Endocrine Abstracts

(This poster is based on OC38)...

Adipose exposure to glucocorticoids (GCs) results in visceral adiposity and insulin resistance. Only the unbound, free fraction of GC can diffuse into cells. Corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG) is the major GC carrier, binding 80–85% of circulating GCs with high affinity. Targeted proteolysis of CBG by neutrophil elastase (NE) significantly reduces CBG binding affinity. This suggests that neutrophil-mediated inflammation provides a regulatory mechanism for delivery of G...

Adipose exposure to glucocorticoids (GCs) results in visceral adiposity and insulin resistance. Only the unbound, free fraction of GC can diffuse into cells. Corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG) is the major GC carrier, binding 80–85% of circulating GCs with high affinity. Targeted proteolysis of CBG by neutrophil elastase (NE) significantly reduces CBG binding affinity. This suggests that neutrophil-mediated inflammation provides a regulatory mechanism for delivery of G...

Prostaglandin E2 acts via 4 GPCRs, EP1-4. EP2 regulates inflammation and has important roles in cardiovascular function, reproduction, and malignancy. GPCR signalling and trafficking are highly integrated as signals from the endomembrane can exhibit distinct profiles from the plasma membrane. Whether EP2 activity is spatially regulated and if this is modified by ligand bias is currently unknown. In HEK 293 cells, three selective EP2 ligands, butaprost, AH13205, and PGN9856i, e...

Section 1: Case history: A 57-year-old female shop assistant presented with a four week history of increasing thirst and lethargy. The patient also reported non-specific pain in her shoulders, ribs and hips. She was otherwise well with no past medical history. Systemic enquiry was unremarkable. On examination nothing abnormal was noted. Specifically there were no rashes, lymphadenopathy or hepatosplenomegaly. Joint examination was normal and there was no muscle tenderness or w...

Phosphorylation of the Androgen Receptor (AR), has been shown to play an important role in directly modulating AR activity. However, the full extent of which protein kinases are involved in the regulation of the AR remains unknown. In order to address which kinases are important in the regulation of AR activity in both androgen sensitive and independent prostate cancer (PCa), a comprehensive siRNA kinome screen was performed. AR transcriptional regulation was evaluated using a...

Background: Elevated morning plasma cortisol is associated with multiple cardiovascular risk factors in metabolic syndrome. Epidemiological studies have also reported a positive association between plasma cortisol and coronary heart disease (CHD), although not all estimates are statistically significant (OR 1.10 (95% CI 0.97 to 1.25)) (Davey Smith et al. Circulation 2005). Importantly, observational studies are unable to infer causality and results may be confounded.<...

Background: Vascular impairment, most commonly due to endothelial dysfunction, is associated with cardiovascular risk in humans with obesity, insulin resistance or Cushing’s syndrome. Similar endocrine disorders in horses, resulting in insulin resistance, are associated with laminitis, a dysfunction of the vasculature supplying the hooves, the mechanism of which is unclear. We hypothesised that horses with insulin resistance have both local and systemic evidence of vascul...

Background: In diabetes, exposure to frequent episodes of hypoglycaemia diminishes a persons awareness of hypoglycaemia, by poorly defined mechanisms. Evidence suggests that, at least in part, changes in cell behaviour within the ventromedial hypothalamus may contribute to this defect and that changes in AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a key glucose-sensing enzyme are involved. Evidence suggests there are (mal)adaptations within neurons, however, little is known about cha...

Canrenone and mifepristone (RU486) are respectively mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonists commonly used to block or displace steroid for clinical pharmacological or research purposes. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a sensitive, quantitative assay for the combined analysis of glucocorticoids (cortisol, cortisone, corticosterone, and 11-dehydrocorticosterone), mineralocorticoids (aldosterone), canrenoate, and mifepristone...