Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is often associated with male hypogonadism. The role of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in MetS has not been completely clarified.To systematically analyse the relationship between androgen levels and MetS we performed a review and meta-analyses of available prospective and cross-sectional studies. A specific meta-analysis on the metabolic effects of TRT in available randomised clinical trials (RCTs) was als...

TSH receptor (TSHR) is a G-protein-coupled seven-transmembrane domain receptor located in the basolateral membrane of thyroid follicular cells. The activated receptor couples to two major signal transductions pathways: the Gs/adenylate cyclase and the Gq/11/phospholipase C signalling. Many loss of function mutations have been identified in this gene leading to a wide spectrum of thyroid abnormalities, ranging from hyperthyrotropinemia and TSH resistance to severe hypothyroidis...

Introduction: Previous clinical studies on effect of statins treatment on testosterone levels have produced mixed results. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the association between statin therapy and hormonal parameters in a large series of subjects seeking medical care at our Unit for ED.Methods: A consecutive series of 3484 (mean age 51.6±13.1 years) patients with ED was studied.Several hormonal and biochemical par...

Mitotane therapy is associated with many side effects, including thyroid function perturbations mimicking central hypothyroidism, possibly due to laboratory test interference or pituitary direct effects of mitotane. Therefore, we aimed at investigating whether increasing concentrations of mitotane in the therapeutic range might interfere with thyroid hormone assays and evaluate the effects of mitotane on a mouse TSH- producing pituitary cell line. TSH, FT4 and FT<su...

Introduction: Although it is well established that all the aspects of male reproduction are hormonally regulated, the endocrine control of the ejaculatory reflex is still not completely clarified. Sex steroids, thyroid and pituitary hormones (oxytocin and prolactin) have been proposed to control the ejaculatory process at various levels, however, only a few reports are currently available. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the contribution of testosterone, TSH and pr...

Introduction: Three peptides, acylated ghrelin (AG), unacylated ghrelin (UAG) and obestatin are derived from a common prohormone, preproghrelin by posttranslational processing, originating from endocrine cells in the stomach. Circulating ghrelin levels are decreased in obese subjects and increased by fasting and in patients with anorexia nervosa, but the physiological role of the three peptides is poorly understood in particular in childhood.Aim: In orde...

Ageing in men is accompanied by a decline in serum testosterone (T) levels and increased risk of cardiovascular disease, osteopenia, visceral obesity and impaired metabolism. These conditions have complex aetiologies that may share a common pro-inflammatory state. We investigated the impact of T therapy on cytokines and angiogenic factors involved in atherosclerosis and bone loss, in hypogonadal men who underwent androgen replacement. We carried out a 6 months, randomized, dou...

Objectives: The physiological role of prolactin in male sexual function has not been completely clarified. Aim of this study is the assessment of clinical features and of conditions associated with hyperprolactinemia in male patients consulting for sexual dysfunction.Design and methods: A consecutive series of 2146 (mean age 52.2±12.8 years) male patients with sexual dysfunction was studied. Several hormonal and biochemical parameters were studied a...

Objectives: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are characterized by insulin resistance and often associated with male hypogonadism. To discriminate the specific contribution of T2DM and MetS to male hypogonadism.Design and methods: A consecutive series of 1134 (mean age 52.1±13 years) male patients with sexual dysfunction was studied. Several hormonal and biochemical parameters were studied along with ANDROTEST, a 12-item ...

Epididymis (epi) is a sex steroid-sensitive duct provided with spontaneous motility, allowing sperm transport. We previously demonstrated that human epi expresses a high abundance of mRNA for ER-alpha and ER-beta. We demonstrated that in epi estrogens up-regulate either oxytocin (OT) responsiveness, acting at the receptor level, and responsiveness to endothelin-1 (ET-1), another well-known stimulator of epididymal motility. However, we did not find any significant change eithe...