Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology

ea0019p77 | Clinical practice/governance and case reports | SFEBES2009

Expansion of a VHL-associated spinal haemangioblastoma in pregnancy

Carty D , Brennand J , Dominiczak A , Connell J

Von-Hippel-Lindau syndrome (VHL) is an autosomal-dominant disorder associated with CNS haemangioblastomas, phaeochromocytomas, renal carcinomas and retinal haemangiomas. We present the case of a 33-year-old woman with VHL who developed clinical progression of a CNS lesion during pregnancy. The patient had undergone removal of a cerebellar haemangioblastoma at age 18, and bilateral phaeochromocytomas were removed at age 27. The only other abnormality on regular review was a mix...

ea0012p53 | Diabetes, metabolism and cardiovascular | SFE2006

Proglucagon processing can be altered to produce GLP-1 in pancreatic alpha cells

James NM , Pritchard LE , Brennand JC , White A

The proglucagon-derived hormone, glucagon-like peptide–1 (GLP-1), augments both beta cell function and mass. However, GLP-1 is rapidly degraded in plasma, thereby limiting its potential as a treatment for diabetes. One approach to circumvent this problem would be to stimulate synthesis of GLP-1 locally in the islet.Emerging evidence suggests that pancreatic alpha cells, which normally produce glucagon, can adapt to produce GLP-1. This phenomenon may...

ea0009p16 | Diabetes and metabolism | BES2005

Hypothalamic expression of the glucose sensing KATP channel component Kir 6.2 is altered in animal models of obesity and diabetes

Gyte A , Pritchard L , Brennand J , White A

Neuronal glucose and insulin signals are integrated by hypothalamic neurons to regulate energy balance. These signalling mechanisms are not clearly defined in the hypothalamus, and may be altered in obesity and diabetes. This study aimed to analyse quantitatively hypothalamic expression of candidate genes in signal transduction pathways and investigate dysregulation using Zucker and Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) models.Taqman RT-PCR was used to compare exp...

ea0007p59 | Diabetes, metabolism and cardiovascular | BES2004

Quantitative analysis of glucose and insulin sensing genes in the hypothalami of Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rats

Gyte A , Pritchard L , Brennand J , White A

Peripheral metabolic signals such as leptin, glucose and insulin are integrated by neurons in the hypothalamus to regulate both short and long term energy balance. However, the signal transduction mechanisms by which neurons sense glucose and insulin levels are unclear and specific parts of the pathways may be distinct from those in the pancreas. The aim of this study was to quantitatively analyse hypothalamic expression of genes known to be involved in pancreatic glucose/insu...

ea0014s21.3 | Pheromones, odorant and taste receptors | ECE2007

Endocrine and behavioural responses to pheromones

Brennan Peter

According to the original definition, pheromones are substances released by an individual that have definite behavioural or physiological effects on another individual of the same species. For example, male mouse urine contains a complex mixture of chemosignals, some of which, such as brevicomin and thiazole are testosterone-dependent and signal the presence of a reproductively active male. These have powerful effects as releaser pheromones to elicit aggression from other male...

ea0009oc6 | Oral Communication 1: Diabetes and metabolism | BES2005

Analysis of post-translational processing and trafficing of agouti-related protein

Pritchard L , Creemers J , Gyte A , Davies N , Le Rouzic P , Lawrence C , Luckman S , Brennand J , White A

Agouti-related protein (AGRP) plays a key role in energy homeostasis with the carboxy-terminal domain acting as an endogenous antagonist of the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4-R). It has been suggested that the amino-terminal domain of AGRP binds to syndecan-3, allowing it to regulate local concentrations of AGRP at the MC4-R. This model assumes that AGRP is secreted as a full-length peptide. However, AGRP contains several consensus prohormone convertase cleavage sites: Lys52-Lys...

ea0062p51 | Poster Presentations | EU2019

Steroid cell ovarian tumour presenting with severe hyperandrogenism

Rehman Shoib Ur , Brennan Sinead , Swords Francesca

A 69-year-old woman was referred with a 2 year history of frontal balding, deepening voice and weight loss. Past medical history included primary hypothyroidism, osteoarthritis, varicose veins and menopause at age of 50 years. Current medications included levothyroxine. She was otherwise very well and enjoyed heightened physical endurance – regularly cycling >60 miles with a group of male friends. On examination she was virilised with male pattern alopecia, marked fac...

ea0015p181 | Endocrine tumours and neoplasia | SFEBES2008

A novel mechanism for inherited phaeochromocytoma: c.796_798delCAG (p.Gln195del) VHL-associated phaeochromocytoma: clinical and molecular characteristics

Mettayil Jeevan , Brennan Paul , Ball Steve

VHL is an autosomal dominant familial cancer syndrome with renal, CNS and pancreato-biliary manifestations in addition to phaeochromocytoma (PC)/paraganglioma (PGL). Importantly, there is a partial genotype–phenotype correlation, with kindreds harboring deletions and mutations of the VHL gene leading to premature termination/truncation not manifesting PC/PGL. As genetic testing in PC/PGL moves from a research-focus into clinical service, knowledge and understanding...

ea0010p45 | Growth and development | SFE2005

Maternal nutrient restriction (MNR) lowers offspring blood pressure (BP) despite raised plasma corticosterone levels

Brennan K , Symonds M , Olson D

MNR has previously been shown to raise BP in the offspring. In rat models of protein restriction the size of the difference reported depends on the measurement method used, with telemetry reporting a smaller increase than tail cuff. Tail cuff measurements have found that global MNR increases BP but this has yet to be tested using telemetry. Evidence suggests that MNR affects offspring glucocorticoids and it is known that corticosterone is involved in the hypertension seen foll...

ea0055wd7 | Workshop D: Disorders of the thyroid gland (II) | SFEEU2018

A challenging case of progressive follicular thyroid cancer

Hussain Shazia , Brennan Carmel , Plowman Nick , Newbold Kate , Drake William

A 60 year old gentleman with a history of renal stones presented 5 years ago with left sided flank pain. A CT of his renal tract showed an unexpected metastatic deposit in the left iliac crest. Cross-sectional whole body imaging, performed to locate the primary, also identified an expansile soft tissue mass in the T8 vertebral body and a predominantly cystic looking left sided thyroid nodule. He proceeded to have an iliac crest biopsy which was consistent with metastatic folli...