Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Obesity is a major risk factor to develop heart failure, in part due to possible lipotoxic effects of increased intramyocardial (MYCL) and/or pericardial (PERI) lipid accumulation. Recent evidence suggests that MYCL is highly dynamic and might rather be a surrogate marker for disturbed energy metabolism than the underlying cause of cardiac dysfunction. On the other hand, PERI might contribute directly by mechanic and paracrine effects. Therefore, we hypothesized th...

Recent data suggest that not only caloric density but also macronutrient composition of diets can influence metabolism, body composition and the development of metabolic disorders. A limitation of previous studies was that effects were studied predominantly in males. To better understand potential differences in the response of males and females to manipulations of dietary macronutrients, our studies were undertaken in both sexes. As a dietary model, we used regular chow diet ...

Background: We and others have shown that ectopic lipids are flexible fuel stores in healthy subjects, in patients with type 1 diabetes or with GHD. IMCL are depleted by exercise and repleted by diet, whereas intrahepatocellular lipids (IHCL) are increased immediately after exercise. It is unclear whether the exercise-induced flexibility of IMCL and IHCL persists until 24 h and whether healthy subjects and patients with GHD behave differently.Methods: Ma...

The oxytocin (OT) treatment protects heart against ischemia. Here we investigated heart-derived H9c2 cells in simulated ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) experiments in order to examine the mechanism of OT-induced cardioprotection.Results: I-R was induced in an anoxic chamber for 2 h and followed by 2 h of reperfusion. In comparison to normoxia, I-R resulted in decrease of formazan production by H9c2 cells to 63.5±1.7% (MTT assay) and enhanced apoptosis fr...

Introduction: Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I), the main growth factor associated with GH secretion, directly opposes endothelial dysfunction and limit early atherosclerosis by favoring nitric oxide production, promoting insulin sensitivity and preventing postprandial dyslipidemia. A low serum IGF-I level has been reported in patients with OSA syndrome and might be one of the mechanisms underlying cardio-metabolic risks in OSA patients. IGF-1 levels were evaluated in a lar...

Expanding brown adipose tissue is a potential therapeutic strategy to counteract insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and Takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5) activation enhances insulin sensitivity, suggesting the capacity of FXR/TGR5 agonists to promote brown differentiation in adipose tissue. Treatment with increasing doses of the dual FXR/TGR5 agonist INT-767 (3, 10, 30 mg/Kg bw, daily for 5 days a week, by oral gavage, for 12 ...

Background and aims: Non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is highly associated with other components of the metabolic syndrome, in particular obesity and diabetes. However, systematic network medicine approach of the complex phenotypic dependencies and comorbidities has yet to be performed. Our aim now is to identify novel drug targets for NAFLD treatment by a systematic in silico network analysis.Methods: We constructed an interaction network of cu...

Objective: To determine the effects of long-term growth hormone (GH) treatment on heart anatomy and function among adult GH deficient patients.Design: A retrospective observational study at Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark between 1999 and 2015.Patients: All patients with available echocardiography data at treatment baseline, 3–5 years and 8–10 years follow up. We included 25 naïve GH deficient...

Introduction: Familial partial lipodystrophy (FPL) is an autosomal dominant disease characterized by selective loss of subcutaneous fat from the extremities and gluteal region, with lipohypertrophy of the face, neck and trunk. It is usually tightly linked with severe metabolic complications. FPL type 3 results from peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG) mutations.Case presentations: Fifty three-year-old woman, referred to endocrinology ...