Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology

ea0013s5biog | The British Thyroid Association Pitt Rivers Lecture | SFEBES2007

The British Thyroid Association Pitt Rivers Lecture

Forrest D

D Forrest, National Institutes of Health, NIDDK, Bethesda, Md 20892, United States. AbstractDr Forrest studies the role of thyroid hormone in development. He is particularly interested in the genes that mediate these functions, including those encoding thyroid hormone receptors and deiodinase enzymes. Recent findings have revealed novel functions for these genes in sensory systems.Dr Forrest is a...

ea0012s28 | Controlling the overactive parathyroid | SFE2006

Consequences of primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism

Hosking D

The sustained over-secretion of PTH is a common clinical problem with particular consequences for the skeleton. Hyperparathyroidism (HPT) increases the bone surface undergoing remodelling, amplifies the negative balance at the bone multicellular unit and increases activation frequency, eroded surface and formation, without increased trabecular perforation. Cortical bone is particularly susceptible to the effects of hyperparathyroidism and bone mineral density (BMD) measurement...

ea0011s3 | Transatlantic Medal Lecture | ECE2006

Nuclear receptors and transcriptional control of lipid metabolism

Mangelsdorf D

Nuclear receptors are ligand-dependent transcription factors that govern complex physiologic pathways, including reproduction, development, and metabolism. The importance of this receptor superfamily is emphasized by its conservation throughout evolution, from simple multicellular organisms to humans. Because of their therapeutic potential in governing physiology and disease, targeting nuclear receptors for novel drug discovery has become a major interest in both academia and ...

ea0010s20 | Hormone measurements: past, present and future | SFE2005

Metabolomics: its value in cancer research

Wheatley D

Metabolomics purports to give us a cross-section of the small molecular weight components in cells, tissues, organ, body fluids or the whole body at any moment in time, such that the constellation of molecules and their relative proportions can provide us with information about the functional state (or the dysfunctional state) at that time. From reading such a profile, information might be gleaned that indicates some activity state that is meaningful in the prese...

ea0010s21 | Evolving aspects in the HPA axis | SFE2005

Clinical and genetic aspects of glucocorticoid sensitivity

Ray D

Glucocorticoid hormones (Gc) are essential for human life, and synthetic glucocorticoids are widely used to treat inflammatory disease. Glucocorticoid action is mediated by the glucocorticoid receptor (GR).Strong linkage disequilibrium exists across the GR gene (r2=0.9) with, in our study, only 4 haplotypes (from a possible 1024) accounting for 95% of all those observed in UK Caucasian healthy individuals. We identified a 3-marker haplotype, across intro...

ea0010s31 | Big issues in pituitary research | SFE2005

Folliculostellate cells: what are they?

Rees D

Pituitary folliculostellate (FS) cells were originally described in 1953 and comprise up to 10% of the anterior pituitary cell population. These epithelioid cells are thought to be derived from neuroectodermal cells and express S-100, a nervous tissue-selective protein that is used to define FS phenotype. Unlike their endocrine counterparts, they are devoid of secretory granules and were considered non-secretory until relatively recently. Experiments using pituitary slices hav...

ea0009s9 | Symposium 2: The endocrinology of the kidney | BES2005

Lessons from the genetic hypercalciuric stone forming rat

Bushinsky D

Over 60 generations we have inbred a strain of rats to maximize urine calcium excretion, the most common metabolic abnormality in human stone formers. The rats now excrete 8 - 10 times as much calcium as controls and uniformly form kidney stones. They have been termed genetic hypercalciuric stone forming (GHS) rats. The GHS rats exhibit metabolic abnormalities similar to patients with idiopathic hypercalciuria in that they absorb excessive amounts of intestinal calcium, they f...

ea0009s29 | Symposium 7: The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and inflammation | BES2005

Structure/function of the glucocorticoid receptor and its ligands

Ray D , #

Glucocorticoids powerfully inhibit inflammation by repressing NFkB function. We sought how ligand recognition by the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) regulates this effect. In vivo some glucocorticoid ligands (eg RU486) have negligible anti-inflammatory activity, in contrast to the agonist dexamethasone, despite promoting nuclear translocation of the GR, and binding to DNA. In-vitro studies have not identified a role for ligand binding in allowing interaction between the GR and NF...

ea0009s44 | Clinical Management Workshop 3: Endocrine manipulations in the transsexual | BES2005

Sexual differentiation of the human brain and gender

Swaab D

Factors influencing gender during early development, i.e., the feeling to be male or female, are prenatal hormones and compounds that change the levels of these hormones, such as anticonvulsants. While an influence of genetic factors must be present, an influence of postnatal social factors has not been established. In rodents, masculinization of the brain in development is due to oestrogens that are formed by aromatization of testosterone. In sexual differentiation of the hum...

ea0009s46 | Clinical Management Workshop 3: Endocrine manipulations in the transsexual | BES2005

Phalloplasty for female to male gender reassignment

Ralph D

The final stage of gender reassignment in female-to-male gender reassignment is phalloplasty of which there are various types. All patients should be fully counselled, shown photographs of the techniques and, if possible, discuss with patients who have had the various operations.The main objectives are to stand and void, have penetrative sexual intercourse and to have a good cosmetically acceptable phallus.The various types include...