Endocrine Abstracts

In humans, the exchange of nutrients and waste between mother and fetus occurs via the outer layer of the placenta (syncytium; ST); this layer is maintained by continuous growth and differentiation of underlying cytotrophoblasts (CT). Pregnancy complications such as intrauterine growth restriction are associated with abnormal CT proliferation and apoptosis; altered levels of maternal insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) have also been reported in these conditions. We have demons...

The mammalian Forkhead Box O (FoxO) transcription factors, FoxO1, FoxO3a and FoxO4 are emerging as an important family of proteins that modulate the expression of genes involved in cell cycle regulation, induction of apoptosis, DNA damage repair and response to oxidative stress. Their transcriptional activity is tightly regulated by the action of several regulatory co-factors, and a series of post-translational modifications controlling a shuttling system, that confines them e...

Abnormal fetal growth remains a problem in pregnancies, complicated by diabetes and is associated with increased maternal and offspring mortality and morbidity. Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are important regulators of fetal growth. Their effects are controlled by binding proteins (IGFBPs). IGFBP-1 is particularly important in pregnancy. Phosphorylated IGFBP-1 (pIGFBP-1) has a high affinity for IGF-I and inhibits IGF-I actions, whereas de-phosphhorylated IGFBP-1 has a low...

Background: Recent studies show that Infliximab (IFX), an antibody against tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα), may improve growth in children with Crohn’s disease (CD). These studies have not adequately addressed the concomitant factors such as medication, nutrition and puberty that may also improve growth.Methods: Retrospective study of 22 children (13 M) with CD, median age at start of IFX 13.2 years (7.4, 16.1) with auxology at 6 months be...

Introduction: Adiposity has been well known to influence blood pressure. Adipokines are peptides secreted from the adipose tissue. TNF-alpha and IL-6 are pro-inflammatory adipokines while adiponectin and leptin have been known to be influencing vascular function. The influence of adipokines on blood pressure is not yet known. Our hypothesis was that all adipokines positively influenced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.Patients and methods: One ...

Background: Leptin is an important regulator of the immune response. Therapeutics that modulate leptin signalling are considered to be a potential targets in a number of immune related conditions. The role of leptin antagonists to suppress the immune system, slowing the progression of autoimmune diseases is a widely discussed idea. However, leptin agonists may also be useful to up-regulate the immune response during malnutrition. The aim of this project was to develop long-las...