Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: The incidence of obesity and other features of the metabolic syndrome is increased in shift workers. This may be due to a misalignment between the internal circadian rhythm and the behavioral rhythm. The stress hormone cortisol could play a role in this phenomenon, because it is secreted in a circadian rhythm, and long-term elevated cortisol levels leads to components of the metabolic syndrome. Our aim was to study changes in long-term cortisol levels due to shif...

Aim: To compare influence of transdermal versus peroral estrogen treatment on insulin sensitivity, lipid and hormonal levels in women affected with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).Patients and Methods: 17 women with PCOS, age 24.8 (4.2) years, BMI 24.15 (3.68) were randomly assigned either for peroral (8) or transdermal (9 patients) estrogens in conjunction with cyproteronacetate. In the early follicular phase of menstrual cycle before and then after 3 month of treatment ...

Background: In XY disorders of sex development, a single measurement of serum Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) may replace the hCG stimulation test.Aim: To assess the level of concordance between serum AMH and hCG stimulated testosterone concentrations.Methods: About 284 children (M:F,154:130) with a median age of 8 years (10th, 90th centiles, 0.25,14) were used to establish a normal reference range for AMH. Clinical data were reviewed...

High protein diets are highly satiating but hard to maintain. By understanding the mechanisms underlying these effects we may be able to identify new anti-obesity therapies. Protein is broken-down into amino acids in the gut which are detected by a series of nutrient sensors. The calcium sensing receptor (CaSR) is primarily activated by calcium ions, but is positively allosterically modulated by aromatic amino acids, especially L-phenylalanine. Sti...

High protein diets are highly satiating but hard to maintain. By understanding the mechanisms underlying these effects we may be able to identify new anti-obesity therapies. Protein is broken-down into amino acids in the gut which are detected by a series of nutrient sensors. The calcium sensing receptor (CaSR) is primarily activated by calcium ions, but is positively allosterically modulated by aromatic amino acids, especially L-phenylalanine. Sti...

Background: Despite relevant evidence that the absorption and/or action of L-thyroxine is compromised by various factors including the diet, until 2014 the British National Formula (BNF) recommended that L-thyroxine be taken ‘preferably before breakfast’ only, with no further clarifications. To follow is one of the cases where untimely food intake in hypothyroid patients manifested with severe hypothyroidism due to L-thyro...

Thyroid hormones are important regulators of fetal growth, although their mechanism of action remains unclear. This study investigated the effect of hypothyroidism on pancreatic β-cell development in foetal sheep.All procedures were carried out under the UK Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. Under general anaesthesia between 105 and 110 days of gestation (days; term ~145 days), one twin fetus was thyroidectomised (TX), while the other was sha...

High protein diets suppress appetite, but are difficult to adhere to. Understanding how the gut senses protein may identify mechanisms to drive satiety. Amino acid products of protein digestion are thought to be sensed by G protein coupled receptors in the gut, including the calcium sensing receptor (CaSR). Calcium ions are the major ligand of the CaSR, but aromatic amino acids, particularly L-phenylalanine (L-Phe), allosterically modulate CaSR activity....

Background and aims: An interesting approach in the pursuit for a cure of type 1 diabetes is restoration of immune tolerance by a combination treatment of low-dose aCD3 with the islet antigen proinsulin (PINS) and the pro-tolerogenic cytokine IL-10 administered orally via genetically modified Lactococcus lactis (L. lactis) bacteria. The purpose of adding PINS is to expand antigen-specific Tregs as they are believed to migrate preferentially to disease-related target o...

Introduction: Amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis (AIT) is a well-known complication of amiodarone therapy. Type 1 AIT is caused by excessive iodine-induced thyroid hormone synthesis in abnormal thyroid glands and treated with thionamides; type 2 AIT is a drug induced destructive thyroiditis that responds to glucocorticoids. Mixed forms of AIT need a combined treatment of thionamides and glucocorticoids. In refractory cases of AIT plasmapheresis before total thyroidectomy is an ...