Endocrine Abstracts

This study investigated electro-anesthesia of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in comparison with MS222 and clove oil by using plasma cortisol and glucose level as stress indicators. A microcontroller-based apparatus was designed and constructed to allow a programmable voltage-time pulse-width modulated (PWM) electrical wave (AC) application through 19×20 cm submersible electrodes for 91 s in a 33 cm long tank to induce loss of equilibrium and immobility with re...

Background: Use of metformin in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is becoming increasingly accepted and widespread but clinical practice is ahead of the evidence.Methods: We extracted results from the seven published studies of metformin use in PCOS that include control elements quantifiably similar to the experimental arm. We also restricted our analysis to the studies with a systematic longitudinal examination of ovulatory function and metabolic parameters....

Excess weight/obesity is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Mechanisms linking obesity to insulin resistance in other liver and skeletal muscle are of considerable interest and the role of adipokines, in particular adiponectin, has come under considerable interest. Adiponectin is exclusively produced by fat cells but its circulating levels are paradoxically reduced in obesity. Current weight of evidence from prospective studies suggest that high adiponectin levels are pr...

Women with PCOS show increased cardiovascular risk factors compared to weight matched controls with normal ovarian function. The evidence is broadly consistent for deranged lipids (in particular elevated triglyceride and low HDL-cholesterol) and greater glucose intolerance in women with PCOS. Evidence of hypertension is less consistent. There are also preliminary data now for altered haemostatic (t-PA antigen) and inflammatory (C-reactive protein concentrations) factors. All s...

There is increasing interest in insulin resistance as a candidate pathway in the pathogenesis of vascular disease. Part of this interest stems from the rapidly increasing rates of obesity worldwide which fuel insulin resistance particularly in susceptible 'at risk' individuals. Insulin resistance is associated with a plethora of metabolic perturbances (dyslipidaemia, hypertension, abnormal haemostasis, low grade inflammation, altered adipokine levels) and many of these abnorma...

Diagnosis of Cushing’s disease can be a difficult and lengthy process with repeated and dynamic testing required to ensure the correct diagnosis is made prior to invasive intervention such as surgery. This case demonstrates that even with meticulous investigation the underlying cause of the disease can still be evasive. A 43-year-old female presented with a history of hypertension since age 20, managed with Amlodipine (10 mg) and Ramipril (10 mg). She was investigated for...

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker of inflammatory processes which predicts vascular disease, and is raised in the circulation of women with PCOS. Metformin can be used to reduce insulin resistance in women with PCOS, leading to improved ovarian function and circulating lipid profiles. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of protracted metformin treatment on circulating CRP in women with PCOS.Methods: CRP was assessed in women with PCOS (n...

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common physically disabling childhood motor disorder. Fractures in this group of children are common, however, prevalence and risk factors associated with fractures in children with CP in the UK is not known.Aims: The aims of this cross-sectional survey were i) to determine the prevalence of fractures in children with moderate-to-severe CP in Manchester, ii) to determine the common sites of fracture, and iii) t...

Background: Obesity is a common feature of women with PCOS in different ethnic cohorts. It is suggested that retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) is a central mediator of obesity-induced insulin resistance in mice and humans. In addition, elevated serum RBP4 levels have been associated with cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic syndromes.Aim: To investigate whether serum RBP4 level is correlated with metabolic parameters, indices of insulin resistance, a...

Serum ALT concentrations give some insight into liver fat accumulation and relate to metabolic syndrome: values >29 IU/L double risk of type 2 diabetes independent of other risk predictors. Women with PCOS are at increased risk of diabetes and CVD whereas metformin treatment modulates the progress of metabolic syndrome. Consequently, we investigated the effects of protracted metformin treatment on circulating ALT in obese women with PCOS.Metformin tr...