bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Weight Reduction Increases Plasma Levels of an Adipose-Derived Anti-Inflammatory Protein, Adiponectin
Authors: Yang Wei-Shiung , Lee Wei-Jei , Funahashi Tohru , Tanaka Sachiyo , Matsuzawa Yuji , Chao Chia-Ling , Chen Chi-Ling , Tai Tong-Yuan , Chuang Lee-Ming
Published: January 2014

Adiponectin, an adipose tissue-specific plasma protein, was recently revealed to have anti-inflammatory effects on the cellular components of vascular wall. Its plasma levels were significantly lower in men than in women and lower in human subjects with obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, or coronary artery disease. Therefore, it may provide a biological link between obesity and obesity-related disorders such as atherosclerosis, against which it may confer protection. In this study, we observed the changes of plasma adiponectin levels with body weight reduction among 22 obese patients who received gastric partition surgery. A 46% increase of mean plasma adiponectin level was accompanied by a 21% reduction in mean body mass index. The change in plasma adiponectin levels was significantly correlated with the changes in body mass index (r = −0.5, P = 0.01), waist (r = −0.4, P = 0.04) and hip (r =− 0.6, P = 0.0007) circumferences, and steady state plasma glucose levels (r = −0.5, P = 0.04). In multivariate linear regression models, the increase in adiponectin as a dependent variable was significantly related to the decrease in hip circumference (β = −0.16, P = 0.028), after adjusting body mass index and waist circumference. The change in steady state plasma glucose levels as a dependent variable was related to the increase of adiponectin with a marginal significance (β =− 0.92, P = 0.053), after adjusting body mass index and waist and hip circumferences. In conclusion, body weight reduction increased the plasma levels of a protective adipocytokine, adiponectin. In addition, the increase in plasma adiponectin despite the reduction of the only tissue of its own synthesis suggests that the expression of adiponectin is under feedback inhibition in obesity.
Dissociation of the Early Decline in Serum T3 Concentration and Serum IL-6 Rise and TNFα in Nonthyroidal Illness Syndrome Induced by Abdominal Surgery
Authors: Michalaki Marina , Vagenakis Apostolos G. , Makri Maria , Kalfarentzos Fotios , Kyriazopoulou Venetsana
Published: January 2014

The etiology of the prompt decline in serum T3 in patients with nonthyroidal illness syndrome has not been adequately explained. It has been attributed to various parameters, including test artifacts, inhibitors of T4 and T3 binding to proteins, decreased 5′-deiodinase activity, and circulating cytokines. Currently, much attention is centered on the role of IL-6 and TNFα in developing the nonthyroidal illness syndrome through an effect on the hypothalamus, pituitary, and possibly 5′-deiodinase activity.

We therefore studied the relation of the endogenous serum IL-6 and TNFα rise early in the course of nonthyroidal illness syndrome to the early decline in serum T3 in 19 apparently healthy individuals, aged 43 ± 16 yr, who underwent elective abdominal surgery for cholelithiasis or gastroplasty. Serum T3, free T3, T4, free T4, rT3, TSH, IL-6, and TNFα were measured before and at various time intervals up to 42 h after skin incision. We observed a prompt decline in serum T3 30 min before skin incision, which continued to decline throughout the observational period. The magnitude of the decline reached 20% from the baseline value at 2 h. The early decline of T3 was attenuated and lasted from the 2–8 h, probably due to the sharp increase in serum TSH that started immediately after the entrance to the operating room and lasted for 2 h. In contrast, serum T4 and free T4 concentrations were increased soon after skin incision and remained elevated during the first postoperative day. Serum rT3 increased approximately 6 h after the initiation of surgery and remained elevated thereafter. Serum IL-6 remained essentially undetectable for 2 h after skin incision, whereas serum T3 was low. Two hours after skin incision, serum IL-6 increased sharply and remained elevated throughout the observational period. Serum TNFα remained essentially undetectable throughout the postoperative period. Serum cortisol increased rapidly upon entrance to the operating room and remained elevated throughout the postoperative period.

We conclude that the decline in serum T3 early in the course of nonthyroidal illness syndrome is not due to increased serum IL-6 or TNFα levels. The brisk TSH secretion soon after the onset of the syndrome attenuates the decline in serum T3 due to T3 secretion from the thyroid. The early and brisk cortisol response to surgery may at least in part explain the early decrease in serum T3 in nonthyroidal illness syndrome.
Visceral Adipose Tissue and Metabolic Complications of Obesity Are Reduced in Prader-Willi Syndrome Female Adults: Evidence for Novel Influences on Body Fat Distribution
Authors: Goldstone Anthony P. , Thomas E. Louise , Brynes Audrey E. , Bell Jimmy D. , Frost Gary , Saeed Nadeem , Hajnal Joseph V. , Howard Jane K. , Holland Anthony , Bloom Stephen R.
Published: January 2014

