Endocrine Abstracts

When cultured in serum-free conditions, primary cultures of human thyroid cells display TSH-dependent iodide uptake and organification and iodide-dependent thyroid hormone synthesis. High iodide concentrations (>1 microM) inhibit thyroid hormone synthesis but iodide (0.1 microM) is obligatory for thyroid hormone secretion into the medium. We have performed in vitro studies examining the regulation of iodide transport and organification in cells preincubated in varying conce...

Nitric oxide (NO) is a regulator of pituitary gonadotrophs via local paracrine and autocrine actions. Gonadotrophs express neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) but the effects of NO on gonadotrophs are controversial and both stimulation and inhibition of LH release has been reported. nNOS -/- mice have reduced fertility, but this is attributed to ovary actions, because no difference was detected in basal or GnRH-stimulated LH release (Klein et al 1998). We have therefore exam...

In an attempt to audit one aspect of the endocrine nurse's workload, all incoming telephone calls to our office were monitored over a two month period.Details recorded were the call source, the query raised and the time taken by the nurse to respond appropriately. We went on to analyse the information gathered to ascertain areas where improved clinical practice could alleviate the need for further calls.Calls totalled 200 in the ...

The term Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) encompasses all those vesicular structures (surrounded by a cell membrane) released into the extracellular environment. Virtually all cells are capable of producing EVs through highly conserved mechanisms in evolution. These vesicles serve as a communication channel between different cells of the organism due to their capacity to exchange biomolecules, including proteins, lipids, nucleic acids or carbohydrates. Their membranous packaging g...

Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, DenmarkHuman birth rates are decreasing in industrial countries and are now far below levels, where our populations can be sustained. Although some socio-economic analyses suggest that the trends are due to behavioral changes, adverse health factors may also be at play. In Europe, we have epidemics of infertility resulting in increasing need for assisted reproduction. In Den...

Genetic variants causing adrenal insufficiency (AI) are either disrupting corticosteroid production exclusively leading to isolated AI or they are causing additional organ malfunctions as part of a syndromic form of AI. In isolated AI, genetic disorders may affect structure and function of the adrenal cortex or adrenal steroidogenesis specifically, but often also lead to overall disturbances of steroidogenesis affecting other steroid organs (mainly the gonads ...

Patients with craniopharyngioma (CP) are more often operated by transcranial route than patients with nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA), have higher prevalence of pituitary deficiencies, are more obese and dyslipidemic and have a higher mortality rate. A previous study in a large group of GHD subjects, showed that the effects of 2-year rhGH replacement are similar in patients operated for CP and in patients operated for NFPA, except for less reduction in fat mass in CP p...

Background: Altered connexin expression and/or function is linked to the development and progression of secondary microvascular complications associated with diabetes. Despite this, we know little for the role of these small membrane proteins in the diabetic kidney. This study examines if glucose-evoked changes in TGF-β1 modulate connexin expression and gap junction-mediated intercellular communication in diabetic nephropathy.Methods: Biopsy materia...

Background: Changes in the expression of connexins have been linked to renal damage in diabetes and both hemi-channels and gap junctions represent potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy. In the current study, we utilize model epithelial cells from human renal proximal tubules (HK2), to demonstrate a role for glucose and its downstream beta1 isoform of the pro-fibrotic cytokine transforming growth factor (TGFβ1) on connexin expression and h...

Introduction: Arterial hypertension is a major risk factor for micro- and macrovascular complications in type 2 diabetes. Several factors are known to influence blood pressure profile in diabetic patients, such as age, sex, body weight, diabetes duration, insulin dosage, metabolic control, and microalbuminuria. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) permits the observation of blood pressure throughout day and night. ABPM is better related to end organ damage and cardiovas...