Endocrine Abstracts

Background and aims: Bile acids are conserved through enterohepatic circulation, a glucocorticoid-modulated process. 11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type-1 (11β-HSD1) converts cortisone/11-dehydrocortisone to cortisol/corticosterone, thus increasing intracellular glucocorticoid levels. 11β-HSD1 also metabolises 7-oxo-lithocholic acid, a bile acid. 11β-HSD1 is highly expressed in the liver and may alter bile acid transport through regeneration of active glu...

Introduction: Although long-term complications such as nephrocalcinosis and renal insufficiency are well-known in chronic hypoparathyroidism (HPT), standardized investigations of their prevalence and causes are still lacking.Objective: To systematically investigate the prevalence of renal calcifications and dysfunction and their predictors in a well-characterized cohort of patients with HPT.Methods: Cross-sectional assessment of co...

Background: True Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is an exceedingly rare condition, thus to avoid unnecessary and costly testing, a diagnostic investigation should only start based on solid clinical suspicion. The current obesity epidemic has become a hurdle in discriminating subjects at real risk for CS from those with the metabolic syndrome. Moreover, many CS patientsrecently diagnosed do not fit the typical clinical profile of ‘at risk subjects’.<p class="abste...

Background: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors decrease the degradation of low–density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors, thereby increasing the removal of LDL particles from the blood and significantly reducing LDL cholesterol levels by an average of 65%. Blom et al. showed changes in vitamin E, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, total testosterone, and estradiol in EVOLOCUMAB (PCSK9 inhibitor)–treated patients 1. Ther...

Chronic inflammatory disease is often accompanied by angiogenesis and fibrosis. Glucocorticoids (GCs) exert anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic effects, in which macrophages are a major target. Local endogenous GC action is controlled by 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD), with the type 1 isozyme, 11β-HSD1 converting inactive GCs into active forms. Mice deficient in 11β-HSD1 have a phenotype consistent with reduced glucocorticoid action, including...

Variation in the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene associates with relative glucocorticoid resistance, hypertension and increased cardiovascular disease risk in humans. To investigate the contribution of cardiac GR to this phenotype we have characterised adult male mice with cardiomyocyte and vascular smooth muscle deletion of GR (SMGRKO) and have found left ventricular function to be impaired.SMGRKO mice, generated by crossing GR ‘floxed’ mice...

Introduction: There is controversy over which form of biochemical testing is best for screening for phaeochromocytoma/paraganglioma (PHAEO/PGL). Measurement of plasma metanephrines is the most sensitive test but is less specific and lacks widespread availability, and so many centres opt to measure 24-h urinary excretion of catecholamines and metanephrines. However, the standard 24-h urinary catecholamine profile also includes dopamine (DA), vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) and homo...

Glucocorticoid signalling is essential for cardiac maturation late gestation. In mice, global glucocorticoid receptor deficiency (GR−/−) severely impairs cardiac function and ultrastructure at embryonic day (E) 17.5. To dissect direct effects of GR deficiency in the heart from effects on other systems, Sm22α-Cre mice were crossed with ‘floxed’ GR mice to generate SMGRKO mice with disrupted GR signalling in cardiomyocytes and vascular smoot...

11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type one (11β-HSD1) converts inert glucocorticoids to active forms, amplifying intracellular glucocorticoid action. 11β-HSD1 also catalyses the reduction of seven-ketocholesterol (7KC) to 7β-hydroxycholesterol (7βHC). 7KC may inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis (Brown et al. 2002). Alteration of cholesterol homeostasis is a major atherosclerotic risk factor. 11β-HSD1 deficiency/inhibition is atheroprotective ...

Background and aims: Bile acids regulate cholesterol metabolism and the digestive system. They are conserved through enterohepatic circulation, a glucocorticoid-modulated process. We investigated whether the regeneration of active glucocorticoid by 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type one (11β-HSD1) affects bile acid release and enterohepatic transport after re-feeding.Methods: Bile acid turnover was assessed in global (Hsd11b11<...