Endocrine Regulations

OBJECTIVES: Bisphenol A (BPA) is a xenoestrogen, which is commonly used as a monomer of polycarbonate plastics food containers and epoxy resins. Little is known about the interaction effects between xeno- and phyto- estrogens on glucose homeostasis or other metabolic disorders. The aim of this study was to examine effects of individual or combined exposure to low doses of BPA and soy extract on glucose metabolism in mice with the goal to establish its potential mechanisms. METHODS: Fifty-four male mice were randomly divided into six groups...

OBJECTIVES: Thyroid gland regulates the body's metabolic rate and plays an exquisitely important role in the human health. Fluoride exposure can affect thyroid function. Curcumin is a potent antioxidant that works through several mechanisms. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the hormonal, histological, and ultrastructural changes occurred in the thyroid gland induced by exposure to sodium fluoride (NaF) and study the possible protective effect of curcumin on the NaF-induced effects...

OBJECTIVES: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a common gastric infection associated with extragastric conditions. The association between H. pylori infection and obesity is unclear. H. pylori may affect gut hormones involved in food intake and energy expenditure. The aim of this study is to evaluate ghrelin/obestatin balance and leptin in obese subjects with H. pylori infection. METHODS: Sixty healthy volunteers were divided into: obese and non-obese groups. Each group was divided into H...

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the effects of a single (acute) and repeated (chronic) exposure to forced-swimming stressor on glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, lipid profile and glycogen content in male rats. METHODS: Thirty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (12 weeks old) were divided randomly into five groups: control group, single exposure (SE) to forced-swim stressor, repeated exposure to forced-swim stressor for 7 days (RE7), 14 days (RE14) and 28 days (RE28)...

OBJECTIVE: Increase in the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level in diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis is related to lipoprotein associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2). Lp-PLA2 is an enzyme that produces lysophosphatidylcholine (LysoPC) and oxidized nonesterified fatty acids (oxNEFA). LysoPC regulates inflammation mediators, including intra-cellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Darapladib is known as a Lp-PLA2 specific inhibitor. The aim of this study was to reveal the effect of darapladib on the foam cell number, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and ICAM-1 expression in aorta at early stages of the atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus Sprague-Dawley rat model...

OBJECTIVES: Leigh syndrome is a progressive early onset neurodegenerative disease typically presenting with psychomotor regression, signs of brainstem and/or basal ganglia disease, lactic acidosis, and characteristic magnetic resonance imaging findings. At molecular level, deficiency of respiratory complexes and/or pyruvate dehydrogenase complex is usually observed. Nuclear gene SURF1 encodes an assembly factor for cytochrome c-oxidase complex of the respiratory chain and autosomal recessive mutations in SURF1 are one of the most frequent causes of cytochrome c-oxidase-related Leigh syndrome cases...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to find out whether acute effect of different doses of selected antipsychotics including aripiprazole (ARI), amisulpride (AMI), asenapine (ASE), haloperidol (HAL), clozapine (CLO), risperidone (RIS), quetiapine (QUE), olanzapine (OLA), ziprasidone (ZIP), and paliperidone (PAL) may have a stimulatory impact on the c-Fos expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) neurons. METHODS: Adult male Wistar rats weighing 280-300 g were used...

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effects of magnesium supplementation on glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, oxidative stress as well as the concentration of insulin receptor and glucose transporter-4 in streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced type-2 diabetic (T2D) rats. METHODS: Rats were divided into four groups designated as: 1) control (CTR); 2) diabetic untreated (DU); 3) diabetic treated with 1 mg of Mg/kg diet (Mg1-D); and 4) diabetic treated with 2 mg of Mg/kg diet (Mg2-D)...

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to present up to date information concerning the diagnosis and treatment of primary aldosteronism (PA). PA is the most common cause of endocrine hypertension. It has been reported up to 24% of selective referred hypertensive patients. METHODS: We did a search in Pub-Med and Google Scholar using the terms: PA, hyperaldosteronism, idiopathic adrenal hyperplasia, diagnosis of PA, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, adrenalectomy, and surgery...

OBJECTIVES: The deformability of erythrocytes is their ability to change shape in order to pass through the capillaries. Th is is necessary for quality of microcirculation and sufficient delivery of oxygen to the tissues. Th e aim of our study was to investigate the possible spontaneous changes in the erythrocyte deformability during day and evaluation of the possible direct effects of melatonin (hormone involved in regulation of biorhythms) on the erythrocyte deformability. METHODS: Samples of capillary blood were taken from 12 healthy volunteers in the morning (8:00) and early in the evening (16:30)...

