ACTA ENDOCRINOLOGICA (BUC)

Context. The clinical presentation of histoplasmosis is varied. Due to its propensity for adrenal involvement, histoplasmosis is an important differential diagnosis in any patient presenting with adrenal mass, bilateral in particular. Objective. Data on clinical presentation, pattern of adrenal involvement, radiological appearance and long-term follow-up of adrenal histoplasmosis are relatively sparse; hence we looked at it. Design. This record based single-centre retrospective study was conducted in one of the tertiary care hospitals, situated in eastern India catering the Gangetic delta. Subjects and methods. Data on demographic characters, presenting manifestations, biochemical & hormonal parameters and radiological appearance of confirmed adrenal histoplasmosis cases (n=9), admitted between 2015-2019 have been retrieved. The treatment outcome and condition of patients after 1-4 years of followup has also been discussed. Results. Four out of the nine (44.4%) patients had predisposing immunocompromised conditions in the form of diabetes and/or chronic alcoholism while rest were immunocompetent. Seven out of nine patients (77.8 %) had signs and symptoms suggestive of adrenal insufficiency, while two (22.2%) presented with only pyrexia of unknown origin. All of them had bilateral adrenal mass, though the radiologically appearances were different. All patients received anti-fungal agents with/without hydrocortisone and/or fludrocortisone. One patient died (11.1%), while majority responded favourably to treatment. Adrenocortical function did not recover completely. Conclusions. The possibility of adrenal histoplasmosis should always be considered in patients presenting with bilateral adrenal mass, irrespective of adrenal morphology. Treatment is effective, but many of them require supplemental hydrocortisone for quite a long period, if not lifelong. Mineralocorticoid deficiency, however, is not permanent.

Background. Lithium, a well known antimanic drug, has adverse effects on endocrine functions; but it is unknown in aged animals.\r\nAim. Untoward effects of lithium on thyroidal and extra-thyroidal thyroid hormones were investigated in adult and aged rats.\r\nMaterials and methods. Lithium was injected intraperitoneally at a dose of 2 mEq/kg\r\nbody weight daily to one group of rats for 10 days and the other for 25 days respectively. Thyroid and serum T3 and T4, and extrathyroidal liver and kidney T3and T4 levels were\r\nmeasured by ELISA. Pituitary and serum TSH-like substance was determined using a human-TSH immunoassay kit. Thyroperoxidase profile was measured spectrophotometrically.\r\nResults. Lithium decreased thyroid and serum T3 and T4 levels, and increased pituitary and serum TSH-like profiles after 10 and 25 days of treatments respectively in adult and aged rats. Thyroperoxidase activity was decreased in all the treatments of adult and aged rats. Liver\r\nand kidney T3 and T4 profiles were also decreased in lithium recipients. Lithium actions were severe after 10 days of treatment in adult rats and 25 days treatment in aged rats.\r\nConclusion. Lithium has untoward effects on thyroid and extra-thyroidal thyroid hormone synthesis irrespective of the age of rats.

Context. Betel nut is consumed by millions of people for stress reduction and increased capacity to work. One of its components is arecoline which is useful for Alzheimer and schizophrenia; it also influences endocrine and gonadal functions. Objective. Objective is to examine whether arecoline can influence pineal-testicular function in metabolic stress. Design. Rats were deprived of food or water or treated them with arecoline, each separately for 5 days. Subjects. Pineal and testis with sex accessories were studied. Methods. Ultrastructural (pineal, testis, Leydig cells and prostate), hormonal (melatonin and testosterone) and other parameters (fructose and sialic acid) were examined. Pineal indoleamines were quantitated by fluorometric method; testosterone by ELISA, and carbohydrate fractions by spectrophotometric methods. Results. Inanition/ water deprivation caused pineal stimulation ultrastructurally (with enlarged synaptic ribbons) and elevation of melatonin level, but reproductive dysfunction by ultrastructural degeneration of Leydig cells and prostate with fall of testosterone, fructose and sialic acid concentrations. Arecoline treatment showed reversed changes to those of metabolic stress, but arecoline treatment in metabolic stress showed same results as in metabolic stress. Conclusion. The findings suggest that arecoline cannot alter the action of metabolic stress on pineal-testicular activity in rats.

