ESPE Abstracts

The zebrafish is established as an important model system for studying development and disease, and characterisation of the developmental and functional roles of steroids is crucial for its effective employment in this remit. Whilst oestrogens are known to be essential for female development in zebrafish, the roles of androgens in the development, maintenance and function of the male reproductive system remain unclear.In order to investigate these proces...

Cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage enzyme, encoded by the CYP11A1 gene, catalyzes the first and rate-limiting step of steroid hormone biosynthesis. Previous morpholino knockdown studies described the divergent functions of the two cyp11a paralogs in zebrafish. Cyp11a1 has been suggested to be required for early development, whereas cyp11a2 is a functional equivalent of human CYP11A1 and is essential for the initiation and maintenan...

Introduction: Proton beam therapy (PBT) is being used increasingly for craniopharyngioma, as it is perceived to be a major benefit. There are some limited data relating to endocrine dysfunction following PBT, but very limited data on hypothalamic disturbance. Here we report two patients who presented with hypothalamic disruption immediately following PBT for craniopharyngioma.Case 1: A 12 year old girl presented with sei...

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a key component of the body's defence against cold challenge and possesses the ability to convert large amounts of chemical energy to heat, conferred by a unique protein, uncoupling protein (UCP)-1, diverting mitochondrial respiration from the production of adenosine triphosphate. In humans, the largest BAT depot is in the supraclavicular region. Sympathetic nervous system stimulation induces glucose uptake into brown adipose tissue, as does i...

Background: Pubertal induction with incremental doses of oestrogen replacement is an important component of care offered to hypogonadal patients with Turner Syndrome (TS). Low dose oral ethinylestradiol (EE) has been extensively used in the UK but natural 17-β oestradiol (more physiological, cheaper and easily monitored in blood) is becoming increasingly popular.We undertook this audit to compare the efficacy and acceptability of...

Background: Turner syndrome (TS) is characterised by a wide phenotype and age at presentation. We reviewed our over-12s Turner clinic over a period of 10 years to evaluate pattern of diagnosis, co-morbidities and management.Subjects & Method: Retrospective data analysis of patients with TS who attended the over-12s clinic (2008-2017, n=28). Data is median (IQR) or mean±SD as appropriate.<p class...

Increasing evidence suggests that the aetiology of disorders of sex development cannot be solely explained by genetic alterations. It is highly likely that environmental factors hitting susceptible genetic backgrounds are partly causative. Zebrafish sex is highly plastic during development, making this species an ideal model for investigation of endocrine disruption and gonadal development and function. However, the hormonal regulation of these processes in zebrafish is poorly...

Introduction: Fractures have been recorded in up to one third of children who have suffered from physical abuse. The British Paediatric and Adolescent Bone Group (BPABG) position statement on vitamin D states that the level of 25 hydroxyvitamin D is not relevant to causation of fractures unless there is radiological or biochemical evidence of rickets. Clinicians are often asked in the court setting about the relevance of abnormal serum investigations in children who have fract...

Background: Dystrophinopathies, including Duchenne (DMD) and Becker (BMD) muscular dystrophy, are X-linked muscle wasting disorders caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. Dystrophin deficiency compromises functional integrity of the muscle fibers leading to progressive weakness, accompanied by a gradual bone loss.Objective and hypotheses: This study’s goal was to evaluate the effect of whole body low magnitude vibration (WBLMV) on timed motor p...

Background: Bicuspid aortic valve and aortic dilation are common in Turner Syndrome (TS). Aortic dissection is a well recognised cause of cardiovascular death, with an estimated incidence of 1.4 per 100 patients with TS. The biophysical properties of the aorta, including pulse wave velocity (PWV), characteristic impedance (Zc), input impedance (Zi), elastic pressure-strain modulus (Ep), and beta index (β-index), have not been well studied in TS. PWV is considered the most...