Endocrine Abstracts

Most genetic mechanisms that are currently known to underlie developmental processes and human diseases are based on the analysis of a very small portion of the genome that encodes for protein-coding sequences. Novel sequence-based technologies, however, have recently disclosed that a major portion of the noncoding genome contains functional regulatory elements. It is thus reasonable to presume that the analysis of such elements can shed new light into developmental and cellul...

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) are important neuropeptides that are structurally related. They have been found to exert many physiological and pathophysiological effects through the activation of three specific receptors: PAC1R, VPAC1R, and VPAC2R. In tetrapods, PACAP and VIP are potent agonists to VPAC2R. In teleosts, we have previously identified a PHIR in goldfish which shares high level of sequence similarity ...

There is increasing interest in clinical assessment of body composition, however uncertainty remains regarding the appropriate techniques. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is often described as a gold standard, in view of its high precision (reproducibility). However, for the molecular model of body composition (dividing the body into water, fat, protein and mineral) the in vivo gold standard comprises the multi-component model, and recent comparisons of DXA again...

The Na+/I− symporter (NIS), a glycoprotein expressed at the basolateral plasma membrane of thyroid epithelial cells, mediates active I− uptake for the biosynthesis of thyroid hormones and radioiodide transport for diagnosis and treatment in thyroid cancer. Our cloning of the NIS cDNA and generation of anti-NIS antibodies provided the basis to investigate the decrease in I− transport in thyroid cancer relative to hea...

The murine ACTH receptor MC2-R is primarily expressed in the adrenal cortex and adipocytes where it binds ACTH leading to steroidogenesis and lipolysis, respectively. We have recently shown that the previously described 'adrenal' MC2-R promoter is transiently activated by PPAR gamma 2 early during differentiation of murine 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes, declining to background levels from a peak of activity seen at day 4 following commencement of adipogenesis. This is mirrored by the ...

The Nottingham Diabetes web site (www.nottinghamdiabetes.nhs.uk) was launched in January 2002 as an information and education resource for people with diabetes and diabetes care teams in Nottingham. It was developed jointly by the two hospital diabetes centres in Nottingham, designed by an independent web designer and funded by the pharmaceutical industry (with no influence over content or acknowledgement on the site).The site contains information about ...

Armour thyroid is desiccated porcine extract which is a historical treatment for hypothyroidism. It contains both L-thyroxine and liothyronine. Each grain (60 mg) contains 38 μg of L-thyroxine and 9 μg liothyronine. Since the 1960’s its use has been superseded by L-thyroxine. Due to limited clinical effectiveness studies, it is not licensed for use in the United Kingdom. We present a case of Armour thyroid use in preg...

Background: PPI are known to diminish the intestinal absorption of L-T4, which is commonly ingested as tablets of L-T4 sodium salt. However, a liquid formulation is available (Tirosint, oral solution, IBSA Farmaceutici Italia s.r.l., Italy), in which the hormone is solubilized in 28.8% ethyl alcohol. One ml of this formulation (=28 drops) contains 100 mcg L-T4 sodium salt in 243 mg ethanol. Because this formulation contains L...

Ingestion of excessive amounts of liquorice may cause significant electrolyte imbalances due to a mimicking of mineralocorticoid excess. A 70-year-old female attended hospital with palpitations and was found to have hypokalaemia. She was documented to have multiple supraventricular ectopic beats coinciding with her feeling of palpitations, This was precipitated by toxic consumption of liquorice, more than 2 kg in 72 h, to celebrate her 70th birthday. All abnormaliti...

A 53-year-old male was referred to the endocrinology outpatient clinic due to elevated levels of gonadotropins and testosterone (LH 11.7 IU/l, reference range 1.7-8.6 IU/l; FSH 17.7 IU/l, reference range 1.5-12.4 IU/l; testosterone 40.9 nmol/l, reference range 6.68-25.70 nmol/l; free testosterone 712.7 pmol/l, reference range 163-473 pmol/l) noted during an annual urologic check-up. No spermiogram was performed, and testicular ultrasound showed no abnormalities. The patient re...