Endocrine Abstracts

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is involved in the regulation of food intake and energy expenditure. Increased level of EC lipid mediators anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachydonoylglycerol (2AG) and/or a higher expression of cannabinoid receptor type 1 in central and peripheral districts are supposed to contribute to the development and maintenance of obesity and related dismetabolism. To understand the ECS response to insulin signal and to anthropometric and biochemical parameters...

Introduction: CLM29, a pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine compound, inhibits several targets (including the RET tyrosine kinase, epidermal growth factor receptor, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor and has an anti-angiogenic effect). Recently it has been shown to inhibit proliferation and migration in primary papillary dedifferentiated thyroid cancer cells. The aim of this study is to evaluate the anti-tumor activity of CLM29 in medullary thyroid cancer (MTC).<p c...

Introduction: Thyroid ultrasound is a widely used tool in monitoring thyroid nodule, allowing us to assess the size and other sonographic signs suspicious of malignancy, facilitating decisions about diagnosis and treatment.Objectives: To evaluate the presence of ultrasonographic signs suggestive of malignancy in patients with thyroid carcinoma in our hospital.Material and methods: Retrospective study of 63 patients with thyroid car...

Background: Botulinum neurotoxin inhibits muscle function by interfering with neurotransmitter release from secretory vesicles. The mechanism underlying this effect involves cleavage of SNARE proteins which are required for vesicle docking at the plasma membrane. The ability of botulinum neurotoxin serotypes to cleave SNARE proteins and inhibit secretion is being exploited for therapeutic purposes by Syntaxin Ltd with their ‘targeted secretion inhibitor technology’ (...

Introduction: Erectile dysfunction (ED) and, in particular, arteriogenic ED have been proposed as new markers of risk for incident major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Reduced penile blood flow is more common in obese people than in leaner ED subjects. The aim of this study is to explore the interaction of overweight/obesity and penile blood flow in the prediction of incident MACE.Methods: This is an observational prospective cohort study evaluati...

Dopamine (DA) therapy of non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFA) can result in tumor stabilization and shrinkage. However, this effect is not always apparent and the mechanism of action is still unknown. Previous evidence showed that DA inhibits pituitary Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor expression (VEGF), that, in turn, is related to pituitary tumor growth. Our study aimed at clarifying whether VEGF secretion modulation might mediate the effects of DA agonists and chimeric...

Somatostatin (SRIF) analogs have been employed in medical therapy of non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFA), with contrasting results. Previous evidence showed that SRIF can exert its antiproliferative effects by reducing Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) secretion and action, and that VEGF expression may be related to pituitary tumor growth. The aim of our study was to clarify the possible effects of a multireceptor SRIF ligand on VEGF secretion and cell proliferati...

Epidemiological data clearly evidence a protective role of estrogens against the development of colon cancer and ERβ has been identified as the predominant ER subtype in human colon. More recently it has been identified as a favourable prognostic marker in this disease, possibly explaining the protective effect of estrogens against colon cancer development. To understand the specific role and mechanism of action of ERβ in colon tumorigenesis we developed an in vit...

Thyroid hormones (TH) synthesis requires iodine, a scarce element whose recycling is mediated by the iodotyrosine dehalogenase (encoded by the DEHAL1 gene) through deiodination of mono- and di-iodotyrosines. In humans, biallelic mutations in DEHAL1 lead to a severe form of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) non detectable by neonatal screening programs, which involves the risk of mental retardation. The timing and triggering factors of this particular type of hyp...

Introduction: Ghrelin is an orexigenic hormone with two isoforms: Acyl Ghrelin (AG) and Desacyl Ghrelin (DAG). AG binds to its specific receptor GHS-R1 and stimulates growth hormone secretion. DAG also binds to GHS-R1 receptor, but with 1000 times less affinity than AG. Effect of DAG on cell proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis has been reported. However, there are no studies of DAG function in human placenta. For first time, this work analyzed the effect of DAG on viabil...