ABSTRACT
Oxytocin [OXT] is implicated as a novel therapy of obesity-diabetes. Nesfatin is an anorexigenic adipokine linked to improve insulin sensitivity and dysglycemia in obese/T2DM mice, while endothelin-1 [ET-1] is an endothelium vasoconstrictor that is dysregulated in metabolic insulin resistance. The aim of this study was to investigate OXT, ET-1, and nesfatin plasma levels and the correlation between these biomarkers and the various metabolic parameters in the human. In a cross-sectional study, MS-subjects attended the National Center for Diabetes Endocrinology and Genetics were enrolled based on their blood glucose levels into [82 MS-non-diabetic vs. 89 MS-pre/diabetic patients]. Plasma OXT, ET-1 and nesfatin levels were measured by competitive binding and sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays [ELISA]. When MS-pre/T2DM patients were compared to MS-controls, plasma OXT concentrations [pg/mL] were significantly lower [P < 0.001] [mean +/- SD; 1206.28 +/- 507.68 vs. 2224 +/- 871.22]; nesfatin plasma levels [ng/mL] were significantly higher [P < 0.01] [1.04 +/- 2.20 vs. 0.31 +/- 0.25]; while no differences were observed in ET-1 [pg/mL] plasma levels [P > 0.05] [4.21 +/- 4.19 vs. 4.01 +/- 3.51]. In conclusion, the present study is the first one which demonstrates an increase in nesfatin concentrations in MS-pre/diabetic patients vs. MS-non-diabetic. Our study reported a decrease in OXT levels in MS-pre/T2DM compared to MS-control. Besides, ET-1 concentrations had no significant difference between non-diabetic and diabetic-MS patients, serum OXT concentrations correlated with several clinical parameters; this is suggestive of OXT as a pharmacologic agent that opposes weight gain and improves insulin resistance
ABSTRACT
We report the clinical and hormonal findings in 5 cases of bilateral anorchism. Five male patients aged 3-5 years presented with suspected cryptorchidism. Physical examination, hormonal, imaging, chromosomal, and molecular analyses of these cases were performed. Ultrasonography of the pelvis and magnetic resonance of the abdomen were performed and failed to show any true testicular tissue or showed only atrophied suspicious testicular tissue. Chromosomal analysis revealed a normal male karyotype and molecular analysis did not reveal mutations or polymorphisms in the SRY gene. The basal FSH and LH levels were increased, and there were increase in response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone test, testosterone levels failed to increase after hCG administration. Lastly, surgical exploration confirmed the absence of testicular structure in three of them. Diagnostically, the very low anti Mullerian hormone level combined with the lack of testosterone response to hCG are the hormonal hallmarks of bilateral congenital anorchia
ABSTRACT
A high prevalence of low serum testosterone [LST] in men with type 2 diabetes have been reported worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and associated factors of LST in men with type 2 diabetes. This was a cross-sectional study, conducted among 1,089 men [aged 30-70 years] with type 2 diabetes who consecutively attended a major diabetes center in Amman, Jordan, between August 2008 and February 2009. The patients' demographic characteristics were collected using a prestructured questionnaire. Duration of diabetes, smoking habits, presence of retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy were collected from the medical records. All participants were asked to complete the Androgen Deficiency in Ageing Male [ADAM] questionnaire. Venous blood sample was collected to test for total testosterone [TT], free testosterone [FT], sex hormone binding globulin [SHBG], follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH], luteinizing hormone [LH], prolactin [PRL], serum lipids, and glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c]. LST was defined as TT <3 ng/ml. Overall, 36.5% of patients with diabetes had TT level <3 ng/ml and 29% had symptoms of androgen deficiency. Of those with serum testosterone level <3 ng/ml, 80.2% had symptoms of androgen deficiency, 16.9% had primary hypogonadism [HG], and 83.1% had secondary HG. Univariate analysis showed a significant relationship between age, income, education, body mass index [BMI], smoking, duration of diabetes, diabetic nephropathy, diabetic neuropathy, and HbA1c. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated age, income, BMI, and diabetic neuropathy as the independent risk factors of LST. The prevalence of LST among men with type 2 diabetes is high. Age, income, BMI, and diabetic neuropathy were found to be the independent risk factors for LST