Serum zine and pituitary gonadal axis in impotent diabetics

ABSTRACT

The materials of the study were 52 subjects divided into 3 groups, 26 diabetic Impotent group, 16 diabetic non. impotent and 10 as control group. Hormonal studies showed that there was a significant decrease in serum testosterone in diabetic as a whole in comparison to control [p <0.05]. but the difference was statistically insignificant between the diabetic impotent and non-impotent group. Serum prolactin was increased significantly in diabetic impotent group in comparison to both the diabetic non-impotent group [p<0.05] Or the control group [p<0.01]. Serum LH levels were insignificantly elevated in the diabetic impotent group. No corelations were found between any of these hormones and duration of diabetes, fasting blood sugar, duration of impotence and age of the patients. Serum zinc estimation and 24 urinary zinc excretion showed that there was an increase in the percentage of patients with low serum zinc among the impotent group more than the non impotent group. Also there was a significant hyperzincuria among diabetics in general but more in the diabetic impotent group [p<0.01]. The low serum zinc is inversly correlated with high serum prolactin levels [r+0.35]. The degree of zinc excretion was also positively correlated with fasting blood sugar and duration of diabetes. This study suggest that endocrinal dysfunction and disturbid zinc metabolism are among factors that interplay for causation of impotence in diabetes mellitus