Endocrine Abstracts

Quantification of the catecholamine metabolites, normetadrenaline, metadrenaline and the dopamine metabolite 3-methoxytyramine is widely used as a biochemical investigation for the presence of a phaeochromocytoma. As with any biochemical measurement it is essential that the results are compared against a reference range appropriate for the individual patient.In order to assess the suitability of published reference ranges for these analytes, observed re...

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...

Fifty patients (male:female 23:27) with a phaeochromocytoma or paraganglionoma have been seen within the Oxford hospitals since 1985. Further information has been located on 48. Patients had a median age of 42.6 years (range 19.4-74.6) and a median follow up of 13.9 months postoperatively (range 0.6-146.3). The adenoma was unilateral in 44 cases (88%, left 20, right 22) and bilateral in 4 cases (8% 2 Von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL) 1 Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) 1 Sporadic)....

A Short Synacthen Test (SST) cannot be used to assess the pituitary-adrenal axis immediately post transphenoidal adenectomy (TSA). A 9am cortisol must be used to achieve a balance between avoiding hypoadrenalism and over treating with replacement steroids. In this study we have determined the cut-off levels at which an averaged cortisol is most accurate and at which patients can be safely discharged with/without regular steroids or an emergency pack.62 patients (M:F 34:28) wit...