ESPE Abstracts

Glucocorticoid hormones virtually influence all human functions both in a basal homeostatic condition and under stress. Thus, many other biological pathways adjust glucocorticoid actions in local tissues (tissue glucocorticoid sensitivity) by targeting the single receptor molecule glucocorticoid receptor (GR) as part of the regulatory loop coordinating complex human functions. Among them, chemical modification of GR, such as by acetylation and phosphorylation, is highlighted a...

Background: Thyroid dysfunction plays an important role in formation of dyslipidemia during obesity while thyroid pathology (TP) is one of the most common endocrinopathies associated with obesity. Among adults existence of gender differences has been proven in formation of a dyslipoproteiniaemias and thyropathies; the presence of such changes in obese children requires clarification.Objective and hypotheses: To explore the details of blood lipids in chil...

Stress is increasingly associated with cardiac disease. Glucocorticoids are primary stress hormones that regulate homeostasis through two nuclear receptors, the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). Cardiomyocytes express both receptors but little is known concerning their specific and coordinated actions in heart physiology and pathology. To examine the in vivo function of glucocorticoid signaling in the heart, we generated mice with cardi...

Glucocorticoids (cortisol in humans, corticosterone in rodents) are critical regulators of energy metabolism and immunity. Their secretion by the adrenal gland follows a circadian pattern, with serum concentrations peaking before the active phase (day in humans, night in rodents). Synthetic glucocorticoids are the most potent anti-inflammatory agents known, and are widely used therapeutically, with >1% of the UK population holding a prescription long-term. However, frequen...

Background: Animal studies have reported that exposure to synthetic glucocorticoids (sGCs) may lead to inter- and transgenerational effects on offspring phenotype. However, many of these studies are poorly designed, do not account for possible non-epigenetic confounds, and cannot determine the mechanism(s) by which gamete epimutations are induced.Objectives: Firstly, to determine whether developmental exposure of mice to...

Introduction: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is most often caused by 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD: 95%) or by 11-hydroxylase deficiency (11OHD). Classic CAH results in impaired cortisol production and consequently elevated ACTH concentrations leading to chronic adrenal stimulation with strongly elevated adrenal steroid precursors before the enzymatic defect. In contrast to other forms of adrenal insufficiency, some untreated classic CAH patients seem to have less cli...

Background: Glucocorticoids play an important role in the developing fetus, the most important of which is lung maturation by increasing surfactant production and release. Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) functioning changes throughout the fetal period, especially during the transition to extrauterine life. Given the importance of glucocorticoids in lung development and functioning, studying glucocorticoid sensitivity in this population would be helpful, especially in the preterm ...

Background: The nuclear receptor (NR) family comprises three main subfamilies: the steroid hormones receptors, the thyroid/retinoid hormone receptors and the orphan receptors. Proteins within the NR family share common domain architecture. These closely related receptors and their cognate ligand compounds play a key role in homeostasis, reproduction, growth and development. Despite their biological significance, their evolution and diversification remains to be elucidated....

Background and Aims: For years Georgia belonged to a iodine deficiency endemic region, though as a result of a long-term actions aimed at improving the iodine status the country today is a non-iodine deficient region. For this reason it was decided to study present iodine status of newborns and their mothers leaving in the capital of Georgia, which is no longer non-iodine region.Materials and Methods: In total 87 newborn...

Background: Preterm survivors are found to exhibit deficits in several neurodevelopmental domains. It is unknown whether this could be explained by antenatal glucocorticoid treatment.Objective and Hypotheses: We studied whether antenatal glucocorticoid treatment is associated with behaviour and IQ in young adults born preterm. In addition, we studied whether these associations could be modified by the R23K and N363S polymorphisms in the glucocorticoid re...