Endocrine Abstracts

More than 190 disease-causing mutations of V2 vasopressin receptor (AVPR2) have been identified in patients with X-linked nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI). About half of the mutations lead to a loss or truncation of the receptor protein whereas missense mutations present a variety of functional alterations such as reduced binding and signaling abilities and improper cell surface trafficking. To date, the therapy of NDI focuses mainly on treating clinical symptoms with thia...

Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) are the source of regeneration of musculoskeletal tissues. Stem cells (SC) are rare and slowly dividing cells, situated in stem cell niches, regulated by non-stem-cell cap cells. Rare symmetric SC division regulates the SC pool. Asymmetric cell division gives rise to a transient amplifying pool (MSCTAP). The MSC niche is poorly characterized in contrast to MSCTAP and consecutive events of fate decision, commitment and secretio...

Objectives: Food intake is centrally regulated in hypothalamic nuclei where many G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are expressed which are known to be involved in weight regulation. Peripheral hormonal signals activate their corresponding receptors in the arcuate nucleus. Orexigenic signals activate POMC expression in one subset of neurons and inhibit AgRP and NPY expression in a second subset. Cleavage products of POMC, α- and β-MSH then stimulate melanocortin-4-r...

A diet rich in phytoestrogens such as flavonoids has been attributed as one of the reasons for the low incidence of prostate cancer in Asia as opposed to Western countries with a diet rich in fat and meat and the highest incidences of this cancer. In many cellular models of prostate cancer these substances, the prototype of which is genistein, inhibit cell proliferation and cell cycle progression and enhance the rate of apoptosis. The molecular mechanisms involve modulation of...

Objectives: Insulin resistance (IR) is a very common metabolic abnormality in obesity, which is often associated with reduced growth hormone (GH) secretion. GH deficiency is associated with increased in intra-abdominal fat and several parameters of the metabolic syndrome. IGF-I improves IR but the IGF-binding proteins are supposed to regulate its bioactivity although only little information exists. We postulated that the elevated insulin levels due to IR do not only suppress G...

Objectives: Besides the measurement of IGF-1, GH suppression during OGTT to assess the biochemical status in acromegaly is recommended. However, as a consequence of the development of highly sensitive and specific GH assays a critical re-evaluation of the criteria for the diagnosis and follow-up management of acromegaly is mandatory. The aim of our study was to evaluate the between-method discrepancies in GH determinations by different immunoassays considering further confound...

Objectives: Insulin resistance (IR) and obesity are very common metabolic abnormalities, which are often associated with reduced GH secretion. GH reduces intraabdominal fat and its deficiency may contribute to the metabolic syndrome. IGF-1 improves IR but IGFBPs have a potential role in regulating its bioactivity although only little information exists. We postulate that the elevated insulin levels in IR may persistently suppress GH provided its regulation remains insulin sens...

Objective: The mechanisms underlying the well known glucagon-induced satiety effect are unclear. We showed earlier that glucagon induces a remarkable decrease in the orexigenic hormone: ghrelin. It was the aim of the present study to further evaluate the effect of glucagon on ghrelin secretion and the possible site of origin of this effect.Methods: We studied the endocrine and metabolic responses to intramuscular glucagon administration in 23 subjects (1...

Introduction: Results of the first European real-world evidence from retrospective cohort of ACRONIS study previously confirmed the efficacy and tolerability of LA-PAS in heavily pre-treated, uncontrolled acromegaly patients. Here, we report results of the second interim analysis reflecting the prospective cohort.Methods: Patients who were treated with LA-PAS for ≥6 months were included in this analysis. The primary objective was to document treatm...