Endocrine Abstracts

Calcium mobilization from intracellular stores represents an important cell signalling process that is regulated, in mammalian cells, by inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3), cyclic ADP ribose (cADPR) and nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP). Intracellular calcium is important for mobilization of secretory granules to the plasma membrane in preparation for exocytosis. NAADP mobilizes calcium from lysosome-related acidic compartments and it has recently...

Subject: Use of intraoperative ultrasound (iUS) during transshenoidal surgery addresses (a) resection control of macroadenomas and (b) identification of microadenomas, thus avoiding extensive pituitary exploration.Method: (a) For resection control of 33 pituitary macroadenomas and 2 meningeomas a 13 MHz US probe with a perpendicular 10 mm linear field was introduced into the sella after intrasellar resection to investigate the suprasellar and parasellar ...

Background: Total thyroidectomy is postulated by many centers as the standard procedure in treatment of benign nodular goiter (BNG) to avoid recurrent goiter (reported 30% and more). In our hospital a wide spectrum of methods regarding extent of resection is performed, adapted to morphology and respecting function.We advocate a variable strategy of operations for BNG (selective thyroid surgery, KOCHER 1917) and report on long-term results.<p class="a...

Background: The thyroid isthmus contains no C-cells, thus we established IPTB for cases with nodular goiter and moderate hypercalcitonemia (stimulated up to 350 pg/ml). In these cases C-Cell-Hyperplasia is the primary pathologic correlate. Exclusion criteria were pre- or intraoperative signs of malignancy.We furthermore established IPTB as a prophylactic operation for patients with hereditary medullary thyroid carcinoma, excluding high-risk mutations.</p...

Introduction: Benign prostatic hypertrophy is common amongst elderly men, and usually treated with the testosterone blocker, finasteride. However, the treatment of such a condition alongside hypo-pituitarism and low testosterone levels presents with a therapeutic dilemma.Case report: An 88-year-old gentleman who was admitted following recurrent episodes of confusion and falls was found to have a serum sodium level of 114 mmol/l, serum osmolality of 258 m...

Introduction: Cerebral ischaemic events in young patients due to patent foramen ovale are rare. A more plausible diagnosis had clouded the initial management and diagnosis of such a case in a young male patient.Case report: A 19-year-old gentleman was admitted with vomiting and profound hyponatraemia of 99 mmol/l. He was diagnosed to have Addison’s disease (with positive adrenal antibodies) following a flat short synacthen test. He warranted ITU adm...

Annexin-1 (ANXA1) is a 37 kDa calcium- and phospholipid-binding protein expressed abundantly in S100-positive folliculostellate (FS) cells in the anterior pituitary gland. ANXA1 is localised both intracellularly and on the cell surface in high density foci appearing at points of contact between the FS cells and the neighbouring secretory cells, where it has been demonstrated to mediate the glucocorticoid-induced negative feedback on the secretion of ACTH from corticotrophs. Gl...

Introduction: Two heterozygous missense mutations R77C and D112G have been identified in GH-1 gene of patients with short stature by Takahashi et al. These patients had high serum immunoreactive GH concentrations but low IGF-1 concentrations, indicating bioinactivity of their GH. Separation of GH in patients’ serum by isoelectric focusing revealed the coexistence of mutant and wild type (wt) GH. In order to understand the molecular mechanism of the isolated GH defi...

The initiation of mammalian puberty requires an increased pulsatile release of gonadotrophin hormone releasing hormone (GnRH) from the hypothalamus. This increase is brought about by changes in transsynaptic and glial–neuronal communication. Coordination of this regulatory neuronal–glial network likely requires the participation of a multiplicity of genes hierarchically arranged within discrete, but interactive, networks. The identity and structural features of at le...

CD38 is an enzyme which catalyses the production of the second messengers cyclic ADP ribose and nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate which mobilize calcium from ryanodine-sensitive intracellular calcium stores. Intracellular calcium is well known to be important for mobilisation of secretory granules to the plasma membrane in preparation for exocytosis and CD38 signalling has recently been demonstrated to increase posterior pituitary oxytocin release (Jin et al.</i...