Visceral obesity is detrimental to health, but the mechanisms controlling body fat distribution are not fully understood. In premenopausal adult females (30 nonobese, 14 obese [body mass index> 30kg/m2]), variance in fasting insulin, glucose, insulin/glucose ratio, C-peptide/insulin ratio, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein/low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio, were independently influenced by visceral but not total sc or abdominal sc adipose tissue, as measured by whole-body magnetic resonance imaging. Adult females with Prader-Willi syndrome (n = 13) had significantly reduced visceral adiposity, compared with obese controls (visceral/total sc adipose tissue ratio: 0.067 ± 0.017 vs. 0.108 ± 0.021), independent of their total adiposity (P < 0.001), or use of exogenous sex steroids. This is in contrast to that expected by their physical inactivity, hypogonadism, adult GH deficiency, and psychiatric problems. Females with Prader-Willi syndrome not receiving sex steroids (n = 8) had significantly reduced fasting insulin, insulin/glucose ratio, and triglycerides and increased C-peptide/insulin ratio, compared with obese controls, adjusting for total (P < 0.05) but not visceral adiposity (P = 0.3–0.6), supporting their association. The cause of the reduced visceral adiposity in Prader-Willi syndrome may reflect novel hormonal, hypothalamic, and/or genetic influences on body fat distribution.
Male Fertility Is Compatible with an Arg840Cys Substitution in the AR in a Large Chinese Family Affected with Divergent Phenotypes of AR Insensitivity Syndrome
Authors: Chu Jianhua , Zhang Rongmei , Zhao Zhimin , Zou Wei , Han Yefei , Qi Qingquan , Zhang Hongtao , Wang Jiu-Cun , Tao Shiheng , Liu Xiaoming , Luo Zewei
Published: January 2014

Androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) is a disorder of male sexual development caused by an absent or dysfunctional AR. Fertile cases with mild AIS and slightly impaired AR activity had been reported in literature, and their external genitalia were documented to be usually normal or subnormal. We reported here an Arg840Cys substitution in the AR gene in a large Chinese pedigree affected with AIS. The mutant gene may result in infertility for some affected males with or without hypospadias. However, it was also observed that the mutation did not affect the fertility of the other patients. The gonadotropin levels for one of these patients were within the normal range. Thus, whether normal levels of the gonadotropins are necessary for the preserved fertility of patients affected with this genetic disorder remains to be elucidated.
Prenatal Stress Diminishes the Cytokine Response of Leukocytes to Endotoxin Stimulation in Juvenile Rhesus Monkeys
Authors: Coe Christopher L. , Kramer Marian , Kirschbaum Clemens , Netter Petra , Fuchs Eberhard
Published: January 2014

This study investigated whether exposing the fetal primate to repeated episodes of maternal stress would have long-lasting effects on the endotoxin-induced cytokine response and corticosteroid sensitivity of peripheral blood cells in juvenile animals. Pregnant rhesus monkeys were acutely aroused on a daily basis for 6 wk using an acoustical startle protocol, either early or late in the 24-wk pregnancy. To quantify cytokine responses and corticosteroid sensitivity in their offspring at 2 yr of age, whole blood cultures were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide and incubated with dexamethasone (DEX). TNFα and IL-6 levels were determined in the culture supernatants. The blood samples were collected from undisturbed monkeys under baseline conditions, as well as in an aroused state induced by a 2 h social separation. Juvenile monkeys from stressed pregnancies had significantly lower cellular cytokine responses compared with the undisturbed controls. When DEX was added to the cell cultures, it systematically inhibited TNFα and IL-6 production, bringing the values for control animals down into the range of the prenatally stressed animals. Lipopolysaccharide-induced cytokine production was also markedly suppressed by the experience of acute stress, reducing cytokine responses of controls to the levels found for prenatally disturbed monkeys under baseline conditions. Therefore, this study has demonstrated that prenatal disturbance can induce a lasting change in cytokine biology, which persists well beyond the fetal and infant stage. Further, these effects may be due to elevated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity in the prenatally stressed animals, because both DEX and acute arousal made the cells from control monkeys appear more similar to those from disturbed pregnancies.
Structural Changes in the Angiofollicular Units between Active and Hypofunctioning Follicles Align with Differences in the Epithelial Expression of Newly Discovered Proteins Involved in Iodine Transport and Organification
Authors: Gérard A.-C. , Many M.-C. , Daumerie C. , Costagliola S. , Miot F. , DeVijlder J. J. M. , Colin I. M. , Denef J.-F.
Published: January 2014

In animals, as well as in humans, the thyroid gland is made of active follicles, with cuboidal cells and hypofunctioning follicles, with flattened cells. In this study, the functional status of human follicles was dissected out, based on immunohistochemical detection of TSH receptor, Na+/I− symporter, pendrin, thyroperoxidase (TPO), thyroid oxidases (ThOXs), and T4-containing iodinated Tg (Tg-I). To ascertain that angiofollicular units exist in the human, we studied the microvascular bed of each follicle, in correlation with detection of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), of nitric oxide synthase III, and of endothelin in normal and goitrous thyroids. In hypofunctioning follicles, pendrin, TPO, and ThOXs were not detected, and there was no Tg-I in the colloid. At the opposite, in active follicles, pendrin, TPO, and ThOXs were detected in thyrocytes, and Tg-I was present in the colloid. In normal and goitrous thyroids, the capillary networks surrounding active follicles were larger than those surrounding hypofunctioning follicles. Immunoreactivity for nitric oxide synthase III and endothelin was solely detected in active follicles. Only a few follicles in normal thyroids were immunostained for VEGF, regardless of their functional status. In multinodular goiters, VEGF was detected in contact with the extracellular matrix at the basal pole of the cells. In conclusion, the present study endorses the likelihood of angiofollicular units in the human thyroids. Vascular changes are related to the functional status of thyrocytes.
The Activity of PPARγ in Primary Human Trophoblasts Is Enhanced by Oxidized Lipids
Authors: Schild Ralf L. , Schaiff W. Timothy , Carlson Matthew G. , Cronbach Emily J. , Nelson D. Michael , Sadovsky Yoel
Published: January 2014

