The risk of metabolic syndrome is associated with vitamin D and inflammatory status in premenopausal and postmenopausal Algerian women.

Background: This first cross-sectional study examined whether vitamin D status and proinflammatory cytokines may be associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Algerian women regarding their menopausal status.

Methods: Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), lipids, insulin, 25(OH)D, PTH, adiponectin, resistin, TNFα, and IL-6 levels were assessed in 277 participants aged 18-74 years. MetS was diagnosed according to NCEP-ATPIII criteria.

Association of vitamin D deficiency and insulin resistance with breast cancer in premenopausal Algerian women: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Low 25(OH)D levels are mainly related to breast cancer (BC) risk in postmenopausal women, while the impact of insulin resistance (IR) on BC prognosis is controversial.

Objective: Considering the high prevalence of BC in younger Algerian women, this cross-sectional study analyzed whether vitamin D status and IR are biomarkers for breast tumor status in premenopausal women.

Methods: In 96 women (mean age, 40.

Effect of two hypercaloric diets on the hormonal and metabolic profile of the adrenal gland.

Objectives: Who disrupts who? It is not clear what the interaction is between a high calorie diet (HCD) and adrenal axis activation in obesity. The goal was to assess the effect of two hypercaloric diets commercialized in Algeria on the hormonal and metabolic profile of the adrenal gland in rabbits.

Methods: Two classes of local male adult rabbits (n=16) and a finishing diet (FD) as a control for 15 weeks.

Role of Agouti-related protein in adrenal steroidogenesis.

The levels of Agouti-related protein (AgRP) mRNA in the adrenal are second only to those in the hypothalamus, raising questions regarding its target binding sites and its specific role in adrenal steroidogenesis. We and others demonstrated the presence of a population of melanocortin receptor-4 (MC4R) positively coupled to steroidogenesis in adrenal cells. Moreover, AgRP inhibited both the acute and long-term steroidogenic responses of these cells to NDP-alphaMSH through its antagonistic properties towards MC4R.