Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Phase angle (PA) is defined as the angular displacement between the current and voltage waveforms due to capacitor interference, measured in degrees or radians. [1] The fat-free mass (FFM) is made up of water and electrolytes and is characterized by a low impedance, while the FM (fat mass) is water-free and, therefore, with a high impedance. The larger the FM, the higher the resistance, and this parameter affects the PA. Body mass index (BMI) is the most widely use...

Cimetidine, an antagonist of histamine H2-receptors used for treatment of gastric ulcers, exerts antiandrogenic effect. In testes, cimetidine causes histopathological disorders in the seminiferous tubules and impairs spermatogenesis. Additionally to testosterone, Leydig cells (LC) produce several paracrine factors, including EG–VEGF (endocrine gland-derived vascular endothelial growth factor) which participates in the testicular microvasculature control. Regarding the imp...

Low glycaemic index (GI) diet and gut hormones such as glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY) have been shown independently to reduce appetite. However, the direct relationship between a single meal of low or high GI and the levels of these hormones has not been studied. In this study we looked at the short term effects of a single low or high GI meal on plasma levels of GLP-1, PYY and insulin.King’s College London’s research ethi...

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is associated with a two-fold increase in risk of cardiovascular disease and a five-fold increase in risk for diabetes.The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of MS in patients with Type 1 diabetes using the latest IDF criteria and evaluate any correlation between MS and daily insulin dosage.Seventy-five patients (44 males, 31 females; mean age 43 years; age range 19–73 years) with type 1 d...

Recent studies report that nandrolone, a widely used anabolic steroid by athletes to enhance their performance, is produced endogenously in the humans. However, the detection of nandrolone has mainly been indicated by the measurement of its urinary metabolites (19-norandrosterone and 19-noretiocholanone). The aim of this study was to develop a sensitive and specific ELISA for nandrolone to investigate whether the parent steroid can be detected in the urine of healthy volunteer...

Case reports in humans implicate glucocorticoid (GC) excess, through exogenous administration or endogenous overproduction, as a cause of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. In rodents, massive doses of GCs have induced fatty liver when liver fat was measured in the fasting state. The mechanisms through which GCs might induce fatty liver are unknown, but are thought to be secondary to insulin resistance/hyperinsulinaemia. In this study, we examined the effect of dexamethasone (...

The UK Acromegaly Register was established in 1997 and holds data on patients with acromegaly from 17 centres in the UK. Of 1466 records, 431 (29%) were diagnosed pre-1984, 580 (40%) between 1984 and 1993 and 455 (31%) between 1994 and 2003.Surgery was and remains the most frequently applied primary treatment for acromegaly: 46% of cases pre-1984, 53% 1994-2003. The proportion treated by surgery alone has risen from 16% to 28% in 1994 to 2003 (P<1x10-...

Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine whether insulin resistance is important in well controlled, uncomplicated patients with type 1 diabetes on long term CSII, compared to matched healthy controls.Research design and methods: We studied 8 patients (4 men and 4 women) with type 1 diabetes on stable continuous subcutaneous insulin pump therapy and 8 healthy controls, matched for age, gender and BMI. Insulin sensitivity was measured by h...

Thyroid hormone (TH) is essential for fetal development and before 14 weeks maternal supply of TH is critical to the fetus. Subtle abnormalities of maternal thyroid status have been reported to affect neurodevelopment in childhood (1,2). To explore this further, we examined the relationship between maternal thyroid status and newborn measures of growth potential. A cohort of uncomplicated pregnant women (n=480) was recruited. At antenatal booking (mean gestation 13.05 weeks) m...

Non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome. The potential role of glucocorticoids (GC) in the pathogenesis of NAFLD, is highlighted by patients with GC excess, Cushing’s syndrome, who develop central adiposity, insulin resistance and in 20% of cases, NAFLD. Although in most cases of NAFLD, circulating cortisol levels are normal, hepatic cortisol availability is controlled by enzymes that regenerate cortisol from inacti...