The ligand-dependent nuclear receptor PPARγ plays an important role in murine and human trophoblast differentiation. Oxidized lipids, which are implicated in the pathophysiology of placental dysfunction, have recently been identified as ligands for PPARγ. We therefore hypothesized that oxidized lipids activate PPARγ in human trophoblasts and influence placental function. To test our hypothesis, we examined the effect of 9S-hydroxy-10E,12Z-octadecadienoic acid (9-HODE), 13S-hydroxy-9Z,11E-octadecadienoic acid (13-HODE), and 15S-hydroxy-5Z,8Z,11Z,13E-eicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) on PPARγ activity in cultured term human trophoblasts. Our results demonstrate that these lipids stimulate PPARγ activity and that the AF-2 fragment, which harbors the ligand-binding domain of PPARγ, mediates this effect. Furthermore, we assessed the consequences of PPARγ activation by the oxidized lipids, and we found that these lipids stimulate human CG production, a measure of trophoblast differentiation. In contrast, the expression of syncytin, a marker for syncytium formation as well as the expression of the cell cycle modulators cyclin E and p27 are unchanged by the oxidized lipids. We concluded that 9-HODE, 13-HODE, and 15-HETE activate PPARγ in primary human trophoblasts. These PPARγ ligands may play a role in placental differentiation, yet they are unlikely to contribute to trophoblast dysfunction.
A Novel Mutation in the FSH Receptor Inhibiting Signal Transduction and Causing Primary Ovarian Failure
Authors: Doherty Elaine , Pakarinen Pirjo , Tiitinen Aila , Kiilavuori Anna , Huhtaniemi Ilpo , Forrest Susan , Aittomäki Kristiina
Published: January 2014

Inactivating mutations of the FSH receptor (FSHR) are known to cause ovarian failure with amenorrhea and infertility in women. The first mutation identified in the FSHR gene was a missense mutation (566C→T, predicting Ala189Val transition) found in several Finnish patients with primary amenorrhea due to ovarian failure. Only five additional, partially or totally inactivating, mutations of the FSHR have been reported. Here, we report a novel FSHR mutation, 1255G→A, in a Finnish female with primary amenorrhea. The patient was a compound heterozygote for two mutations in the FSHR gene: 566C→T, the Finnish founder mutation, and 1255G→A, a previously unidentified mutation. The new mutation is located in exon 10 in the second transmembrane stretch of the FSHR, and it predicts an Ala419Thr change in the protein structure. In functional testing, the mutation was shown to have minimal effect on ligand binding capacity and affinity, but it almost totally abolished the cAMP second messenger response. Neither of the two FSHR mutations (566C→T or1255G→A) was identified in 40 other Finnish patients with premature ovarian failure. Based on this and previous studies, FSHR mutations remain a rare cause of ovarian failure.
Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 in Human Placenta and Fetal Membranes in Relation to Preterm and Term Labor
Authors: Xu Ping , Alfaidy Nadia , Challis John R. G.
Published: January 2014

Extensive extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling is found in many processes during human parturition at term and preterm. These include cervical ripening, fetal membrane rupture, and placental detachment from the maternal uterus. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are the main mediators of ECM degradation. The present study was designed to investigate the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in human fetal membranes (FMs) and placental (PL) tissues with or without labor at preterm and term parturition. Both zymography and Western blot analysis showed that MMP-9 was significantly (P < 0.01) increased in preterm and term labor FM, compared with nonlabor. Term labor PL also had a much higher (P < 0.05) level of MMP-9 than that of term nonlabor. No significant difference in MMP-2 expression was found between labor and nonlabor tissues. Immunolocalization studies revealed a specific distribution pattern for MMP-2 and MMP-9. MMP-2 was localized to the amnion mesenchyme, chorion laeve trophoblast, decidua parietalis, and blood vessels in PL villi. MMP-9 was localized mainly to amnion epithelia, chorion laeve trophoblast, decidua parietalis, and PL syncytiotrophoblasts. Separate cell culture from different layers of FM and culture of purified PL trophoblast cells showed that PL syncytiotrophoblast and amnion epithelial cells exclusively produced MMP-9; chorion trophoblast cells secreted both MMP-2 and MMP-9, but amnion mesenchymal cells produced only MMP-2. We concluded that MMP-2 and MMP-9 exhibited cell-specific expression in the human PL. An increase in MMP-9 expression may contribute to degradation of the ECM in the FM and PL, thereby facilitating FM rupture and PL detachment from the maternal uterus at labor, both preterm and term.
Elevated Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate Levels as the Reproductive Phenotype in the Brothers of Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Authors: Legro Richard S. , Kunselman Allen R. , Demers Lawrence , Wang Steve C. , Bentley-Lewis Rhonda , Dunaif Andrea
Published: January 2014

There is an inherited susceptibility to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Some investigators have suggested that premature male-pattern balding is a male phenotype in PCOS families, but this remains controversial. We recently reported evidence for an autosomal monogenic abnormality in ovarian and adrenal steroidogenesis in the sisters of women with PCOS. We performed this study to determine whether we could identify a clinical or biochemical phenotype in the brothers of women with PCOS. One hundred nineteen brothers of 87 unrelated women with PCOS and 68 weight- and ethnicity-comparable unrelated control men were examined and had fasting blood samples obtained. The odds of balding (Hamilton score ≥ V) did not differ in the brothers of PCOS women compared with control men. Brothers of women with PCOS had significantly elevated dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) levels [brothers 3035 ± 1132 ng/ml (mean ± sd) vs. control men 2494 ± 1172 ng/ml; P < 0.05]. There was a significant positive linear relationship between DHEAS levels in PCOS probands and their brothers (r = 0.35; P = 0.001). There was no significant bimodal distribution in DHEAS levels, and there were no significant differences in other parameters in brothers of PCOS women with high DHEAS levels compared with those with low DHEAS levels. There is familial clustering of elevated DHEAS levels in the brothers of women with PCOS, suggesting that this is a genetic trait. This might reflect the same underlying defect in steroidogenesis that we found in the sisters of women with PCOS. Balding was not increased in the brothers of women with PCOS. We conclude that there is a biochemical reproductive endocrine phenotype in men in PCOS families.
The Role of Thyroid Hormone in Blood Pressure Homeostasis: Evidence from Short-Term Hypothyroidism in Humans
Authors: Fommei Enza , Iervasi Giorgio
Published: January 2014

