Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors: A Literature Review

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) affect 1%-3% of patients with pancreatic cancer. This tumor is rare, difficult to diagnose, and clinically laborious. They have an estimated incidence of up to 1 case per 100,000 inhabitants every year. Up on diagnosis, most PNETs are considered malignant, with low healing potential, lesions that are generally unresectable, and a metastasis rate of aproximately 50%. PNETs are classified as functional and non-functional. The tumor functional produces hormones such as gastrin, insulin, somatostatin, glucagon, among others. They are symptomatic due to hormonal hypersecretion and occur in 30% of cases. The other 70% are non-functioning, and despite producing a series of substances and some hormones such as beta HCG and alpha HCG, they are silent tumors, with no significant clinical syndrome. The present study presented scientific evidence about PNETs, the types of pancreas endocrine-tissue tumors, the rate of survival, diagnosis, treatments, and prognosis, to provide solid support to professionals, and contribute to effective decision-making in search of the best clinical outcome.

Hormonal manifestations of nonendocrine disease

Tumours (usually but not invariably malignant), other ‘non-endocrine conditions’ and drugs can be associated with a wide variety of endocrine syndromes. ‘Ectopic’ hormone secretion, defined as the release of a hormone from a site different from the gland that normally produces it, has classically been recognized in the context of neoplasia, but it is now apparent that many hormones are synthesized by ‘non-endocrine’ tissue. Although a particular endocrinopathy may be associated with a specific type of tumour in a particular organ, the relationship is not invariable, and many neoplasms elaborate more than one hormonal substance at the same or at different times and thus produce a mixed endocrine picture.

Effects of Diet and Exercise on Endocrine Function of Skeletal Muscle

Skeletal muscle has been recognized as an endocrine tissue that releases appreciable amounts of circulating proteins, called myokines. [...]

Adipokines: mechanisms of metabolic and behavioral disorders

Current studies show that metabolic and behavioral disorders represent severe health problems. Several questions arise about the molecular relationship of metabolic and behavioral disorders. This review will discuss the relationship of lipid metabolism and fructose consumption accompanied by an increase in weight as well as associated disorders: hypertension, insulin-resistance, oxidative stress and depression. Adipose tissue is considered as an endocrine tissue with intense secretory activities (metabolic and inflammatory). These adipokines are responsible for an alteration of several physiological functions. In this review we will try to understand how lipogenesis that causes dyslipidemia can influence insulin resistance, hypertension, oxidative stress, depression and the relationship between these various disorders.

Automated microfluidic droplet sampling with integrated, mix-and-read immunoassays to resolve endocrine tissue secretion dynamics

A fully automated droplet generation and analysis device based on pressure driven push-up valves for precise pumping of fluid and volumetric metering has been developed for high resolution hormone secretion sampling and measurement.