Endocrine Abstracts

The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) signal through the type 1 IGF receptor (IGFIR) to regulate cellular proliferation and survival. A current theory suggests that a subset of plasmalemmal lipid rafts, termed caveolae, may orchestrate such IGF-mediated signalling.In order to investigate the role of caveolae and the marker protein caveolin in controlling IGF signals, two cell models of caveolin deficiency were generated. Using shRNA, caveolin-1 expressi...

The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are important regulators of cellular function, with effects on growth, survival and metabolism mediated primarily through the type 1 IGF receptor (IGFIR). Recent work suggested that localisation of IGFIR to a subset of lipid rafts, known as caveolae, may be important for IGF function. In this study we have investigated whether these membrane domains were involved in IGF-I-mediated cell survival by comparing signalling in caveolae-positive...

We present a 52-year-old female with a 26-year history of type-2 diabetes mellitus who has been difficult to treat owing to the development of multiple insulin allergies. She initially developed local hyperpigmentation and itchy swellings at the injection sites of her Humulin I in 2016, with similar symptoms occurring when she was switched to NovoRapid. Additionally, she developed one severe, systemic reaction to Humulin I. All insulin treatment was stopped, and she was left s...

Introduction: The human masculinisation programming window (8–14 weeks of gestation) sees testis-derived androgen drive the foetus towards a male phenotype. However, there are few systematic studies of human foetal gonad development.Aim: To conduct a pilot analysis of the foetal gonadal proteome at the end of the masculinisation programming window (13–14 weeks of gestation).Methods: Twenty-eight electively terminated foet...

Salt-losing conditions can be challenging to manage well in infancy and early childhood. We describe a child with both salt-wasting 21-hydroxylase deficiency (SW21OHD) and cystic fibrosis (CF).A male infant, JW, birth weight 3.5 kg, presented with a salt-wasting crisis on day 9 of life with hyponatraemia, hyperkalaemia, and weight loss of 415 g. Serum 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) was >1000 nmol/l and a diagnosis of SW21OHD was made. Neonatal screen...

Glucocorticoids (Gc) are the most potent anti-inflammatory agents known. A major factor limiting their clinical use is the wide variation in responsiveness to treatment between individuals and over time. Generating a reversible model of Gc resistance in vitro that will mimic the cellular microenvironment in vivo is critical in (i) defining biomarkers that predict patient steroid responsiveness; (ii) provide a model to screen new GR modulators capable of potentiating GR ...

Introduction: Glucose homeostasis is central to the understanding of diabetes and is influenced by hormones and by substrate flux. This implies a non-linear system which has been confirmed by time series analysis. A dynamic systems approach is required for describing the inter-relationship of glucose and insulin and we describe a method that measures a mathematical domain of glucose homeostasis termed the observed variability and lability (OVAL).Methods:...

Individuals considering research participation are provided with information but this is usually at the end of the process of engagement. Getting young people interested in research can be difficult, even more so when competing against a demanding school and social life that many young people lead. Working with a group of young people we produced a pilot website containing video and text material about diabetes and research that was designed to be appealing and informative.</p...

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are used extensively in the treatment of inflammatory disease. Unfortunately, as GC act on virtually every organ system they also carry a broad range of serious side-effects which limits their clinical use.The structure of the bound GC strongly impacts the final conformation of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and thereby dictates downstream events. Designing drugs with different GR binding properties therefore offers a plausible ro...

Generalised oedema as a rare complication of insulin treatment in the absence of renal, hepatic or cardiovascular disease was first described by Leifer in 1928. The true incidence of insulin oedema in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus is unknown and since it was first reported in 1979, there have been only 12 reported cases worldwide. Insulin oedema has been described both in patients with newly diagnosed diabetes receiving insulin therapy for the first time and also in t...