Endocrine Abstracts

AIMS: Postmenopausal oestrogen replacement therapy (ERT) has been shown to lower serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels, requiring the use of higher doses of growth hormone (GH) replacement. Soy derived phytoestrogens (PE) are in widespread usage as a natural alternative to ERT. No data exists on the effects of PE on serum IGF-1 levels. The aim of this pilot study was to determine the effects of Phytoestrogen dietary supplementation on the serum IGF-1 level in postm...

Aim: To identify the role of unmetabolised arachidonic acid (AA) produced by phospholipase A2 (PLA2) enzymes, and its 12-lipoxygenase (12-LOX) and cyclooxygenase (COX) products in the insulin secretory response of human islets of Langerhans. Material and Methods: Expression of COX-1 and COX-2 mRNAs was determined by RT-PCR. Insulin secretion from perifused human islets was measured by radioimmunoassay, in the presence of inhibitors of PLA<su...

Transsphenoidal surgery results in biochemical cure of approximately 50% of all acromegalic patients, depending on tumour size and surgical expertise. It is uncertain whether prior treatment with somatostatin analogues would result in tumour shrinkage and therefore improve the efficacy of subsequent surgery. Aims: To determine whether 6 months de novo treatment with Sandostatin LAR results in tumour shrinkage. Methods: 6 patients (mean age 53 yr; range 42-...

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the commonest cause of hyperandrogenism in women. Severe hyperandrogenism or virilisation, however, suggest the need to consider rarer causes e.g. Cushing's, congenital adrenal hyperplasia and androgen-secreting tumours. Here we present a case of PCOS where the remarkable response of severe hyperandrogenism with polycythaemia to metformin excluded these rarer causes without the need for complex or invasive investigation.<p class="abste...

In the adult animal the Leydig cells are the primary source of androgens in the male and are required to maintain fertility and male behaviour. To help towards understanding the development, control and function of these cells we have analysed the adult Leydig cell transcriptome using the SAGE technique which provides a comprehensive and quantitative gene expression profile of cells or tissues. Leydig cells were isolated from normal adult mouse testes using collagenase and the...

The V600E mutation of BRAF oncogene is one of the most frequent genetic events in thyroid cancer, particularly in papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC) and in some anaplastic carcinomas that derive from preexisting PTC. It has been associated with advanced clinical stages, extrathyroidal extension, and a high risk of recurrences, particularly those that have lost the ability to accumulate iodide, a property mediated by the sodium iodide symporter (NIS).Our ...

Introduction: Inpatient hypoglycaemia management remains a significant challenge. An audit in 2009 revealed poor understanding (“recognition” by frontline staff) of the need to treat and manage hypoglycaemia. Consequently a management protocol, documentation sheet and hypoboxes with standardized quantities (15 g) of dextrose in various forms were introduced throughout the hospital.Aims: We re-audited inpatient hypoglycaemia management and the i...

Introduction: After binding its ligand, a conformational change in estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) occurs, leading to subsequent homodimerization of two monomeric ERs. The dimer then binds to specific DNA-elements or to other transcription factors already bound on gene promoters to regulate target gene expression. Protein-fragment complementation assays in general are simple tools to monitor protein–protein interactions and are useful to visualize the subcellular sites...

Antagonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) are being developed for the treatment of various human cancers. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of GHRH antagonist JMR-132 treatment in ovarian cancer cell lines (SKOV-3, CaOV-3 and OVCAR-3). Using MTT assay, we found that JMR-132 has a strong anti-proliferation effects on SKOV-3 and CaOV-3 cells in a time (0, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 96 h) and dose (0, 25 nM, 50 nM, 100 nM and 200 nM) dependent manner. Also, JMR...

Context: The effects of cabergoline on cardiac valves have been extensively studied in Parkinson’s disease and hyperprolactinemia but not in acromegaly, a condition at risk of cardiac valve abnormalities.Objective: We examined the prevalence of heart valve disease and regurgitation in a series of patients with acromegaly treated with cabergoline, by comparison with matched patients who had never received this drug.Design and s...