Endocrine Abstracts

We present two cases of postmenopausal, gonadotrophin-dependent androgen excess.Case 1: A 59-year-old postmenopausal female presented with a 4-year history of hirsuitism and male pattern balding. Past medical history included Type II diabetes, hypertension, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Investigations revealed androgen excess (testosterone 8.9 nmol/l [ref range<2.5], free androgen index 31.8 [ref 0-7], androstenedione 13.7 nmol/l [ref<6.8], DH...

Insulin resistance states are associated with endothelial dysfunction, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this association are incompletely understood. Impairment of insulin stimulated endothelial NO production is proposed to be a key mechanism in this process. In cultured human aortic endothelial cell (HAEC) models, insulin stimulates an intracellular signalling cascade resulting in activating phosphorylation of Insulin Receptor Substrate-1 (IRS-1), Protein kinase B (PKB...