Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Leptin and adiponectin have opposing properties and are implicated as molecular mediators between obesity and (aggressive) prostate cancer. Adiponectin, circulates inversely proportional to visceral fat accumulation, and has demonstrated anti-proliferative effects in prostate cancer cells; circulating leptin levels increase with visceral fat accumulation and has shown mitogenic effects. We propose that adiponectin and leptin interact in prostate cancer cell growt...

Introduction: Visfatin/PBEF is a novel adipokine circulating inversely proportional to visceral fat mass and exerts insulin-mimetic effects; it is expressed in normal, inflamed and tumour tissues. Visfatin/PBEF has also been identified as NMPRTase, a key intracellular enzyme involved in NAD+ metabolism, replenishing NAD+ during cellular respiration. Inhibition of NMPRTase by the anti-cancer agent FK866 has been shown to induce apoptosis in tumours. Prosta...

Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) and its related peptides, urocortins (UCN), are now emerging as critical regulators of energy balance and homeostasis. These peptides exert their effects through activation of two types of CRH receptors (CRH-R1 and CRH-R2). The role of these peptides as regulators of mammalian thermogenesis and their effects on brown adipose tissue (BAT) have been primarily attributed to modulation of brain centres controlling sympathetic outflow. However,...

Objective: Orexin-A and orexin-B and their G-protein coupled receptors (orexin receptor-1 & -2: OX1R, OX2R) have divergent effects on physiological behaviour, cardiovascular regulation, glucocorticoid and insulin release. Furthermore, orexins have been shown to affect both brown adipose tissue energy expenditure and thermogenesis through stimulation of sympathetic nerve activity. Despite in vivo studies demonstrating a role for orexins acting centrally on adipose ti...

Objective: Orexin-A and orexin-B and their G-protein coupled receptors (orexin receptor-1 & -2: OX1R, OX2R) have divergent effects on physiological behaviour, cardiovascular regulation, glucocorticoid and insulin release. Furthermore, orexins have been shown to affect both brown adipose tissue energy expenditure and thermogenesis through stimulation of sympathetic nerve activity. Despite in vivo studies demonstrating a role for orexins acting centrally on adipose ti...