Endocrine Abstracts

The activation of local renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) plays a pivotal role in the overall pathophysiology of the cardiovascular and renal diseases. Aldosterone can activate local renin and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE). However, the effects of blockade of aldosterone on tissue RAAS including (pro)renin receptor and ACE2 are unclear in obese hypertensive rats induced by high-salt diet. Obese Zucker rats (ZOR) were fed with normal or high-salt diet ...

Thyroid hormone (T3) is essential for skeletal development and maintenance of bone mineralisation. T3 actions are mediated by two receptors, TRalpha and TRbeta. Mutations in TRbeta cause autosomal dominant resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH) due to dominant negative activity of the mutant receptor. Short stature and abnormal skeletal development are prominent features of RTH, whereas TRalpha mutations have not been described and are postulated to result in no phenotype or to b...

Thyroid hormone (T3) receptor beta (TRbeta) mutations cause resistance to thyroid hormones (RTH), characterised by decreased tissue sensitivity to T3. The TRbetaPV mutation (C-insertion at codon 448 leads to a frameshift of the carboxy-terminal 14 amino acids) was derived from a patient with severe RTH and generates a receptor lacking T3-binding and transactivation activities. Heterozygous mutant mice have a mildly impaired pituitary-thyroid axis; severe RTH and limb shortenin...

Background: The human adrenal cortex is composed of 3 distinct zones: the zona glomerulosa (ZG), the zona fasciculata (ZF), and the zona reticularis (ZR). Steroidogenic enzymes are expressed in a zone-specific manner. The promoters of CYP11B1 and CYP11B2 possess a number of target sites for DNA methylation that is closely associated with gene silencing.Methods and Materials: Adrenals from 5 autopsy subjects were assessed for immunohistrochemically define...