Arterial hypertension is known to be frequently associated with thyroid dysfunction, with a particularly high prevalence in chronic hypothyroidism. However, to our knowledge no comprehensive study addressed causal mechanisms possibly involved in this association. We here report the physiological relationships between blood pressure and neuro-humoral modifications induced by acute hypothyroidism in normotensive subjects. Twelve normotensive patients with previous total thyroidectomy were studied. Ambulatory 24-h blood pressure monitoring was performed, and free T3, free T4, TSH, PRA, aldosterone, cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline were assayed 6 wk after oral l-T4 withdrawal (phase 1) and 2 months after resumption of treatment (phase 2). During the hypothyroid state (TSH, 68.1 ± 27.7 μIU/ml; mean ± sd), daytime arterial systolic levels slightly, but significantly, increased (125.5 ± 9.7 vs. 120.4 ± 10.8 mm Hg; P < 0.05), and daytime diastolic levels (84.6 ± 7.9 vs. 76.4 ± 6.8 mm Hg; P < 0.001), noradrenaline (2954 ± 1578 vs. 1574 ± 962 pmol/liter; P < 0.001), and adrenaline (228.4 ± 160 vs. 111.3 ± 46.1 pmol/liter; P < 0.05) also increased. PRA remained unchanged (0.49 ± 0.37 vs. 0.35 ± 0.21 ng/ml·h; P = NS), whereas both aldosterone (310.3 ± 151 vs. 156.9 ± 67.5 pmol/liter; P < 0.005) and cortisol (409.2 ± 239 vs. 250.9 ± 113 pmol/liter; P < 0.02) significantly increased. By using univariate logistic regression daytime arterial diastolic values, noradrenaline and aldosterone were found to be significantly related to the hypothyroid state (P < 0.02, P < 0.036, and P < 0.024, respectively). In conclusion, our data show that thyroid hormones participate in the control of systemic arterial blood pressure homeostasis in normotensive subjects. The observed sympathetic and adrenal activation in hypothyroidism, which is reversible with thyroid hormone treatment, may also contribute to the development of arterial hypertension in human hypothyroidism.
An Androgen Receptor Gene Mutation (E653K) in a Family with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia due to Steroid 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency as well as in Partial Androgen Insensitivity
Authors: Giwercman Yvonne Lundberg , Nordenskjöld Agneta , Ritzén E. Martin , Nilsson Karl Olof , Ivarsson Sten-A. , Grandell Ulla , Wedell Anna
Published: January 2014

An androgen receptor (AR) variant (E653K) was found in two unrelated Swedish families. One family had two girls affected with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency. The girls, who showed mild virilization in relation to their CYP21 genotype, had inherited the AR gene mutation from their father, who showed no symptoms of androgen insensitivity. The other family had a boy with partial androgen insensitivity and ambiguous genitalia, and he had inherited the AR gene mutation from his mother. The mutant receptor showed a transactivating capacity in the same range as the normal receptor at high concentrations of ligand (1 and 10 nm dihydrotestosterone), but absent or reduced transactivation at low levels (0.01 and 0.1 nm). The receptor variant was not found among 250 additional unselected Swedish men. Sequencing of the AR gene in five unrelated CAH girls with the I172N mutation in CYP21 and minimal virilization did not reveal any additional deviations from the normal reference sequence. In addition, there was no difference in lengths of the polymorphic CAG repeat in the AR gene between CAH girls with the I172N mutation who showed minimal and severe virilization, and we found no evidence of skewed X-inactivation. We conclude that AR gene mutations or polymorphisms are not a common factor influencing the degree of hyperandrogenic symptoms displayed by CAH girls, and that the AR E653K mutation is compatible with normal genital development, although it can cause genital malformations in susceptible individuals.
Decreased Plasma Adiponectin Concentrations in Women with Dyslipidemia
Authors: Matsubara Miyao , Maruoka Shoji , Katayose Shinji
Published: January 2014

Adiponectin, the gene product of the adipose most abundant gene transcript 1, is a novel adipocyte-derived peptide that has been considered to have antiinflammatory and antiatherogenic effects. To characterize the relationship between adiponectin and lipids metabolism, we measured fasting plasma adiponectin concentration by ELISA, serum total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride (TG), and apolipoprotein (apo) levels in 352 nondiabetic women, 16–86 yr old, with a wide range of body weight [body mass index (BMI), 14.8−36.3 kg/m2].

Plasma adiponectin concentrations in women with the highest tertile of TG (1.69 mm ≤ ∼) were decreased, compared with the middle (1.13 ≤ ∼ <1.69) or lowest tertile of TG (∼ <1.13) (5.9 ± 0.5 vs. 7.5 ± 0.3, 9.2 ± 0.2 μg/ml; P < 0.005, 0.001). Plasma adiponectin with the lowest tertile of HDL-C (∼ <1.16 mm) was decreased, compared with the middle (1.16 ≤ ∼ < 1.81) or highest tertile of HDL-C (1.81 ≤ ∼) (5.7 ± 0.5 vs. 7.8 ± 0.2, 10.1 ± 0.4 μg/ml; both P < 0.001). These relationships had similar tendencies after adjustment for BMI, body fat mass, age, or diastolic blood pressure. Adiponectin was negatively correlated with serum TG (r = −0.33, P < 0.0001), atherogenic index [(total cholesterol − HDL-C)/HDL-C] (r = −0.34, P < 0.0001), apo B (r = −0.45, P < 0.0001), or apo E (r = −0.29, P < 0.05), and positively correlated with serum HDL-C (r = 0.39, P < 0.0001) or apo A-I levels (r = 0.42, P < 0.002). Those negative relationships became stronger after adjusting for BMI or body fat mass. The slightly positive correlation between adiponectin and age, blood urea nitrogen, or creatinine levels was also observed (all P < 0.001).

