Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Since receiving its UK licence in 1994, cabergoline [CAB] has become the dopamine agonist of choice for the management of hyperprolactinaemia in most UK endocrine units. Aim: To review the outcomes for the mother and neonate when CAB is taken during conception and into early gestation. Method: Retrospective review of Aberdeen casenotes from all hyperprolactinaemic women of childbearing age on CAB therapy and those of their live born infants. Results: Twenty women w...

Aim: To compare influence of transdermal versus peroral estrogen treatment on insulin sensitivity, lipid and hormonal levels in women affected with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).Patients and Methods: 17 women with PCOS, age 24.8 (4.2) years, BMI 24.15 (3.68) were randomly assigned either for peroral (8) or transdermal (9 patients) estrogens in conjunction with cyproteronacetate. In the early follicular phase of menstrual cycle before and then after 3 month of treatment ...

In humans the most abundant source of 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 is the placenta, notably placental trophoblast. This enzyme catalyses the conversion of cortisol (F) to cortisone (E) and is thought to protect the fetus from maternal hypercortisolaemia, thereby impacting on fetal growth and development. During gestation placental trophoblast is exposed to dramatic changes in oxygen tensions ranging from ~2% - 12%, changes thought to be pivotal in stimulating an...

Macroprolactin (MPL) is a complex of prolactin (PRL) and IgG. It is considered to have little bioactivity and may account for a significant proportion of patients with 'idiopathic hyperprolactinaemia'. We determined the prevalence of macroprolactinaemia in patients with hyperprolactinaemia and examined the clinical features. An Immuno-1 system with PEG precipitation was used to identify MPL, with a recovery of <50% taken as indicating significant macroprolactinaemia.In ...

It is well-known that follicular development is associated with many morphological and functional changes. As long as the follicle develops and matures to the preovulatory stage, the availability of oxygen progressively diminishes and the environment becomes hypoxic; one of the most important effects induced by hypoxia on granulosa cells is the induction of angiogenesis. Our aims were: 1) to investigate whether hypoxia alters the production of estrogen and progesterone in swin...

Adult male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were given oral treatment of either Aroclor 1242 or vehicle (corn oil and glycerol) at a dose of 200 microgram/kg bw/day/animal for six months to investigate the effect of pollutant on plasma testosterone and morphology of testis and accessory glands. The animals used in this research have been treated humanely according to institutional guidelines, with due consideration to the alleviation of distress and discomfort. Aroclor 1242 tre...

We observed 26 women from 19 to 40 years old (mean age 27) with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) due to different causes excluding prolactinomas. The continuance of HH was from 1 to 23 years (mean 6 years 4 months). Main complains were amenorrhea (all patients), urogenital disorders (18 patients), ingravescent memory and fatigue (17 patients). Biochemical blood test relieved increased cholesterol and high density lipoprotein levels in all patients, increased triglyceride lev...

Objective: Bioavailable testosterone (BioT) is measured directly by bioassay or estimated by calculating the free androgen index (FAI) and reflects hyperandrogenaemia more accurately than measurement of total testosterone in plasma. A comparison of the biological variation of FAI and measured BioT was undertaken to determine the relative suitability of these estimates in PCOS.Method: The biological variation of BioT and FAI was assessed in 12 PCOS patients (median age 28yr...

IntroductionWomen with Turner Syndrome (TS), characterised by the complete or partial absence of one X-chromosome in females, are reported to have an increased risk of coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease and angiodysplasia. These may contribute to iron deficiency and anaemia through malabsorption or blood loss. This study screened the serum ferritin and haemoglobin measurements in an adult TS population.MethodSerum ferritin concentrations were measured in 1...

IntroductionTestosterone replacement for hypogonadism comes in a variety of galenical forms. Side effects include prostatic enlargement and polycythaemia. Furthermore careful scrutiny for prostatic carcinoma is essential. We audited 205 male patients from one clinical centre to assess dose, frequency and complications profile and the effectiveness of biochemical and haematological monitoring. Data of this type in a group of this size has not been previously published.M...

The importance of the differentiation between the apparent benign clinical condition of macroprolactinaemia and that of true hyperprolactinaemia, which requires therapy, is becoming widely recognised. Laboratories routinely rely on prolactin recoveries of less than 40 percent following treatment of sera with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to distinguish between the former and latter conditions. However, the 40 percent threshold employed is arbitrarily defined with little scientific...

