Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Use of metformin in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is becoming increasingly accepted and widespread but clinical practice is ahead of the evidence.Methods: We extracted results from the seven published studies of metformin use in PCOS that include control elements quantifiably similar to the experimental arm. We also restricted our analysis to the studies with a systematic longitudinal examination of ovulatory function and metabolic parameters....

The early embryo before implantation, in addition to undergoing the intrinsic steps of morphogenesis, demonstrates external ’awareness’ of environmental conditions in particular maternal nutritional quality. These nutritional cues are used to optimise the developmental programme for long-term survival, a form of developmental plasticity. Thus, maternal protein restriction exclusively during mouse preimplantation development with normal nutrition thereafter and postna...

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker of inflammatory processes which predicts vascular disease, and is raised in the circulation of women with PCOS. Metformin can be used to reduce insulin resistance in women with PCOS, leading to improved ovarian function and circulating lipid profiles. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of protracted metformin treatment on circulating CRP in women with PCOS.Methods: CRP was assessed in women with PCOS (n...

Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) is produced by the ovarian granulosa cells in immature follicles from around week 36 of gestation to the menopause. Expression is highest in pre-antral and early antral follicles. AMH has a generally inhibitory effect on early follicle development and possibly on the responsiveness of growing follicles to FSH. Serum AMH is markedly elevated in women with PCOS and increased concentrations have also been reported in the healthy prepubertal daughters ...

Studies have shown that maternal smoking causes intrauterine growth retardation and this may be as a result of endothelial dysfunction. It is possible that the prostaglandins may be involved in this mechanism. The aim of this study was to investigate the functional response of segments of human umbilical artery (HUA) to stable thromboxane (U46619) and prostacyclin (cicaprost) mimetics and measure the release of prostacyclin and thromboxane metabolites.Se...

PCOS is a disorder of chronically abnormal ovarian function and hyperandrogenism, and associated sub-fertility. Insulin resistance is an integral feature of PCOS, particularly in obese women, and non-pregnant women with PCOS exhibit many of the features of the metabolic syndrome, including disturbed lipid metabolism. Treatments to improve conception rates include lifestyle intervention and insulin-sensitising therapy. When a woman with PCOS becomes pregnant she is at increased...

Introduction: AMH is produced by the sertoli cells in the testes and is responsible for the regression of the Mullerian structures in the male fetus. It is also produced by the granulosa cells of the ovaries in females to a lesser degree. Serum AMH measurements may be important for detecting testicular tissue and monitoring ovarian activity. The objective of this study was to establish a cross-sectional reference range for AMH in UK children.Method: Seru...

Serum ALT concentrations give some insight into liver fat accumulation and relate to metabolic syndrome: values >29 IU/L double risk of type 2 diabetes independent of other risk predictors. Women with PCOS are at increased risk of diabetes and CVD whereas metformin treatment modulates the progress of metabolic syndrome. Consequently, we investigated the effects of protracted metformin treatment on circulating ALT in obese women with PCOS.Metformin tr...

Serum ALT concentrations give some insight into liver fat accumulation and relate to metabolic syndrome: values>29 IU/L double risk of type 2 diabetes independent of other risk predictors. Women with PCOS are at increased risk of diabetes and CVD whereas metformin treatment modulates the progress of metabolic syndrome. Consequently, we investigated the effects of protracted metformin treatment on circulating ALT in obese women with PCOS.Methods<p...

Introduction: Faslodex (Fulvestrant) is a novel antiestrogen, which has been demonstrated to have clinical efficacy in metastatic breast cancer. It is thought to mediate it's effects by downregulating ER expression. ER-alpha and ER-beta function as transcription factors to modulate genes relevant to breast cancer progression. Both interact with nuclear regulatory proteins to enhance or inhibit transcription. We hypothesized that Faslodex may modulate the recruitment and intera...