Endocrine Abstracts

In August 1999, to reduce pressure on an overcrowded outpatient department and the incidence of undetected early hypothyroidism, we implemented a new protocol for the follow-up of patients undergoing radioiodine treatment for recurrent thyrotoxicosis. Suitable patients are invited to participate in follow-up by telephone. Thyroid function tests are checked at 3, 6, 9 and 12 weeks post-treatment. Patients who become hypothyroid post-treatment (fT4 <14 picomoles per litre) a...

Galainin-like peptide (GALP) is a recently identified hypothalamic neuropeptide expressed in the arcuate nucleus. It is structurally related to galanin, GALP amino acid residues 9-21 are identical to the N terminal 1-13 residues of galanin. GALP binds to galanin receptors with high affinity but has greatest affinity to the GAL R2 receptor. Galanin has previously been demonstrated to significantly increase food intake when administered into the third ventricle or the paraventri...

The General Medical Council’s publication ‘Outcomes for Graduates’ places emphasis on doctors being able to integrate biomedical science, research, and scholarship with clinical practice. In response, a new paradigm of assessment was introduced for the intercalated Bachelor of Science (iBSc) in Endocrinology program at Imperial College School of Medicine. The approach involves authentic “active learning” assessments analogous to tasks encountered in a ...

The term Leaky Gut Syndrome (LGS) describes a collection of a range of symptoms, including abdominal pain, bloating, recurring diarrhoea, bloody stools and weight loss, when a diagnosis has not been, or cannot be, made. It can be associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), celiac disease, chemotherapy and radiation therapies, and endocrine conditions including obesity and diabetes. The common underlying features of LGS are gut inflammation and an increase in gastrointest...

The regulation of insulin and glucagon secretion has traditionally been attributed to the gut-brain axis and direct sensing of blood glucose levels by pancreatic islets. However, the enteric nervous system may directly modulate pancreatic hormone release. This study focuses on a specific population of enteric neurons that exhibit the capability to transmit signals from the gut to the pancreas, potentially revealing new pathways of metabolic regulation. The gastrointestinal tra...

Introduction: Patients with hypopituitarism often report poor quality of life (QoL) despite adequate hormonal replacement therapy. Oxytocin, a peptide hormone produced in the hypothalamus and released by the posterior pituitary, has been known for its role in social and emotional behaviour. Our aim was to investigate the relationship between oxytocin and QoL domains in patients with hypopituitarism under optimal hormonal replacement therapy.<p class="abste...

Background: Women with PCOS experience higher rates of depression and anxiety. There is a paucity of research relating to perinatal mental health in women with PCOS, as well as a lack of evidence-based guidelines for assessment and management of mental disorders specific to pregnant women with PCOS. Limited available evidence suggests PCOS is associated with a higher prevalence of perinatal mental health disorders. However, perinatal guidelines currently do no...

Protein stimulates insulin release and improves post-prandial glycaemic excursions. The underlying mechanism has previously been attributed to gastric emptying, incretin release and direct pancreatic stimulation. However, our studies suggest the calcium sensing receptor (CaSR) in the vagus nerve plays an important role. The CaSR has a well characterised role in calcium homeostasis, but also acts as a protein metabolite sensor. In response to the amino acid products of protein ...

Growing evidence implicates gut microbiota-derived metabolites in metabolic homeostasis. Gut microbial dysbiosis occurs in obesity, while high-fibre and high-protein diets, which improve glucose tolerance and induce weight loss, are associated with the generation of microbial metabolites. Understanding how the gut responds to microbial metabolites may identify mechanisms that induce satiety and improve glucoregulation, revealing novel therapeutic targets. Indole is generated f...

Background: Lipocalin 2 (NGAL) is considered a pro-inflammatory adipokine. Noting the conflicting reports as to the role of Lipocalin 2 in metabolic disease, it remains unclear whether an acute or chronic state affects its impact on adipocyte function. In an attempt to address this our current studies investigated for the first time in humans, whether Lipocalin 2 in abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (AT) may influence mitochondrial function and browning of adipocytes, as c...