A library of robust ghrelin receptor mutants with single substitutions at 22 positions in the main ligand-binding pocket was employed to map binding sites for six different agonists: two peptides (the 28-amino-acid octanoylated endogenous ligand ghrelin and the hexapeptide growth hormone secretagogue GHRP-6) plus four nonpeptide agonists-the original benzolactam L-692,429 [3-amino-3-methyl-N-(2...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to determine optimal adjuvant therapy between complete hormonal blockade in premenopausal patients with hormone receptor positive breast cancer and one to three positive nodes. PATIENTS AND METHODS We randomised 333 patients to receive either LHRH agonist (triptorelin 3.75 mg i.m., monthly) plus tamoxifen 30 mg/day for 3 years (TAM-LHRHa, n=164), or fl...

Abstract Background: Pegvisomant, a growth hormone antagonist, has been widely used as monotherapy or combination therapy with somatostatin (SST) analogs and/or dopamine agonists in acromegaly poorly controlled by SST analogs. Limited information is available to compare pegvisomant monotherapy, agonists, and of all three agents. Method: In this retrospective cohort study, we identified 23 patie...

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), primarily characterized as neuroregulators of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, directly influence tissue-specific receptor-systems for CRH and GHRH in the endocrine pancreas. Here, we demonstrate the expression of mRNA for CRH and CRH-receptor type 1 (CRHR1) and of protein for CRHR1 in rat and human pancr...

Current perceptions of endocrine dysfunctions often place great weight on serum or salivary levels of hormones as the most accurate indication of hormone function. This becomes troubling when clinicians observe an increasing percentage of patients who have hormone levels in the “normal range”, but still have significant symptoms of hormone dysfunction. Increased understandings of insulin resist...

The three-dimensional structure of human interleukin (IL)-7 has been predicted based on homology to human IL-2, IL-4, granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor and growth hormone. The model has a topology common to other cytokines and displays a unique disulfide pattern. Knowledge of the tertiary structure of IL-7 has implications for analysis of key binding regions, suggestions for muta...

Different beta 1 and 2 adrenergic receptors agonists might have various biological and physiological effects on fish species. An experiment was designed to study the effects of feeding ractopamine, terbutaline and metaproterenol; as beta1, beta2 and less selective beta2 adrenergic receptor agonists, respectively; on body weight gain, feed conversion rate, concentration of biochemical parameters...