Endocrine Abstracts

Glucocorticoids suppress insulin secretion, inhibit glucose uptake in peripheral tissues, and promote gluconeogenesis in the liver. These effects are known to be mediated via genomic mechanisms of slow onset. Despite recent evidence on rapid non-genomic glucocorticoid signaling in several organs, there is no information on rapid glucocorticoid effects on carbohydrate metabolism in humans.Here we present data on the rapid effects of hydrocortisone on the ...

Adrenomedullin is a vasoactive peptide originally discovered in extracts of human pheochromocytoma. It is highly expressed in plasma and adipose tissue of obese subjects and considered as a member of the adipokine family. Adrenomedullin inhibits adipogenesis under the transcriptional control of insulin. We determined plasma adrenomedullin concentrations in a cohort of 360 healthy subjects and found a very significant positive correlation to body mass index (BMI). In parallel, ...

Ghrelin and PYY are gastrointestinal peptides involved in appetite regulation. The cholinergic part of the vagal nerve participate in the regulation of glucose and insulin levels. We aimed to examine the effects of the cholinergic antagonist atropine on ghrelin, PYY, glucose and insulin under basal conditions and after meal ingestion in lean and obese subjects. Eight lean and eight obese subjects received in a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled crossover study design...

Obestatin has recently been identified as a peptide derived from pre-proghrelin that opposes ghrelin effects on appetite and body weight in rodents. We studied the effect of food intake on both these hormones in obese and lean subjects and recorded in parallel the subjective sensations of satiety and hunger. Eight obese (two males and six females, BMI=31–52 kg/m2) and eight age- and sex-matched lean subjects (BMI=19–23 kg/m2) were randomized to ...

Introduction: Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) has recently been characterized as a cardiovascular risk factor. GDF15 correlates with insulin resistance and obesity in cross-sectional studies and exerts anorexigenic effects in interventional rodent studies. GDF15 has been proposed as a possible therapeutic target in the treatment of obesity, however its meal- and nutrient-dependent regulation in humans has not been investigated previously.Methods...

Gestational weight gain has been linked to obesity in women of childbearing age. Mothers who breastfeed present less postpartum weight retention. The underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are unknown. This study aimed at investigating the impact of breastfeeding on maternal appetite-regulating hormones.The clinical trial recruited 29 women divided in three age- and BMI-matched groups. The first group included 10 fully breastfeeding mothers of 3 to 6 m...

Oxytocin is a hormone and neurotransmitter with antiinflammatory and neuroimmune-modulatory properties. Physiological states of elevated plasma oxytocin levels are associated with reduced hypothalamic–pituitaty–adrenal response to different stressors. We examined the effect of exogenous oxytocin administration on bacterial endotoxin induced innate immune responses in humans. Ten healthy men received in a randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over design (1) placebo, ...

Osteopontin (OPN) is a multifunctional glycoprotein implicated, among others, in bone metabolism, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It promotes inflammation and insulin resistance. Osteopontin is elevated in the plasma and adipose tissue of obese subjects and decreases upon diet induced weight loss. Here we investigated the effect of bariatric surgery on plasma OPN concentrations in morbidly obese patients. 40 obese patients aged 43.1±1.8 years were recruited ...