ESPE Abstracts

Background: There are currently no specific growth charts for use in Nigerian children over the age of 5 years. Health workers rely on charts developed by the Center for Disease Control for children in USA (2000CDC US) or the UK 1990 growth charts for British children. It is unknown whether Nigerian children grow to the same height or at the same tempo as American or British children.Objective and hypotheses: To compare the growth of the Nigerian child t...

Background: Animal and human studies have shown that nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), the key enzyme of mammalian NAD biosynthesis from nicotinamide, is modified in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Here, we investigated the effect of a high fat diet on hepatic NAD metabolism in mice.Objective and hypotheses: A dysregulation of NAD metabolism is a pathogenic factor for the development of steatohepatitis (NASH).Metho...

Background: Patients with PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog) hamartoma tumor syndrome and germ line mutations in PTEN frequently develop lipomatosis, for which there is no standard treatment. Rapamycin was shown to reduce the growth of lipoma cells with heterozygous PTEN deficiency in vitro, but concomitantly induced an up regulation of AKT phosphorylation.Objective and hypotheses: Since it was shown that resveratrol stabilizes PTEN,...

Background: Congenital hyperinsulinism in infancy (CHI) is a neonatal disorder of uncontrolled insulin release leading to profound hypoglycaemia. In addition to defects in pancreatic β-cell function, we have recently demonstrated that the CHI pancreas is highly proliferative, with rates of proliferation up to 14-fold higher than in age-matched controls.Objective and hypotheses: As patients require pancreatectomy to alleviate hypoglycaemia, our aim w...

Background: In humans, loss-of-function mutations in Nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (NNT) cause familial glucocorticoid deficiency, a potentially fatal, adrenal-specific disorder characterized by increased ACTH and reduced cortisol levels. NNT is a highly conserved inner mitochondrial membrane protein, which supplies high concentrations of NADPH for detoxification of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by glutathione and thioredoxin pathways.<p class="abstext"...

Background: Type 1 diabetes is characterised by destruction of islet β cell by autoimmune insulitis and islet cell apoptosis. This study analysed the microRNA 125b how to regulate pancreatic β-cells dysfunction, aiming to elucidate the association between miRNA125b and type 1 diabetes.Objective and hypotheses: Recent study indicate miRNA may have role in the development of type 1 diabetes, so this study analyse the miRNA expression profile in t...

Background: Skeletal muscle is the largest tissue involved in the insulin-stimulated disposal of glucose, with its size being controlled by hormonal status, among other factors. Leptin plays a primary role in the regulation of glucose homeostasis with a substantial degree of insulin and leptin cross-talk in muscle. However, the relationship between the leptin’s central effects on insulin sensitivity in muscle and associated structural changes remain unclear.<p class="...

Background: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is the most frequent etiology in Italian diabetic children and adolescents. Data on type 2 (T2D) and monogenic diabetes (MD) prevalence are scanty.Objective and hypotheses: To estimate the prevalence of T1D, T2D, secondary diabetes, and MD in a pediatric population of Italian diabetic patients.Method: Data on 3,076 patients (diabetes onset January 2007–December 2012, age at diagnosis <18 y...

Background: The phytoestrogen resveratrol found in grapes and other plants has attracted considerable interest due to its proposed ability to extend lifespan, attenuate the development of metabolic syndrome in obese subjects and protect against cardiovascular disease. Among other functions resveratrol has been reported to affect the endocrine system. Self-medication with high pharmacological doses of this polyphenol with the aim to improve metabolic parameters and health canno...

Background: GH transduction defect (GHTD) is characterised by severe short stature and impaired STAT3 phosphorylation, which is overcome by simultaneous induction of GHTD fibroblasts with 200 ng/ml GH and short interference mRNA CIS (GH200/siRNA) or with 1 000 ng/ml GH (GH1000) and is clinically expressed with ‘catch-up’ growth after rhGH treatment.Objective and hypotheses: The involvement of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in the succe...