Endocrine Abstracts

The recent original data concerning interrelationships between ghrelin and feeding, action of ghrelin on ovarian functions (proliferation, apoptosis, secretory activity, response to gonadotropins, oocyte maturation) and intracellular mechanisms of its action in different species (rabbit, pig, human, chicken) are reviewed. It was shown, that ghrelin can control proliferation, apoptosis, suppress release of ovarian hormones and inhibit response of ovarian cells to gonadotropin, ...

Objective: Androsterone glucuronide (ADTG) concentrations have been suggested as a more reliable marker of the effects of androgen at the target tissue level and is significantly elevated in hirsute compared to non-hirsute women with PCOS. As the mechanism for hyperandrogenemia in obese and nonobese PCOS may differ, this study compares the different precursors of testosterone, including DHEAS, ADTG and androstenedione in nonobese compared to obese women with PCOS and their imp...

Arunachal Pradesh is one of the north eastern provinces of India situated on the Eastern Himalayan mountain range. Enriched with diversified flora, fauna and ethnic population, this zone has been recognised as one of the world’s Mega Biodiversity hot spots. The people of this state use bark powder of a plant Dysoxylum alliarium for pregnancy control of mated females especially dogs and pigs.Objective: Validation of this bark’s abortifaci...

Piper betuloids is a creeper grown wildly in the tropical forests of the north east part of India. The ethnic people of this region, especially in Arunachal Pradesh use the secondary roots of this creeper for fertility control in women. The traditional preparation has been reported to be use orally during post coital period.Objectives: The anti-reproductive property of the secondary aerial roots has been tested on female albino rats during early g...

Background: The Scottish Genital Anomaly Network (SGAN) is a national managed clinical network for patients with a suspected disorder of sex development (DSD). The SGAN register contains data on patients with DSD in Scotland. Factors that influence the decision to perform a karyotype in these patients are unclear.Objectives: To explore the SGAN register to study the factors that influence the decision to perform a karyotype.Methods...

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with known cardiovascular risk factors, consequently predisposing to premature cardiovascular disease. Blood clot structure has been shown to predict predisposition to atherothrombosis and the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of rimonabant and metformin on clot structure/function in women with PCOS.Methods: Twenty women with PCOS were recruited in a randomised open labelled para...

Aim: In normal men testosterone levels fall with age. We wished to assess the efficacy and safety of Nebido in men over the age of 60 years in order to assess dose frequency and other potential complications.Subjects and methods: Ten men over 60 years of age (range 60–77 median 64) with primary or secondary hypogonadism were treated with Nebido 1000 mg i.m. Each was given a loading dose of two injections 6 weeks apart (our normal protocol for all pa...

The measurement of serum testosterone in women is difficult with most automated immunoassays because of poor sensitivity, accuracy and precision at low concentrations. Mass spectrometry is the gold standard for these measurements but it is slower and requires special expertise and equipment. We investigated whether the modification of a commercial RIA allowed improved testosterone measurements in laboratories without access to mass spectrometry.A commerc...

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with insulin resistance. Abnormally low glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) expression has been shown in adipocytes from subjects with PCOS1 and skeletal muscle from type 2 diabetics2. Although GLUT4 expression is mostly restricted to classic insulin target tissues such as skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle and adipose, we have found it in granulosa cells (GCs) of mice3. Glucose uptake and metabolism by GCs...

Thyroid hormones (THs) are important for fetal and placental development. Monocarboxylate transporters 8 and 10 (MCT8 and MCT10) are effective plasma membrane TH transporters expressed in the human placenta from 6 weeks of gestation. Both have been localized to human villous trophoblasts and extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs).Aims: Using HTR-8/SVneo cells as a model of 1st trimester EVTs, we assessed 1) T3 effects on gene expression, cell prolif...

Pregnancy complications such as fetal growth restriction are associated with abnormal placental cell (cytotrophoblast) proliferation and apoptosis. Regulation of these events is unclear but recently we have used a placental explant model to demonstrate that IGFs influence cytotrophoblast kinetics and demonstrated that the protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) SHP-2 is required for IGF actions in the placenta. However, SHP-2 accounts for only 20% of total PTP activity, suggesting ...

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women. It is characterized by hyperandrogenism, which results primarily from excess androgen production by ovarian theca cells (TCs). Obesity contributes to androgen excess in PCOS and previous studies in vitro using bovine TCs have shown that adiponectin (production of which is inhibited in PCOS) is a repressor of P450c17 activity. However, little is known about expression of adiponec...

