BACKGROUND To investigate the effect of pectinase-treated Panax ginseng (GINST) in cellular and male subfertility animal models. METHODS Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced mouse spermatocyte GC-2spd cells were used as an in vitro model. Cell viability was measured using MTT assay. For the in vivo study, GINST (200 mg/kg) mixed with a regular pellet diet was administered orally for 4 mo, and the...

Despite decades of research, we do not know the functional significance of most sex differences in the brain. We are heavily invested in the idea that sex differences in brain structure cause sex differences in behavior. We rarely consider the possibility that sex differences in brain structure may also prevent sex differences in overt functions and behavior, by compensating for sex differences...

Introduction: Indirect results in humans suggest that chronic overfeeding decreases physical activity with few suggestions regarding what mechanism(s) may link overfeeding and decreased activity. The primary sex hormones are known regulators of activity and there are reports that chronic overfeeding alters sex hormone levels. Thepurpose of this study was to determine if chronic overfeeding alte...

People with disorders of sex development (DSD) may have impaired sex steroid production or their gonads removed before, during or after adolescence, thus requiring hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to induce puberty and/or maintain secondary sexual characteristics, to optimize bone health, and to promote physical and social well-being. Oestrogens are usually used for this purpose in persons rea...

or possible causal mechanisms that could lead to changes in incidence. Here I try to meet this latter need. I have adduced very substantial quantities of data to support the hypothesis that mammalian (including human) sex ratios (proportions male) at birth are partially controlled by the hormone levels of both parents around the time of conception. 2–5 Baron-Cohen 6 hypothesized that one cause ...

To better understand how genes and hormones interact to affect behaviour in nature, I used a factorial design to test for effects of family membership, sex and testosterone level on activity and defensive behaviour of the common garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis. Behaviours (latency to move, defensive strikes, response distance) were scored prior to hormone manipulation (when snakes were 39 day...

CONTEXT Inconsistent data suggest that endogenous sex hormones may have a role in sex-dependent etiologies of type 2 diabetes, such that hyperandrogenism may increase risk in women while decreasing risk in men. OBJECTIVE To systematically assess studies evaluating the association of plasma levels of testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and estradiol with risk of type 2 diabetes....

The greater incidence of hypertension in men and postmenopausal women compared with premenopausal women has suggested gender differences in vascular function. Vascular effects of the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone and the male hormone testosterone have been described. Sex steroid receptors have been identified in vascular endothelium and smooth muscle. Interaction of sex hormones...

BACKGROUND Reports suggest a relationship between circulating sex hormone levels and breast cancer risk, but genetic association studies have been inconclusive. We investigated the association between levels of sex hormones and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes coding for the enzymes that regulate them. METHODS We assayed circulating levels of estradiol, testosterone, estrone, a...

Caveolin-1 (CAV1) is a conserved group of structural membrane proteins that form special cholesterol and sphingolipid-rich compartments, especially in adipocytes. Recently, it has been reported that CAV1 is an important target protein in sex hormone-dependent regulation of various metabolic pathways, particularly in cancer and diabetes. To clarify distinct roles of CAV1 in sex-dependent obesity...