Endocrine Abstracts

Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is an autosomal dominant disease due to deficient Porphobilinogen (PBG) deaminase activity. Hyponatremia, found in approximately 20% of symptomatic AIP, is often due to inappropriate ADH secretion (SIADH). An association between AIP and hyperthyroidism is not clearly established. We describe a patient with AIP and SIADH who presented with Graves’ hyperthyroidism. A 35-year-old lady was admitted with lower abdominal pain. Physical examina...

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) form a major constituent of the atherosclerotic plaque providing structural stability. However, increased cell number due to high proliferation rates can lead to greater artery occlusion. Testosterone replacement therapy improves exercise capacity and reduces symptoms of angina in men with coronary artery disease, although its effect upon VSMC growth is currently unknown. Testosterone deficiency is associated with increased atheroma burden a...

Several studies have demonstrated that atherosclerosis is associated with low serum levels of testosterone and replacement therapy reduces myocardial ischaemia in men. Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) apoptosis reduces plaque stability. The role of testosterone if any, in this process is unknown. Testosterone has been demonstrated act via both the classic androgen receptor and by calcium channel antagonism. Calcium channel blockers have been shown to induce VSMC apoptosis. W...

Testosterone therapy has been shown to benefit men with heart failure or coronary artery disease, an activity proposed to be mediated via its vasodilatory efficacy. Testosterone has been demonstrated to dilate human coronary arteries, but it is unknown whether testosterone has a similar action in human pulmonary or systemic vessels.Male patients were recruited from cardiothoracic (n = 14, age = 68 plus/minus 9) or gastrointestinal (n = 8, age = 70 plus/minus 3) operating l...

69-year-old male with background of hypertension and dyslipidaemia was admitted to ENT with a food bolus obstruction. CXR on admission revealed a well-defined mass in the right lower lobe consistent with lung cancer. Oesophagoscopy revealed a narrowing level secondary to external compression. A staging CT of chest and abdomen confirmed a mass on the right base invading the main right lower lobe bronchus. Incidentally there was an 8 cm infra renal abdominal aortic aneurysm. The...

Testosterone deficiency is associated with several cardiovascular risk factors. Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) improves insulin sensitivity, inflammation and cholesterol. Liver X receptor (LXR) is a nuclear receptor which regulates lipid and glucose metabolism, stimulates cholesterol efflux and ApoE, and suppresses inflammation. LXR agonists cause hepatic steatosis but protect against atherosclerosis. TRT attenuates high-cholesterol diet-induced hepatic steatosis in th...

Testosterone deficiency is a common in men with type two diabetes (T2D). We have shown testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) improves insulin resistance and glycaemic control. The mechanisms by which testosterone mediates this action are unknown but may be due to a combination of effects on muscle, liver and adipose tissues. This study investigates the expression of Glut4 and HK2, (two key proteins involved in insulin sensitivity) in muscle tissue of the testicular feminised ...

Prolactin is associated with seasonal transitions into and out of anestrus in the mare. The earliest anestrous transitional changes are declining progesterone secretion and a concomitant prolactin decline. Ovarian changes include slowed follicular development and prolonged luteal activity. Dopamine antagonist administration during the autumnal transition prevented a seasonal progesterone decline, suggesting a cause-and-effect between prolactin and progesterone production. The ...

We present a rare case of hypercalcaemia caused by a parathyroid carcinoma.An asymptomatic 74 year old gentleman was referred with slightly raised alkaline phosphatase and corrected serum calcium the results of which are shown below:Serum Calcium 3.02 mmol/l, Albumin 41 g/l, PTH 18.7 pmol/l, Urine Calcium 10.6 mmol/24 h, TSH 6.3 Mu/l, FT4 12.3 pmol/l, FT3 5.1 pmol/l, TPO antibody >5000 IU/ml, ALP 142 iu/l.<p class="abstext"...

Background: Low testosterone levels are a common finding in men with type 2 diabetes and are also associated with low HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) levels which are an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The androgen receptor CAG repeat polymorphism (AR CAG) and GGN repeat polymorphism (AR GGN) affect receptor function such that shorter AR CAG and AR GGN=23 are associated with greater transcriptional activity in vitro.Methods and results...