Endocrine Abstracts

Human bladder contraction mainly depends on Ca2+ influx, via L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, and on RhoA/Rho-kinase contractile signalling, a pathway up-regulated in overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome. Elocalcitol (Elo) is a vitamin D receptor agonist inhibiting RhoA/Rho-kinase signalling in rat and human bladder, shown to ameliorate OAB symptoms in a clinical study. Since in normal bladder from Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats Elo treatment delayed the c...

Background: Pituitary carcinoma occurs in ~0.2% of resected pituitary tumours, and carries a poor prognosis (mean survival <4 years), with standard chemotherapeutic regimens showing limited efficacy. However, recent evidence suggests that temozolomide, an orally active alkylating agent used principally in the management of glioblastoma, may also be effective in controlling aggressive/invasive pituitary adenomas/carcinomas. Low levels of expression of the DNA-repair enzyme ...

Background: Oxidative stress is implicated in the pathogenesis of primary male infertility. Some studies suggest that administration of the amino acid derivative anti-oxidant, L-carnitine, may improve sperm quality. No previous study has investigated whether the anti-oxidant effects of L-carnitine relate to changes in sperm quality in men with infertility.Aim: Investigate whether L-carnetine significantly improves sperm function, and whether baseline lev...

Background: It has been thought that L-carnitine is effective in improving insulin-mediated glucose disposal either in healthy subjects or in type 2 diabetic patients,and carnitine plays an important role in diabetes mellitus omplications (cardiovascular disease).Objective: We designed this study to investigate the effects of oral L-carnitin administration on fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycosylated hemoglob (HbA1c), in patients with diabetes mellit...

An 18-year old male presented with galactorrhoaea and obesity. PRL measured 16,630 mU/l, FSH 6.0 U/l, LH 5.0 U/l, testosterone 8.6 nmol/l, SHBG 15.0 nmol/l, IGF-1 22.0 nmol/l and TSH 1.39 mU/l. Several 24-hour urinary free cortisol estimations excluded hypercortisolism. Short synacthen test confirmed an intact HPA axis. Visual fields were full. Pituitary-MRI revealed a large adenoma extending into the right cavernous sinus without suprasellar extension. PRL started declining u...

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) development has a direct relationship with Brain-insulin resistance. Central in the pathology of AD are beta-amyloid and tau proteins associated with cognitive decline in the hippocampus. Allium sativum L. has been shown to have a neuroprotective effect. Thirty-two male Wistar rats (80-150 g) were assigned into A-D (n=8 each), and housed in standard plastic cages at 23&pm; 1°C. Group A received saline, groups B and C were ad...

Background: Subclinical hypothyroidism is common in pregnancy affecting about 5% of all pregnant women, and is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. There is a general consensus that subclinical hypothyroidism detected during pregnancy should be treated with L-thyroxine (Stagnaro-green et al. 2011, DeGroot et al. 2012). However, it is unclear whether the treatment should be limited only during the pregnancy or continued long-term. Therefo...

Hyperprolactinaemia in association with a large sellar lesion could represent either tumoural secretion of prolactin (PRL) or stalk disruption by a non-prolactinoma: the differentiation has important therapeutic consequences. We have previously shown that based on currently used assays disconnection hyperprolactinaemia associated with non-functioning adenoma (NFA) practically never exceeds levels above 2000 mU/l. We aimed to verify our proposed disconnection hyperprolactinaemi...

Introduction: Large prolactinomas are uncommon and there is limited information on their presentation and progression. In this study we reviewed the presenting features, associated endocrinopathy and the response to treatment.Methods: 16 patients (aged 20–80 years, 75% male) were identified from our endocrine database as presenting with prolactin >20,000 mU/l between 1985 and 2005.Results: 75% of patients presented with ma...

The objective of our study was to evaluate the potential benefit of short-term combined treatment with LT4plusLT3 in patients with persistent hypothyroidism and malabsorption. We report ten cases of patients with hypothyroidism secondary to total thyroidectomy, in which high doses of L-T4 (2,7-3.5 mcg/kg/die) were not adequate to normalize thyroid function. TSH was persistently high (from 10 to 100 mU/L) with low serum levels of thyroid hormones.<p class="ab...