Endocrine Abstracts

The hypothalamic peptide, nesfatin-1, derived from the precursor NEFA/nucleobindin2 (NUCB2), was recently identified as central anorexigenic molecule, acting in a leptin-independent manner. Yet, its potential involvement in the regulation of other biological functions gated by body energy status remains unexplored. We show herein that NUCB2/nesfatin-1 is involved in the control of female puberty. NUCB2/nesfatin mRNA and protein were detected at the hypothalamus of pubertal fem...

Ghrelin was isolated from stomach by its ability to stimulate growth hormone (GH) release through the GH-secretagogue receptor (GHS-R1a). However, ghrelin/GHS-R expression in multiple tissues and tumor types suggested additional roles for this tandem. Ghrelin, a 28-aminoacid peptide, requires a unique O-acylation at its Ser-3 residue to bind GHS-R1a and release GH. Conversely, unacylated ghrelin (UAG), initially considered inactive, seems to play distinct metabolic role...

Hypopituitarism, in particular growth hormone (GH) deficiency, is common among survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI). We investigated neurobehavioral consequences of TBI-induced GH deficiency (GHD) in 61 patients (aged 37.7±1.7 years, 44 male/17 female) at least one year (mean, 3.9±0.6 years) after moderate and severe TBI (mean GCS score 10.6). All patients were tested with standard neuropsychological battery (MMSE, TMT, RAVLT, RCF, BNT and WCST for executive cog...

Current evidence suggests that the adipocyte-derived hormone resistin (RSTN) regulates both feeding and peripheral metabolism through unclear hypothalamic-mediated mechanisms. Here, we demonstrate by the first time, that the anorectic effect of RSTN is associated to specific changes in the expression of neuropeptides in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARC), namely AgRP, NPY and CART. Very interestingly, RSTN also exerts a deep, nutritional-dependent inhibitory effect ...

The adipose tissue is an active endocrine organ involved in the control not only of metabolism and energy balance, but also of other relevant body functions, including reproduction. Adiponectin is an adipocyte hormone, with relevant roles in lipid metabolism and glucose homeostasis, recently involved in the control of different endocrine organs, such as the placenta, pituitary and, likely, the ovary. However, whether as described previously for other adipokines, such as leptin...

Schizophrenia is a devastating mental illness associated with obesity and diabetes mellitus rates that far exceed those of the general population.The aim was to evaluate changes in positive energy balance (serum insulin, leptin and ghrelin) and hormones involved in neuroendocrine regulations (serum cortisol, growth hormone and prolactin) before treatment with atypical antypsyhotics (SGA) in normal weight patients with schizophrenia.<p class="abstext"...

Visfatin is expressed in visceral adipose tissue and is up regulated in some animal models of obesity. Insulin-mimetic actions of visfatin may be part of the feedback regulation of glucose homeostasis, so plasma glucose or insulin may have effect on visfatin levels in humans. The aim of study was to investigate plasma glucose, insulin and visfatin during oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT, 75 gr) in obese women. 22 obese women (age: 36.73±1.88 yrs; BMI 34.72±0.67 kg/m...

Visfatin, a new adipokine, facilitates adipogenesis and has insulin-mimetic properties. There are data that hyperglycemia causes an increase in plasma visfatin levels in people with T2DM this increase gets more prominent as the glucose intolerance worsens. The aim of the study was to investigate plasma visafatin, leptin and adiponectin in obese women with normal and impaired glucose tolerance. Thirteen obese women (age: 34.50±2.57 yrs; BMI 35.05±0.57 kg/m2) with norm...

Introduction: p53 is a transcription factor involved in many biological functions such as stress, ageing, and metabolism. Although there is a large body of evidence showing that p53 promotes fatty acid catabolism while it inhibits anabolism through the regulation of gene expression, the possible contribution of p53 to the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains to be elucidated. Also, the anthracycline doxorubicin is an important chemotherapeutic agent...

Reproduction is tightly coupled to body energy and metabolic status. GnRH neurons, the final output pathway for the brain control of reproduction, directly or indirectly receive and integrate multiple signals, including metabolic cues regulating reproductive function. Yet, the molecular underpinnings of such phenomenon remain largely unfolded. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a fundamental cellular sensor that becomes activated in conditions of energy deficit, has a key ro...