Testosterone treatment of men with idiopathic hemochromatosis

Summary Patients with chronic liver disease usually exhibit low plasma levels of testosterone with loss of libido and potency; this is also valid in male patients suffering from idiopathic hemochromatosis (IHC), in whom nowadays the diagnosis is made at an earlier age. Therefore, the effect of testosterone treatment was studied in 10 patients with IHC. After the application of 250 mg testosterone enanthate i.m., the plasma testosterone (from 2.4±1.9 to 20.1±7.4 ng/ml) and estradiol (from 17.4±6.3 to 38.5±14.2 pg/ml) levels increased significantly. The rise of estradiol was in the range of controls and smaller than reported in other chronic liver diseases. In a long-term study, 250 mg testosterone enanthate was given 4-weekly for 33–96 months to 5 patients with IHC. General well-being, libido, and potency recovered almost immediately. Over a treatment period of 27.3 patient years, symptoms of hyperestrogenism (gynecomastia) or (portal vein) thrombosis were not seen, both of which had been described in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. There was no deterioration of liver function. The effect of testosterone treatment on the patients' well-being and plasma hormone concentrations remained unchanged over the whole period of testosterone treatment. Thus, in male patients with IHC and lowered plasma testosterone, treatment with testosterone enanthate may be instituted. Because of the positive effects on general well-being, liver regeneration capacity, and potency, testosterone should especially be administered to younger subjects suffering from IHC.Abbreviations IHC idiopathic hemochromatosis - LH luteinizing hormone - SHBG sexual hormone binding globulin     

Lesions in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, but not in the lateral septum, inhibit short-photoperiod-induced testicular regression in Syrian hamsters

The transfer of adult male hamsters from long days (LD) to short days (SD) (i.e. < 12 h of light per day) typically results in marked testicular regression and a decline in plasma testosterone concentrations. To help disclose key brain regions responsible for mediating this photoperiodic response male hamsters received either chemical (i.e. N-methyl-d-aspartate; NMDA) or radiofrequency current lesions in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), and were then exposed to SD for 15 or 12 weeks, respectively. Although body weights were similar between sham-lesioned controls and the NMDA-lesioned hamsters, the latter showed a significant attenuation of testicular regression; additionally, their plasma testosterone concentrations remained at typical LD levels. When radiofrequency current-lesioned hamsters were transferred from LD to SD they also failed to show significant signs of testicular regression, nor a decline in plasma testosterone concentrations, nor a complete arrest of spermatogenesis. In contrast, sham-lesioned controls or hamsters that were lesioned dorsally to the BNST at a site primarily involving the lateral septum all showed the expected degree of testicular regression, a decline in plasma testosterone concentrations, and complete arrest of spermatogenesis; body weights were similar in all of the experimental group. Taken together, these findings suggest that the BNST, a brain area traditionally not associated with reproductive function, may play an important role in mediating photoperiodic information to the neural circuits that control the reproductive axis.     

Testosterone, FSH and LH in Human Spermatic and Cubital Venous Plasma in Varicocele Patients

The plasma level of testosterone, FSH and LH were determined simultaneously in spermatic and cubital veins in 12 patients with varicocele. The testosterone levels in spermatic veins were 13.4 +/- 5.3 times higher than in cubital veins. FSH and LH levels were higher in cubital than in spermatic vein. No correlation was found between the number of spermatozoa in 1 ml of semen, and the level of the three hormones studied, either in the cubital or in spermatic vein.     

Two cases of male hypogonadal osteoporosis

Two males with bone abnormalities associated with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism are reported. Case 1, 28 years old male, developed growth disturbance at the age of eight years, after suffering from tuberculous meningitis. No secondary sex characteristics appeared and fractures occurred at five times. Case 2, 29 years old male, also suffered from growth disturbance from around the age of 6 years, without appearance of secondary sex characteristics even after puberty. Bone X-ray studies and bone biopsy revealed marked osteoporosis in Case 1, while in Case 2, slipped capital femoral epiphysis was also noted with mild osteoporosis. In these two cases, osteoporosis is associated with eunuchoidism, in agreement of the concept of so-called “male hypogonadal osteoporosis”. Both patients showed insufficient secretion of somatomedin C, testosterone and growth hormone (GH) with insulin tolerance test and arginine tolerance test. The insufficient secretion of LH and FSH with LH-RH tolerance test was also revealed in both cases. The decrease of GH and somatomedin C was quite pronounced in Case 1, whereas the fall of testosterone was more conspicuous in Case 2. The imbalance between these hormone deficiencies might lead to different expression of bone abnormalities.     

