Search results for "ACTH"
showing 10 items of 21 documents
Effects of pasireotide treatment on coagulative profile: a prospective study in patients with Cushing's disease.
2018
Introduction: Cushing’s disease (CD) is characterized by procoagulative profile. Treatment with cortisol-reducing medications might normalize the coagulation impairment potentially eliminating the risk of thromboembolic complications. Aim: The aim of this prospective study is to evaluate the effectiveness of 6–12 months of treatment with pasireotide (Signifor®, Novartis) 600 µg twice daily on coagulative factors in 21 patients (16 females, mean age 46 ± 12.2 years) with CD. Biochemical, hormonal (urinary free cortisol, UFC; late night salivary cortisol, LNSC; ACTH) and coagulative parameters as Protrombin time (PT), aPTT, factors VIII, IX and XI, antithrombin III, protein C, protein S, fibr…
Excretion and measurement of corticosterone and testosterone metabolites in bank voles (Myodes glareolus)
2017
The bank vole is a commonly used model species in behavioral and ecophysiological studies. Thus, presenting a validated method for noninvasive monitoring of corticosterone and testosterone secretion is of high relevance. Here, we evaluated the effect of time of day and an ACTH challenge test on measured fecal corticosterone (FCM) and testosterone (FTM) metabolites in both sexes. Furthermore, we performed radiometabolism experiments for both steroids and sexes to study metabolism and excretion of 3H-corticosterone and 3H-testosterone. FCM and FTM were analysed with a 5α-pregnane-3β,11β,21-triol-20-one enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and a testosterone (measuring 17β-hydroxyandrostanes) EIA, respect…
Corticotroph aggressive pituitary tumours and carcinomas frequently harbour ATRX mutations
2021
Abstract Context Aggressive pituitary tumors (APTs) are characterized by unusually rapid growth and lack of response to standard treatment. About 1% to 2% develop metastases being classified as pituitary carcinomas (PCs). For unknown reasons, the corticotroph tumors are overrepresented among APTs and PCs. Mutations in the alpha thalassemia/mental retardation syndrome X-linked (ATRX) gene, regulating chromatin remodeling and telomere maintenance, have been implicated in the development of several cancer types, including neuroendocrine tumors. Objective To study ATRX protein expression and mutational status of the ATRX gene in APTs and PCs. Design We investigated ATRX protein expression by us…
Pasireotide treatment reduces cardiometabolic risk in Cushingâs disease patients: an Italian, multicenter study
2018
Purpose: Patients with Cushing’s disease (CD) experience metabolic alterations leading to increased cardiovascular mortality. Recently, the visceral adiposity index (VAI) has been proposed as a marker of visceral adipose tissue dysfunction (ATD) and of the related cardiometabolic risk. We aimed to evaluate the impact of 12-month pasireotide treatment on cardiometabolic risk in CD patients. Methods: This is a multicentre, prospective, and observational study. Sixteen CD patients, referred to the Endocrine Units of the University Hospitals of Messina, Napoli, Padova, and Palermo (Italy), successfully treated with pasireotide for 12 month have been enrolled. In all patients, we assessed anthro…
Pasireotide versus pituitary surgery: a retrospective analysis of 12 months of treatment in patients with Cushing’s disease
2017
Pituitary surgery represents the first-line treatment for most patients with Cushing’s disease (CD). In the case of surgery failure, additional treatment options are required. Pasireotide has shown favourable results in the first-line treatment of patients with CD, who are not candidates for surgery or in the second-line when surgery has failed. The aim of the current study is to compare the effects of surgery and pasireotide treatment in a cohort of patients with CD, and to evaluate the differences in response rate in terms of hormonal and clinical control, and improvement of metabolic complications
Addison Disease and Atrophic Gastritis: High Persistent ACTH Levels Although an Adequate Treatment
2014
Vitamin D Deficiency in Cushing’s Disease: Before and After Its Supplementation
2022
Background: The primary objective of the study was to assess serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] values in patients with Cushing’s disease (CD), compared to controls. The secondary objective was to assess the response to a load of 150,000 U of cholecalciferol. Methods: In 50 patients with active CD and 48 controls, we evaluated the anthropometric and biochemical parameters, including insulin sensitivity estimation by the homeostatic model of insulin resistance, Matsuda Index and oral disposition index at baseline and in patients with CD also after 6 weeks of cholecalciferol supplementation. Results: At baseline, patients with CD showed a higher frequency of hypovitaminosis deficiency (p = 0…
Pharmacological Characterization of Melanocortin Receptors in Fish Suggests an Important Role for ACTH
2005
The melanocortin (MC) receptor subtypes have distinctive characteristic binding profiles. We found that the trout and Fugu MC4 receptors have similar affinity for alpha-MSH and beta-MSH and a much higher affinity for ACTH than does the human MC4 receptor. The Fugu MC1 and the trout and Fugu MC5 receptors also have higher affinity for ACTH-derived peptides than alpha-, beta-, or gamma-MSH. It is tempting to speculate that ACTH-derived peptides may have played an important role as "original" ligands at the MC receptors, while the specificity of the different subtypes for the alpha-, beta-, and gamma-MSH peptides may have appeared at later stages during vertebrate evolution.
The Fundamental Role of Melanocortins in Brain Processes
2003
The discoveries of the latest ten years have shed new light in understanding the roles of melanocortins and their receptors in brain functions and in the development of different pathologies. Since 1992 when genes encoded melanocortin receptor five subtypes were identified, cloned and characterized, the molecular mechanisms underlying different effects such as skin darkening, behaviour, food intake, anti-inflammatory action, analgesia have been clarified. The contribution of melanocortins and their receptors in the physiological control of organism homeostasis has become as the background for the search of agonists and antagonists of separate receptor subtypes, that can be targeted to the m…
New Melanocortin 1 Receptor Binding Motif Based on the C-Terminal Sequence of ?-Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone
2006
The C-terminal tripeptide of the alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH11-13) possesses strong antiinflammatory activity without known cellular target. In order to better understand the structural requirements for function of such motif, we designed, synthesized and tested out Trp- and Tyr-containing analogues of the alpha-MSH11-13. Seven alpha-MSH11-13 analogues were synthesized and characterized for their binding to the melanocortin receptors recombinantly expressed in insect (Sf9) cells, infected with baculovirus carrying corresponding MC receptor DNA. We also tested these analogues on B16-F1 mouse melanoma cells endogenously expressing the MC1 receptor for binding and for abili…