Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare, but highly malignant endocrine tumor. Surgery is the primary choice of treatment. In case of inoperable disease or tumor recurrence, therapy with the adrenolytic drug mitotane is usually applied. Plasma mitotane concentrations of >14 mg/l (50 μM) seem required for an effect on tumor mass. Despite its clinical use, the effects of mitotane on cell proliferation and hormone production have been poorly investigated <...

Introduction: Ketoconazole is an antifungal agent that, in a high dose, suppresses adrenocortical steroidogenesis by inhibition of cytochrome P-450 dependent enzymes. Currently, ketoconazole is used to decrease cortisol production in patients with Cushing’s syndrome. However, ketoconazole often causes gastrointestinal side effects and hepatotoxicity. Fluconazole may also inhibit steroidogenesis and has the advantage over ketoconazole that it has less side effects. Therefo...