Endocrine Abstracts

One of the proposed mechanisms responsible for Diabetes mellitus (DM)-associated erectile (ED) dysfunction is overactivity of RhoA/ROCK signalling. Because statins may decrease RhoA activation, we investigated whether atorvastatin ameliorated DM-induced ED in alloxan-treated (100 mg/kg) rabbits (in vitro studies) and streptozotocin-treated (STZ, 50 mg/kg) rats (in vivo studies). A subgroup of diabetic animals received atorvastatin 5 mg/kg per daily 2 weeks before...

A previous study demonstrate that chronic tadalafil administration (2 mg/kg per day) was able to prevent some, but not all, penile alterations induced by long-term (3 months) bilateral cavernous neurotomy (BCN) in the rat. In particular, in vitro acetylcholine responsiveness and reduced eNOS and nNOS expression were not preserved, while PDE5 down-regulation, along with muscle/fiber ratio and hypoxygenation (hypoxyprobe) were significantly restored by chronic tadalafil (...

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...

Background: Testosterone (T) is essential for bone health during all ages, helping to achieve a proper peak bone mass and, later, to maintain bone density and strength. Guidelines on management of male osteoporosis recommend testosterone replacement in young-adult hypogonadal to prevent bone loss and anti-resorbitive drugs in case of high fracture risk, but the role of T replacement therapy (TRT) alone in subjects with late onset hypogonadism is still the object of an intense ...

Objectives: BPH is characterised by prostate inflammation, which frequently occurs in men with metabolic syndrome (MetS). MetS is often associated with low testosterone (T). Recent evidence shows that low, rather than high, T is associated with BPH/lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). To evaluate if T replacement therapy (TRT) for 6 months in BPH men with MetS and low T, is able to improve LUTS and prostate inflammation.Methods: 120 men in waiting list f...

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) clusters cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors, along with hypogonadism (HG) and erectile dysfunction (ED). Lifestyle modifications, including physical exercise (PhyEx), are well-known treatments for this condition. We previously established a non-genomic, high-fat diet (HFD)-induced rabbit model of MetS that recapitulates the human phenotype, including HG and ED. We now report studies on the effect of PhyEx on hypothalamus-pituitary-testis (HPT) ...

Objective: Substitution treatment of hypogonadism in clinical and experimental models has shown beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity and accumulation of visceral and liver fat. Aim of the study was to analyze the effects of testosterone replacement therapy on benign prostatic hyperplasia/lower urinary tract symptoms (BPH/LUTS) clinical parameters, adipose tissue dysfunction and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese patients candidates for bariatric surgery.</p...

Inflammation is hypothesized to play an important role in several diseases associated to the female genital tract and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) has shown immunomodulatory protective effects in experimental models of chronic inflammation. In the present study we aimed to evaluate the potential anti-inflammatory effects of DHT in a model of smooth muscle cells (hSMCs) isolated from human vagina biopsies and their potential role as APCs (Antigen Presenting Cells), crucial for the...

The relation between sexual and cardiovascular health in women is not well defined. Clitoral colour Doppler ultrasound (CDU) with assessment of the pulsatility index (PI), reflecting resistance to blood flow, has been proposed as an objective measurement of sexual functioning. We aimed to investigate the associations between clitoral PI and cardiometabolic risk factors. Seventy-one adult heterosexual women attending our clinic for sexual dysfunction were consecutively recruite...

Expanding brown adipose tissue is a potential therapeutic strategy to counteract insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and Takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5) activation enhances insulin sensitivity, suggesting the capacity of FXR/TGR5 agonists to promote brown differentiation in adipose tissue. Treatment with increasing doses of the dual FXR/TGR5 agonist INT-767 (3, 10, 30 mg/Kg bw, daily for 5 days a week, by oral gavage, for 12 ...