Endocrine Abstracts

There is an accumulating amount of evidence that the metabolic adaptations to endurance exercise that result in increased intramuscular triglyceride (IMTG) stores and IMTG oxidation during exercise, also exert a protective effect on muscle insulin sensitivity. This seems to be a contradiction (known as the athlete's paradox) as large IMTG stores in sedentary and obese individuals coexist with high levels of fatty acid (FA) metabolites (specifically long-chain acylCoA, DAG and ...

5α reductases 1 and 2 (SRD5A1 and SRD5A2) metabolise cortisol into inactive 5α-dihydrocortisol contributing to the regulation of cortisol availability in addition to their established role in the generation of dihydrotestosterone from testosterone. Dutasteride and finasteride are commonly prescribed to patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia but their potential metabolic effects have only recently been identified. Dutasteride inhibits both SRD5A1and SRD5A2 whilst ...

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome. The role of glucocorticoids (GC) in its pathogenesis, is highlighted in patients with GC excess, Cushing’s syndrome, who develop central adiposity, insulin resistance and in 20% of cases, NAFLD. Although circulating cortisol levels are normal in patients with NAFLD, hepatic cortisol availability is controlled by enzymes that regenerate cortisol from inactive cortisone (11&#94...