Endocrine Abstracts

Previous studies investigating steroidogenic enzymes in the brain have often focused on only a few genes at a time, using animal models or pooled human RNA to investigate their expression. For this study, we obtained RNA from individual archived human brain tissue samples in order to analyse the transcription of twelve genes involved with steroid biosynthesis and metabolism within the cerebellum and hippocampus.We developed realtime RT-PCR assays for twe...

Recent data suggest that critically-ill medical patients might not obtain as much benefit from insulin therapy as cardiothoracic patients. This may be because medical patients are more insulin resistant. We have investigated this in both groups.10 medical patients (age 67.0±4.4 y; 7M:3F, BMI 24.0±1.7 kg/m2; studied within 36 hours of admission to the ICU) and 7 post-operative cardiothoracic patients (age 71.4±3.8 y; 5M:2F, BMI 2...

In vivo the 11β-HSD1 enzyme converts inactive cortisone to the active glucocorticoid cortisol. 11β-HSD1 is implicated in the metabolic syndrome through its expression in liver and adipose tissue by increasing local cortisol concentrations. However, little is known regarding the expression and function of 11β-HSD1 in muscle.Murine C2C12 muscle cells (myocytes) were differentiated from myoblasts to myotubules for 8 days, with and without the...

Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterised by the combined occurrence of tumours of the parathyroids, pancreas and pituitary. The MEN1 gene, which is located on chromosome 11q13 and encodes a 610 amino acid protein (menin), belongs to the class of tumour suppressors. To investigate the role of menin in tumour suppression, three different mouse models have been generated through targeted disruption of the Men1 gene. ...

Stimulation of the corticotropin-releasing factor type 2 receptor (CRFR2) by its putative ligands the urocortins may influence cardiovascular function by regulating vascular tone and angiogenesis.We examined whether chronic exposure to the CRFR2-selective ligand Urocortin 3 altered the ability of the receptor to modulate vascular functions by assessing arterial contractility and angiogenesis in response to Urocortin 3 both in control mice and in transgen...