Endocrine Abstracts

Central cholinergic defects, as well as cognitive impairments, have been reported in humans with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The levels of acetylcholine are partly controlled by the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) which breaks it down. We have previously reported evidence for abnormal AChE activity in the skeletal muscles of the obese diabetic (ob/ob) mouse which provides a model for NIDDM. The aim of the present study was to investigate the levels...

Neurosteroids are synthesized locally within the central nervous system and play essential roles in modulating neuronal activity and various brain functions. They can have a wide range of effects, including anxiolytic, sedative, analgesic, and neuroprotective actions. Understanding their distribution in the brain and how they interact with neurotransmitter systems is of significant interest to researchers studying brain function and related disorders. We aim to construct a 3D ...

Loss of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and cognitive deficits have recently been demonstrated by our group in conditions including Down syndrome and Alzhiemer’s disease. In some patients with COVID-19, olfactory and cognitive alterations persist, and persistent hypotestosteronemia in SARS-CoV-2-infected men could be a consequence of deficient GnRH. To understand whether neuroinvasion of GnRH system by SARS-CoV-2 could explain some post-COVID symptoms and thus resul...

Studies in mice and rats suggest that legions of hippocampus interfere with memory for space and context and can have a significant effect on memory storage. The goal of the present study was to investigate the effect of maternal hypothyroidism, and thyroxin therapy on the neuronal density of the subiculum.Twenty five adult female Wistar rats were divided into experimental groups (Exp) 1 and 2 and control. The Exp groups made hypothyroid (500 mg/l PTU in...

Ageing is associated with decline in mitochondrial function whereby dysregulation in carnitine metabolism is highly correlated to poor ageing phenotypes. L-Carnitine transports activated long-chain fatty-acids (FAs) across mitochondrial membranes for β-oxidation and energy production. It is hypothesised that accumulation of long-chain FAs within cells is related to disordered transportation and reflects lower cellular energy upon ageing. Our global aim is to determine the...

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is the main stress-responsive neuroendocrine system in humans. Glucocorticoids (GC) constitute the principal systemic mediators of HPA axis function by governingmetabolic and behavioural responses to stress. Those include the modulation of transcriptional processes through the coordinated action of glucocorticoid (GR) and mineralocorticoid (MR) receptors. To study the effects of systemic malfunctioning of the HPA axis on the develo...

The cytosolic calcium concentration is regulated by calcium-processing proteins such as transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 5 (TRPV5), TRPV6, sodium-calcium exchanger 1 (NCX1) and plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase 1 (PMCA1). Those calcium-processing proteins are important for physiological functions in the brain. The effects of steroid hormones on calcium-processing protein expressions in the brains are undescribed. Thus, the effects of steroid ...

Objectives: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in the elderly. AD is characterized by the presence of amyloid plaques which are formed from deposits of β-amyloid protein (Ab). These changes increase during menopausal condition in females when the level of oestradiol (E2) is decreased. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of neuropeptide, neurokinin B (NKB) and amyloid beta fragment Aβ (25–35) on E<sub...

Evidence from studies in goats1, sheep2 and mice3 suggests that the kisspeptin cells of the arcuate nucleus generate the signal that causes the pulsatile secretion of GnRH. This effect may be due to action of kisspeptin on GnRH terminals in the median eminence3,4. We conducted studies on sheep to test the hypothesis that kisspeptin cells of the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and/or the glutamate cells of the hypothalamus pulses of GnRH secret...

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) acts as both a peripheral incretin hormone and a central neuropeptide to regulate glucose and energy homeostasis. Within the brain, GLP1 is synthesised by a discrete collection of neurones in the brainstem, and presynaptic release of GLP1 results in binding to postsynaptic GLP1 receptors (GLP1R). The pattern of projections from these GLP1 synthesising neurones in the mouse brain has been described previously1,2. Here we use a novel tra...