Endocrine Abstracts

The mechanisms through which pancreatic beta cells recognise and respond to external signals Type 2 diabetes is becoming increasing well understood, but we have less understanding of how the responses of individual cells are integrated within the islet of Langerhans. Islets are heterogenous organs containing a variety of endocrine cell types including beta, alpha, delta and PP cells which synthesise and secrete insulin, glucagon, somatostatin and pancreatic polypeptide, respec...

In type 1 diabetes mellitus the insulin-secreting β-cells in pancreatic islets of Langerhans are selectively destroyed by autoimmune assault. Since diabetes is caused by the loss of a single cell type it is amenable to treatment by cell replacement therapy. Advances in islet transplantation procedures have demonstrated that people with type 1 diabetes can be cured by human islet transplantation, but the severely limited availability of donor islets has restricted the wide...

Although characterised predominantly for its role in the brain, the neuropeptide kisspeptin has previously been shown to potentiate glucose-stimulated insulin through its receptor, GPR54; expressed abundantly in β-cells. We have previously reported a physiological role for kisspeptin signalling in the islet adaptation to pregnancy, using a β-cell specific GPR54 knockout mouse line (βGPR54ko). The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of impaired &#...

The success of islet transplantation in the treatment of type 1 diabetes has been limited by the progressive decline in islet function and viability during isolation and post transplantation. The aims of the current study were to investigate the capacity of a multifunctional progenitor cell type, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), to improve islet insulin secretory function and viability after exposure to transplantation relevant stressors. Mouse islets were cultured with low (...

Previous studies have shown beneficial effects of the corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) family, including the urocortins (UCN1, UCN2 and UCN3), on pancreatic islets and subsequent glucose homeostasis. However, the physiological relevance of this interaction is not currently understood. CRH and urocortins are also expressed by placenta, so this study investigated whether signalling through CRH receptor 1 or 2 (CRHR1/CRHR2) plays a role in the islet adaptation to pregnancy. ...

Abstract withdrawn...

There are very limited data on long-term mortality in pituitary ACTH dependent Cushing’s disease (CD).We report on our data from Stoke-on-Trent, UK, spanning 50 years and provide a meta-analysis of six other reports which addressed mortality of CD. Case records of 60 CD patients from 1958-31 Dec 2009 from Stoke-on-Trent were reviewed. The standardised mortality ratio (SMR) overall and separately for patients in remission and having persistent diseas...

In addition to their documented impact on the cardiovascular system, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have also been shown to modulate steroidogenesis. However, the mechanistic nature of PUFA action on steroid synthesis remains unknown. PUFAs are recognised modulators of cholesterol trafficking. Liver X receptor (LXR) is a known cholesterol sensor that regulates a range of genes involved in cholesterol metabolism including Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) which...

Gestational diabetes (GDM) occurs when beta-cell insulin secretory capacity is insufficient to meet the increased demands required to maintain normoglycemia during pregnancy. Considerable clinical evidence supports a link between depression and GDM, although underlying mechanisms are unclear. We used the unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) rodent model of depression to examine the metabolic effects of depression in pregnant mice. C57BL/6J females were divided at 4-weeks-o...

Adrenal insufficiency (Adr-I) and congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) are important conditions requiring specialist attention and management. Recent CAH genotype–phenotype studies have linked mutations with enzyme functioning and disease severity. Accurate diagnosis for the cause of adrenal insufficiency and the genetic cause of CAH is vital as it impacts management and prognosis.Methods: We audited patients with Adr-I and CAH seen in outpatients f...