Table of contents
July 2006 Volume 2 No 7
Editorial
Viewpoints
Cortistatin: not just another somatostatin analog
356Cortistatin is a member of the somatostatin family of peptide hormones. Although cortistatin and somatostatin display many structural and functional similarities, there are also notable differences including tissue distribution and receptor selectivity. This Viewpoint describes how these differences might reflect novel actions of cortistatin in the brain and immune system.
Should we target HDL-cholesterol to reduce coronary heart disease risk?
358Although LDL-cholesterol is commonly targeted in treatment regimens aiming to reduce coronary heart disease, the value of elevating HDL-cholesterol levels is still debated. The authors suggest that raising levels of HDL-cholesterol with drugs such the experimental agent torcetrapib might prove beneficial, particularly when used in combination with statins.
Research Highlights
High-dose celecoxib does not improve survival of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer
360Effects of growth hormone treatment on aortic diameter in Turner syndrome
360A novel quadruple-labeling procedure to assess bone formation
360Total thyroidectomy is the optimal surgical treatment for childhood thyroid cancer
361BMI influences LH levels via the pituitary in polycystic ovary syndrome
361Low-cost, rapid, and reliable screening for MEN1 mutations
362Could calorie restriction truly make you live longer?
362Assessing quality of care in relation to control of cardiovascular risk
363Growth hormone therapy has a positive effect on cardiovascular risk
363Passive smokers are at risk of developing glucose intolerance
363Prolonging survival of patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma
364Animal study points the way for future obesity treatments
364Etanercept reduces inflammation in patients with the metabolic syndrome
365Practice Points
What is the effect of fenofibrate on cardiovascular disease events in patients with type 2 diabetes?
366How reliable is the short synacthen test after pituitary surgery?
368Rimonabant—a new hope in the treatment of obesity?
370Reviews
The role of 'adipotropins' and the clinical importance of a potential hypothalamic–pituitary–adipose axis
374This Review summarizes the data showing that adipocytes express the specific receptors for nearly all known pituitary hormones and hypothalamic releasing factors. The existence of a hypothalamic–pituitary–adipose axis is therefore most likely. The name "adipotropins" is suggested to characterize pituitary hormones and hypothalamic releasing factors that act directly on adipocytes.
doi:10.1038/ncpendmet0197 | Full Text | PDF (210K)
Nonsurgical approaches to the management of thyroid nodules
384Partly because of increased use of sonography, thyroid nodules are now detected more frequently but are usually asymptomatic. Very few thyroid nodules are malignant, and so management is particularly important but remains controversial. This Review details the various options available, and assesses the indications for each one.
doi:10.1038/ncpendmet0215 | Full Text | PDF (214K)
Endocrine assessment, molecular characterization and treatment of growth hormone insensitivity disorders
395This Review describes the many clinical, endocrine and genetic abnormalities that cause growth hormone (GH) insensitivity disorders, listing all the known GH-receptor mutations and describing the current therapy with insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) and a novel therapy using complexes of IGF1 and IGF-binding protein 3.
doi:10.1038/ncpendmet0195 | Full Text | PDF (236K)
Case Study
Acromegaly with moderate hyperprolactinemia caused by an intrasellar macroadenoma
408doi:10.1038/ncpendmet0222 | Full Text | PDF (147K)
