Endocrine Abstracts

The success of islet transplantation in the treatment of type 1 diabetes has been limited by the progressive decline in islet function and viability during isolation and post transplantation. The aims of the current study were to investigate the capacity of a multifunctional progenitor cell type, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), to improve islet insulin secretory function and viability after exposure to transplantation relevant stressors. Mouse islets were cultured with low (...

Previous studies have shown beneficial effects of the corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) family, including the urocortins (UCN1, UCN2 and UCN3), on pancreatic islets and subsequent glucose homeostasis. However, the physiological relevance of this interaction is not currently understood. CRH and urocortins are also expressed by placenta, so this study investigated whether signalling through CRH receptor 1 or 2 (CRHR1/CRHR2) plays a role in the islet adaptation to pregnancy. ...

Background: Recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH) has been used for more than 30 years and indications for r-hGH have multiplied worldwide. There has been concern that it might raise mortality, but published data are limited.Methods: The cohort comprised of 3902 UK patients over 18 years of age in 2009, treated with childhood r-hGH at all the major UK growth centres. The total European cohort was 24 232 from eight countries (including the UK), with > ...

A 41-year-old woman presented with a puffy face since five months. She experienced alopecia, hirsutism, easy bruisability, amenorrhea and proximal muscle weakness. Clinical examination revealed a moonface, centripetal obesity, proximal muscle atrophy, thinned scalp hair, hyperpigmentation in sun-exposed neck region, ecchymosis and arterial hypertension grade 1. Blood analysis showed elevated morning cortisol, elevated morning ACTH of 66.1 pg/ml (normal 10–60), hypokalemic...

Current systemic treatments are not satisfying for the treatment of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). However, translation of preclinically promising approaches were often disappointing indicating that existing tumor models might have inadequately predicted clinical applicability. Thus, our workgroup initiated a comparative drug screen of relevant chemotherapies and therapies targeting IGFR, EGFR, VEGFR/PDGFR and Wnt signalling pathway in the classical NCI-H295R and recently dev...

A 41-year-old woman presented with a puffy face since five months. She experienced alopecia, hirsutism, easy bruisability, amenorrhea and proximal muscle weakness. Clinical examination revealed a moonface, centripetal obesity, proximal muscle atrophy, thinned scalp hair, hyperpigmentation in sun-exposed neck region, ecchymosis and arterial hypertension grade 1. Blood analysis showed elevated morning cortisol, elevated morning ACTH of 66.1 pg/ml (normal 10–60), hypokalemic...

We present a case of a 26 years old female who was rushed to hospital with 4 days history of abdominal pain, vomiting and dizziness. She also had one episode of diarrhoea. Further history revealed that she had lost 32 kilograms of weight over the last 18 months through diet and exercise. There were no signs suggestive of an eating disorder.On examination she was peripherally cold, tachycardic (117/min), hypotensive (86/50 mmHg) and sweaty. Her Glasgow Co...

A 39 year old female patient presented with one week history of Shortness of breathing. Over the last four months she noted bilateral leg swelling, which failed to improve on diuretic. Examination revealed no other evidence of fluid overload or heart failure. An element of right heart strain rather than failure was raised on cardiologists review. Subsequently, an echo showed a friable mass extending form inferior vena cava to right atrium into proximal left ventricle. The natu...

Introduction: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is higher in obese individuals but it is unclear whether vitamin D deficiency impacts body composition or if body composition impacts the vitamin D status. The research regarding vitamin D supplementation and weight loss in obese individuals is ambiguous. One hypothesis for the presumed fat reductive effect of vitamin D is that vitamin D inhibits adipocyte differentiation.Aim: To investigate if treatme...

: In community-dwelling men, salivary testosterone (Sal-T) concentrations are thought to represent tissue hormone levels and correlate strongly with serum free-T levels. Measurement of salivary glucocorticoid concentrations is a non-invasive and objective means of assessing cortisol exposure in users and non-users of hydrocortisone therapy. We assessed relationships of Sal-T with transdermal testosterone replacement therapy (TD-TRT) and with markers of testosterone exposure. I...