Endocrine Abstracts

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an insulin-resistant state characterized by an increased low-level inflammation and oxidative stress which are probably the initiation of diabetes-related cardiovascular complications. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of Mediterranean-style diet on inflammation and atherosclerosis markers in T2DM patients. Twenty-five overweight/obese T2DM patients (age 54.1±1.9 years, diabetes duration 7.8±1.3 years, HbA1c...

Pregnancy is associated with increased maternal plasma lipid levels, an important physiological response to support the nutritional demand of the developing fetus and mother. The homeostatic controls of metabolically active organs are known to change in response to pregnancy signals. We hypothesised that pregnancy affects brown adipose tissue (BAT) phenotype and function and as a consequence plays a role in the regulation of fetal development and growth....

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is now the most common liver disease in children and young people. NAFLD can progress to cirrhosis and is associated with cardiometabolic morbidity and mortality, often requiring liver transplant. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) expends energy for thermogenesis when activated by pharmacological agents, e.g. β3-adrenergic receptor agonists, or environmental signals such as cold exposure. We hypothesise that intermittent cold...

Alterations in maternal metabolism can programme disease in the offspring. Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy is a liver disease of pregnancy that presents with increased maternal serum bile acids (BA) and dyslipidaemia. We aimed to investigate whether cholestatic pregnancy affects the subsequent health of the offspring. We developed a cholestatic mouse model by supplementation of a normal chow (NC) diet with 0.5% cholic acid during pregnancy. 18 weeks old female and male o...

Epidemiological studies have identified the intrauterine environment as a major contributor to increased rates of metabolic disease in adults, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a common liver disease of pregnancy that affects 0.5–2% pregnant women and is characterised by increased bile acid (BA) levels in the maternal serum. The influence of ICP on the metabolic health of offspring is unknown.<p class="...