Endocrine Abstracts

Objectives: Hypogonadism is often associated with diabetes mellitus and both conditions represent major risk factors for erectile dysfunction (ED). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of diabetes-induced hypogonadism on ED using two distinct animal models: alloxan-rabbits and streptozotocin (STZ)-rats.Methods: A subgroup of diabetic animals was Testosterone (T) replaced. After 8 weeks from induction of diabetes, erectile function was evaluat...

Background/Introduction: Lifestyle adaptations are crucial in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. However, implementation is difficult and patients especially with high glucose levels receive most often medication as first-line treatment instead of intensive lifestyle changes. We hypothesized that a primary lifestyle intervention as first-line treatment for newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes compared to standard of care is didactic, safe and can achieve metabolic control alone....

Background: The goal of this project was to identify non-osmotic stimuli of arginine vasopressin (AVP) release during exercise. Non-osmotic AVP release can lead to severe hyponatremia in otherwise healthy marathon runners.Interleukin-1 (IL-1) increases during exercise and was shown to induce AVP in animal models. We here therefore investigated whether copeptin (a surrogate marker for AVP) increases upon exercise in young and healthy males, and whether this increase is regulate...

Background: Increased cortisol levels in obesity may contribute to the associated metabolic syndrome. In obesity, the activated innate immune system leads to increased interleukin (IL)-1β, which is known to stimulate the release of adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH). We therefore hypothesised that in obesity IL-1 antagonism would result in downregulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to decreased cortisol levels.Methods: I...

Background: Low testosterone levels in men appear to be an independent cardiovascular risk factor closely associated with the metabolic syndrome. Reciprocally, the metabolic syndrome leads to a decrease in testosterone levels, suggesting a bidirectional relationship. It has been hypothesized that increased inflammation is causative for the development of obesity-associated hypogonadism. However, clinical evidence supporting this hypothesis is lacking. The aim of the present st...

Background: Calcifediol (25(OH)D3), the major circulating form and the direct precursor of the biologically active form of vitamin D, has been identified as an agonist ligand for vitamin D receptor (VDR) with anti-proliferative effects and gene regulatory function despite having a lower receptor affinity respect than the biologically active form of vitamin D3. In fact, recent studies have suggested that 25(OH)D3 can regulate gene expression by ...

Background: Multiple endocrine neoplasia of type 1 (MEN1) is a rare heritable endocrine tumor syndrome that results from biallelic inactivation of the MEN1 gene and the loss of menin protein, that was characterized by a susceptibility to the development of multiple endocrine neoplasms within a single patient. The MEN1 gene screening is helpful in the clinical practice for early genetic diagnosis. Unfortunately, the lack of genotype-phenotype correlation doesn’t allow to f...

BXL-628 is a non-hypercalcemic calcitriol analog successfully tested in a phase IIa trial for benign prostate hyperplasia therapy. Because part of low urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are generated by overactive bladder (OAB) and bladder expresses the calcitriol receptor (VDR), we investigated the BXL-628 effects on bladder contractility and RhoA/ROK signalling activated in OAB, by in vivo (2-weeks; 30 mcg/Kg, Sprague-Dawley, SD, and spontaneously hypertensive rats, SHR) a...

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with an increased risk of abdominal obesity, what is regulated by numerous genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known regulators of gene expression, involved in the development of metabolic disturbances. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is an accurate method of body composition analysis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between circulating miRNAs,...

FSH receptor (FSHR) expression has been shown in gonadal tumours, as well as in endothelial tumour vessel cells of various cancers. FSHR, due to its transmembrane localization could be a good candidate for receptor-mediated targeted cancer therapy. In recent years, a number of membrane disrupting lytic peptides have been used for receptor-based cancer therapy. In the present study, we characterised the specificity and cytotoxicity of a lytic peptide Phor21 conjugated to three ...