These results indicate that high-TGnemia and low-HDL-Cnemia are associated with low plasma adiponectin concentrations in nondiabetic women. Further efforts must now be targeted to determine whether adiponectin causes these lipid abnormalities and thus whether it is partly responsible for the atherogenic risk seen in the metabolic syndrome.
Effects of Recombinant Human IGF-I and Oral Contraceptive Administration on Bone Density in Anorexia Nervosa
Authors: Grinspoon Steven , Thomas Lisa , Miller Karen , Herzog David , Klibanski Anne
Published: January 2014

Over 90% of women with anorexia nervosa demonstrate osteopenia, and almost 40% demonstrate osteoporosis at one or more skeletal sites. In addition to estrogen deficiency causing an increase in bone resorption, nutritional effects on the GH–IGI-I axis may contribute to the severe bone loss in this population by decreasing bone formation. We tested the hypothesis that recombinant human IGF-I (rhIGF-I) would increase bone density in women with anorexia nervosa and furthermore assessed the effects of combined rhIGF-I and oral contraceptive administration (OCP) in this population. Sixty osteopenic women with Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV Revised confirmed anorexia nervosa [age (25.2 ± 0.7 yr, range 18–38 yr), body mass index (17.8 ± 0.3 kg/m2 ), spinal bone mineral density T score (−2.1 ± 0.1 sd) were randomized to one of four treatment groups [rhIGF-I (30 μg/kg sc twice daily) and a daily oral contraceptive (Ovcon 35, 35 μg ethinyl estradiol and 0.4 mg norethindrone], rhIGF-I alone (30 μg/kg sc twice daily), oral contraceptive alone, or neither treatment for 9 months. All subjects received calcium 1500 mg/d and a standard multivitamin containing 400 IU of vitamin D. Administration of rhIGF-I was placebo controlled and blinded to subjects. The rhIGF-I was titrated to maintain IGF-I levels within the age-adjusted normal range for each patient and was well tolerated. The effects of rhIGF-I and OCP were analyzed simultaneously among all subjects in a factorial analysis and in an analysis of the four individual treatment groups. Anteroposterior spinal bone density increased significantly in response to rhIGF-I (1.1% ± 0.5% vs. −0.6% ± 0.8%, P = 0.05, all rhIGF-I vs. all placebo treated, respectively, by analysis of covariance). In contrast, OCP did not result in increased bone density (0.8% ± 0.6% vs. −0.4% ± 0.8%, P = 0.21, all OCP vs. all non-OCP treated, respectively, by analysis of covariance). However, bone density increased to the greatest extent in the combined treatment group (rhIGF-I and OCP), compared with control patients receiving no active therapy (1.8% ± 0.8% vs. 0.3% ± 0.6% vs. −0.2% ± 0.8% vs. −1.0% ± 1.3%, rhIGF-I and OCP vs. rhIGF-I alone vs. OCP alone vs. no active therapy, P < 0.05 for rhIGF-I and OCP vs. no active therapy). These data demonstrate that osteopenic women with anorexia nervosa treated with rhIGF-I showed more beneficial changes in bone density, compared with patients not treated with rhIGF-I. Antiresorptive therapy with OCP is not sufficient to improve bone density in undernourished patients, but such therapy may augment the effects of rhIGF-I in a combined treatment strategy. Further long-term studies are needed to investigate the effects of rhIGF-I and combined anabolic/antiresorptive strategies on bone in women with anorexia nervosa.
Polymorphism in the IGF-I Gene: Clinical Relevance for Short Children Born Small for Gestational Age (SGA)
Authors: Arends Nicolette , Johnston Linda , Hokken-Koelega Anita , Duijn Cornelia van , Ridder Maria de , Savage Martin , Clark Adrian
Published: January 2014

Low birth weight is associated with an increased risk in adult life of type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The fetal insulin hypothesis postulates that genes involving insulin resistance could effect birth weight and disease in later life (Hattersley, 1999). Besides insulin, there is extensive evidence that insulin-like growth factor-I and -II (IGF-I, IGF-II) play an important role in fetal growth. We hypothesized that minor genetic variation in the IGF-I gene could influence pre- and postnatal growth. Three microsatellite markers located in the IGF-I gene in 124 short children (height < −1.88 SDS) who were born small for gestational age (SGA) and their parents were studied. SGA was defined as both a birth weight and birth length below −1.88 SDS for gestational age. Two polymorphic markers showed transmission disequilibrium. Allele 191 of the IGF1.PCR1 marker was transmitted more frequently from parent to child (χ2 = 4.8 and p = 0.02) and allele 198 of the 737/738 marker was transmitted less frequently from parent to child (χ = 4.5 and p = 0.03). Children carrying the 191-allele had significantly lower IGF-1 levels than children not carrying this allele (−1.1 SDS vs.− 0.05 SDS; p = 0.03). Also, head circumference SDS remained smaller in children with allele 191 compared to children without allele 191 (−2.1 SDS vs. −0.9 SDS; p = 0.003). Our results show that genetically determined low IGF-I levels may lead to a reduction in birth weight, length and head circumference and to persistent short stature and small head circumference in later life (proportionate small). Since low IGF-I levels are associated with type 2 diabetes and CVD, we propose that the IGF-I gene may provide a link between low birth weight and such diseases in later life.
The Tissue Distribution of the mRNA of Ghrelin and Subtypes of Its Receptor, GHS-R, in Humans
Authors: Gnanapavan Sharmilee , Kola Blerina , Bustin Stephen A. , Morris Damian G. , McGee Patrick , Fairclough Peter , Bhattacharya Satya , Carpenter Robert , Grossman Ashley B. , Korbonits Márta
Published: January 2014

