Endocrine Abstracts

Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) dysfunction is closely associated with the rising incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Two distinct types of adipose tissue, white (WAT) and brown (BAT), are present in mammals. Development of ‘brown-like’ adipocytes within white adipose tissue has potential antiobesity and insulin-sensitizing effects. Genetic manipulation of cGMP formation suggests a new role for this pathway in preadipocytes commitme...

Expanding brown adipose tissue is a potential therapeutic strategy to counteract insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and Takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5) activation enhances insulin sensitivity, suggesting the capacity of FXR/TGR5 agonists to promote brown differentiation in adipose tissue. Treatment with increasing doses of the dual FXR/TGR5 agonist INT-767 (3, 10, 30 mg/Kg bw, daily for 5 days a week, by oral gavage, for 12 ...

Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and Takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5) are interesting pharmacological targets for the treatment of liver and metabolic diseases. FXR-deficient mice on a high-fat diet (HFD) exhibit massive hepatic steatosis, necro-inflammation and fibrogenesis. Moreover, pharmacological activation of TGR5 in mice promotes protective mechanisms in biliary epithelial cells and inhibits hepatic and systemic inflammation. Thus, we hypothesized that a FXR/TGR5 du...

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a clustering of metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors, having in insulin resistance the key element. In males, MetS is also associated to hypogonadism. We recently found that high fat diet (HFD)-induced MetS rabbits also developed hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, showing a reduced immunopositivity for gonadotropin relasing hormone (GnRH) in the hypothalamus. In this study, we investigated the pathogenetic link between Mets components and the ...

Liver and visceral ectopic fatty tissue disposition is a major metabolic derangement leading to type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, recapitulated in the metabolic syndrome (MetS). We have demonstrated that the selective FXR agonist obeticholic acid (OCA, INT-747) ameliorates the metabolic profile and reduces visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced rabbit model of MetS. We now report the effects of OCA treatment in HFD (0.5% cholesterol and 4% p...

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) are often comorbid. Chronic inflammation, a determinant pathogenic factor for BPH, is a putative link between the two conditions.Methods: In a multi-center cohort of BPH patients (n=244) who underwent prostatectomy, we evaluated whether MetS is associated with prostatic inflammation in BPH specimens. In addition, we investigated the in vitro inflammatory effects...