Endocrine Abstracts

Metabolic and inflammatory insults contribute to beta-cell failure and apoptosis, in part via the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The pancreatic β-cell acquires sensitivity to the damaging actions of pro-inflammatory cytokines during differentiation, but the mechanisms underlying the differentiation-dependent sensitisation is unknown. By mRNA microarray of a cell-model of β-cell differentiation exposed to cytokines we identified a cluster of tra...

Somatostatin and dopamine receptors are the major Gi-coupled receptors in somatotrope cells that inhibit hormone secretion from the anterior pituitary. Here, we adapted a novel fluorescence-based screening assay to characterize somatostatin and dopamine receptor signaling in a time-resolved manner. This minimal-invasive technique provides a robust and reliable read out for ligand-induced receptor activation in permanent cell lines and primary pituitary culture. The ...

Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency is increasingly recognised as an important cause of neonatal hypocalcaemia. In this case report, we discuss the impact of co-existing vitamin D deficiency on the diagnostic process in a preterm infant who had refractory hypocalcaemia due to hypoparathyroidism resulting from a homozygous GCM2 mutation.Case report: A 33-week gestation male infant of Pakistani extraction was found to be profoundly hypocalcaemic with seizur...

Neonatal thyrotoxicosis (NT) is a rare condition caused by the transplacental passage of maternal thyroid-stimulating antibodies from mothers with active Graves’ disease or a past history of the condition. We suspected that there were wide differences in the way that babies at risk of NT were managed in our locality and undertook a survey to establish the local approach to this clinical problem.Method: The lead clinician who was considered most like...

Energy homeostasis in mammals is controlled by the actions of circulating hormones, which coordinate fuel production and utilization between metabolically active tissues. Mounting evidence implicates the osteoblast as an important player in the coordination of global energy utilization through its hormonal interactions with other tissues. Leptin produced by adipocytes controls postnatal bone acquisition by activating sympathetic nerves whose efferent outputs target β...

Hyperinsulinaemic-hypoglycaemia has been described following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for obesity and is thought to be due to hyperfunction of pancreatic β cells. It has been questioned whether the β cell hyperfunction may have preceded the bariatric surgery and contributed to the obesity. We report a case of hyperinsulinaemic-hypoglycaemia in a non-diabetic, lean patient (BMI 26 kg/m2) who underwent distal gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y bypass for a benign gas...

Acute and long-term complications attributable to diabetes are regrettably still common. To monitor for the development of such complications NICE recommend regular measurement of certain criteria to enable early intervention. A previous audit performed in our hospital looked at the adherence of paediatric diabetic reviews to NICE guidelines. As a consequence of this audit a detailed pro-forma to be used at all paediatric diabetic reviews was introduced....

A 20-year-old man presented to his general practitioner in 1990 with 4-months history of general malaise. He was clinically and biochemically thyrotoxic. Carbimazole was started but the patient stopped treatment on his own after 2 months. Two years later he was referred to our department with severe thyrotoxicosis marked by lethargy, shaking, palpitations and weight loss (FT4 116.6 pmol/l (reference range 10–24.5 pmol/l) TT3 8.8 nmol/l (1.0–2.5 ...

Sunitinib and sorafenib are orally active tyrosine kinase inhibitors which have recently been developed as therapy for renal cell cancer and gastro-intestinal stromal tumours. Changes in thyroid function are frequently found during sunitinib therapy, typically occurring 7–24 months into therapy; the mechanism is not clear, though inhibition of iodine uptake, thyroid follicular cell apoptosis and thyroiditis have all been proposed. In contrast, thyroid dysfunction is repor...

The pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 is selectively cytotoxic to rodent and human beta-cells in vitro, and anti-IL-1 therapies reduce diabetes incidence in animal prevention models: (1) IL-1 alone or in combination with other inflammatory cytokines causes beta-cell destruction in rodent and human islets and in perfused pancreas via MAPK and NFkB signaling, (2) IL-1 given i.p. to non-diabetes prone animals causes transient insulinopenic diabetes (3) IL-1 is expres...