Endocrine Abstracts

The spontaneous remission of Cushing disease (CD) might be a phase of cyclic disease, but could also be explained by an ACTH-microadenoma infarction or hemorrhage, with clinical pictures ranging from asymptomatic hypercortisolism normalization to dramatic hypocortisolism. We describe the case of a 23-years-old woman, referred for amenorrhea lasting for 5 months, overweight and acne. Physical examination showed mild hirsutism, acne, round face with a hint at rubeosis, abdominal...

Patients: Nineteen acromegalic patients (8 females, 21-69 years-old, with macroadenoma, microadenoma or no evidence of pituitary tumor in 15, 2, 2, respectively) resistant to first generation somatostatin analogs (FG-SA) at high doses and/or intolerant to pegvisomant were switched to pasireotide LAR (PasLAR). Eleven had persistent disease after neurosurgery and two had also undergone radiosurgery (12 and 24 months before starting PasLAR). Six complained of acromegalic headache...

Patients with Cushing’s syndrome (CS) commonly develop osteopenia–osteoporosis; the recovery of bone mass after remission of hypercortisolism is not well documented. The present study addresses this issue.Patients and methods: Twenty patients (6M, 14F, 2 post-menopausal), aged 15–64 years (median 36), 15 with Cushing’s disease, 2 with ectopic ACTH syndrome, 3 with ACTH-indipendent CS were studied. BMD (t and z scores) at...

Background Ghrelin stimulates cell proliferation in a number of tissues including pituitary. AMPK, a heterotrimer kinase enzyme, is an important sensor and regulator of cellular energy balance. We have shown that ghrelin can change AMPK activity in various tissues and this mechanism could play a role in its metabolic effects. AMPK has recently been established to strongly inhibit cell proliferation and tumorigenesis. We therefore hypothesised that ghrelin stimulates cell proli...

Background: Ghrelin stimulates cell proliferation in a number of tissues including pituitary. AMPK, a heterotrimer kinase enzyme, is an important sensor and regulator of cellular energy balance. We have shown that ghrelin can change AMPK activity in various tissues and this mechanism could play a role in its metabolic effects. AMPK has recently been established to strongly inhibit cell proliferation and tumorigenesis. We therefore hypothesised that ghrelin stimulates cell prol...

Cannabinoids and ghrelin exert hypothalamic orexigenic effects and independent peripheral effects have also been reported. We have recently reported that ghrelin and cannabinoids can stimulate hypothalamic and heart AMPK activity, and can inhibit liver and adipose tissue AMPK activity, in rats (Kola et al., JBC, 2005). These data are concordant with the known orexigenic, adipogenic and diabetogenic effects of these compounds as well as with their beneficial effects on t...

Cannabinoids and ghrelin are potent appetite stimulators. The ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a), endocannabinoids and the cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptor are expressed in the hypothalamus. There is evidence that the novel CB1 antagonist, rimonabant, causes weight loss by both central and peripheral effects. The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a sensor of cellular energy status and regulates the energy metabolism within the single cell but also at whole body level. We have shown p...

Parathyroid glands regulate bone metabolism through PTH, while bone modulates parathyroid function through calcium and FGF23. Bone releases the matrix protein osteocalcin (OC), whose hormone function is increasingly evident. We tested the hypothesis that OC may modulate parathyroid function. The 6 hours-stimulation of human parathyroid cells derived from adenomas (PAds) (n = 5) with γ-carboxylated OC (GlaOC; 40–60 ng/ml) increased the expression levels ...

Parathyroid glands regulate bone metabolism through PTH, while bone modulates parathyroid function through calcium and FGF23. We tested the hypothesis that the matrix protein osteocalcin (OC), secreted by osteoblasts, may modulate parathyroid function. In human parathyroid cells derived from adenomas (PAds), incubation with g-carboxylated OC (GlaOC) or undercarboxylated OC (GluOC) modulated the intracellular signaling pathways: both GlaOC and GluOC inhibited the basal phosphor...

An increase in basal and Pentagastrin (Pg) stimulated calcitonin (CT) concentration is a specific feature of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Routine basal CT measurement in nodular thyroid diseases is controversial. Pg stimulation is expected to increase the basal CT specificity in MTC screening, although false positive responses in patients without MTC have been reported.Aim: To report the diagnostic accuracy of Pg-stimulated CT in surgically treated...