Endocrine Abstracts

The mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) differs from the other steroid receptors in that it responds to two physiological ligands, aldosterone and cortisol. In epithelial tissues, aldosterone selectivity is determined by the activity of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type II. The aldosterone-induced genes that mediate sodium flux in epithelial tissues are now well characterised. In other tissues, including the heart and regions of the CNS, cortisol is the primary ligand for...

For more than 25 years substances and methods enhancing oxygen delivery in the body have been of great concern in the fight against doping. The clear influence of an increased amount of red blood cells on physical performance, most obvious for endurance sports, has alerted the anti-doping authorities to put a high priority on efforts to disclose the administration of such doping practices.The annually updated WADA-prohibited list mentions several erythro...

Young people in their late teenage years may present to either paediatric or adult endocrine clinics with abnormal growth (usually as short stature and/or recognition of slowing growth) and delayed or absent puberty. Anxieties about growth potential may be very significant, and the lack of puberty may blight social interactions and markedly reduce self-esteem.Although constitutional delay in growth and puberty is the most common diagnosis for this type o...

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP) is one of the most common endocrine diseases; it is frequently found in asymptomatic patients when there is some doubt as to the appropriate choice of surgery (PTX), medical therapy or watchful waiting. These decisions are generally based on the consensus guidelines produced by the NIH however there is concern that these reflect established medical/surgical practice in the USA as much as clinical evidence. What evidence that does exist is freq...

The mechanisms through which pancreatic beta cells recognise and respond to external signals Type 2 diabetes is becoming increasing well understood, but we have less understanding of how the responses of individual cells are integrated within the islet of Langerhans. Islets are heterogenous organs containing a variety of endocrine cell types including beta, alpha, delta and PP cells which synthesise and secrete insulin, glucagon, somatostatin and pancreatic polypeptide, respec...

The newborn screening programme for congenital hypothyroidism was introduced in the United Kingdom in 1981 and has virtually abolished cases of untreated congenital hypothyroidism (CH). Congenital hypothyroidism is a common (1 in 3–4000 life births) condition in which the thyroid gland has either failed to develop (agenesis) developed in an abnormal position (ectopic gland) or is present but does not respond to thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) (dyshormonogenesis). In the...

In 2006, the International Paediatric Endocrine Societies and the GH Research Society convened a meeting to consider the management of the SGA child through to adulthood. This included consideration of strategies for management of the short SGA child who has failed to show catch-up growth. The following statements relate to the outcomes of this meeting.Short children born SGA form a heterogeneous group with various aetiologies and treatment should be pre...

Multiphoton microscopy has defined standards for 3D fluorescence and higher harmonic generation analysis of cells and tissue structures in vitro and in vivo. Compared to single-photon excited confocal microscopy, two-photon microscopy utilizes near-infrared (NIR) excitation generating twice to multi-fold enhanced tissue penetration, reduced light scattering and minimized phototoxicity and photobleaching at out-of-focus regions, yet preserves submicron spatial res...

The McCune–Albright syndrome is a rare condition of variable severity that typically presents in childhood and is characterized by the triad of fibrous dysplasia (FDP), endocrinopathy and café-au-lait spots. The syndrome was independently described by Donovan McCune (1902–1976) and Fuller Albright (1900–1969) approximately 70 years ago and is now recognized to be the result of post-zygotic somatic constituently activating mutations of the alpha subunit of t...

Wnts are a large family of carbohydrate- and lipid-modified growth factors that mediate essential biological processes such as embryogenesis, morphogenesis and organogenesis. These proteins bind to a membrane receptor complex comprised of a frizzled (FZD) G-protein-coupled receptor and a low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor-related protein (LRP). The formation of this ligand-receptor complex initiates a number of signaling cascades that includes the canonical/beta-catenin pa...