Endocrine Abstracts

Defects in any of the four functional domains of the androgen receptor (AR) (resulting from loss-of-function or gain-of-function mutations), may affect androgen action. Specific AR splice variants have been reported in women with PCOS (Wang et al, PNAS 2015 112 4743). In this study we sought to identify AR splice variants in granulosa-lutein (GL) cells of women with and without PCOS and to assess their functional significance. GL cells were ...

Central obesity and increased visceral adipose tissue (VAT) are key factors contributing to metabolic dysfunction in PCOS. We therefore hypothesized that there would be alterations in the morphology and function of adipocytes from visceral fat depots. The female offspring of pregnant sheep treated biweekly with either 100 mg of testosterone propionate (TP) or vehicle control (C) from day 62–102 of gestation develop a clinically realistic PCOS-like condition. They develop ...

Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) are at increased risk of developing insulin resistance, obesity and dyslipidemia, however obesity per se does not explain the higher incidence of insulin resistance in PCOS women when compared to the general population. Altered adipose tissue morphology and function may be a central factor contributing to metabolic disturbances in PCOS. Using a clinically realistic ovine model of PCOS we reported hyperinsulinaemia and early ...

Polycystic ovary syndrome is the commonest cause of anovulation. The mechanism of the aberrant follicle development that is associated with anovulation remains unclear. However, data from human studies and from animal models of PCOS suggest that excess androgen production, the biochemical hallmark of PCOS, has a role in disordered follicle development. The aim of this study was to examine the direct effect of androgens on isolated mouse preantral follicles in culture. Multilay...

Aim: PCOS is associated with peripheral insulin resistance and we have previously shown that glucose uptake and metabolism are impaired in granulosa lutein (GL) cells of anovulatory women with PCOS (anovPCO). The aim of this study was to delineate insulin-signalling pathways in GL cells from women with anovPCO and to compare the response to insulin with that in GL cells from ovulatory women with (ovPCO) and without polycystic ovaries (controls).Methods: ...

Background: Fat distribution in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is thought to favour accumulation of abdominal visceral fat, but there has been no systematic comparison of fat distribution in PCOS and normal controls using MRI scanning.Aim: Our aim was to compare distributions of visceral, abdominal subcutaneous and gluteo-femoral subcutaneous adipose tissue in PCOS cases versus control women using a cross-sectional design.<p class="abste...

Introduction: Ghrelin is a novel peptide involved in the regulation of appetite and energy balance. Dysregulation of ghrelin may play a role in the development of obesity in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Due to the strong association between BMI and PCOS, we hypothesised that obese women with PCOS have abnormal fasting and post-glucose load ghrelin levels compared with BMI-matched control women.Methods: Datasets included 18 women with PCOS, all with ...

Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) has an important regulatory role both in early folliculogenesis (inhibiting the recruitment of follicles from the primordial pool into the growing phase) and at the antral stage (where it inhibits the action of FSH). In the mouse, AMH action appears to be mediated by a heterodimeric receptor complex comprising a type I receptor and the specific AMH receptor AMHRII, which is essential for AMH signalling in the murine ovary. Post-receptor signalling ...

Hyperinsulinaemia has an important role in the aetiology of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Logical candidate genes for the development of PCOS therefore include those genes that influence β-cell insulin secretion such as ABCC8 and KCNJ11 on human chromosome 11. These two genes encode the SUR1 and kir6.2 components of the β-cell kATP channel respectively. To our knowledge, these genes have not been studied in women with PCOS previously.<p class="a...

PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder of premenopausal women. The in utero testosterone-treated ewe shares several key features with PCOS women (sub/infertility, multi-follicular ovaries, hypersecretion of gondotrophins and androgens) and, therefore, may be a useful animal model for this condition. In addition to reproductive abnormalities, PCOS women are at increased risk of hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance. The aim of this study was to determine if similar metab...