Endocrine Abstracts

Background and aims: Obesity is a chronic multifactorial disease characterized by an excessive accumulation of body fat resulting from an imbalance between energy intake and caloric expenditure. Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) is located in the inner mitochondrial membrane and plays an important role in the regulation of energy expenditure. NLR family, pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome seems to have a key role in obesity-induced inflammation through production of the ...

Background and Aims: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is caused by an autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells, which renders patients insulin-dependent for life. The disease arises from a complex interaction among several genetic and environmental factors. To date, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in >50 genes have been associated with T1DM, with HLA class II SNPs having the greatest impact on disease susceptibility. Other loci have minor effects on T...

Background and aim: Although chronic low-grade inflammation is observed in obese subjects, the underlying mechanisms modulating this process are still unclear. The Comparative Gene Identification-58 (CGI-58) is a lipid droplet-associated protein that has an important role in mediating intracellular fat hydrolysis by acting as a coactivator of the adipose Triglyceride Lipase (ATGL). Recent evidence suggests that CGI-58 also has a role in chronic inflammation and insulin resista...

Background and aims: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a common microvascular complication that affects 40% of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Emerging evidence suggests a role for microRNAs (miRNAs) in the development of DKD. In this context, miR-15a-5p and miR-30e-5p have been shown to regulate the expression of the uncoupling protein 2, a mitochondrial protein that decreases reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation by mitochondria. Since ROS overproduction is a key cont...

Background and aims: In adipose tissue, excess of energy is stored inside cytosolic lipid droplets as triglycerides. During fasting or exercise, the stored fat is mobilized for utilization as free fatty acids and glycerol via lipolysis. The complete lipolysis of triglycerides is mediated by the orchestrated activation of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and hormone-sensitive lipase, which have been associated with obesity. There is compelling evidence that the protein compar...