Serum adiponectin levels in hypogonadal males: influence of testosterone replacement therapy

• Published in: Clinical endocrinology (Oxford) 2004-04, Vol.60 (4), p.500-507
• Main Authors: Lanfranco, Fabio, Zitzmann, Michael, Simoni, Manuela, Nieschlag, Eberhard
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adiponectin; Adult; Aged; Analysis of Variance; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Endocrinopathies; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hormone Replacement Therapy; Humans; Hypogonadism - blood; Hypogonadism - drug therapy; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Proteins - analysis; Retrospective Studies; Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin - analysis; Testosterone - blood; Testosterone - therapeutic use; Vertebrates: endocrinology
• ISSN: 0300-0664; 1365-2265
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2004.02007.x

Summary objective  Adiponectin is an adipocyte‐specific secretory protein which exhibits antiatherogenic, anti‐inflammatory and antidiabetic properties. We hypothesized that testosterone plays an important role in the regulation of its secretion in humans, as adiponectin concentrations are higher in women than in men and as testosterone administration is accompanied by a reduction in serum adiponectin in animals and by reduced protein secretion in cultured adipocytes. This study aimed to evaluate adiponectin levels in hypogonadal men prior to and during testosterone replacement therapy. subjects and methods  In a retrospective study, adiponectin, total and free testosterone, oestradiol, SHBG, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were evaluated in 31 hypogonadal men [HM; age, mean ± SEM: 36·5 ± 2·4 years; body mass index (BMI) 24·6 ± 0·8 kg/m2] and 29 weight‐matched eugonadal men (EM; age 30·8 ± 1·5 years; BMI 23·4 ± 0·6 kg/m2). In 13 HM (age 33·9 ± 3·2 years; BMI 24·2 ± 0·9 kg/m2) the same parameters were also evaluated after 6 months of testosterone replacement therapy. Correlation analysis between adiponectin and hormonal, biochemical and anthropometric parameters was performed in all subjects. results  Testosterone, free testosterone and oestradiol concentrations were significantly lower in HM than in EM (4·4 ± 0·4 nmol/l, 78·4 ± 10·9 pmol/l and 36·1 ± 3·0 pmol/l, respectively, in HM vs. 21·9 ± 0·7 nmol/l, 507·9 ± 13·8 pmol/l and 65·2 ± 1·8 pmol/l, respectively, in EM, P