Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: In case of inoperable disease or tumor recurrence, therapy with mitotane (MIT), sometimes in combination with doxorubicin (DOX), etoposide (ETO), cisplatin (CIS) or streptozocin (STREP), is frequently applied in patients with adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). The multidrug resistance pump MDR1 is responsible for resistance of tumor cells to cytostatic drugs. The activity of MDR1 is inhibited by the calcium-channel blocker verapamil. There are equivocal data in the ...

Introduction: ACTH stimulates adrenocortical steroid production through the melanocortin 2 receptor (MC2R). MC2R trafficking and signaling depend on the melanocortin 2 receptor accessory protein (MRAP). The MRAP-homolog MRAP2 also transports the MC2R but prevents effective activation. We investigated expression of these components of the MC2R complex in human adrenal tissues in order to uncover novel regulatory mechanisms and their contribution to ACTH responsiveness.<p cl...

Increasing evidence has recently accumulated suggesting that IGF1 system is involved in the regulation of longevity. While in animal models alterations of IGF1 signalling increase life expectancy, in humans there are contradictory data. Centenarians are an extraordinary model to study human longevity, however, they present a number of drawbacks: rarity, frailty due to extreme age and lack of a control group of the same age. The availability of an age-matched control group is c...

Background: Of the currently available treatment regimes for acromegaly, pegvisomant (PEG-V) has the highest efficacy. During PEG-V treatment, GH serum levels increase. The exact mechanism behind this is remains unclear. It could be explained by an ultra-short feedback loop via GH receptors in the anterior pituitary gland.Objective: To assess the level of GH receptor (GHR) mRNA expression in somatotroph adenomas and to evaluate whether GHR blockade by PE...