Endocrine Abstracts

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a cellular gauge that is activated under conditions of low energy, increasing energy production and reducing energy waste. Centrally, the AMPK pathway is a canonical route regulating energy homeostasis, by integrating peripheral signals, such as hormones and metabolites, with neuronal networks. Current evidence links hypothalamic AMPK with feeding, brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis and browning of white adipose tissue (WAT), as wel...

In recent years, an increasing interest in an individualized approach for the care of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer has occurred. The cornerstone of individualized treatment is the existence of a proper risk stratification system that supports physicians’ options regarding the treatment and follow-up of patients. Considering that the initial risk stratification systems account for only about 15–20% of the variability in the outcome they are trying to pr...

The management of congenital adrenal hyperplasia is challenging. Patients suffer from multiple morbidities related to excess androgens or glucocorticoid over-replacement. Multiple studies in Europe and the US have shown a high rate of metabolic complications in patients suffering from CAH including obesity, hypercholesterolaemia, insulin resistance, high blood pressure and low bone mineral density. Some studies have shown that patients with CAH have a poor quality of life and ...

The gonadal axis is an important modulator of both energy balance and metabolism. Estradiol administration to either ovariectomized female or male rats leads to inhibition of food intake and decreased body weight. Other studies have suggested the presence of estrous cycle variation in meal size and body weight in rodents, as well as during pregnancy and lactation. Recent data also indicate that estradiol modulates the appetite responses to central and peripheral signals and th...

Why would you want to be a clinical academic? Why is research so enticing for some? Does intellectual stimulation overcome potentially lower salaries and longer hours of harder work? Yes, for some, the possibility of making a difference to medical knowledge is provoking and stimulating. Clinical academia gives researchers the possibility to express their own unique characteristics and traits including creativity and communication skills, professionalism and humanism, excitemen...

The ‘classical’ hypothalamic neuropeptide view of feeding regulation has been extensively reviewed and revised during the last few years. Accumulating evidence indicate that pharmacological and genetic modulation of lipogenesis de novo in the hypothalamus, through selective pharmacologic and genetic manipulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT1), fatty acid synthase (FAS) and malonyl-C...

Introduction: Some studies have already described an association between mild autonomous cortisol secretion and poorer bone quality and increased risk of fracture. However, no consensus exists on this topic and currently there are no guidelines recommending bone status evaluation in patients suffering from this condition.Aims: To evaluate bone mineral density in patients diagnosed with autonomous cortisol secretion (ACS) and possible autonomous cortisol ...

Background: The late effects of childhood cancer therapy include a higher risk of subsequent primary cancers, fertility issues, and other endocrine dysfunction.Case: A 47 year old woman was treated at age 9 for acute myeloid leukaemia with chemotherapy (DAT, MACE, and cyclophosphamide), total body irradiation (990 cGy) and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Aged 22, a rapidly enlarging right sided thyroid nodule developed in the context of a multino...

Diagnosis of Cushing’s disease can be a difficult and lengthy process with repeated and dynamic testing required to ensure the correct diagnosis is made prior to invasive intervention such as surgery. This case demonstrates that even with meticulous investigation the underlying cause of the disease can still be evasive. A 43-year-old female presented with a history of hypertension since age 20, managed with Amlodipine (10 mg) and Ramipril (10 mg). She was investigated for...

The female genital tract of the mouse was in vivo transfected using the reporter gene β-galactosidase and the liposome Lipofectamine as gene vector. All animals used were anaesthetised. DNA/Liposome complexes were injected through the infundibulum of the tubes in adult, immature and pseudopregnant females. Females that were at different stages of the ovarian cycle were also used. Transfection was analyzed using histochemical, immunological and molecular (Southern b...