Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Mutations of the LMNA gene cause a wide range of diseases including lipodystrophy, myopathy [including dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)], neuropathy and progeroid syndrome, and are collectively known as A-type laminopathies.Case report: A 51-year-old Caucasian male with history of heart, liver and kidney transplants was referred for evaluation and treatment of post-transplant diabetes. He was diagnosed with hypertriglyceridemia at age 38. At 43...

Insulin oedema is uncommon and poorly understood. It has been reported mainly in the adult literature. We present one of the youngest cases reported in the literature.A previously obese 9-year-old boy gradually lost weight over 18-month period and experienced polyuria and polydipsia for several months. He presented in diabetic ketoacidosis (blood glucose 24 mmol/l, pH 7.13, bicarbonate 6.6 mmol/l, potassium 3.13 mmol/l, urinary ketones 3+) which resp...

Physical examination in thyroid diseases, should it be relied on?M Sadri, C Y Yiangou, A. DhandaDepartment of thyroid surgery Queen Alexandra Hospital, PortsmouthObjective: Assessment of the accuracy of physical examination performed by thyroid surgery team doctors at thyroid clinic.Method: Random review of 120 new referrals to thyroid clinic, with review of clinical findings on physica...

Reactive hypoglycaemia is usually mild, often presents with non-specific symptoms and may be difficult to distinguish from neuropsychiatric illnessThe diagnosis should be considered when these symptoms are related to eating. We present a severe case of idiopathic hypoglycaemia which responded dramatically to the alpha-glucosidase inhibitor acarbose.A 25 year old woman presented with a nine year history of intermittent thirst, feeling hot, distal paraesth...

Arunachal Pradesh is one of the north eastern provinces of India situated on the Eastern Himalayan mountain range. Enriched with diversified flora, fauna and ethnic population, this zone has been recognised as one of the world’s Mega Biodiversity hot spots. The people of this state use bark powder of a plant Dysoxylum alliarium for pregnancy control of mated females especially dogs and pigs.Objective: Validation of this bark’s abortifaci...

Inbred laboratory mice are widely used to generate, by homologous recombination, transgenic and chemical mutagenesis routes, genetic models of human disease. However, physiological studies of such models are hampered by the lack of normal ranges for serum and urinary biochemistry, particularly in relation to acclimatisation following placement in metabolic cages. To establish such values, we investigated urinary and serum parameters in forty, 24–30 week-old C3H/HeH, BALB/...

The peptide hormone ACTH stimulates lipolysis and suppresses leptin production in adipocytes via the G-protein coupled seven transmembrane receptor, MC2-R. We have shown previously that PPARγ2 is the primary factor responsible for transactivation of the already identified murine MC2-R promoter in the differentiating 3T3-L1 adipocyte cell line. In this study we show that despite the activity of this promoter being transient during differentiation, MC2-R mRNA remains elevat...

Several papers show that maternal malnutrition can affect the reproductive capability of the offspring. Leptin is an important regulator of the reproductive system, however little is known about its role in the epididymis. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether the maternal malnutrition during lactation can alter the expression of leptin and its receptors in the epididymis of rats. Six rat dams were randomly assigned to the control group (C), with free access to a stan...

Clinical caseIntroduction: Insulinoma is a rare disorder with an estimated incidence of 1 case per 250 000 people per year.Case report: 37 years old female, with a history of irritable bowel syndrome, dyslipidemia and kidney stones. In December 2010, she developed a headache, dizziness and visual disturbances, predominantly in the evening and amnesia for some of the episodes. Initially interpreted as peripheral vertiginous syndrome, because of recurrence...

Introduction: Responsible use of healthcare resources dictates that judicious test ordering be encouraged. Although the appearance of anti-GAD antibodies is known to precede and predict the development of autoimmune diabetes, its use as a screen for risk of developing diabetes is not warranted. Results are useful in determining treatment, however, when it is difficult to distinguish type 1 from type 2 diabetes or when the probability of progression from type 2 to type 1 is hig...