Initial follicle growth results in a number of distinct morphological changes, such as cuboidalisation and proliferation of the granulosa cells (GC) as well as an increase in oocyte size.Cell adhesion molecules and intercellular junctions play a pivotal role in changes in cell shape. We hypothesize that change in GC shape is key, and that increased understanding of changes in cell adhesion and associated junctions will provide insight into the regulation...

In rodents and other mammals, it is well established that the production of certain TGF-β members including Gdf9 and Bmp15 by oocytes is important for follicle development to proceed. It is believed that these growth factors form part of a short loop paracrine system to regulate gene expression in neighbouring follicle cells. We propose that one aspect of this feedback loop may involve the genomic modulation of TGF-β antagonists in granulosa cells by oocyte-secreted ...

MC3-R expressed in the brain are well characterized however the role of MC3-R in the periphery is unclear. Recently, we described immunopositive staining for MC3-R in the testes of wild-type mice and reported that the testicular histology of the MC3-R null mouse was abnormal. The aims of this further work were to confirm that MC3-R is expressed in testes and determine if ACTH1–39 affects testicular steroidogenesis in vitro.RNA and ...

Background: In polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), insulin resistance (IR) might be involved in the development of endocrine and metabolic abnormalities. Visfatin, a protein secreted by adipose tissue, is suggested to play a role in pathogenesis of insulin resistance. However, the biological activity and regulation of this novel adipokine are still unknown.Objectives: To study the visfatin level in PCOS in Egyptian women and its relationship with IR and ma...

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) have been recognized as crucial molecules as a luteinizing factor but BMPs have differential actions in FSH-induced estradiol production in a ligand-dependent manner. We recently reported the presence of oocyte–granulosa cell communication through BMP actions by regulating MAPK. To approach the oocyte factors that modulate steroidogenesis controlled by BMPs, we here investigated the effects of FGF-8 in rat granulosa/oocyte co-cultures. F...

Introduction: The hypothalamic kiss1/kisspeptin system is pivotal in controlling fertility. However, kiss1 transcripts were also quantified in rat fat, where expression was regulated by oestradiol (Brown et al. 2008) and by dihydrotestosterone (DHT; Brown et al. 2009). In human fat, microarray analysis revealed abnormal, multiple gene expression in obese PCOS patients (Corton et al. 2007). In the present experiments we used a rat model (Manne...

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine abnormality in women with an estimated prevalence of 6–8%. Women with PCOS have a known increased prevalence of prediabetes (30–40%), type 2 diabetes (T2DM 10%), and metabolic syndrome (40%). We determined the prevalence of recorded PCOS through a structured primary care based T2DM screening programme.Methodology: Eligibility criterion for a structured and systematic sc...

Background: Female sex steroids influence learning and memory and the neurobiology of brain regions involved in memory processing such as the hippocampus. Pregnancy allows overriding of regulatory feedback loops leading to substantial elevation of endogenous serum hormone levels, depending on concentration; oestradiol can be either neurologically protective or toxic. This investigation aimed to increase understanding of the influence of sex steroids on memory and attention dur...

Strong gain-of-function mutations have not been identified in humans in the FSH receptor (FSHR), while such mutations are common among many other G-protein-coupled receptors. In order to predict consequences of such mutations on humans, D580 (D6.44) mutant forms of mouse (m) FSHR were expressed under the human anti-Müllerian hormone promoter in transgenic mice. Transgenic expression of mFshrD580H in granulosa cells led to abnormal ovarian structur...

Sexual dimorphisms have been observed in numerous diseases, particularly those associated with inflammation. Generally, males are more at risk of developing infection and subsequent mortality1, whilst women are more prone to develop autoimmune disorders2. Hormones, particularly oestrogens, are thought to play a significant role effecting these dimorphisms, and oestrogens have been shown to reduce the severity of sepsis3.I...

Background: Hypothalamic amenorrhoea (HA) accounts for over 30% of cases of amenorrhoea in women of reproductive age. Current treatments have limited success rates and side effects. We have recently shown that a single injection of the novel hormone kisspeptin potently stimulates reproductive hormone release in women with HA. However, twice-daily kisspeptin administration to women with HA, results in tachyphylaxis due to desensitisation of the kisspeptin receptor. This suggest...