Endocrine Abstracts

Background: The recognition of the erectile dysfunction (ED) pathogenesis is essential to identify the appropriate ED management. Since vascular ED (vED) could be a manifestation of a systemic arterial damage, the watershed in the ED diagnostic framework is the discrimination between psychological (pED) and vED. However, reliable tools to directly diagnose pED are currently lacking.Aim of the study: To identify which parameters could predict pED. Moreove...

Background: It is widely demonstrated that obesity and hypogonadism are bi-directionally correlated, since the hypogonadism prevalence is higher in obese population, while weight loss increases testosterone serum levels. Several approaches are available to contrast weight excess, from simple dietary regimens to more complex surgical procedures. Ketogenic diets (KD) fit in this context and their application is growing year after year, aiming to improve the metabolic and weight ...

Introduction: The detection of a unique genetic marker is not possible for multifactorial diseases, such as thyroid cancer (TC), where the pathological phenotype is given by the contribution of multiple genes, environmental factors and lifestyle. We found a mathematical model for inferring the risk of thyroid cancer, an example of multifactorial disease.Methods: Genetic data represented by 184 SNPs associated to thyroid tumors were used for Bayesian clus...

Background: Luteinizing hormone (LH) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) act on the same receptor, activating different signal transduction pathways. The role of LH or hCG addition to follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) as well as menopausal gonadotropins (hMG) in controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) is debated.Aim: To compare FSH+LH, or FSH+hCG or hMG vs FSH alone on COS outcomes.Design: A meta-analysis according to PRISMA state...

Introduction: Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a sphingolipid mediating proliferative signals in human ovarian follicles, acting through five receptors (S1PR1-5). We characterized the effects of S1PR1 and S1PR3 in vitro, as those mostly expressed in human primary granulosa cells (hGLC) and immortalized, tumor-like granulosa cell line (hGL5).Methods: The S1P-mediated signaling, as well as the activity of S1PR1- and S1PR3-specific agonists (SEW281...

Introduction: Reproduction exhibit a regular cyclicity and is regulated by complex interactions between circadian signals, gonadotropins and sex steroid hormones. Peripheral circadian rhythm is generated upon cyclic transcription of clock genes expressed in several cells, e.g. granulosa cells in the ovary. Here we investigated whether cyclic intracellular events occurring in response to gonadotropins are linked to expression of clock genes.Methods: Prima...

Introduction: HIV infection treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) seems to be associated with hypogonadism in men. Less is known in HIV-infected women gonadal status. The aim of this study is to investigate gonadal function, in menopausal HIV-infected women compared sex- and age-matched healthy subjects (HS).Methods: We retrospectively compared 188 HIV-infected women with 192 HS selected reviewing record charts and laboratory database...

Introduction: The endothelium produces molecules regulating vascular function, such as nitric oxide (NO). NO protects blood vessels from endogenous injury and causes vasodilation through activation of second messengers. In diabetes mellitus (DM), hyperglycemia provokes oxidative stress, reduction of NO and increased synthesis of vasoconstrictors (e.g. endothelin). Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are enzymes, controlling the rate of degradation of second messengers....

Introduction: LH and hCG act on the same receptor (LHCGR), have different half-lives and in vivo biopotency. It is not known whether they elicit the same cellular and molecular response. The aim of this study was to compare the kinetics of cAMP response to recombinant LH and hCG.Design: In COS-7 cells permanently expressing the human LHCGR (COS-7/LHCGR) we evaluated LH and hCG dose-response curves, by measuring total cAMP after 3 h of incubation. ...

Objectives: Male pseudohermaphroditism, or Leydig cell hypoplasia (LCH), is an autosomal recessive disorder in individuals with a 46, XY karyotype, characterized by a predominantly female phenotype despite the presence of testicular structures. It is caused by mutations in the luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin receptor gene (LHCGR), which impair either LH/CG binding or signal transduction. However, molecular analysis has revealed that the LHCGR is apparently normal in...