Endocrine Abstracts

Liver and visceral ectopic fatty tissue disposition is a major metabolic derangement leading to type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, recapitulated in the metabolic syndrome (MetS). We have demonstrated that the selective FXR agonist obeticholic acid (OCA, INT-747) ameliorates the metabolic profile and reduces visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced rabbit model of MetS. We now report the effects of OCA treatment in HFD (0.5% cholesterol and 4% p...

Introduction: Although testosterone has been suggested to play a protective role against the development of atherosclerosis, studies demonstrating an association between low testosterone, and incident major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) are scanty in the general population and absent in subjects with erectile dysfunction (ED). The aim of this study is to investigate whether low testosterone in subjects with ED predict incident fatal or non fatal MACE.<p class="abste...

Introduction: Erectile dysfunction (ED) and, in particular, arteriogenic ED have been proposed as new markers of risk for incident major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Reduced penile blood flow is more common in obese people than in leaner ED subjects. The aim of this study is to explore the interaction of overweight/obesity and penile blood flow in the prediction of incident MACE.Methods: This is an observational prospective cohort study evaluati...

Introduction: No study has ever assessed the possible association of penile blood flow (PBF) and the relational component of sexual function with incident major cardiovascular events (MACE). The aim of this study is to investigate whether severity of erectile dysfunction (ED), PBF and other factors related to a couple’s relationship predict incident (MACE).Methods: A subset of 1687 patients was longitudinal studied. Different clinical, biochemical a...

Introduction: Concern about a testosterone-induced PSA increase is often perceived as one of the main limitations in treating hypogonadism even when it is symptomatic, such as in subjects with sexual dysfunction (SD). The aim of the present study is to evaluate the relationship between testosterone (T) and PSA levels in subjects with SD.Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the relationship between T and PSA in 2291 subjects seeking medical care at our O...

Introduction: While the association of Klinefelter’s syndrome (KS) with infertility is well known, very few investigations have evaluated the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in KS. The aim of the present study is to systematically analyse the prevalence of KS in a consecutive series of adult male patients consulting for sexual problems and to investigate its specific correlates.Methods: Among a consecutive series of 1386 patients (mean age 48.9&#17...

Isolated central hypothyroidism (ICH) is a rare disease whose pathogenesis is so far linked to germinal mutations of TSHβ (several cases) or TRH receptor (TRHR) genes (only two cases). Here, we report the studies performed to elucidate the pathogenesis of idiopathic ICH in five cases (two men, three women) with low/normal TSH levels and low freeT4 levels (3–8 pmol/l). One male, negative at neonatal TSH screening, showed signs of severe hypothyroidism at 44...

Objectives: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is often associated with a wide array of psychiatric symptoms, although few studies systematically address their specific association with ED determinants. Aim of this study is to explore the relationship between ED and different psychopathological symptoms.Design and methods: A consecutive series of 1388 (mean age 51±13 years) male patients with ED was studied. Several hormonal and biochemical parameters were i...

Human bladder contraction mainly depends on Ca2+ influx, via L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, and on RhoA/Rho-kinase contractile signalling, a pathway up-regulated in overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome. Elocalcitol (Elo) is a vitamin D receptor agonist inhibiting RhoA/Rho-kinase signalling in rat and human bladder, shown to ameliorate OAB symptoms in a clinical study. Since in normal bladder from Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats Elo treatment delayed the c...

The molecular mechanisms underlying the reawakening of hypothalamic GnRH neurons at puberty remain to be elucidated. Recently, the G protein-coupled receptor 54 (GPR54) and its endogenous ligand kisspeptin, encoded by the KISS1 gene, have been involved. In fact, GPR54 mutations cause idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in human and mice. We used the previously characterized primary culture of human fetal olfactory GnRH-secreting neurons, FNC-B4, to study in vitro t...