Ghrelin is a novel growth hormone-releasing peptide, originally identified in the rat stomach as the endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue-receptor (GHS-R1a). Ghrelin is involved in the regulation of GH release, but it has recently been suggested that ghrelin may have other actions, including effects on appetite, carbohydrate metabolism, heart, kidney, pancreas, gonads, and cell proliferation. The distribution of ghrelin, its functional receptor (type 1a) and the unspliced, non-functional GHS-R type 1b mRNA expression was investigated in various human tissues using classical and real-time reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction. GHS-R1a was predominantly expressed in the pituitary and at much lower levels in the thyroid gland, pancreas, spleen, myocardium and adrenal gland. In contrast, ghrelin was found in the stomach, other parts of the gut and, indeed, in all the tissues studied (adrenal gland, atrium, breast, buccal mucosa, esophagus, Fallopian tube, fat tissue, gall bladder, human lymphocytes, ileum, kidney, left colon, liver, lung, lymph node, muscle, muscle, myocardium, ovary, pancreas, pituitary, placenta, prostate, right colon, skin, spleen, testis, thyroid, and vein). GHS-R1b expression was also widespread in all tissues studied. The significance of the widespread tissue distribution of ghrelin remains to be determined. These data suggest that ghrelin might have widespread physiological effects via different, partly unidentified, subtypes of the GHS-R in endocrine and non-endocrine tissues.
Identification and Characterization of a Putative Human Iodide Transporter Located at the Apical Membrane of Thyrocytes
Authors: Rodriguez Anne-Marie , Perron Barbara , Lacroix Ludovic , Caillou Bernard , Leblanc Gérard , Schlumberger Martin , Bidart Jean-Michel , Pourcher Thierry
Published: January 2014

Iodide transport by thyrocytes is a two step process involving transporters located either in the basal or in the apical membranes of the cell. The sodium iodide symporter (NIS) is localized in the basolateral membrane facing the bloodstream and mediates iodide accumulation into thyrocytes. Pendrin has been proposed as an apical transporter. In order to identify new iodide transporters, we developed a PCR cloning strategy based on NIS sequence homologies. From a human kidney cDNA library, we characterized a gene, located on chromosome 12q23, that encodes a 610 amino acid protein sharing 46% identity (70% similarity) with the human NIS. Functional analysis of the protein expressed in mammalian cells indicates that it catalyzes a passive iodide transport. The protein product was immunohistochemically localized at the apical pole of the thyroid cells facing the colloid lumen. These results suggest that this new identified protein mediates iodide transport from the thyrocyte into the colloid lumen through the apical membrane. It was designated hAIT for human Apical Iodide Transporter.
FSHβ Gene Mutations in a Female with Partial Breast Development and a Male Sibling with Normal Puberty and Azoospermia
Authors: Layman Lawrence C. , Porto Adriana L. A. , Xie Jun , da Motta Luiz Augusto Casulari Roxo , da Motta Lucilia Domingues Casulari , Weiser Weishui , Sluss Patrick M.
Published: January 2014

FSH is a dimeric pituitary glycoprotein hormone that regulates gonadal function. Human mutations in the FSHβ gene have been shown to produce complete deficiency states in which pubertal development and reproductive capacity are inhibited. To date, no patients with partial or complete pubertal development due to FSHβ mutations have been documented in humans. We describe and characterize affected siblings, a male and a female, with evidence of pubertal development due to homozygosity for a Tyr76X nonsense mutation in the FSHβ gene. In vitro analysis of this mutant demonstrates unmeasurable FSH by immunoassay and by two different bioassays, using either cAMP (homologous FSH bioassay) or estradiol (rat granulosa cell assay) as the endpoints. In additional in vitro analyses, mutants previously found in patients with a phenotype of complete FSH deficiency (Cys51Gly and Val61X) and the Tyr76X were compared in the same immuno- and bioassays. All mutations failed to produce measurable FSH by all assays. Unexpectedly, these siblings with isolated FSH deficiency due to a nonsense FSHβ mutation had some evidence of puberty, suggesting that other factors might preserve gonadal steroidogenesis in the absence of FSH or that current bioassays cannot discriminate among very low FSH levels.
Use of Site-Specific Antibodies to Characterize the Circulating Form of Big Insulin-Like Growth Factor II in Patients with Hepatitis C-Associated Osteosclerosis
Authors: Khosla Sundeep , Ballard F. John , Conover Cheryl A.
Published: January 2014

