Endocrine Abstracts

Ghrelin, the natural ligand for the GHS-R, modulates proliferation in cell lines derived from malignant breast tissue. It has been suggested that this action is independent of the GHS-R. We have previously demonstrated that MCF7 cells expressed ghrelin but not GHS-R mRNA and MDA-MB231 cells expressed GHS-R but not ghrelin mRNA. To determine whether ghrelin modulates proliferation in MCF7 and MDA-MB231 cells we performed proliferation assays treating with saline, 1 and 10nM ghr...

Background: Type III hyperlipidaemia (T3HL) is characterised by equimolar increases in plasma triglyceride and cholesterol on an APOE2/2 genotype background and conveys a high risk of early-onset cardiovascular disease (CVD). Phenotypic penetrance of T3HL is <10% and precipitated by several endocrine/metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes and hypothyroidism. We explored the effect of triglyceride-raising polygenic score precipitating T3HL, in the context of...

The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily that acts as a hormone responsive transcription factor. GR function is controlled by hormone binding, post-translational modifications and through interaction with cofactors. Here, we report that JNK dependent phosphorylation of GR affects its sumoylation. JNK activation by UV radiation that targets GR for phosphorylation at serine 246 (S246) facilitated subsequent GR sumoylation at lysine...

Context: Androgen excess, obesity and hyperinsulinaemia are the cardinal features of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). While several studies have addressed the relationship between androgen excess and hyperinsulinaemia, the link between androgen excess and fat distribution remains largely undefined. Recent work has highlighted the importance of adipose tissue as an organ of androgen activation. Here, we evaluated the relationship between visceral fat and androgen excess in w...

Context: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is an aggressive malignancy with high recurrence rates. Regular post-operative follow-up imaging is essential, but associated with high radiation exposure and frequent diagnostic ambiguity. Urine steroid metabolomics has been described as a novel diagnostic tool for the detection of adrenocortical malignancy. Here we present the first clinical study assessing the performance of this innovative approach in the follow-up of patients with c...