Nelson syndrome: historical perspectives and current concepts.

The appearance of an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-producing tumor after bilateral adrenalectomy for Cushing disease was first described by Nelson in 1958. The syndrome that now bears his name was characterized by hyperpigmentation, a sellar mass, and increased plasma ACTH levels. The treatment of Cushing disease has changed drastically since the 1950s, when the choice was adrenalectomy.

Inhibition of ceramide synthesis ameliorates glucocorticoid-, saturated-fat-, and obesity-induced insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance occurs in 20%-25% of the human population, and the condition is a chief component of type 2 diabetes mellitus and a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and certain forms of cancer. Herein, we demonstrate that the sphingolipid ceramide is a common molecular intermediate linking several different pathological metabolic stresses (i.e.

A role for sphingolipids in producing the common features of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome X, and Cushing's syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome X and type 2 diabetes share many metabolic and morphological similarities with Cushing's syndrome, a rare disorder caused by systemic glucocorticoid excess. Pathologies frequently associated with these diseases include insulin resistance, atherosclerosis, susceptibility to infection, poor wound healing, and hypertension. The similarity of the clinical profiles associated with these disorders suggests the influence of a common molecular mechanism for disease onset.