Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Hypothalamic amenorrhoea (HA) is a condition characterised by reduced GnRH pulsatility and is a common cause of anovulatory subfertility. Kisspeptin is an endogenous neuropeptide that regulates hypothalamic GnRH function. Hypothalamic kisspeptin expression is reduced, and kisspeptin receptor expression is increased, in a rodent model of HA. The kisspeptin analogue MVT-602 has a 3-4-fold longer half-life than native kisspeptin-54 (t1/2 0.5 h). We invest...

Background: RACE is an open-label study that assessed the long-term safety and efficacy of recombinant human parathyroid hormone 1–84 (rhPTH[1–84]) for the treatment of hypoparathyroidism in adults (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01297309). Here, we present 6-year safety and efficacy data.Methods: Patients initially received 25 or 50 μg of rhPTH(1–84) subcutaneously, once daily, with stepwise dose adjustments of 25 μg (up or do...

Hypoparathyroidism (HPT) is characterised by hypocalcaemia and impaired renal phosphate excretion and calcium conservation. Oral calcium supplements and calcitriol can improve serum calcium levels but lack the physiologic effects of PTH on renal reabsorption of calcium. RACE is an ongoing open-label study evaluating the long-term safety of recombinant human parathyroid hormone 1-84 (rhPTH[1-84], parathyroid hormone rDNA) in adults with HPT (NCT01297309). In this interim analys...

Background: Hot flushes affect 70% of menopausal women, can be long-lasting, and often severely impact on physical, psychosocial, sexual, and overall wellbeing. Hormone replacement therapy is effective but not without risk. Neurokinin B is an important mediator of hot flushes in rodents and elevated hypothalamic expression occurs in menopausal women. Neurokinin B acts via the neurokinin 3 receptor. We therefore hypothesised that neurokinin 3 receptor antagonism could be a nove...

Background: In vitro fertilisation is an effective therapy for infertility, but can result in the potentially life-threatening complication, Ovarian Hyper-Stimulation Syndrome (OHSS). We have previously reported that a single injection of kisspeptin results in an LH surge of ~12–14 hrs duration, sufficient to safely induce oocyte maturation, but eliminate OHSS. However, the physiological LH surge in a normal menstrual cycle has a plateaux lasting 24–28 hrs. ...

Background: Hypogonadotrophic Hypogonadism (HH) is characterised by hypogonadism in the context of low gonadotrophin levels, frequently due to a defect in hypothalamic function e.g. Kallman’s syndrome. However, no direct test of hypothalamic function currently exists. Kisspeptin is a hypothalamic neuropeptide that stimulates endogenous GnRH release. Thus, we investigated whether kisspeptin could be used to interrogate hypothalamic function in men with HH.<p class="abs...

Background: Kisspeptin-54 (KP54) stimulates hypothalamic GnRH release. The kisspeptin analogue, MVT-602, has a longer half-life (t1/2108min) than KP54 (t1/228mins). MVT-602 potently stimulates gonadotrophin release in men. We sought to determine for the first time the effect of MVT-602 on gonadotrophin release in healthy women.Methods: A two-phase dose-finding study was carried out in 9 healthy women, 18–35 yrs with regular men...

Kisspeptin is a recently identified reproductive hormone which serves as a crucial activator of the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Gonadal (HPG) axis via stimulation of GnRH neurones. We have previously observed that a single kisspeptin injection increases LH pulsatility while twice daily kisspeptin injections can even advance the menstrual cycle. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that kisspeptin restores LH pulsatility in women with hypothalamic amenorrhoea and can potently...

Background: Hypoparathyroidism (HP) is characterized by low serum calcium (sCa) and high serum phosphate (sP). Standard of care (SoC), active vitamin D and calcium, raises sCa and sP and increases burden of illness on HP patients by worsening hypercalciuria and the CaxP product. Parathyroid hormone (PTH)(1–84)(t1/2 ~2–3 hrs) is approved and can raise sCa and allow partial withdrawal of SoC, but does not sufficiently control urine calcium or symptoma...

Background: Placentation (invasion of the placenta into the maternal endometrium of pregnancy known as the decidua) is hypothesised to be critical for healthy placental function and is abnormal in two thirds of miscarriage. Kisspeptin has emerged as a putative regulator of physiological placentation; it is highly expressed in placental syncitio-trophoblasts, whereas its receptor is expressed in both syncitio- and cyto-trophoblasts, such that kisspeptin is hypothesized to play ...