Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is more common in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). There is paucity of data regarding the impact of OSA in women with PCOS.Methods: We conducted a retrospective study using electronic patients’ records of premenopausal women with PCOS who were first seen in the weight management clinic (WMC) between March/2008 and November/2014. PCOS diagnosis was documented either by referring clinician or es...

Endometriosis is a chronic hormone-dependent disorder, characterised by growth of ‘ectopic’ endometrial tissue outside the uterus. It has been reported that 30–40% of women who are sub/infertile have endometriosis. Infertility in women with severe endometriosis may be the result of either scarring or pelvic distortion, but in women with mild/moderate disease it is believed subfertility may result from disturbances in endometrial tissue function. Transformation o...

The establishment of pregnancy requires dynamic remodelling of the endometrium. Decidualization, a key part of this process, is characterised by differentiation of endometrial stromal fibroblasts (ESF) which secrete factors that regulate implantation and placental development. We recently discovered that ESF synthesise androgens which modulate the expression of endometrial receptivity and decidualization markers. Utilisation of the circulating androgen precursor DHEA within ta...

Introduction: Adipokines and ghrelin exert well-documented effects on energy expenditure and glucose metabolism. Experimental data also support a role in bone metabolism, although data from clinical studies are conflicting. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association of serum concentrations of leptin, adiponectin and ghrelin with bone mineral density (BMD) in post-menopausal women.Methods/design: BMD in lumbar spine and f...

Introduction: Vitamin D is currently known for its effects on the bone and muscle systems as well as for its pleiotropic and antiproliferative effects. The relationship between vitamin D and diabetes mellitus is in the focus of scientific research. Vitamin D deficiency has been found to be associated with the development of diabetes mellitus type 1 as well as with poor glycemic control in diabetes mellitus type 2.Aim: The aim was to study the effect of v...

Introduction: Melatonin is a hormone mainly synthesized and secreted by the pineal gland. It is involved in the orchestration of circadian rhythms its levels being elevated during the hours of darkness in the human. Melatonin may have other pleiotropic functions in the human organism. In particular, it may be involved in the regulation of glucose metabolism and the pathogenesis of diabetes.Aim: The aim was to study the effect of melatonin on rat islet ce...

Introduction: Psychological dimensions of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are not adequately studied and related research is limited. Procrastination as a personality trait is involved in many aspects of daily life; it has not been studied in relation to GDM.Aim: To assess procrastination in insulin-treated women with GDM.Patients-methods: A total of 15 women (mean age +S.D.: 33+4 years) diagnosed with GDM betwee...

Introduction: Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical compound found in a variety of everyday products. Exposure to BPA impacts negatively ovarian response, number of fertilized oocytes and implantation in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). The aim of the study was to determine BPA levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in comparison to women with tubal factor (TF) infertility who underwent IVF as well as to investigate their effect in critical endp...

The uterus is an androgen-responsive tissue and AR is expressed in cells within the endometrium and myometrium. We have demonstrated that treatment of ovariectomised mice with the potent androgen dihydrosterone (DHT) induces a uterotrophic response with changes in expression of genes involved in cell-cycle progression, Wnt signalling and an expansion of the glandular epithelium. Selective androgen receptors modulators (SARMs) are AR ligands in development as potential therapeu...

The uterus is an androgen-responsive organ; androgen receptors (AR) are expressed in human endometrial stromal fibroblasts and can regulate proliferation and survival of this cell type. Although chronic androgen exposure results in atrophy of human endometrium, previous studies have suggested that it may have trophic effects in the rodent uterus. We hypothesised that androgens may have different impacts on endometrial function in the presence or absence of oestrogens. In the c...