Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: To evaluate the associations between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and atherosclerosis.Methods and Results: A total of 8971 participants aged 40 years and older from Baoshan district, Shanghai were included in the present study. The presence of NAFLD was evaluated by ultrasonography. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (ba-PWV) were measured in each participant. The prevalence of NAFLD was 30...

Objective: The role of pancreatic insulin secretion in Chinese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is not clear. To evaluate insulin sensitivity (IS) and β-cell function in lean and obese women with PCOS, either separately or by using an disposition index (DI).Methods: Cross-sectional study involving 137 Chinese women with PCOS and 123 normal women were examined by anthropometry, lipid profile, sex hormone, high-sensitivity C-reactive protei...

Background: Atypical carcinoid tumours are rare which account for about 15% of all carcinoid tumours. Some of those tumours secrete adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) causing Cushing's syndrome. We present a case which recurred 16 years after being first diagnosed.Case: A 39 years old woman was referred with few months history of weight gain, irregular menstrual periods, muscle aches, difficult going up the stairs, headaches and blurred vision.She was i...

Background: The melanocortin 2 receptor (MC2R)/melanocortin 2 receptor accessory protein (MRAP) are critical components of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). MRAP2, homologue of MRAP, can also regulate the MC2R in vitro, however, the physiological significance of this is unclear. We studied the expression of the MRAPs and MC2R in a well-defined rat model of endotoxin induced septic shock. These animals have been shown to have higher ACTH and corticosterone le...

Background and aims: The melanocortin-2-receptor accessory protein (MRAP) is essential for melanocortin-2-receptor (MC2R) function through receptor trafficking and signalling, enabling adrenal glucocorticoid synthesis in response to ACTH stimulation. Disabling mutations of MRAP result in life-threatening glucocorticoid deficiency, known as familial glucocorticoid deficiency type 2. MRAP has a single paralogue in the human genome, MRAP2. In vitro MRAP2 has a similar acti...

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2) is an autosomal dominant condition that is rare in childhood. MEN2 is sub-classified into three categories that all include familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Familial MTC has no other associated tumours. MEN2A is characterised by MTC, phaeochromocytoma and parathyroid tumours and MEN2B consists of MTC, phaeochromocytoma, ganglioneuromatosis and usually a Marfanoid habitus. The identification of RET as the causative gene has ...

SOM230 is one of the long-acting somatostatin analogues, which has been developed for the treatment of neuroendocrine tumours. Recently we found that SOM230 inhibits the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The aim of this study is to further investigate its antiproliferative effect using adult human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) and human dermal microvessel endothelial cells (HDMECs). The expression of SSTRs and the potential mechanism were obs...

Objective: To investigate the insulin response during a 5 hour Oral Glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in subjects with and without symptoms of reactive hypoglycaemia.Methods: 12 patients with suspected reactive hypoglycaemia were studied. After fasting from midnight, they were given a 75 g glucose drink at 9 am the following morning. Plasma glucose and insulin levels were measured at baseline and at 30 minute intervals for 5 hours. Relative insulin increase,...

The CRF-related ligand Urocortin 3 (Ucn 3) is expressed in discrete subcortical areas with highest mRNA levels in the medial amgydala (MEA), hypothalamic median preoptic nucleus (MePO) and the rostral part of the perifornical hypothalamic area (PFN). Close anatomical association between major Ucn 3 terminal fields and the type 2-CRF receptor in hypothalamus, lateral septum and medial amygdala suggest it is well placed to modulate physiological processes including behavioural, ...

Background: Diabetes prevalence and mortality are increasing rapidly and glycemic goals (hemoglobin A1c < 7%) are often not achieved in patients with type 2 diabetes in China, The low control rate of diabetes has become a global problem. The management of community diabetes is the most effective choice to prevent and control chronic diseases.Objective: To improve the management of diabetes mellitus in community, we analyze the effect of hospital-comm...