Mechanistic insights into the aetiology of post-prandial decline in testosterone in reproductive-aged men

dc.contributor.authorTremellen, K.
dc.contributor.authorHill, A.
dc.contributor.authorPearce, K.
dc.date.issued2019
dc.description.abstractObesity is known to be associated with impaired testicular function potentially resulting in androgen deficiency and subfertility. While the underlying cause of obesity-related male hypogonadism is multi-factorial, here, we investigated the impact of dietary fat on testicular endocrine function. Ingestion of a high-fat “fast food” mixed meal, a common practice for obese men, produced a 25% fall in serum testosterone within an hour of eating, with levels remaining suppressed below fasting baseline for up to 4 hr. These changes in serum testosterone were not associated with any significant changes in serum gonadotrophins. The nadir in serum testosterone preceded the post-prandial increase in serum IL-6/IL-17 by several hours, suggesting that inflammation was unlikely the cause. Furthermore, intravenous administration of fat (Intralipid) had no impact on testosterone levels, while an identical oral dose of fat did suppress testosterone. These results suggest that fat does not directly impair Leydig cell function, but rather the passage of fat through the intestinal tract elicits a response that indirectly elicits a post-prandial fall in testosterone.
dc.identifier.citationAndrologia, 2019; 51(10, article no. e13418):1-9
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/and.13418
dc.identifier.issn0303-4569
dc.identifier.issn1439-0272
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/11541.2/138907
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherWiley
dc.rightsCopyright 2019 Blackwell
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1111/and.13418
dc.subjectfat
dc.subjectfood
dc.subjectinflammation
dc.subjectpost‐prandial
dc.subjecttestosterone
dc.titleMechanistic insights into the aetiology of post-prandial decline in testosterone in reproductive-aged men
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished
ror.mmsid9916315708301831

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