Endocrine Abstracts

A 35-year-old woman was seen at the medical obstetric antenatal clinic with gestational diabetes (GDM) and new-onset hypertension during the second trimester of her first pregnancy. She was well, with no prior medical history. Blood pressure of 120/80 had been recorded at her first antenatal visit. Throughout the pregnancy, GDM was managed successfully with diet alone: HbA1c always <5.8%. Methyldopa was initiated for persistent hypertension at 18 weeks gestation, and labet...

The central obese phenotype characteristic of Cushing's syndrome emphasises the role of glucocorticoids (GC) in regulating adipose tissue mass and distribution. We have shown that GCs stimulate adipocyte differentiation, but equally inhibit adipose stromal cell (ASC) proliferation. These effects are regulated at a pre-receptor level through 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1, but the 'post-receptor' signalling pathways remain unclear. To define novel GC targets in huma...