男性肺癌患者癌组织中雌激素受体的表达与外周血性激素水平的关系

目的　探讨男性肺癌患者癌组织中雌激素受体的表达与外周血性激素水平的关系。方法　采用磁性微粒分离的免疫酶联分析测定方法检测 2 5例男性肺癌患者和 30例正常男性外周血血清中雌二醇(estradiol,E2 )、睾酮 (testosterone ,T)、卵泡刺激素 (folliclestimulatinghormone ,FSH )和黄体生成素 (lutenisinghormone ,LH )水平 ,同时应用免疫组织化学S P法检测 2 5例肺癌组织、癌旁组织及 11例肺良性病变中雌激素受体的表达。结果　 2 5例男性肺癌患者外周血血清中E2 水平较正常男性明显增高 (P <0 .0 1) ,T明显下降 (P <0 .0 1) ,E2 /T明显增高 (P <0 .0 1) ;2 5例肺癌组织中雌激素受体蛋白表达阳性率为 6 0 .0 % ( 15 / 2 5 ) ,阳性表达主要定位于细胞核内 ,而癌旁组织和肺良性病变组织中未见阳性表达 ;男性肺癌患者术前外周血雌激素水平与手术切除的肺癌组织雌激素受体表达水平呈显著正相关 (r =0 .916 7,P <0 .0 0 1)。结论　男性肺癌患者存在性激素水平的失衡和紊乱 ,且与雌激素受体表达密切相关 ;外周血雌激素升高可能具有上调雌激素受体表达的作用     

Testosterone supplementation restores vasopressin innervation in the senescent rat brain

The vasopressin (AVP) innervation in the male rat brain is decreased in senescence. This decrease is particularly pronounced in brain regions where AVP fiber density is dependent on plasma levels of sex steroids. Since plasma testosterone levels decrease progressively with age in the rat, the possibility of restoring central AVP innervation by peripheral testosterone supplementation was investigated by giving senescent (33 months) Brown-Norway rats subcutaneous implants of either empty or testosterone-filled silastic tubes for the period of 1 month. Plasma testosterone levels of testosterone-treated animals were restored to values which did not differ from those of young animals. The results show that the age-related decline in AVP fiber density can indeed be reversed by testosterone supplementation. In contrast, oxytocin innervation, which was previously shown not to be testosterone-dependent, was not restored. These results show for the first time restoration of a specific innervation pattern in the senescent rat brain mediated by peripheral hormones and indicate that a considerable plasticity is retained in the aging central nervous system.     

A practical dexamethasone suppression test to evaluate hirsute women

Fifty five hirsute women were subjected to a 2-week dexamethasone (DXM) suppression test. The pre- and post-DXM plasma dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DS) and testosterone (T) were measured by radioimmunoassay to define the source of androgen excess in hirsute women. Four patients (7%) failed to have adequate adrenal suppression due to failure in medication. Among the 51 patients with adequate adrenal suppression, the source of androgen excess was clearly defined in 48 patients (94%). Seventeen patients (33%) showed ovarian source, 13 patients (26%) had adrenal source, while 18 patients (35%) revealed a mixed adrenal and ovarian source. Normal baseline DS and T levels were noted in 22% of hirsute women and more than half (55%) of them had ovarian androgen excess. Even in 17 patients with normal DS and elevated T, 6 patients (36%) suggested adrenal androgen excess. The source of androgen excess in hirsute women seems evenly distributed among the ovarian, the adrenal, and the mixed group.     

Effects of sustained-release testosterone on marking behavior in the Mongolian gerbil

Utilizing subcutaneous silastic implants containing testosterone the effect of sustained low-level release of testosterone on marking behavior in castrated Mongolian gerbils was determined. Castration resulted in a decrease in marking frequency from 38 +/- 4 to 4 +/- 1. Sustained release of 6 micrograms testosterone per day from implants did not stimulate marking behavior. Daily release of 11 micrograms increased marking 550% after one week. Release of 17 micrograms per day was required to restore marking to intact levels. Similar release rates of cholesterol did not increase marking. Release rates which increased marking in males did not increase marking in females. The minimum effective sustained-release dose of testosterone necessary to stimulate marking in females was five times greater than that in males. This difference is not due to a sex difference in plasma testosterone removal rates, since the circulating half-life of 3H-testosterone measured by testosterone-specific radioassay was not different in castrated males (72 +/- 5 min) and females (66 +/- 4 min). The present data are consistent with the hypothesis that there is a sexual dimorphism in the testosterone responsiveness of the neural substrate regulating territorial marking behavior.     

Circadiane-Rhythmik des Plasmatestosteronspiegels

Testosterone in plasma is measured in 50 young males in the morning and in the evening by radioimmunoassay. Peaks are found in the morning. At 07,00 h and 10,00 h the values lie on a plateau: 91,77% at 07.00 h and 90,59% at 10.00 h. The difference is not significant. Significant differences however can be noted in comparison between values in the first and second half-day. The difference between the 07.00 h value and the 16.00 h value amounts to 17,08%; between the 07.00 h value and the 19.00 h value, to 22,6%.     

Glycogen content and glucose uptake in stimulated frog sartorius muscle: Effects of prolonged incubation,insulin, and testosterone

Anin vitro preparation of electrically stimulated sartorius muscle of the frog was used as a model to investigate the effects of insulin and testosterone on the increased glycogen content of frog skeletal muscle that was observedin vivo 48 h after an exhaustive bout of treadmill exercise. Thein vitro preparation could effectively extract glucose from the bathing medium and continue glycogen synthesis for incubation periods up to 60 h, and the electrical stimulation depleted glycogen by 68%. Electrical stimulation enhanced rates of glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis when these variables were measured after prolonged periods of poststimulation incubation but did not cause an overshoot of glycogen storage similar to that observedin vivo. Stimulation did not produce increments in glycogen synthesis that were additive to those of insulin or testosterone. The absence of glycogen overshoot in thein vitro system may have resulted from the absence of neural factors.