Endocrine Abstracts

Aim: To investigate glucocorticoid (Gc) regulation of MIFBackground: MIF is a potent proinflammatory cytokine involved in inflammatory arthritis. Previous work suggested that MIF was induced by low concentrations of Gc, and may counteract their anti-inflammatory effect. The relationship between MIF and Gc has not been investigated in human cells.Methods: The human cell lines CEMC7A (T-lymphoblast) and A549 (lung epithelial) were us...

The GH-IGF-1 axis alters through the menstrual cycle. During the periovulatory period when oestrogen levels have risen serum growth hormone (GH) levels increase 2-fold. IGF-1 levels have been reported as unchanged or modestly increased in the periovulatory period. Similarly exogenous oestrogens also increase GH levels while IGF-1 levels have been reported as reduced, unchanged or increased. Peripheral responsiveness to GH as reflected by the IGF-1 response to an acute bolus of...

Testosterone has immune-modulating properties and current in-vitro evidence suggests that testosterone may suppress the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines Tumour Necrosis Factor (TNF alpha), interleukin (IL)-1 beta and IL-6 and potentiate the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. We report a randomised single-blind placebo-controlled crossover study of testosterone replacement (Sustanon 100) versus placebo in 27 men (age 62+-9years) with symptomatic and...

Introduction: Leptin modulates immune activation in relation to nutritional state and there is gender difference in body composition and the immune response. Leptin induces the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-alpha, from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We hypothesised that estrogen may modulate the immune actions of leptin. Aim: To test the effect of estrogen on leptin signalling and leptin-induced TNF-alpha production. Materials and Meth...

The multisystem disorder POEMS (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, and skin changes) is a rare plasma cell dyscrasia. Elevated cytokines may contribute to its pathogenesis. We describe a POEMS patient with elevated plasma cytokines and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS).A 39-year-old white woman with IgA lambda and IgG kappa paraproteinaemia, peripheral axonal sensorimotor neuropathy, moderate anascara, skin thickening a...

Growth hormone (GH) and leptin regulate body composition and leptin is elevated in adult growth hormone deficiency (AGHD), a syndrome characterised by increased adiposity. We have previously shown that GH replacement for 1 month reduces 24-h mean leptin concentration independent of changes in fat mass. The long tem effects of GHR on leptin have not been described.24-h mean total leptin concentration was measured using half-hourly blood sampling, to accou...

Introduction: We have generated a truncated Growth Hormone Receptor (GHR) fused to the cell membrane by a glycosyl phosphatidylinositol anchor (GHR-GPI). The protein consists of the complete extracellular domain of the GHR, but lacks the intracellular domain, and we predict it would act as a GH antagonist. Aim: To test if partially-purified soluble GHR-GPI could re-insert into CHO cell membranes. Material and methods: Membrane preparations were made from CHO cells stably expre...

Background: Angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis are involved in growth and metastatic spread of tumours. Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) play a key role in angiogenesis through proliferation of endothelial cells. VEGF-C has been identified as the molecular link between tumour lymphangiogenesis and metastasic spread.Objective: To (1) analyse microvascular density (MVD) and lymphatic vascular density (LVD...

Adrenomedullin (AM) was discovered in the adrenal gland in 1993 by Kitamura and colleagues. Since then it has been found in many other tissues including in skin. We know from our recent studies that AM regulates (in vitro) the secretion of cytokines and growth factors, known to be involved in tissue repair, from endothelial and skin cells. The present study was designed to establish whether AM levels in skin were increased following wounding in vivo.A we...

While the hypothalamo-pituitary axis is known to contain high levels of basic FGF (FGF2) and its high affinity receptor FGFR1, the physiological role of FGF2 in this region needs elucidation. Here, we demonstrate that FGF2 and arginine vasopressin (AVP) co-localize within the cytoplasm of nearly all supraoptic and paraventricular magnocellular neurons of human hypothalamus as well as the axonal processes of the neurohypophysis. High-resolution confocal imaging indicates that F...

IntroductionThe process of ovulation is believed to contribute to the majority of ovarian cancers that derive from the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE). The OSE is known to be important for successful ovulation and more recently was shown to be sensitive to inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha; Human Reproduction: 17:2300-2306).MethodsNormal OSE cells were obtained, with informed conse...

T3 is essential for normal skeletal development. Childhood hypothyroidism causes delayed bone formation, whereas T3-excess accelerates growth and epiphyseal closure. Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) act via receptor tyrosine kinases (FGFRs) to inhibit chondrocyte proliferation, matrix production and skeletal maturation. Dimerisation of FGFRs and their functional interaction with FGFs requires heparan sulphate proteoglycans (HSPGs). We recently showed that T3 induces FGFR-1 exp...

Proteins associated with pregnancy urine and urinary-derived hCG preparations have been associated with stimulation of Candida albicans, induction of apoptosis in Kaposi's sarcoma, and inhibition of HIV replication. The active components have been previously reported to be 18 kDa, 15-30 kDa and 2-4 kDa proteins, and suggested in one study to be a ribonuclease (1).The urinary hCG preparation CG-10 (supplied by Sigma Chemical Company Ltd) is known to be pa...