Clonical Experience on Non-Scrotal Testosterone Transdermal Patch in the Middle Aged Male / 대한내분비학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: To evaluate metabolic effects of testosterone on whole bodily systems, non-scrotal testosterone transdermal patch was given to middle aged men. METHODS: Sixteen impotent patients with serum testosterone levels between 300 and 500 ng/dL, were recruited for 6 month of treatment with non-scrotal testosterone transdermal delivery system, and six patients dropped during the study. All patients have a non-organic impotence (mean age48 +/- 7). After 1 month placebo patch running period, patients were given 1 or 2 patches. The parameters were evaluated at each stage; before treatment, after placebo patch, and after testosterone patch for 3 months and 6 months. The evaluation parameters included body weight, blood pressure, heart rate, body mass index (BMI), body fat, haemoglobin, haematocrit, RBC, lipid profiles, Prostatic Specific Antigen (PSA), Transrectal Ultrasonography (TRUS), International Prostatic Symptom Score (IPSS), bone markers such as osteocalcin and Deoxypyridinoline (dPyr), Bone Mineral Density (BMD), psychological evaluation with Questionnaire and hormones such as cortisol, Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH), prolactin, testosterone and Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG). Sexual functions were evaluated by means of sexual Questionnaire which has grade systems (high grade means good response) on each domain. RESULTS: Hormonal, hematopoietic, lipid and prostatic parametem were not changed with statistical insignificance. There were no significant changes in BMD. But mean osteocalcin values increased about 31.5% (p<0.05). Bone resorption marker, D-Pyr values were also decreased significantly about 18.6% after 4 montbs treatment, but such changes were not shown after 6 months. Tendencies of improvement in all domains of Sexual Questionnaire were noticed, even though they were not statistically significant except in frequency of coitus and satisfaction with ejaculation (p<0.05), CONCLUSION: Decreased bone resorption was noticed while persistent increased bone formation occurred after 4 months treatment of testosterone. Testosterone supplementation has a beneficial effects on mood and sexual function in the impotent patients with lower borderline testosterone level. And it can be concluded that 6 months testosterone treatment dose not produce any adverse reactions on bodily system.