The factors affecting the regulation of early follicular development are not fully understood. Culture of ovarian cortical biopsies provides a means for investigating initiation of follicle growth. IGF-I has been implicated in the early development of follicles in the primate ovary and the aim of this study was to investigate the effects on IGF-I on recruitment, growth and survival of human preantral follicles. Small ovarian cortical biopsies were obtained, with informed conse...

Kennedy's disease (KD), also known as spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, is one of eight polyglutamine diseases caused by an expansion of CAG repeats within the coding region of the affected gene. In KD, the CAG repeat region within the androgen receptor (AR) gene is increased to over 40 repeats, resulting in an expanded polyglutamine tract. Degeneration of a sub-population of neurones occurs in all polyglutamine diseases due to a toxic gain of function typically unrelated to...

Sexual dimorphism in fetal testosterone output in the silver foxLV Osadchuk; Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk, RussiaIn mammals physiological mechanisms regulating reproduction are sexually differentiated. A basic mechanism of sexual differentiation in mammals is that testosterone produced by the testes organise development of the genital tract, external genitals, gonadotrophin secretion and the capacity to display sex specific behaviour in the male dire...

PCOS is a chronic medical condition consisting of PCO on ultrasound in conjunction with menstrual cycle disturbance, insulin resistance, obesity and/or hyperandrogenism manifest as acne, hirsutism and androgenic alopecia. These symptoms can be expected to have a significant impact on quality of life. The aim of this study was to compare the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of women with PCOS with that of women in the general population.HRQoL is generally measured by ...

Pharmacokinetics and tolerability of a new a bioadhesive buccal testosterone tablet in testosterone deficient men.RJM Ross, A Jabbar, H Jones, B Roberts, K Dunkley, A Long, H Levine, DR CullenObjectives: A phase I single centre, open label study of the pharmacokinetics and tolerability of a buccal testosterone tablet (COL1621). Design: The study was approved by The South Sheffield Ethics Committee. Twelve testosterone deficient males were treated with the buccal tablet...

Objective We aimed to immunopurify GnSAF, using antibodies with demonstrated GnSAF bioactivity-blocking/binding activity, in order to confirm 2 new candidate amino acid sequences for human ovarian GnSAF (Fowler et al. Mol Human Reprod 2002;8:823-832).Methods Rat antiserum, raised against a 60-70 kDa band of partially purified GnSAF, was immobilised on anti-rat IgG Dynabeads. In addition, a human antibody, derived from a phage display antibody library a...

BACKGROUND: Male steroidal contraceptive regimens achieve azoospermia in 60-90% of Caucasians. The mechanisms underlying this heterogeneity in response are not clear. The aim of this retrospective study was to examine a number of polymorphisms in genes involved in androgen metabolism and action, in azoospermic responders (n=73) and oligozoospermic non-responders (n=44) from previous contraceptive trials. METHODS: Local Ethical Committee approval was obtained. DNA was extracted...

There is evidence from animal studies that 1,25-dihyroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) is essential for normal reproductive function. Vitamin deficient rats have reduced fertility and VDR null mutant mice demonstrate impaired folliculogenesis. One small uncontrolled study in humans has demonstrated that vitamin D replacement improves menstrual frequency and acne in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). We have previously demonstrated that 1,25(OH)2D3 inh...

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....

The possibility of optimal testosterone replacement is hotly debated. Conventional testosterone ester injections give widely fluctuating testosterone levels and may be painful. Testosterone patches currently available in the UK frequently cause intolerable skin irritation and are conspicuously large. The only safe oral preparation testosterone undecanoate rarely provides sustained sufficient circulating testosterone concentrations. Testosterone pellets have been used since sho...

Testicular cancer has a peak incidence in young men between the ages of 15 and 40, with an increased frequency in individuals with disorders of the reproductive tract such as hypospadia and cryptorchidism. It has been proposed that carcinoma in situ cells are derived from testicular germ cells that have not differentiated appropriately during fetal life, perhaps as a result of disturbance of the hormonal environment. The aim of this study is to investigate whether estrogen may...