosomal dominant multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1), characterized by parathyroid hyperplasia (PH), neuroendocrine digestive tumours (NET) and pituitary adenomas (PA), is due to mutations in the tumor suppressor gene MEN1 encoding a 610-amino acid protein, menin. Guidelines recommend MEN1 mutational analysis in index cases with two or more MEN1-associated tumours, in first-degree relatives of mutation carriers and when clinical dat...