Inhibin has been postulated to be secreted by Sertoli cells in response to follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and in turn to exert an inhibitory effect on FSH production. We have investigated this relationship using an assay specific for dimeric inhibin B. A total of 56 normal men received 200 mg testosterone enanthate (TE) i.m. weekly, for 65 +/- 1 weeks in a trial of hormonal male contracepti...

OBJECTIVE Aromatase, the key enzyme involved in estrogen synthesis, is expressed in a variety of cells and tissues including human peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs). The present study was designed to evaluate PBL aromatase gene expression in male and female subjects of different age groups. In addition, differences in gene expression during the follicular and luteal phase of the menstrual cycl...

BACKGROUND Patients with late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) benefit from testosterone replacement by improvement in the parameters of the metabolic syndrome, but fat cell morphology in these patients is still unclear. This study aims to determine the effect of testosterone replacement on the morphology of fat cells in subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue and on erectile function in hypogonadal a...

Previously, we demonstrated decreased protein breakdown and insulin resistance in pubertal adolescents compared with prepubertal children. Puberty-related increases in sex steroids and/or GH could be potentially responsible. In the present study, the effects of 4 months of testosterone enanthate (50 mg in every 2 weeks) on body composition, protein, fat, and glucose metabolism and insulin sensi...

The effect of natural androgens on serum lipids and atherosclerosis is controversial. We therefore studied this important issue prospectively in an animal model of atherosclerosis. Eighty male rabbits were randomized to bilateral castration, and 20 animals were sham operated. The castrated rabbits were randomized to 500 mg oral dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) daily, 80 mg oral testosterone undeca...

OBJECTIVE To determine the efficacy of testosterone (T) supplementation on cognition in a sample of men with Alzheimer disease (AD) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS Fifteen patients with AD and 17 patients with MCI aged 63 to 85 years completed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Nineteen participants received weekly intramuscular (IM) injections of 100 mg T enant...

Testosterone (T) stimulates erythropoiesis and regulates iron homeostasis. However, it remains unknown whether the (type II) 5α-reduction of T to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) mediates these androgenic effects, as it does in some other tissues. Our purpose was to determine whether inhibition of type II 5α-reductase (via finasteride) alters red blood cell (RBC) production and serum markers of iron h...

Testosterone administration (T) increases lean body mass and muscle protein synthesis. We investigated the effects of short-term T on leg muscle protein kinetics and transport of selected amino acids by use of a model based on arteriovenous sampling and muscle biopsy. Fractional synthesis (FSR) and breakdown (FBR) rates of skeletal muscle protein were also directly calculated. Seven healthy men...

Androgens are considered to have immunomodulatory effects but their cellular mechanisms of action remain largely unknown. In the present study we prospectively analyzed the serial effects of androgen-replacement therapy on both the distribution of peripheral blood lymphocytes, monocytes and dendritic cells as well as on the production of interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor al...