Hepatitis C-associated osteosclerosis (HCAO) is a rare syndrome of adult-onset osteosclerosis. An understanding of the factor(s) leading to the stimulation of bone formation in these patients may provide novel anabolic approaches for the treatment of osteoporosis. We have demonstrated that HCAO patients have a specific increase in circulating big IGF-II (IGF-IIE) and IGF-binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2) levels, and that IGF-IIE and IGFBP-2 circulate together in a bioavailable, 50-kDa complex. Patients with nonislet cell tumor hypoglycemia (NICTH) also have increased circulating IGF-IIE and IGFBP-2 levels. However, HCAO patients do not exhibit hypoglycemia, nor do NICTH patients exhibit obvious osteosclerosis. Thus, to better understand the reason(s) for the differing clinical manifestations of the IGF-IIE excess in the two syndromes, we characterized IGF-IIE in HCAO and NICTH sera using recently developed antibodies (Ab) recognizing either the full-length IGF-IIE 89-amino acid C-terminal extension peptide (IIE138–156 Ab) or specific cleavage forms of IGF-IIE (IIE78–88 Ab and IIE89–101 Ab). The predominant IGF-IIE form in HCAO serum migrated on SDS-PAGE as a single band at approximately 18 kDa that reacted with the IIE89–101 Ab. On the other hand, the predominant form in NICTH serum migrated as a doublet of 14 and 16 kDa that reacted with the IIE78–88 Ab. There results are consistent with differential processing of the IGF-IIE precursor at predicted cleavage sites producing IGF-IIE1–104 and IGF-IIE1–88 in HCAO and NICTH, respectively. As these two forms may have differing biological activities and/or targeting properties, our findings may explain at least in part the different manifestations of IGF-IIE overproduction in the two syndromes.
CAPN10 Alleles Are Associated with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Authors: Gonzalez Alejandro , Abril Eduardo , Roca Alfredo , Aragón Maria José , Figueroa Maria José , Velarde Pilar , Royo José Luis , Real Luis Miguel , Ruiz Agustín
Published: January 2014

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by chronic anovulation infertility, hyperandrogenemia, and frequently insulin resistance. This study investigated whether polymorphisms in the CAPN10 gene are related with PCOS etiology. The allelic frequencies and genotypes of CAPN10 polymorphisms UCSNP-44, 43, 19, and 63 were determined in 55 well characterized women with polycystic ovaries and 93 unrelated healthy controls using spectrofluorimetric analyses and real-time PCR. Our data indicate that CAPN10 UCSNP-44 allele is associated with PCOS in the Spanish population (P = 0.01). These results support a role of Calpain 10 gene in PCOS susceptibility in humans.
Inefficient Secretion of Human H27A-Prolactin, a Mutant That Does Not Bind Zn2+
Authors: Sun Zhenyu , Lee Min S. , Rhee Harrison K. , Arrandale Joanne M. , Dannies Priscilla S.
Published: January 2014

Human PRL binds Zn2+, but the function of the binding is not known. We investigated the effect on PRL production in pituitary cells by obtaining clones of GH4C1 cells stably transfected with human H27A-PRL, a mutant that does not bind Zn2+. Unexpectedly, clones transfected with the mutant human PRL made little rat PRL. Untransfected GH4C1 cells made between 0.5 to 10 μg rat PRL/105 cells in 24 h. Clones transfected with vector alone (four of four), wild type human PRL (six of six), or with human K69A-PRL (two of two) made amounts of rat PRL in the same range. Clones transfected with human H27A-PRL (five of five) made 0.003–0.1 μg rat PRL/105 cells in 24 h, and the production of rat PRL mRNA was reduced. Human H27A-PRL was not efficiently secreted; 20–40% newly synthesized H27A-PRL was degraded by 60 min, and there was usually a delay in release of newly synthesized H27A-PRL. Reduction of rat PRL production is not mediated through the PRL receptor, because no sequences for the receptor in GH4C1 cells were detected by RT-PCR. Proteins involved in folding, such as BiP, were not specifically elevated in the H27A-PRL clones. In transient transfections, in which cells have not undergone selection, we found no evidence for disulfide-bonded aggregates of the mutant protein. The results indicate that Zn2+ binding stabilizes PRL in the secretory pathway; the instablility of the mutant protein may trigger effects that suppress rat PRL production directly or that indirectly result in selection of clones with low rat PRL production.
Expression of the Parathyroid Hormone-Related Peptide Gene in Retinoic Acid-Induced Differentiation: Involvement of ETS and Sp1
Authors: Karperien Marcel , Farih-Sips Hetty , Löwik Clemens W.G.M. , de Laat Siegfried W. , Boonstra Johannes , Defize Libert H.K.
Published: January 2014

Differentiation of P19 embryonal carcinoma (EC) and embryonal stem (ES)-5 cells with retinoic acid (RA) induces expression of PTH-related peptide (PTHrP) mRNA. In this study we have characterized a region between nucleotide (nt) −88 and −58 relative to the transcription start site in the murine PTHrP gene that was involved in this expression. Sequence analysis identified two partially overlapping binding sites for the Ets family of transcription factors and an inverted Sp1-binding site. Two major specific bands were detected in a bandshift assay using an oligonucleotide spanning nt −88 and −58 as a probe and nuclear extracts from both undifferentiated and RA-differentiated P19 EC cells. The lower complex consisted of Ets-binding proteins as demonstrated by competition with consensus Ets-binding sites, while the upper complex contained Sp1-binding activity as demonstrated by competition with consensus Sp1-binding sites. The observed bandshift patterns using nuclear extracts of undifferentiated or RA-differentiated P19 cells were indistinguishable, suggesting that the differentiation-mediated expression was not caused by the induction of expression of new transcription factors. Mutations in either of the Ets-binding sites or the Sp1-binding site completely abolished RA-induced expression of PTHrP promoter reporter constructs, indicating that the RA effect was dependent on the simultaneous action of both Ets- and Sp1-like activities. Furthermore, these mutations also abolished promoter activity in cells that constitutively expressed PTHrP mRNA, suggesting a central role for the Ets and Sp1 families of transcription factors in the expression regulation of the mouse PTHrP gene.
Localization of Agonist- and Antagonist-Binding Domains of Human Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptors
Authors: Liaw Chen W. , Grigoriadis Dimitri E. , Lorang Marge T. , De Souza Errol B. , Maki Richard A.
Published: January 2014

