Influence of Male Hormones on Regional Fat Metabolism
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2013-01-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The male sex hormone, testosterone, plays an important role in determining body fat
distribution in men. This is especially evident in the dramatic shift in body composition as
boys and girls reach sexual maturity. Normal weight women have twice the body fat of a normal
weight man (30% vs. 15% on average) and men will have twice the stomach fat as women (10% vs.
5% of fat as intra-abdominal, men vs. women). These are likely sex-steroid linked events.
Short and long term changes in regional fat distribution accompany testosterone deficiency
and can be reversed by testosterone replacement. Testosterone deficient men have increased
stomach fat that can be reversed with testosterone replacement therapy. Interestingly, the
mechanism by which testosterone affects where we store fat is unknown. It is important to
understand how testosterone influences where we store fat as it is well established that
increased stomach fat results in elevated disease risk.
The proposed study aims to examine the effect of short term, temporary testosterone decreases
on how and where men store fat. The investigators will compare fat storage between men given
Lupron to temporarily decrease testosterone levels those that receive Lupron plus
testosterone replacement vs. a no treatment control group. Comparing these three groups will
allow us to understand the effects of testosterone on short-term changes in fat tissue
function that lead to the long-term changes in where we store body fat.
Phase:
Phase 1
Details
Lead Sponsor:
Mayo Clinic
Collaborators:
Abbott National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)