Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
Syndromes caused by insufficient secretion of peptide hormones originate either from an inadequate population of endocrine secretory cells or from deficiencies in the secretory process. Two remarkable new studies highlight the importance of PICK1 and ICA69 in creating the protein storage organelles needed for regulated exocytosis, independent of stimulus-secretion coupling.
A new study has identified the sophisticated communication between the gut microbiota and intestinal epithelial cells that controls diurnal variations in the secretion of corticosteroids in mice. The absence of gut bacteria disrupts this communication and contributes to hypertriglyceridaemia, hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance.
Pregnancy is described as the window to a woman's future health. A study by Feig et al. has found an increased risk of diabetes mellitus later in life in women with a history of pre-eclampsia or gestational hypertension, which suggests the need for screening and preventative measures in these women.
Management of childhood craniopharyngioma remains controversial. Aggressive primary surgery is associated with an increased risk of severe obesity, but hypothalamus-sparing surgery might increase the need for reoperation and/or irradiation. Nevertheless, hypothalamus-sparing strategies decreased occurrence of obesity—a risk factor for impaired quality of life—without increasing recurrence rates in a new study.
A new cohort study links work-related stress to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in women, but the findings are less clear in men. Randomized controlled studies are now needed to determine whether management of stress could be used to reduce the risk of developing T2DM.
The reproductive hormone cascade affects all stages of life and provides a number of target points for therapeutic intervention in disease. This Review outlines the development and therapeutic applications of analogues of gonadotropin-releasing hormone, and of its upstream neuropeptide regulators kisspeptin and neurokinin B.
Rueda-Clausen and his colleagues outline the pharmacology, efficacy and safety profile of new antiobesity agents and discuss their use in the management of obesity.
This Review discusses the effects of testosterone on risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Particular focus is given to the pathophysiological mechanisms that link hypogonadism with body composition, insulin sensitivity and inflammation and the role of testosterone replacement in the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Fructose is increasingly being used in food supply. In this Perspectives, the authors discuss the links between fructose intake and obesity; in particular, the negative effects of fructose exposure during early development are highlighted.