The CRF receptors, CRFR1 and CRFR2, are members of the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily. Despite their considerable sequence similarity, CRFR1 and CRFR2 have quite different affinities for the peptide ligand rat/human CRF. Previous studies using chimeric receptors between human CRFR1 and CRFR2 have identified three potentially important regions in the second and third extracellular domains of CRF receptor for the binding of rat/human CRF. The present report further demonstrates that these same three regions also affect the binding of urocortin and sauvagine, two other members of the CRF peptide family, albeit to different extents. We also show that a fourth region in the third extracellular domain, Asp254, has been identified to be important for sauvagine but not CRF or urocortin binding. Thus, the three peptide ligands not only interact with a different set of regions on CRFR1 and CRFR2 but also differentially interact with some of the same regions. These data could, at least in part, account for the much higher affinity of CRFR2 for urocortin and sauvagine compared with rat/human CRF. We have also identified two amino acid residues, His199 in the third transmembrane domain and Met276 in the fifth transmembrane domain, that are important for binding the non-peptide high-affinity CRFR1 antagonist NBI 27914. Mutations of His199 and Met276 to the corresponding amino acids in CRFR2 each decreased the binding affinity of NBI 27914 for CRFR1 by 40- and 200-fold, respectively. This suggests that the transmembrane regions are critically important in forming the binding pocket for the non-peptide antagonist.
Cloning, Chromosomal Localization, and Functional Analysis of the Murine Estrogen Receptor β
Authors: Tremblay Gilles B. , Tremblay André , Copeland Neal G. , Gilbert Debra J. , Jenkins Nancy A. , Labrie Fernand , Giguère Vincent
Published: January 2014

Estrogen receptor β (ERβ) is a novel steroid receptor that is expressed in rat prostate and ovary. We have cloned the mouse homolog of ERβ and mapped the gene, designated Estrb, to the central region of chromosome 12. The cDNA encodes a protein of 485 amino acids that shares, respectively, 97% and 60% identity with the DNA- and ligand-binding domains of mouse (m) ERα. Mouse ERβ binds to an inverted repeat spaced by three nucleotides in a gel mobility shift assay and transactivates promoters containing synthetic or natural estrogen response elements in an estradiol (E2)-dependent manner. Scatchard analysis indicates that mERβ has slightly lower affinity for E2 [dissociation constant (Kd) = 0.5 nm] when compared with mERα (Kd = 0.2 nm). Antiestrogens, including 4-hydroxytamoxifen (OHT), ICI 182,780, and a novel compound, EM-800, inhibit E2-dependent transactivation efficiently. However, while OHT displays partial agonistic activity with ERα on a basal promoter linked to estrogen response elements in Cos-1 cells, this effect is not observed with mERβ. Cotransfection of mERβ and H-RasV12 causes enhanced activation in the presence of E2. Mutagenesis of a serine residue (position 60), located within a mitogen-activated protein kinase consensus phosphorylation site abolishes the stimulatory effect of Ras, suggesting that the activity of mERβ is also regulated by the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Surprisingly, the coactivator SRC-1 up-regulates mERβ transactivation both in the absence and presence of E2, and in vitro interaction between SRC-1 and the ERβ ligand-binding domain is enhanced by E2. Moreover, the ligand-independent stimulatory effect of SRC-1 on ERβ transcriptional activity is abolished by ICI 182,780, but not by OHT. Our results demonstrate that while ERβ shares many of the functional characteristics of ERα, the molecular mechanisms regulating the transcriptional activity of mERβ may be distinct from those of ERα.
The Thyrotrope-Restricted Isoform of the Retinoid-X Receptor-γ1 Mediates 9-cis-Retinoic Acid Suppression of Thyrotropin-β Promoter Activity
Authors: Haugen Bryan R. , Brown Nicole S. , Wood William M. , Gordon David F. , Ridgway E. Chester
Published: January 2014

TSHβ is a subunit of TSH that is uniquely expressed and regulated in the thyrotrope cells of the anterior pituitary gland. Thyroid hormone receptors (TR) are known to mediate T3 suppression of TSHβ gene expression at the level of promoter activity. The role of other nuclear receptors in regulation of this gene is less clearly defined. Retinoid X receptors (RXR) are a family of nuclear transcription factors that function both as 9-cis-retinoic acid (RA) ligand-dependent receptors and heterodimeric partners with TR and other nuclear receptors. Recently, the RXR isoform, RXRγ, has been identified in the anterior pituitary gland and found to be restricted to thyrotrope cells within the pitutiary. In this report, we have further characterized the distribution of RXRγ1, the thyrotrope-restricted isoform of RXRγ, in murine tissues and different cell types. We have found that RXRγ1 mRNA and protein are expressed in the TtT-97 thyrotropic tumor, but not the thyrotrope-variant αTSH cells or somatotrope-derived GH3 cells. Furthermore, we have studied the effects of RXRγ1 on TSHβ promoter activity and hormone regulation in these pituitary-derived cell types. Both T3 and 9-cis-RA independently suppressed promoter activity in the TtT-97 thyrotropes. Interestingly, the combination of ligands suppressed promoter activity more than either alone, indicating that these hormones may act cooperatively to regulate TSHβ gene expression in thyrotropes. The RXRγ1 isoform was necessary for the 9-cis-RA-mediated suppression of TSHβ promoter activity in αTSH and GH3 cells, both of which lack this isoform. RXRβ, a more widely distributed isoform, did not mediate these effects. Finally, we showed that the murine TSHβ promoter region between −200 and −149 mediated a majority of the 9-cis-RA suppression of promoter activity in thyrotropes. This region is distinct from the T3-mediated response region near the transcription start site. These data suggest that retinoids can mediate TSHβ gene regulation in thyrotropes and the thyrotrope-restricted isoform, RXRγ1, is required for this effect.