Endocrine Abstracts

Leptin, a key metabolic signal controlling both energy intake and energy reserves, informs the brain about energy stores of the body to initiate reproductive processes at puberty. Thyroid hormones are important determinant of overall energy expenditure, basal metabolic rate and thermogenesis. The present study examined the relationship between leptin and thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) in boys (n=540) between the age of 1 and 20 years. B...

Hypertension or elevated arterial blood pressure (BP) is the most common cause of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The arterial BP is regulated by renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), whereas dysfunctional RAAS may lead to development of hypertension and associated CVDs. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) secreted by parathyroid glands regulates RAAS by directly stimulating aldosterone synthesis in zona glomerulosa cells, which leads to development of hypertension. Conversely, R...

Ghrelin, a putative signal of insufficient energy stores, increases in fasting states, decreases postprandially, and acts as a potent appetite stimulant increasing food intake. Obestatin affects appetite, food preferences to increase daily caloric intake and weight gain. Leptin regulates body fat mass, food intake and energy expenditure. Triiodothyronine (T3) is a determinant of adiposity, thermogenesis, glucose and lipid metabolism, appetite, food intake, and the o...

Vitamin D plays a key role in the control of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), acting as negative regulator of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system (RAAS), whereas calcium directly affects central blood pressure (BP) control center, nucleus tractus solitarus. We investigated associations between plasma concentrations of vitamin D and calcium and BP in 100 hypertensive CVDs patients and 100 normotensive subjects of 21–60 years. Vitamin D concentrations were measured using EC...