Background. People chew betel nut (Areca catechu) for physical work and stress reduction, but it contains arecoline, which has both therapeutic value and untoward effects on endocrine and gonadal functions. Objective. Aim of the present study is to investigate its role on adrenal with its target in metabolic stress in mice. Materials and methods. Mice were deprived of water / food, each for 5 days / treated with arecoline (10 mg / kg body wt daily for 5 days) / arecoline after water or food deprivation, for 5 days each. Results. Water or food-deprivation caused adrenocortical hyperactivity, evident from abundance of enlarged mitochondria and smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) with elevation of corticosterone level (C: 68.31 ± 2.30, WD: 159.31 ± 4.10 / FD: 194.12 ± 3.40 μg/ mL). Arecoline treatment alone or in water deprivation (C: 68.31 ± 2.30, AR: 144.50 ± 4.33, AR+WD: 194.42 ± 3.35 μg/ mL) / food deprivation (AR + FD: 180.89 ± 4.51 μg/ mL) stress also stimulated adrenocortical activity as recorded in metabolic stress. In contrast, adrenomedullary activity was not altered following water/ food deprivation. Arecoline treatment alone or in metabolic stress suppressed adrenomedullary activity by showing depletion of chromaffin granules (E/NE?), epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE) concentrations. Both the stress decreased blood glucose and liver glycogen levels. Arecoline treatment decreased blood glucose level, with a rise in liver glycogen level, but elevated blood glucose level in water deprivation unlike in starvation. Conclusion. Arecoline alone or in metabolic stress involves adrenal and probably other endocrine glands (pancreas, posterior pituitary and rennin-angiotensin system) to maintain homeostasis in metabolic stress in mice.

Background. Arecoline, a plant alkaloid of betel nut, is consumed by millions of people, for increased capacity of work. It causes immunosuppression, hepatotoxicity, and disturbance in antioxidant production, but it stimulates HPA axis and induces thyroid dysfunction.\r\nAim. To investigate the role of arecoline on adrenal activity, glycemia and glycogen profile in mice.\r\nMaterials and methods. Arecoline was injected intraperitoneally at a dose of 10 mg/kg body wt for 20-60 min for acute administration. In chronic administration the same dose was used daily for 15 days. Corticosterone, epinephrine, norepinephrine, blood glucose and liver glycogen profiles were measured after 20, 40 and 60 min, in acute administration and after 15 days in chronic administration.\r\nResults. Arecoline in acute administration increased corticosterone, norepinephrine and epinephrine levels and induced hyperglycemia with depletions of liver glycogen. But\r\nchronic arecoline administration with the same dose for 15 days caused ultrastructural degenerations of adrenal cortex and medulla with the elevation of corticosterone, and\r\ndepletions of norepinephrine and epinephrine levels. Arecoline also caused hypoglycemia and elevated liver glycogen. Atropine (arecoline receptor antagonist) prevented arecoline action on adrenal activity or blood glucose ? liver glycogen interaction.\r\nConclusion. The findings indicate that arecoline initially stimulates adrenal activity, but subsequently inhibits it with alterations of glycemic and glycogen profiles. Arecoline action is mediated by arecoline receptor in mice. Arecoline may have immunological action via adrenal hormonal suppression in mice.

Context. The grey mullet, Mugil cephalus, is an edible fish of high economic importance. Breeding biology with reference to hormonal/growth factor regulation of oocyte maturation needs to be known for its commercial production. Objective. The present study was conducted to examine the potency of maturation inducing hormones, chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), bovine-insulin, and insulin like growth factor1 (h-IGF-1) I on ovarian steroidogenesis and oocyte maturation. Design. The role of hormones and growth factors on steroidogenesis and oocyte maturation was investigated using specific inhibitors, Wortmannin for phosphatidylinositol-3 (PI3) kinase, trilostane for 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, 1-octanol and 1-heptanol for gap junctions, actinomycin D for transcription and cycloheximide for translation of signal molecules. Methods. Actions of hormonal and growth factors were examined for steroidogenesis, by radioimmunoassay and oocyte maturation by germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD). Specific inhibitors were used to determine the cell signaling pathways, PI3 kinase. Results. All the inhibitors attenuated the hCGinduced oocyte maturation (GVBD%), steroidogenesis including transcription, translation, gap junctions and PI3 kinase signaling. These inhibitors failed to inhibit h-IGF-I and b-insulin-induced oocyte maturation, steroidogenesis, translation and PI3 kinase signaling. Conclusion. hCG induces oocyte maturation via steroid dependent pathway involving gap junctions, transcription, translation and PI3 kinase signaling, unlike h-IGF-I and b-insulin in the mullet.