Endocrine Abstracts

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and their binding proteins (IGFBPs) have important metabolic roles in the human body. IGFBP-3 (40 and 45 kD glycoforms) is the most abundant in serum, whereas IGFBP-2 (34 kD) and IGFBP-1 (29 kD) are present at lower concentrations.Most inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract are characterised by a cytokine- mediated inflammatory reaction, malnutrition and catabolism. The aim of this work was to detect possib...

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and their binding proteins (IGFBPs) have important metabolic roles in the human body. IGFBP-3 (40 and 45 kD glycoforms) is the most abundant in serum, whereas IGFBP-2 (34 kD) and IGFBP-1 (29 kD) are present at lower concentrations.Most inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract are characterised by a cytokine- mediated inflammatory reaction, malnutrition and catabolism. The aim of this work was to detect possib...

The extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) plays a key role in the body's capacity to maintain a nearly constant level of the extracellular ionized calcium concentration. The parathyroid glands play an especially important role in calcium homeostasis through their capacity to sense even minute perturbations in the extracellular calcium concentration and to respond in ways that will normalize the level of extracellular calcium. In response to hypocalcemia, for example, in...

IntroductionThe process of ovulation is believed to contribute to the majority of ovarian cancers that derive from the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE). The OSE is known to be important for successful ovulation and more recently was shown to be sensitive to inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha; Human Reproduction: 17:2300-2306).MethodsNormal OSE cells were obtained, with informed conse...

Two members of the melanocortin (MC) receptor family are abundantly expressed in the adrenal cortex, namely MC2R and MC5R. MC2R binds only ACTH and is known as the ACTH receptor, the role of MC5R however is still under investigation. It is known that alpha-MSH stimulates aldosterone secretion by the rat adrenal cortex, by an MC2R-independent mechanism, although the receptor involved has not been identified. The experiments were designed to investigate the role of MC5R in the a...

Craniopharyngiomas are tumours of the squamous epithelium, which arise in the sellar and/or suprasellar regions from embryonic squamous cell rests of the involuted hypophyseal-pharyngeal duct. They account for approximately 3% of intracranial neoplasms, present with symptoms relating to pressure effects on adjacent organs and often have an unpredictable behaviour. Corticotroph adenomas, usually measuring a few millimeters in diameter, are found in 10-12% of surgically removed ...

Introduction:Steroid hormones exert numerous effects through their action on genomic receptors but little is known about the rapid effects mediated via membrane-bound proteins. Analyses in several vertebrate species indicate that three groups (alpha or A, beta or B, and gamma) of membrane progestin receptors (mPR) exist and have distinct tissue distributions.Objective:The aims of this study were to establish ...

Background: Hyperhomocysteinemia is an independent risk factor foratherosclerosis (1,2). Elevated plasma total homocysteine(t-Hcy) levels havebeen described in primary hypothyroidism (3,4). Subclinical hypothyroidismhas also been found to be associated with atherosclerosis (5).Hypothyroidism decreases hepatic levels of enzymes involved in theremethylation pathway of homocysteine and renal excretion of t-Hcy (6,7).The present study evaluates t-Hcy in sub...

While previous studies have shown relatively low concentrations of insulin-like growth factors (IGF)in human ejaculates, high levels of IGF binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2)have been reported. The IGF/IGFBP system was investigated in ejaculates from thirty men aged 23-46 years consulting a fertility clinic. Volume, viscosity, total and motile sperm counts were estimated by standard methods and each subject consented for the specimen to be used in this study. Local Ethical Committee ...

Growth hormone (GH) is thought to have a dual effect (direct and indirect) on bone metabolism. We sought to explore the inter-relationships and potential determinant factors of several markers of bone turnover in GH deficient adults (GHD), as well as possible acute changes arising from GH.24 GHD subjects [14 M, 10F; age (range, 24-74 yrs)] were studied after consent and ethical approval. They were randomised into three groups (GP) of 8 subjects, each to ...