Endocrine Abstracts

Pituiatry tumors account for about 15% of all intracranial neoplasms. They arise from pituitary cell types due to both cell cycle trophic dysruptions leading to adenomatous growth, as well as a coupling of specific hormone gene over-expression. Thus, both tumor growth characteristics, as well as hormonal excess are the hallmarks of these invariably benign tumors. They may lead to both central compressive features due to mass expansion or invasion, as well as to specific clinic...

S Melmed, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA. AbstractShlomo Melmed received his medical degree with distinction from the University of Cape Town, School of Medicine in 1970. At Cedars-Sinai since 1980, he is now Senior Vice-President for Academic Affairs, and Dean of the Medical Faculty. He is also Professor and Associate Dean of UCLA School of Medicine.Dr Melmed is a Dip...

Use of somatostatin (SRIF) analogs in acromegaly indicates greater lowering of IGF-I than predicted from GH reduction. Studies using hypophysectomized rats suggest a direct SRIF action on GH-induced IGF-I, however, interpretation is complicated by effects of SRIF on other hormonal axes. In isolated rat hepatocytes we showed SRIF and octreotide to have a direct inhibitory effect, via hepatic SSTRs, on GH-induced IGF-I production. GH (500 ng/ml) caused ~4 fold induction of IGF-I...

Preliminary data suggested an increased mortality in a French cohort after childhood somatropin treatment compared to the French reference population1. This cohort included patients (pts) with idiopathic-isolated GH-deficiency (GHD), and a similar cohort is also under follow-up for adult GH-replacement in HypoCCS.We therefore assessed all-cause mortality rates (n/1000 person-years (PY), (95% CI), standardized to the age/gender structure...

The long-acting somatostatin analogue octreotide is used either as an adjuvant or primary therapy to lower GH levels in patients with acromegaly and may also induce pituitary tumor shrinkage. However, inconclusive evidences in this respect have been produced by either single-center research paper or pooled analyses. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to thoroughly assess the current literature on the effect of octreotide on pituitary tumor shrinkage. A computerized Medlin...

The clinically available somatostatin (SRIF) analogues, octreotide and lanreotide, are the mainstay of treatment for patients with acromegaly in whom surgery has failed to adequately control GH and IGF-I levels or where surgery is contra-indicated. Both analogues exhibit selective high affinity for SRIF receptor subtype 2 (SSTR2). GH and TSH secretion are regulated by SSTR subtypes 2 & 5, with an additional effect on GH secretion via SSTR1. Prolactin is regulated by SSTR5 ...

Introduction: The human Pituitary Tumor Transforming Gene (hPTTG) is a phosphorylated proto-oncogene induced in multiple tumour types. hPTTG phosphorylation is mediated by cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDC2) and expression is regulated by specificity protein 1 (SP1). In thyroid cancer, hPTTG induces genetic instability and propagates growth through induction of growth factors (GFs).Methods: The interplay between hPTTG phosphorylation, SP1 regulation and GF ...