OBJECTIVE: Trans-chalcone is a chalcone with hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. However, the mechanism of these positive effects, especially on miR-451 as an inflammatory regulator, is poorly understood. In this regard, this microRNA (miRNA) acts by inhibition of hepatic interleukin-8 (IL-8) production in the liver which is one of the main proinflammatory cytokines. Th is study for the first time examined the effect of trans-chalcone on miR-451/IL-8 pathway. METHODS: In present study, 21 male rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=7 per each group): control which received solvent (NS), groups 2 (N2T) and 3 (N6T), which received transchalcone for 2 and 6 weeks, respectively...

Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs) are tumors arising from the adrenal medulla and sympathetic/parasympathetic paraganglia, respectively. According to Th e Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), approximately 40% of PPGLs are due to germ line mutations in one of 16 susceptibility genes, and a further 30% are due to somatic alterations in at least seven main genes (VHL, EPAS1, CSDE1, MAX, HRAS, NF1, RET, and possibly KIF1B). Th e diagnosis of malignant PPGL was straight forward in most cases as it was defined as presence of PPGL in non-chromaffin tissues...

OBJECTIVE: Histone deacytylase inhibitors (HDACis) inhibit the deacetylation of the lysine residue of proteins, including histones, and regulate the transcription of a variety of genes. Recently, HDACis have been used clinically as anti-cancer drugs and possible anti-diabetic drugs. Even though HDACis have been proven to protect the cytokine-induced damage of pancreatic beta cells, evidence also shows that high doses of HDACis are cytotoxic. In the present study, we, therefore, investigated the eff ect of HDACis on insulin secretion in a pancreatic beta cell line...

OBJECTIVE: Testosterone depletion induces increased germ cell apoptosis in testes. However, limited studies exist on genes that regulate the germ cell apoptosis. Granzymes (GZM) are serine proteases that induce apoptosis in various tissues. Multiple granzymes, including GZMA, GZMB and GZMN, are present in testes. Th us, we investigated which granzyme may be testosterone responsive and possibly may have a role in germ cell apoptosis aft er testosterone depletion. METHODS: Ethylene dimethane sulfonate (EDS), a toxicant that selectively ablates the Leydig cells, was injected into rats to withdraw the testosterone...

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of vitamin E on the oxidative stress parameters and antioxidant defense enzymes in the heart and aorta of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PTU)-induced hypothyroid rats. METHODS: The animals were divided into 4 experimental groups: Group 1 (Euthyroid) received tap water, Group 2 (Hypothyroid) received 0.05 % of PTU in dissolved in their drinking water, Group 3 (PTU+Vit E) hypothyroid rats treated with vitamin E, and Group 4 (Euthyroid+Vit E)...

OBJECTIVES: Body fat content, fat distribution, and adiponectin level are important variables in the development of obesity related complications. Anthropometric indices may provide an economic and faster method in measuring the risk for complications through their predictive effect of fat distribution and adiponectin concentration. We aimed to determine, which of the waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and body mass index (BMI) may be the best predictor for the total fat percentage (WF), visceral fat level (VF), and subcutaneous whole-body fat (SCWBF)...

OBJECTIVE: Curcuma longa (C. longa) was used in some countries such as China and India for various medicinal purposes. Curcumin, the active component of C. longa, is commonly used as a coloring agent in foods, drugs, and cosmetics. C. longa and curcumin have been known to act as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagen, and anti-carcinogenic agents. Th e attempt of the present review was to give an effort on a detailed literature survey concentrated on the protective effects of C...

OBJECTIVES: Hypophysitis is a heterogeneous inflammatory disease of pituitary gland. As it causes headache and visual defects, it mimics sellar tumors in clinical and radiological aspects. It may occur due to primary or secondary causes. Tuberculosis is one of the rare secondary causes of the hypophysitis. Subject and Results. A 30-year-old male patient presented with fatigue and headache. Panhypopituitarism was considered due to the results and the diagnostic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed sagittal section diamater of pituitary gland higher than normal...

Cerebral germinoma is rare. Although the imaging of the germinoma is very evocative, it's very polymorphic clinical expression is at the origin of misguided diagnosis, as illustrated in our case. We report the case of a 10-year-old girl with diabetes insipidus evolving for 12 months associated with a decrease in visual acuity. Brain MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) revealed a tumor process in the suprasellar region. The stereotaxic biopsy of the tumor confirmed the diagnosis of the hypothalamic germinoma, which allowed the patient to be treated by radiotherapy and chemotherapy...

OBJECTIVES: NLR (neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio) and PLR (platelet-lymphocyte ratio) are prognostic markers of differentiated thyroid cancers. In our study, we evaluated NLR, PLR and C-reactive protein (CRP) for predicting the occurence of differentiated thyroid cancer. This is the first study that compares NLR and PLR to C-reactive protein indifferantiated thyroid cancer not only papillary cancer but also folliculer cancer. METHODS: This study includes 51 papillary carcinoma, 42 papillary microcarcinoma and 31 folliculer carcinoma patients attending to our outpatient Endocrinology Clinic at Erzurum Region Training and Research Hospital between 2009 and 2014...