Endocrine Abstracts

Primary Hyperaldosteronism (PA) is caused by adrenal tumours or bilateral adrenal hyperplasia (Djajadiningrat-Laanen et al., 2011) causing constitutive aldosterone production. Both germline and somatic mutations have been identified in human PA (Scholl, 2022). The commonest somatic mutations in benign tumours causing PA in humans include KCNJ5, CACNA1D, ATP1A1 and ATP2B3 (Williams et al., 2015). It is hypothesized that analogous somatic mutations arise in fel...

Hyperthyroid cats have elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations and suppressed fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) concentrations, both of which normalise following treatment of hyperthyroidism. PTH, FGF-23, and thyroid hormone can influence the renal reabsorption of calcium and phosphate. The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of hyperthyroidism on renal tubular function in cats indirectly, by comparing the FE of electrolytes in hyperthyroid cats w...

Cats are the only species, other than humans, in which naturally occurring, non-malignant hyperthyroidism has been recorded. Feline hyperthyroidism has many similarities to toxic nodular goitre, including age at risk, presentation, histological features and similar ‘switch-on’ mutations of the TSH receptor and linked G-proteins. Subclinical hyperthyroidism is well recognised in humans but has only recently been described in cats. We present preliminary data from a pr...

Background: Addison’s disease (AD) in both humans and dogs is characterised by corticosteroid deficiency requiring lifelong hormone therapy. In humans autoimmune pathogenesis is established; at diagnosis ~90% of patients are 21-hydroxylase (21-OH) autoantibody positive, with antibodies to other adrenal antigens also detected. The pathogenesis of canine AD is less well characterised; autoimmune mechanisms are suspected, with anti-adrenal autoantibodies demonstrated by indi...

Tyrosine availability critically influences thyroid hormone synthesis, and thyroid disorders, such as hyperthyroidism, affect 1% of humans. In contrast, nearly 10% of mature/senior cats develop hyperthyroidism, but colourpoint breeds with mutations in the tyrosinase gene (e.g. Siamese) show reduced risk of developing hyperthyroidism, potentially due to increased availability of tyrosine (related to coat colouration). To establish how tyrosine availability can alter thyroid fun...