Endocrine Abstracts

Insulin resistance is associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome and hypertension. These risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease may be programmed by the early diet. Previous studies have shown poor insulin sensitivity in obese relative to lean sheep. Here, we considered whether insulin sensitivity in pre- and postnatally nutritionally challenged sheep offspring was due to changes at the pancreatic level. Thirty-six twin-bearing ewes were randomly allocate...

Introduction: Increased plasma AVP contributes to the peripheral vasoconstrictor response to acute hypoxaemia in the fetus (Giussani et al. J.Physiol. 477, 81, 1994). We have shown that fetal pre-exposure to umbilical cord compression (UCC) sufficient to restrict fetal blood supply by 30%, markedly blunts the subsequent fetal vasoconstrictor response to hypoxaemia (Gardner et al. Circulation 106: 2278, 2002). This study determined whether this blunting is due to an effect on f...

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In the adult, females release more ACTH and adrenal steroids than males in response to stress, and these differences have been attributed to the stimulatory and inhibitory effects on the HPA axis of oestrogens and androgens, respectively (see Rivier, Pharm. Biochem. Behav. 64(4):739-751, 1999). The effects of sex differences on pituitary-adrenal responses to stress during fetal life remain unknown. This study compared the plasma ACTH and cortisol responses to acute hypoxia in ...

The fetus may successfully respond to acute hypoxaemia, but little is known about what effects prevailing adverse intrauterine conditions might have on these responses. The fetal cardiovascular response to acute hypoxaemia involves increased plasma vasopressin, which aids the redistribution of blood flow away from the periphery towards the fetal brain (Perez et al. Am.J.Physiol. 256:1011-1018, 1989). We investigated the effects of prevailing, but independently-occurring, hypox...

BackgroundInsulin resistance is associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome and hypertension. These risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular may be programmed by the early diet. Here we assessed insulin sensitivity in pre- and postnatally nutritionally challenged offspring at 1 yr of age in sheep.Methods37 twin-bearing ewes were randomly allocated to receive either a control (C, n=24) or nutrient r...

11β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11βHSD) type 2 inactivates cortisol and has not been previously found in ovine or human adipose tissue (1,2). Early-mid nutrient restriction (NR) increases adipose tissue stores in term offspring and upregulates 11βHSD1 mRNA expression in perirenal adipose tissue. We determined the presence of 11βHSD2 mRNA expression in omental adipose tissue of neonatal lambs after early-mid maternal NR.19 twin-beari...

Maternal diet can influence her offspring’s susceptibility to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Dietary excess, particularly of fructose and salt, is characteristic of current ‘Western’ diets consumed by pregnant women. We therefore aimed to determine the effects of high maternal fructose and salt intake on maternal metabolism and fetal development in rats. Thirty-two virgin Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 dietary groups; 1) control diet (CD, n</...

Maternal nutrient restriction has been suggested to influence adult offspring HPA axis function. Here, we have studied maternal global nutrient or specific protein restriction and characterised offspring HPA axis response (of plasma cortisol and metabolite excursions) to an insulin tolerance test at 1 year of age. Thirty-nine pregnant sheep were either fed a control diet (replete in energy and protein; n=12) meeting maintenance energy requirements 1.0 M or were fed a di...

Background: Programmed disruption of the methionine cycle elevates plasma homocysteine concentrations leading to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Elements of this cycle are glucocorticoid responsive. Here we measured plasma cortisol, cysteine, homocysteine, glutathione and its breakdown product cysteinyl-glycine in the fed and fasted state in sheep....