The effect of testosterone level on metabolic syndrome: a cross-sectional study

Effects of Heat Stress-Induced Sex Hormone Dysregulation on Reproduction and Growth in Male Adolescents and Beneficial Foods

Heat stress due to climate warming can significantly affect the synthesis of sex hormones in male adolescents, which can impair the ability of the hypothalamus to secrete gonadotropin-releasing hormone on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, which leads to a decrease in luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone, which ultimately negatively affects spermatogenesis and testosterone synthesis. For optimal spermatogenesis, the testicular temperature should be 2-6 °C lower than body temperature. Heat stress directly affects the testes, damaging them and reducing testosterone synthesis. Additionally, chronic heat stress abnormally increases the level of aromatase in Leydig cells, which increases estradiol synthesis while decreasing testosterone, leading to an imbalance of sex hormones and spermatogenesis failure. Low levels of testosterone in male adolescents lead to delayed puberty and incomplete sexual maturation, negatively affect height growth and bone mineral density, and can lead to a decrease in lean body mass and an increase in fat mass. In order for male adolescents to acquire healthy reproductive capacity, it is recommended to provide sufficient nutrition and energy, avoid exposure to heat stress, and provide foods and supplements to prevent or repair testosterone reduction, germ cell damage, and sperm count reduction caused by heat stress so that they can enter a healthy adulthood.

Risk factors and lipid metabolism characteristics of early-onset male androgenetic alopecia: A pilot study

BACKGROUND

Male androgenetic alopecia (MAA) is a multifactorial disease, with patients presenting at a younger age, which is a risk factor for many metabolic diseases.

AIMS

To explore the risk factors associated with early-onset of MAA and its metabolic characteristics.

METHODS

Forty patients with MAA and 45 healthy controls were collected. The serum levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total testosterone (TT), uric acid (UA), and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) were measured. Meanwhile, lipid metabolites were detected by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS).

RESULTS

37.50% MAA patients had metabolic syndrome, compared to 17.78% in control group (p < 0.05). The levels of HDL-C, UA, and 25(OH)D were decreased in patients with MAA compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the level of TT between the two groups. Additionally, there were no significant differences in the levels of HDL-C, UA, 25(OH)D, and TT among different grades of hair loss (p > 0.05). The lipid profile of early-onset MAA differed significantly from healthy controls. In early-onset MAA, the levels of ceramide (Cer) and sphingomyelin (SM) were significantly lower. Cer(d38:5) and TG(15:0/18:1/18:1) may be the biomarkers.

CONCLUSION

Low HDL-C, UA, and 25(OH)D may be the independent risk factors for early-onset MAA. Abnormal lipid metabolism was observed in early-onset MAA, wherein Cer and SM may serve as protective factors.