Time relationship between circadian variation of serum levels of leptin, insulin and cortisol in healthy subjects.

Background: Leptin is involved in the regulation of eating behavior. Its serum levels are determined by fat mass but a diurnal rhythm is also described. It is not clear whether leptin levels are also controlled in vivo by hormonal stimuli, like insulin or cortisol.

Thyroid hormone-independent interaction between the thyroid hormone receptor beta2 amino terminus and coactivators.

Thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) mediate hormone action by binding to DNA response elements (TREs) and either activating or repressing gene expression in the presence of ligand, T(3). Coactivator recruitment to the AF-2 region of TR in the presence of T(3) is central to this process. The different TR isoforms, TR-beta1, TR-beta2, and TR-alpha1, share strong homology in their DNA- and ligand-binding domains but differ in their amino-terminal domains.

Cardiac hypertrophy with preserved contractile function after selective deletion of GLUT4 from the heart.

Glucose enters the heart via GLUT1 and GLUT4 glucose transporters. GLUT4-deficient mice develop striking cardiac hypertrophy and die prematurely. Whether their cardiac changes are caused primarily by GLUT4 deficiency in cardiomyocytes or by metabolic changes resulting from the absence of GLUT4 in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue is unclear.

Serum insulin-like growth factors IGF-I and IGFBP-3 in children with slipped capital femoral epiphysis.

Hormonal imbalance in puberty and biomechanical overload due to obesity have been implied in the still unknown cause of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE). Local mediators of growth hormone (GH) action, such as insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), play a crucial role in the development of the growth plate cartilage. Concentrations of IGF-I and its binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) were measured in the serum of 19 SCFE children without endocrine disorders.

Circadian plasma leptin levels in patients with anorexia nervosa: relation to insulin and cortisol.

In anorexia nervosa, underweight results from a loss of body mass due to a restricted energy intake. Circulating leptin levels have been shown to be low in the acute stage of the disorder. We studied diurnal secretion characteristics of leptin, insulin and cortisol in a study group of anorectic patients prior to refeeding, a second study group of anorectic patients after initiation of refeeding and study groups of healthy underweight and normal-weight controls.