Endocrine Abstracts

Case history: A 40-year-old, primaparous woman was referred at 24 weeks’ gestation to Obstetric Medicine for review of abnormal thyroid function tests (TFTs).Investigations: One year prior to pregnancy, TFTs included a thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level of 0.95 mU/l (local non-pregnant reference range 0.3–4.2 mU/l) and a free thyroxine level (fT4) of 7.3 mU/l (local non-pregnant reference range 9.0–23.0 mU/l). At 18 weeks’ gestat...

Dynamic changes in gene expression patterns and cell behaviour are evident throughout embryonic and neonatal germ cell development in the mouse. In the testes, the postnatal period represents a time when the male germline stem cells (GSCs) or, gonocytes migrate to the basement membrane of the seminiferous tubules preparing for a lifetime of spermatogenesis and is an important area of study. Here we use the transgenic mouse that expresses green fluorescent protein under the Oct...

Introduction: The importance of the liver-X receptors (LXRs) in the maintenance of cholesterol homeostasis within the testis has yet to be fully characterised. By 7 months of age, Lxrα/β double knockout male mouse (Lxrα/β DKO) develops sterility with aberrations in testosterone production and lipid homeostasis. However, the underlying testicular LXR-regulated pathways are not well understood.Aim: The aim of this study was to further u...

Introduction: LXRs are transcription factors that regulate cholesterol homeostasis and likely modulate other aspects of lipid metabolism. In the testis, tightly regulated lipid metabolism is crucial to maintain fertility. Testicular LXRs are highly expressed but their role in regulating lipid homeostasis is not fully understood. Lxrα/β double knockout male mice (Lxrα/β DKO) are sterile by 7 months of age, with aberrations in lipid...

Background: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines advise that GDM be diagnosed using a 2-hr 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). However there is lack of consensus on the optimal postpartum surveillance. Current postpartum screening guidance suggests a single fasting plasma glucose (FPG) at 6-weeks with annual testing thereafter. As women with GDM are often from mixed ethnic groups and frequently have postprandial hyperglycaemia, ...

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare tumour with a poor prognosis. There are a lack of successful targeted therapies and an urgent need to explore novel therapeutic avenues for ACC 1. In other cancer types, there has been some success in exploiting lipid metabolism. One example is manipulating intracellular cholesterol levels to starve cancer cells. 2 Another possibility is targeting the ligand-dependent nuclear receptors Liver-X receptors (LXRab), wh...

Liver X receptors (LXRs) are are ligand-dependent transcription factors, members of the nuclear receptor superfamily of transcription factors. In humans two LXR isoforms exist, LXRα (NR1H3) and LXRβ (NR1H2). LXRα is expressed predominantly in metabolically active tissues, while LXRβ is expressed in the majority of tissues. They have long been known to have critical roles in regulation of lipid metabolism, particu...

A 33 year old primip presented to the local ophthalmic hospital at 34+4 weeks’ gestation with two weeks of blurred vision. Examination revealed a bitemporal hemianopia and reduced visual acuity. She was previously fit and well, and a pre-eclampsia screen was negative. An MRI scan demonstrated a haemorrhagic pituitary lesion extending into the suprasellar cistern with mild compression of the optic chiasm. Pituitary function tests showed a raised prolactin 3844 mU/l, isolat...

Background: Bile acids (BAs) are end-products of cholesterol catabolism, which act as signalling molecules to regulate glucose, lipid and energy metabolism. BAs activate several receptors including the ligand sensitive transcription factor Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and the membrane G-protein coupled receptor, TGR5. Besides the organs physiologically in contact with BAs, like the gut and liver, BA-receptors are also expressed in cholesterol-rich steroidogenic tissues, such as ...