Testosterone levels

BACKGROUND: Whether the endocrine aberrations caused by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) might influence bone density in women of reproductive age is controversial. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to compare PCOS women to a control group matched in terms of age and body mass index (BMI) regarding bone indices and to clarify the potential relationship between their hormonal changes and bone density. METHODS: This case-control study consisted of 61 PCOS patients, and 35 women with normal ovulatory function served as controls...

INTRODUCTION: Sexual function following local treatment for prostate cancer is an important quality of life concern. Relugolix is a novel oral GnRH receptor antagonist used in combination with radiation therapy in the treatment of unfavorable prostate cancer. It has been shown to achieve rapid and profound testosterone suppression. As a result, these very low testosterone levels may impact both sexual functioning and perceptions. This prospective study sought to assess neoadjuvant relugolix-induced sexual dysfunction prior to stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT)...

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common systemic disorder related to endocrine disorders, affecting the fertility of women of childbearing age. It is associated with glucose and lipid metabolism disorders, altered gut microbiota, and insulin resistance. Modern treatments like pioglitazone, metformin, and spironolactone target specific symptoms of PCOS, while in Chinese medicine, moxibustion is a common treatment. This study explores moxibustion's impact on PCOS by establishing a dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)-induced PCOS rat model...

BACKGROUND: Studies report that diet may have contributed to a 50-60% decrease in human sperm quality over the past few decades. Unhealthy lifestyles affect the structure of spermatozoa, affecting the male reproductive potential. This study aimed to compare the effects of Korean and Western diets on reproductive function in young male Koreans. METHODS: Study participants were provided either the Korean Diet (KD group) or the Western Diet (WD group) for 12 weeks...

BACKGROUND: Withdrawal of semaglutide is frequently followed by weight regain due to compensatory biological changes that prevent the maintenance of long-term weight loss. There are some studies implying that metformin might attenuate weight regain. The weight trajectory after discontinuation of short-term semaglutide treatment in obese women with PCOS who continued metformin treatment has not yet been evaluated. AIMS: We explored changes in body weight, cardiometabolic and endocrine parameters in obese women with PCOS who continued treatment with metformin 2 years after discontinuation of short-term intervention with semaglutide...

As a widely used alternative to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), hexafluoropropylene oxide trimer acid (HFPO-TA) has been detected in the environment and humans; however, little is known regarding its male reproductive toxicity. To compare the effects of HFPO-TA on steroid hormone synthesis with PFOA, we exposed Leydig cells (MLTC-1) to non-lethal doses (0.1, 1, and 10 μM) of PFOA and HFPO-TA for 48 hours. It was found that the levels of steroid hormones, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (OHP), androstenedione (ASD), and testosterone (T) were significantly increased in 1 and 10 μM of PFOA and HFPO-TA groups, with greater elevation being observed in the HFPO-TA groups than in the PFOA groups at 10 μM...

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine and metabolic dysfunction. This study aims to compare the oral and local treatments of metformin or its nanoparticles (NPs11) for ameliorating PCOS in rats. Rats were divided into 4 groups: the control group with no drug treatment; the PCOS group, where subcutaneous testosterone was given (10 mg/kg/day) for 28 days; the MET group, where metformin was administered orally or locally; and the NP group, where metformin NPs11 were also administered orally or locally...

With aging, men develop testosterone-deficiency syndrome (TDS). The development is closely associated with age-related mitochondrial dysfunction of Leydig cell and oxidative stress-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS). Testosterone-replacement therapy (TRT) is used to improve the symptoms of TDS. However, due to its various side effects, research on functional ingredients derived from natural products that do not have side effects is urgently needed. In this study, using the mitochondrial dysfunction TM3 (mouse Leydig) cells, in which testosterone biosynthesis is reduced by H2O2, we evaluated the effects of elderberry extract and monosaccharide-amino acid (fructose-leucine; FL) on mRNA and protein levels related to steroidogenesis-related enzymes steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), cytochrome P450 11A1(CYP11A1, cytochrome P450 17A1(CYP17A1), cytochrome P450 19A1(CYP19A1, aromatase), 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD), and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase(17β-HSD)...

BACKGROUND: Gender differences existed in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Observational studies have revealed associations between sex hormones and IBD, such as estrogen and testosterone. However, the exact relationship between these sex hormones and IBD is unclear. METHOD: Based on the genome-wide association studies data of eight sex hormones, two sex hormone receptors, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), total IBD and its two subtypes, we performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study to analyze their mutual relationship...

BACKGROUND: Sex hormones play a critical role in sex differences and cardiovascular disease risk associated with metabolic syndrome (MS) and inflammation. However, the associations of sex hormone ratios with metabolic and inflammatory markers are unclear according to sex and age differences. We evaluated the associations of sex hormone ratios with MS and inflammation among males and females. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted by including all adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey cycles 2013-2016 and excluding any pregnant women, heart disease, diabetes, and those currently taking insulin...

