Endocrine Abstracts

Thyroid hormones are essential for the proper development of a variety of tissues, especially the nervous system. Their transport into target cells is mediated by specific thyroid hormone transporters like the monocarboxylate transporter 8 (MCT8). Mutations in this X-chromosomal gene in humans lead to a severe phenotype characterized by psychomotor retardation, hypotonia, and a striking derangement of serum thyroid hormone levels: high T3 in the presence of low T4, and no sign...

UV filters are produced in high amounts for multiple uses. Their main application is in sun lotions for skin protection against accelerated ageing or cancer, but they are also found in many other cosmetics or in plastic materials to prevent their radiation-induced damage. Regardless of these protective properties, UV filters seem to interfere with both the reproductive and the thyroid endocrine axis. We here screened for effects of the UV filter benzophenone 2 (BP2) on thyroid...

Objective: The increasing incidence of obesity is a major health problem world-wide. So far, mutations were identified in genes encoding major contributors in energy homeostasis. With the exception of mutations in the melanocortin-4-receptor gene (MC4R) obesity-causing mutations are very rare. To date great efforts were undertaken to identify gene variants that contribute to polygenic obesity. The GIPR belongs to the large superfamily of G-protein coupled recepto...