Search results for " endocrinology"

2019

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the primary cause of mortality in women in developed countries. CVD risk rises with age, yet for women there is a rapid increase in CVD risk that occurs after the onset of menopause. This observation suggests the presence of factors in the middle-aged women that accelerate the progression of CVD independent of chronological aging. Leisure time physical activity (LTPA) is a well-established protective factor against CVD. However, its role in attenuating atherogenic lipid profile changes and CVD risk in post-menopausal women has not been well-established. The present study is part of the Estrogenic Regulation of Muscle Apoptosis (ERMA) study, a population-based…

The neuropeptide 26RFa in the human gut and pancreas: potential involvement in glucose homeostasis

2019

Objective Recent studies performed in mice revealed that the neuropeptide 26RFa regulates glucose homeostasis by acting as an incretin and by increasing insulin sensitivity. However, in humans, an association between 26RFa and the regulation of glucose homeostasis is poorly documented. In this study, we have thus investigated in detail the distribution of 26RFa and its receptor, GPR103, in the gut and the pancreas, and determined the response of this peptidergic system to an oral glucose challenge in obese patients. Design and methods Distribution of 26RFa and GPR103 was examined by immunohistochemistry using gut and pancreas tissue sections. Circulating 26RFa was determined using a specif…

Cutaneous manifestations of polycystic ovary syndrome

2020

Abstract Hirsutism, acne, and/or female pattern hair loss are common cutaneous manifestations of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, while hirsutism is mainly related to androgen excess, both acne and female pattern hair loss may often depend on cutaneous alterations that are not linked to hyperandrogenism or increased androgen sensitivity. Because both acne and female pattern hair loss cannot be considered a sign of hyperandrogenism, neither should be included in the diagnostic process of PCOS without demonstration of increased levels of circulating androgens. In addition, in patients with androgen-dependent acne, the concomitant proliferation of Propionibacterium acnes in skin may …

Does high sugar consumption exacerbate cardiometabolic risk factors and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease?

2012

Consumption of sugar has been relatively high in the Nordic countries; the impact of sugar intake onmetabolic risk factors and related diseases has been debated. The objectives were to assess the effect of sugarintake (sugar-sweetened beverages, sucrose and fructose) on association with type 2 diabetes, cardiovasculardisease and related metabolic risk factors (impaired glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, dyslipidemia, bloodpressure, uric acid, inflammation markers), and on all-cause mortality, through a systematic review ofprospective cohort studies and randomised controlled intervention studies published between January 2000and search dates. The methods adopted were as follows: the fir…

Srebf2 Locus Overexpression Reduces Body Weight, Total Cholesterol and Glucose Levels in Mice Fed with Two Different Diets

2020

Macronutrients represent risk factors for hyperlipidemia or diabetes. Lipid alterations and type 2 diabetes mellitus are global health problems. Overexpression of sterol regulatory element-binding factor (Srebf2) in transgenic animals is linked to elevated cholesterol levels and diabetes development. We investigated the impact of increased Srebf2 locus expression and the effects of control and high-fat, high-sucrose (HFHS) diets on body weight, glucose and lipid metabolisms in transgenic mice (S-mice). Wild type (WT) and S-mice were fed with both diets for 16 weeks. Plasma glucose, insulin and lipids were assessed (n = 25). Immunostainings were performed in liver, pancreas and fat (N = 10).…

Prevention of Teratogenesis in Pregnancies of Obese Rats by Vitamin E Supplementation

2021

Congenital malformations are a common adverse outcome in pregnancies complicated by pregestational obesity, although the underlying mechanisms are still unrevealed. Our aim was to study the effect of oxidative stress in obesity-induced teratogenesis. Wistar rats were fed a high-fat diet for 13 weeks, with (OE group) or without (O group) vitamin E supplementation. Then, rats were mated and sacrificed at day 11.5 of gestation. Embryos from O dams presented a 25.9 ± 3.5% rate of malformations (vs. 8.7 ± 3.4% in C rats), which was reduced in the OE group (11.5 ± 2.3%). Pregestational obesity induced hepatic protein and DNA oxidation and a decline in antioxidant enzymes. Importantly, glutathione…

Does sex hormone-binding globulin cause insulin resistance during pubertal growth?

2019

Background The directional influences between serum sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), adiposity and insulin resistance during pubertal growth remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate bidirectional associations between SHBG and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and adiposity from childhood to early adulthood. Methods Participants were 396 healthy girls measured at baseline (age 11.2 years) and at 1, 2, 4 and 7.5 years. Serum concentrations of estradiol, testosterone and SHBG were determined by ELISA, glucose and insulin by enzymatic photometry, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) by time-resolved fluoroimmunoassays, whole-body fat mass by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and …

Systemic Oxidative Stress and Visceral Adipose Tissue Mediators of NLRP3 Inflammasome and Autophagy Are Reduced in Obese Type 2 Diabetic Patients Tre…

2020

Obesity is a low-grade inflammatory condition affecting a range of individuals, from metabolically healthy obese (MHO) subjects to type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. Metformin has been shown to display anti-inflammatory properties, though the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. To study whether the effects of metformin are mediated by changes in the inflammasome complex and autophagy in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) of obese patients, a biopsy of VAT was obtained from a total of 68 obese patients undergoing gastric bypass surgery. The patients were clustered into two groups: MHO patients and T2D patients treated with metformin. Patients treated with metformin showed decreased levels o…

Iron Status of Vegans, Vegetarians and Pescatarians in Norway

2021

Although plant-based diets provide well-established physical and environmental health benefits, omitting meat or meat products has also been associated with a risk of being deficient in specific nutrients, such as iron. As data on the iron status among Norwegian vegans, vegetarians and pescatarians are lacking, the present study aimed to assess iron status in these groups of healthy adults. Blood markers for iron status were measured in 191 participants (18–60 years old) comprising 106 vegans, 54 vegetarians and 31 pescatarians: serum-ferritin (S-Fe), serum-iron (S-Iron) and serum-total iron binding capacity (S-TIBC). Serum-transferrin-saturation (S-TSAT) was estimated (S-Iron/S-TIBC × 100)…

Genomic and non-genomic mechanisms of action of thyroid hormones and their catabolite 3,5-diiodo-l-thyronine in Mammals

2020

Since the realization that the cellular homologs of a gene found in the retrovirus that contributes to erythroblastosis in birds (v-erbA), i.e. the proto-oncogene c-erbA encodes the nuclear receptors for thyroid hormones (THs), most of the interest for THs focalized on their ability to control gene transcription. It was found, indeed, that, by regulating gene expression in many tissues, these hormones could mediate critical events both in development and in adult organisms. Among their effects, much attention was given to their ability to increase energy expenditure, and they were early proposed as anti-obesity drugs. However, their clinical use has been strongly challenged by the concomita…