Endocrine Abstracts

Natriuretic peptides and their cGMP-synthesizing guanylyl cyclase receptors (GC-A, receptor for ANP and BNP; GC-B, for CNP) are critically involved in the regulation of arterial blood pressure (all NPs) and skeletal growth (only CNP). Both receptors are expressed in all cardiac cell types, although at different densities. GC-A is expressed at higher levels in endothelial and smooth muscle cells, whereas GC-B predominates in myocytes and fibroblasts. In heart failure (HF) patie...

The estrogen receptors ERα and ERβ are currently considered important molecules in glucose and lipid metabolism, although their specific roles in pancreatic β-cells are still greatly unknown.The function of pancreatic β-cells is the biosynthesis and release of insulin, the only hormone able to decrease blood glucose levels. It has been recently described that ERα plays an essential role in the regulation of insulin biosynthesis b...