Endocrine Abstracts

Ageing in men is accompanied by a decline in serum testosterone (T) levels and increased risk of cardiovascular disease, osteopenia, visceral obesity and impaired metabolism. These conditions have complex aetiologies that may share a common pro-inflammatory state. We investigated the impact of T therapy on cytokines and angiogenic factors involved in atherosclerosis and bone loss, in hypogonadal men who underwent androgen replacement. We carried out a 6 months, randomized, dou...

Background: Since the preliminary epidemiological data concerning the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been availabe, clear sex disparity has been evident, with males, although not more frequently affected, often experiencing worse outcomes when compared to women. The short and long term andrological effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have not been clarified. The aim of the present study is to systematically review and meta-analyze all available data regardi...

Introduction: The chronic reduction of sleep duration is associated to an increased risk of weight gain, but mechanistic aspects remain to be fully elucidated. The aim of our study was to examine the relationship between short sleep duration and energy metabolism, fuel selection and energy balance in overweight and obesity. Methods: Inclusion criteria were: age 18–65 years, BMI ≥25 kg/m2. Use of any CNS medications, any psychiatric disorders and night shi...

Introduction: Physical exercise exerts several effects on endocrinological homeostasis and, in particular, sprint exercise elicits the largest testosterone response per unit of work, while in response to prolonged endurance exercise testosterone levels will typically decline. In contrast to a large amount of paper about the modification of testosterone during physical exercise few study evaluated how DHT was influenced by a single bout of aerobic exercise.<p class="abstext...

The importance of measuring renin or plasma renin activity (PRA) and aldosterone in establishing mineralocorticoid deficiency is not in doubt. Once mineralocorticoid replacement therapy is initiated, guidance suggests that optimization of mineralocorticoid dose should be based upon measurements of blood pressure, renin (or PRA), and electrolytes. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between renin and clinically important variables to determine whether measurem...

Background: Testicular ultrasound (US) is routinely employed in the evaluation of reproductive and sexual function. However, its use for characteristics other than testicular volume is hampered by a lack of information on the prognostic value of its findings, that to date have only been incorporated in a score proposed by Lenz et al. in 1993.Objectives: We sought to explore whether testicular US examination can predict spermatogenesis and provid...

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is often associated with male hypogonadism. The role of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in T2DM has not been completely clarified. To systematically analyse the relationship between androgen levels and T2DM by reviewing and meta-analyzing available prospective and cross-sectional studies. In addition, a specific meta-analysis on the metabolic effects of TRT in available randomised clinical trials (RCTs) was also performed.</...

In type 2 diabetes (T2DM), cardiomiopathy is characterized by an impairment of diastolic performance resulting in ventricular hypertrophy and dilatation. Heart remodelling leads to an increase in its angle of torsion, measurable by innovative cine-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To evaluate the impact of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors (PDE5i) on cardiovascular performance in T2DM, we designed a randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind (subject/outcome assessor) study on ...

Objective: Endocannabinoids (CBs) are novel lipid mediators that modulate appetitive behaviour and energy metabolism. The overactivation of the endocannabinoid system plays an important role in obesity. Endocannabinoids may regulate the lipid metabolism through their receptors (CB1 and CB2) in liver and adipose tissue. 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD1) type 1 regulates the local availability of active glucocorticoid, potent inductors of adipogenic different...

Introduction: In humans, testosterone treatment affects body fat distribution and metabolism. The mechanisms involved in these processes are not yet fully understood. We investigated whether sex hormones modulate the expression and activity of type1 11-β-hydroxy-steroid-dehydrogenase (11β-HSD1). 11β-HSD1 catalyses the conversion of inactive cortisone into active cortisol, a key step for the development of functional adipocytes. Based on previous studies an inhib...