Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction. Lipocortin-1 (annexin-1 and p35) is a 37-kDa Ca2+-dependant membrane-binding protein that hasanti-inflammatory, anti-mitotic and anti-proliferative properties.With these properties in mind it was hypothesised that lipocortin-1 may have an important role in the endometrium. Therefore, the aim ofthis study was to determine the distribution of lipocortin-1 in normal and abnormal endometrial tissue.Methods. Formalin fixed paraffin embedded sect...

Background: Cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage enzyme (CYP11A1) catalyses the first and rate-limiting step of steroidogenesis. CYP11A1 firstly converts cholesterol into 22R-hydroxycholesterol, which relies on mitochondrial steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR)-mediated cholesterol import. Two further StAR-independent CYP11A1 reactions facilitate pregnenolone biosynthesis. CYP11A1 deficiency is rare and manifests with adrenal insufficiency (AI), and, in 46,XY individua...

This study aims to recruit 22,000 women in early gestation to screen for thyroid failure. The trial is randomised such that half the women are being tested in early gestation (group1) while the remainder (group 2) are tested after delivery. As T4 is important for the developing foetal brain, the IQ of the children from group 1, whose mothers will have been treated with T4, is expected to be higher than that from group 2.Women are entered on the basis of ...

Normal pregnancy is associated with significant but reversible changes in thyroid function. However, maternal thyroid dysfunction during early pregnancy has been associated with neuro-intellectual impairment of the child. The CATS study, a randomised controlled study, has been initiated in order to ascertain if screening for abnormalities in thyroid function in early pregnancy (8 - 16 weeks gestation), with thyroxine replacement in appropriate cases, would be effective in redu...

Background: Zebrafish is emerging as a comprehensive model system in endocrinology. Zebrafish synthesise steroid hormones in the interrenal (counterpart of the mammalian adrenal), gonad and brain. Data on steroidogenic pathways is patchy and steroidogenic enzymes in zebrafish have not been well characterised. Human 17α-hydroxylase (hCYP17A1) facilitates two conversion steps, 17α-hydroxylase and 17,20-lyase reactions in the adrenal and gonad. Two zCyp17a (zCyp17a1; zC...