Context: It is important to characterize the biological activity of circulating androgenic steroid hormones during the menopausal transition because these appear to impact the metabolic and cardiovascular health risk factors of women.
Objective: The objective of the study was to develop and characterize a cell-based bioassay that measures the androgen receptor-mediated signal transduction in serum.
Design: This was a clinically relevant experimental study nested in a sample population of a longitudinal cohort study.
Setting: The study was conducted at a university laboratory.
Methods: A receptor-mediated luciferase expression bioassay based on HEK 293 cells that were stably cotransfected with plasmids containing the human androgen receptor and luciferase gene was developed. In 49 samples from menstruating women aged 42-52 yr, total testosterone (T) and SHBG concentrations were measured by immunoassay; free T concentrations were calculated from the total T and SHBG concentrations.
Results: Mean total T concentration of the sample was 1.15 nm (sd 0.46, range 0.57-3.86 nm). The mean bioactive androgen detected was 1.00 nm (sd 0.24, range 0.53-1.60 nm). Calculated free T (mean 0.0156 nm) was significantly lower than the levels of bioactive androgens measured by receptor-mediated bioassay. There was significant positive correlation between bioactive androgen levels and total T values in young women and polycystic ovarian disorder patients, whereas no correlation was found between the two values in middle-aged women.
Conclusions: An androgen receptor-mediated bioassay can provide additional information in the evaluation of total bioactive androgens in midlife women. Our data suggest that levels of circulating SHBG may have a significant impact on the levels of total circulating bioavailable androgens.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1210/jc.2006-0284 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Formononetin ameliorates polycystic ovary syndrome through suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome.
Mol Med
January 2025
Reproduction and Genetics Center, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 42 Wenhua West Road, Lixia District, Jinan, 250014, Shandong, China.
Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common gynecological disease accompanied by multiple clinical features, including anovulation, hyperandrogenism, and polycystic ovarian morphology, leading to infertility. Formononetin (FMN), which is a major bioactive isoflavone compound in Astragalus membranaceus, exerts anti-inflammatory effects. However, whether FMN is effective in the treatment of PCOS remains unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBurnt Plastic (Pyroplastic) from the M/V Ship Fire and Plastic Spill Contain Compounds That Activate Endocrine and Metabolism-Related Human and Fish Transcription Factors.
Environ Health (Wash)
January 2025
Department of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States.
In May 2021, the M/V ship fire disaster led to the largest maritime spill of resin pellets (nurdles) and burnt plastic (pyroplastic). Field samples collected from beaches in Sri Lanka nearest to the ship comprised nurdles and pieces of pyroplastic. Three years later, the toxicity of the spilled material remains unresolved.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGas-propelled anti-hair follicle aging microneedle patch for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia.
J Control Release
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Natural Bioactive Molecules and Discovery of Innovative Drugs, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511436, China. Electronic address:
Existing treatments for androgenetic alopecia (AGA) are unsatisfactory, owing to the two major reasons: (1) Oxidative stress and vascularization deficiency in the perifollicular microenvironment provoke the premature senescence of hair follicles, limiting the transformation of hair growth cycle from the telogen to the anagen phase; (2) The amount of drug delivered to the perifollicular region located in the deep dermis is very limited for passive drug delivery systems. Herein, we developed a gas-propelled microneedle patch integrated with ferrum-chelated puerarin/quercetin nanoparticles (PQFN) to increase drug accumulation in hair follicles and reshape the perifollicular microenvironment for improved hair-regenerating effects. PQFN can rejuvenate testosterone (Tes)-induced senescence of dermal papilla cells by scavenging ROS, restoring mitochondrial function, regulating signaling pathways related to hair regeneration, and upregulating hair growth-promoting genes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEffect of Proanthocyanidins from Grape Seed Extract on Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.
Nutrients
December 2024
Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Background/objectives: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most common chronic diseases affecting the urinary tract that occurs mainly in men over 40 years of age. Among the natural therapies, proanthocyanidins (PACs), which can treat a wide range of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs), have been shown to play an important role in the treatment of pathologies concerning prostate health. In this regard, the present study aimed to evaluate the different bioactivities of a grape seed extract (GSE), rich in polymeric PACs, and its version processed under alkaline conditions (ATGSE), characterized by a higher content of oligomeric PACs, in an animal model of BPH induced by subcutaneous injection of testosterone (1 mg/mouse).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAngelica gigas Nakai (Korean Dang-gui) Root Alcoholic Extracts in Health Promotion and Disease Therapy - active Phytochemicals and In Vivo Molecular Targets.
Pharm Res
January 2025
Penn State Cancer Institute, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA.
Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN) root is a medicinal herbal widely used in traditional medicine in Korea. AGN root ethanolic extracts have been marketed as dietary supplements in the United States for memory health and pain management. We have recently reviewed the pharmacokinetics (PK) and first-pass hepatic metabolism of ingested AGN supplements in humans for the signature pyranocoumarins decursin (D, C 1x), decursinol angelate (DA, C ~ 10x) and their common botanical precursor and hepatic metabolite decursinol (DOH, C ~ 1000x).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!