Most adrenal incidentalomas are benign neoplasms of the adrenal cortex. While the majority are nonfunctional, many secrete cortisol. Androgen- or estrogen-secreting adenomas are rare. A 44-year-old female, with history of hypertension and prediabetes, presented with worsening acne, hirsutism, secondary amenorrhea for 2 years, and a 40-pound weight gain. Laboratory evaluation showed high 24-hour urine free cortisol, suppressed adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) level, indicative of ACTH independent Cushing syndrome, and elevated testosterone and androstenedione...

The roles of sex hormones such as estradiol, testosterone, and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) in the etiology of lung and colorectal cancers in women, among the most common cancers after breast cancer, are unclear. This Mendelian randomization (MR) study evaluated such potential causal associations in women of European ancestry. We used summary statistics data from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) on sex hormones and from the Trøndelag Health (HUNT) Study and large consortia on cancers. There was suggestive evidence of genetically predicted 1-standard deviation increase in total testosterone levels being associated with a lower risk of lung non-adenocarcinoma (hazard ratio (HR) 0...

This work presents data from 148 German native speakers (20-55 years of age), who completed several speaking tasks, ranging from formal tests such as word production tests to more ecologically valid spontaneous tasks that were designed to mimic natural speech. This speech data is supplemented by performance measures on several standardised, computer-based executive functioning (EF) tests covering domains of working-memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibition, and attention. The speech and EF data are further complemented by a rich collection of demographic data that documents education level, family status, and physical and psychological well-being...

Following an initial recovery, COVID-19 survivors struggle with a spectrum of persistent medical complications, including fatigue, breathlessness, weight loss, hair loss, and attention deficits. Additionally, there is growing evidence of adverse effects of COVID-19 on the male reproductive system. This investigation seeks to understand the long-term ramifications on male fertility by examining hormonal profiles, semen parameters, and sperm proteome of recovered COVID-19 patients compared to controls. The serum hormone profiles between the two groups showed minimal variations except for prolactin, cortisol, and testosterone levels...

One of the adverse effects of the antineoplastic drug cisplatin (CS) is damage to testicular tissue. This study aimed to examine the potential therapeutic effect of thymoquinone (TQ), a strong antioxidant, against testicular damage caused by CS. In the experiment, 28 rats were used, and the rats were randomly divided into four groups: control (n = 7), CS (n = 7), CS + TQ (n = 7), and TQ (n = 7). The experiment was called off after all treatments were finished on day 15...

Aggression is a crucial behavior that impacts access to limited resources in different environmental contexts. Androgens synthesized by the gonads promote aggression during the breeding season. However, aggression can be expressed during the non-breeding season, despite low androgen synthesis by the gonads. The brain can also synthesize steroids ('neurosteroids'), including androgens, which might promote aggression during the non-breeding season. Male song sparrows, Melospiza melodia , are territorial year-round and allow the study of seasonal changes in the steroid modulation of aggression...

BACKGROUND: To assess the diagnostic value of combining plasma steroid profiling with machine learning (ML) in differentiating between mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS) and nonfunctioning adenoma (NFA) in patients with adrenal incidentalomas. METHODS: The plasma steroid profiles data in the laboratory information system were screened from January 2021 to December 2023. EXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) was applied to establish diagnostic models using plasma 24-steroid panels and/or clinical characteristics of the subjects...

Di(2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (DEHTP) is an alternative plasticizer widely used in numerous consumer products, replacing di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). Hence, DEHTP has been frequently detected in the environment and humans. As a structural isomer and functional analog of DEHP, DEHTP is a suspected endocrine disruptor. Here, we evaluated DEHTP thyroid-disrupting effects in embryo-larval and adult male zebrafish. We also investigated sex hormone disruption in the adult zebrafish. After 5- and 7-day exposure to DEHTP, significant increases in whole-body thyroid hormonal levels were observed in the larval fish...

BACKGROUND: Past studies on schizophrenia (SCZ) and the stress-sensitive neuroendocrine systems have mostly focused on a single system and traditionally utilized acute biomarkers (e.g., biomarkers from blood, urine and saliva) that poorly match the chronic course of schizophrenia in time span. Using eight biomarkers in hair, this study aimed to explore the functional characteristics of SCZ patients in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axes and the interaction between the two axes...

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Pregnant women are exposed to persistent environmental contaminants, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that disrupt thyroid function. However, it is unclear if PFAS alter maternal sex-steroid hormone levels, which support pregnancy health and fetal development. METHODS: In Illinois women with relatively high socioeconomic status (n = 460), we quantified perfluorononanoic (PFNA), perfluorooctane sulfonic (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic (PFOA), methyl-perfluorooctane sulfonamide acetic acid, perfluorohexanesulphonic (PFHxS), perfluorodecanoic (PFDeA), and perfluoroundecanoic (PFUdA) acid concentrations in fasting serum samples at median 17 weeks gestation, along with plasma progesterone, testosterone, and estradiol...