Endocrine Abstracts

Oxidative stress (OS) could play an important role in metabolic syndrome (MS)-related manifestations contributing to insulin resistance (IR). The reciprocal influences between OS and IR are not clear. We investigated the effects of dietary antioxidants on IR, studying 24 obese (7 males and 17 females, 27–66 years), with IR evaluated by HOMA index, during treatment with metformin, comparing 2 dietary treatments: hypocaloric diet (group A, n=16) or a diet enriched wi...

It is known that adult growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is associated with oxidative stress (OS): both GH and IGF-1 exert antioxidant functions. OS is in turn related to systemic inflammation and cardiovascular/oncological risk. Discordant data concerning GH effects on antioxidants are reported. Moreover, no data are available in partial GHD, which can induce cardiovascular alterations. To evaluate oxidative damage on macromolecules and systemic inflammation, 80 patients, studi...

Hypothyroidism and autoimmune thyroiditis are common in patients with Down’ syndrome (DS), leading to common prescription of thyroid replacement therapy. On the other hand, thyroid function is involved in oxidative stress (OS) mechanisms. DS is a well-known high OS condition because several genes involved in OS mechanisms map on chromosome 21 and coenzyme Q10, lipophilic antioxidant, could be more correlated with hypothyroidism than TSH in DS people. To investigate relati...

Male idiopathic osteoporosis is an underestimated disease, despite its clinical and social importance. The biochemical mechanisms are still poorly understood even if the interaction between genetic factors and hormone environment (especially gonadal steroids and GH) plays a undoubtful role. In previous studies we demonstrated low plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in hypogonadal patients. The aim of this study was to investigate oxidative stress as risk factor for bone fr...

It is clinically evident that women suffering from thyroid disorders are associated with frequent occurrence of menstrual disturbances and impaired fertility, and these abnormalities are improved by restoring the euthyroid state. The exact mechanism for such reproductive aberrations is not well known; however, it is conceivable that thyroid hormones might have a direct role in ovarian physiology via receptors in granulosa cells. We evaluated the effect of thyroid hormones (T<s...

One of the proposed mechanisms responsible for Diabetes mellitus (DM)-associated erectile (ED) dysfunction is overactivity of RhoA/ROCK signalling. Because statins may decrease RhoA activation, we investigated whether atorvastatin ameliorated DM-induced ED in alloxan-treated (100 mg/kg) rabbits (in vitro studies) and streptozotocin-treated (STZ, 50 mg/kg) rats (in vivo studies). A subgroup of diabetic animals received atorvastatin 5 mg/kg per daily 2 weeks before...

A previous study demonstrate that chronic tadalafil administration (2 mg/kg per day) was able to prevent some, but not all, penile alterations induced by long-term (3 months) bilateral cavernous neurotomy (BCN) in the rat. In particular, in vitro acetylcholine responsiveness and reduced eNOS and nNOS expression were not preserved, while PDE5 down-regulation, along with muscle/fiber ratio and hypoxygenation (hypoxyprobe) were significantly restored by chronic tadalafil (...

Background: The recently discovered myokin Irisin, a peptide originated by a proteolytic cleavage of the transmembrane protein fibronectin type III domain containing 5 (FNDC5) whose expression is induced by exercise and/or by increasing peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ co-activator 1α (PGC-1α), has been considered a prognostic factor in Chronic Ischemic Cardiomyopathy and Acute Heart Failure. Nevertheless, no data are available on Irisin level...

Adult growth hormone deficiency (GHD), a condition characterized by increased oxidative stress (OS), is related to augmented cardiovascular, metabolic and oncological risk. Thymidine-glycol (ThyG) (5, 6-dihydro-5, 6-dihydroxy-2’-deoxythymidine) is a marker of DNA oxidation produced when thymidine is damaged by hydroxyl radicals. It is considered a specific marker since it is not incorporated in RNA; while 8-OH-deoxyguanosine, a well-known marker of oxidative damage, is ra...

Non-thyroidal-illness syndrome (NTIS) is present in chronic diseases and considered an adaptive mechanism. However oxidative stress is linked to NTIS in a vicious circle, due to deiodinases alteration and negative effects of low T3 on antioxidant levels or activity. Moreover there is a tissue-specific thyroid hormone transport, receptor binding and hormone metabolism. Muscle is one of the main targets of thyroid hormone; on the other hand, Irisin is a novel discovered myokine ...