Endocrine Abstracts

Dynamic changes in gene expression patterns and cell behaviour are evident throughout embryonic and neonatal germ cell development in the mouse. In the testes, the postnatal period represents a time when the male germline stem cells (GSCs) or, gonocytes migrate to the basement membrane of the seminiferous tubules preparing for a lifetime of spermatogenesis and is an important area of study. Here we use the transgenic mouse that expresses green fluorescent protein under the Oct...

Non-islet cell tumour hypoglycaemia (NICTH) is a rare paraneoplastic phenomenon and there is limited guidance regarding different treatment modalities.We present two cases of NICTH focusing on the combined methods used to control hypoglycaemia.The first involves an 89-year-old gentleman diagnosed with a pelvic leiomyoma in 2003. For several years, he had experienced recurrent collapses which briefly improved following tumour emboli...

Objective: Our objective was to examine recurrence of hyperprolactinaemia following discontinuation of dopamine agonist (DA) therapy in patients with macroprolactinoma who have had treatment for 3–15 years.Methods: We identified retrospectively adult patients (n=15) attending OCDEM (Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK) with a confirmed diagnosis of macroprolactinoma (established during the last 25 years), who had been treated with DA therapy for a...

Objective: The diagnosis of subclinical Cushing’s syndrome in patients with incidentalomas is not always straight forward and a number of different criteria have been used. The 1 mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test has been recommended as a screening test, followed up by other tests of the hypothalomo–pituitary–adrenal axis to confirm the diagnosis. In this study we investigate whether the low-dose dexamethasone suppression test offers additional informa...

Cinacalcet is a calcimimetic agent licensed for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism and parathyroid carcinoma. Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) patients may benefit considerably from cinacalcet. Affected patients have hyperplasia of multiple parathyroid glands, rather than a single resectable adenoma. Surgical cure requires removal of all parathyroid tissue, which is often unsuccessful, resulting in multiple neck explorations and hypoparathyroidism. Cinaca...

A 24-year-old girl was referred with a massive thyroglossal duct cyst (TGDC) and an intra-cystic papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). The impressive clinical photographs, striking radiological images and histology slides are presented.She presented eight and half months post partum with a 10 cm midline neck lump of 4 years duration. She was asymptomatic and was on levothyroxine for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.Clinically, there was a cy...

Studies have shown that maternal smoking causes intrauterine growth retardation and this may be as a result of endothelial dysfunction. It is possible that the prostaglandins may be involved in this mechanism. The aim of this study was to investigate the functional response of segments of human umbilical artery (HUA) to stable thromboxane (U46619) and prostacyclin (cicaprost) mimetics and measure the release of prostacyclin and thromboxane metabolites.Se...

Metformin is commonly used to treat insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and also has direct effects on the ovary. The mechanism of this action is unknown, but could be via insulin-independent pathways, namely AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK). AMPK is an energy sensor, activated when ATP levels are depleted causing an inhibition of anabolic and an activation of catabolic pathways. We hypothesised that in the ovary, metformin acts via</...

A 61 year old woman presented with a six months history of nausea, vomiting and lethargy. She is a non-smoker and drinks little alcohol. She was on 100mcg of Thyroxine following partial thyroidectomy. Physical examination was unremarkable apart from postural hypotension (BP 140/80mmHg laying, 105/75mmHg standing). Blood tests showed plasma sodium of 121mmol/L with normal potassium, urea, creatinine, FBC, random glucose and TFTs. A short synacthen test (1mcg) was normal with a ...

Hypertension is the most important risk factor in the development of cerebrovascular diseases including vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). Aldosterone is a key regulator of blood pressure, acting via the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) in the kidney to promote sodium/water reabsorption. Elevated aldosterone, as in primary aldosteronism (PA) is a risk factor for cerebrovascular disease. In addition to its traditional role, the MR is expressed throughout the brain and vasculat...