Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Melatonin plays a key role in the circadian timing system. The question remains whether changes in endogenous melatonin may be associated with food intake. Orexin and ghrelin are involved in the regulation of energetic homeostasis. Therefore, we decided to obtain more detailed data on the circadian changes of orexin, ghrelin and melatonin for identification of the changes in these hormones to food intake and day-time, together with glycemic and C-peptide levels.<...

Obestatin has recently been identified as a peptide derived from pre-proghrelin that opposes ghrelin effects on appetite and body weight in rodents. We studied the effect of food intake on both these hormones in obese and lean subjects and recorded in parallel the subjective sensations of satiety and hunger. Eight obese (two males and six females, BMI=31–52 kg/m2) and eight age- and sex-matched lean subjects (BMI=19–23 kg/m2) were randomized to ...

The melanocortin-2-receptor accessory protein (MRAP) is a type I integral transmembrane protein required for the functional expression of the melanocortin-2-receptor (MC2R).Here we have investigated the expression and biochemical properties of mouse MRAP. Initially, mouse MRAP and MC2R tissue expression were determined by RT-PCR, being only present in the adrenal gland and fat tissue. Then, by in situ hybridisation studies using a full-length MRAP...

Introduction: Iodine deficiency is one of the most important cause of mental and physical disorders and is considered a public health issue. Previous studies reported the existence of iodine deficiency in several regions in Romania and its related negative side effects on children’s health. Therefore, Romania has implemented the universal salt iodisation (USI) since 2002.Aim: The present study aimed to assess the current iodine status in Romanian sc...

IntroductionIn general, the risk to develop Parkinson’s disease (PD) is higher in men compared to women. Besides male sex and genetics, research suggests diabetes mellitus (DM) is a risk factor for PD as well. In this population-level study, we aimed at investigating the sex-specific impact of DM on the risk of developing PD.Research design and methodsMedical claims data were analyzed in a cross-sectiona...

Obesity is associated with increased and dysfunctional white adipose tissue (WAT). Pharmacological approaches of obesity are still far from obtaining a stable weight loss. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) have been proposed as anti-obesity drugs due to their effects on weight loss. Furthermore, dual agonists engaging both GLP-1 and glucagon are currently under investigation for their marked effects on weight loss, although their mechanisms of action is stil...

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignancy with an incidence of 0.7–2.0 per million per year. Prognosis of ACC is generally poor but variable and therapeutic approaches are scarce. While surgical resection presents the best option for definitive cure, mitotane remains the only approved drug for adjuvant therapy in ACC to date. Advancements regarding novel treatment strategies as well as fostered understanding of potential drivers of adrenocortical carcinogenesis ...

As genetic and environmental components contribute to the PCOS expression, we compared levels of endocrine disruptors, steroid hormones, cytokines, and metabolic parameters in twenty healthy, nine normal-weight PCOS women, and ten obese PCOS women. Steroid hormones, bisphenols (BPA, BPS, BPF, BPAF) and parabens (methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, butyl-, benzyl-parabens) were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Differences between the groups were assessed using ...

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare endocrine malignancy presenting with an incidence of 1 per million per year and an overall 5-year survival rate under 35%. Currently, curative treatment is limited to full surgical resection, while the adrenolytic drug mitotane remains the only approved medical therapy option leaving a huge demand for innovative therapeutic strategies. Genetic alterations observed in ACC commonly lead to activation of Wnt/β-Catenin signaling most f...

Introduction: Parabens are a group of chemicals used as preservatives in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. They are known to possess estrogenic effects, and therefore have been classified as endocrine disruptors. In addition to the classical endocrine organs, other tissues have endocrine activity, including adipose tissue. Several chemicals are known to cause obesogenic effects, and parabens are currently being studied in this context. The aim of this study was...