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Rotimi DE, Iyobhebhe M, Oluwayemi ET, Olajide OP, Akinsanola BA, Evbuomwan IO, Asaleye RM, Ojo OA. Energy metabolism and spermatogenesis. Heliyon 2024; 10:e38591. [PMID: 39397940 PMCID: PMC11470522 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e38591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 09/19/2024] [Accepted: 09/26/2024] [Indexed: 10/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Infertility has become a significant health burden around the globe as it is believed that 15 % of married couples struggle with infertility, with half of the problem accrued to the male. The issue of male infertility could be traced to insufficient or absence of spermatozoa. Glucose metabolism is essential for continued spermatogenesis and for the reproductive potential of sperm cells. Appropriate nutrition is critical in maintaining reproductive function as caloric restriction along with weight reduction, excessive food consumption and obesity are harmful to reproductive function. The link between metabolism and reproduction is tied to metabolic hormones like insulin, leptin and thyroid, extracellular environment, mitochondria function, nutrient substrate, availability, and environmental stressors. Although matured spermatozoa utilize glucose directly, it is not the preferred energy substrate for germ cells as they rely on Sertoli cells to supply lactate. The reproductive potential of sperm cells depends on certain modifications like hyperactivated motility, which is mainly dependent on glucose metabolism. Without other energy sources, spermatozoa utilize their internal lipid stores. The uptake and metabolism of glucose by sperm are essential endpoints for determining the potential fertility of male individuals. The biological energy in sperm cells fuels all the physiological processes they engage in, from their deposition in the female reproductive tract to the point where they fertilize an egg. This article thus reviews facts pertinent to the energy metabolism of male germ cells and Sertoli cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damilare Emmanuel Rotimi
- Department of Biochemistry, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, 251101, Kwara State, Nigeria
- SDG 3, Good Health & Well-being, Landmark University, Nigeria
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Matthew Iyobhebhe
- Department of Biochemistry, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, 251101, Kwara State, Nigeria
- SDG 3, Good Health & Well-being, Landmark University, Nigeria
| | - Elizabeth Temidayo Oluwayemi
- Department of Biochemistry, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, 251101, Kwara State, Nigeria
- SDG 3, Good Health & Well-being, Landmark University, Nigeria
| | | | | | | | - Rotdelmwa Maimako Asaleye
- Department of Life and Consumer Sciences University of South Africa Private Bag X06, Florida, 1710, South Africa
| | - Oluwafemi Adeleke Ojo
- Phytomedicine, Molecular Toxicology, and Computational Biochemistry Research Group, Biochemistry Programme, Bowen University, Iwo, 232101, Nigeria
- Good Health and Wellbeing Research Clusters (SDG 03), Bowen University, Iwo 232102, Nigeria
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Tripathi S, Maurya S, Singh A. Adropin may promote insulin stimulated steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis in adult mice testes. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 341:86-98. [PMID: 37902254 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
Adropin is a versatile peptide which was discovered as a novel metabolic hormone that is involved in the regulation of lipid and glucose homeostasis. However, its possible role in the testicular function is not yet understood. The aim of our study was to explore the distribution pattern of adropin and GPR19 in various cell types and its possible role in testicular functions of adult mice. Immunohistochemical study revealed the intense immunoreactivity of adropin in the Leydig cells, while GPR19 showed intense immunoreactivity in the pachytene spermatocytes and mild immunoreactivity in Leydig cells and primary as well as secondary spermatocytes in mouse testis. Enho mRNA was also found to be expressed in the mouse testis. These findings suggested that adropin-GPR19 signaling may act in autocrine/paracrine manner to modulate testicular functions. Furthermore, to find out the direct role of adropin in the testicular function, in vitro study was performed in which testicular slices were cultured with adropin alone (10 and 100 ng/mL) and in combination with insulin (5 μg/mL). Adropin alone inhibited testicular testosterone synthesis by inhibiting the expression of P450-SCC, 3β-HSD, and 17β-HSD while along with insulin stimulated the testicular testosterone synthesis by increasing the expression of GPR19, IR, StAR, P450-SCC, 3β-HSD, and 17β-HSD. Adropin alone or in combination with insulin promoted germ cell survival and proliferation by upregulating the expression of PCNA, Bcl2, and pERK1/2. Thus, it can be concluded that adropin-GPR19 signaling promotes insulin stimulated steroidogenesis and germ cell survival as well as proliferation in the mice testes in an autocrine/paracrine manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shashank Tripathi
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Shweta Maurya
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Ajit Singh
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
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3
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Trumble BC, Negrey J, Koebele SV, Thompson RC, Samuel Wann L, Allam AH, Beheim B, Linda Sutherland M, Sutherland JD, Eid Rodriguez D, Michalik DE, Rowan CJ, Lombardi GP, Garcia AR, Cummings DK, Seabright E, Alami S, Kraft TS, Hooper P, Buetow K, Irimia A, Gatz M, Stieglitz J, Gurven MD, Kaplan H, Thomas GS. Testosterone is positively associated with coronary artery calcium in a low cardiovascular disease risk population. Evol Med Public Health 2023; 11:472-484. [PMID: 38145005 PMCID: PMC10746324 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoad039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In industrialized populations, low male testosterone is associated with higher rates of cardiovascular mortality. However, coronary risk factors like obesity impact both testosterone and cardiovascular outcomes. Here, we assess the role of endogenous testosterone on coronary artery calcium in an active subsistence population with relatively low testosterone levels, low cardiovascular risk and low coronary artery calcium scores. Methodology In this cross-sectional community-based study, 719 Tsimane forager-horticulturalists in the Bolivian Amazon aged 40+ years underwent computed tomography (49.8% male, mean age 57.6 years). Results Coronary artery calcium levels were low; 84.5% had no coronary artery calcium. Zero-inflated negative binomial models found testosterone was positively associated with coronary artery calcium for the full sample (Incidence Rate Ratio [IRR] = 1.477, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.001-2.170, P = 0.031), and in a male-only subset (IRR = 1.532, 95% CI 0.993-2.360, P = 0.053). Testosterone was also positively associated with clinically relevant coronary atherosclerosis (calcium >100 Agatston units) in the full sample (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.984, 95% CI 1.202-3.275, P = 0.007) and when limited to male-only sample (OR = 2.032, 95% CI 1.118-4.816, P = 0.024). Individuals with coronary artery calcium >100 had 20% higher levels of testosterone than those with calcium <100 (t = -3.201, P = 0.007). Conclusions and Implications Among Tsimane, testosterone is positively associated with coronary artery calcium despite generally low normal testosterone levels, minimal atherosclerosis and rare cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. Associations between low testosterone and CVD events in industrialized populations are likely confounded by obesity and other lifestyle factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Trumble
- Arizona State University, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Human Origins, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Jacob Negrey
- Arizona State University, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Human Origins, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Stephanie V Koebele
- Arizona State University, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Human Origins, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Randall C Thompson
- Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, Department of Cardiology, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - L Samuel Wann
- University of New Mexico, School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Adel H Allam
- Al Azhar University, School of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Bret Beheim
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | | | | | - David E Michalik
- University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Miller Women’s and Children’s Hospital Long Beach, CA, USA
| | | | - Guido P Lombardi
- Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Laboratorio de Paleopatología, Lima, Peru
| | - Angela R Garcia
- Arizona State University, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Human Origins, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | - Edmond Seabright
- Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, School of Collective Intelligence, Ben Guerir, Morocco
| | - Sarah Alami
- Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, School of Collective Intelligence, Ben Guerir, Morocco
| | - Thomas S Kraft
- University of Utah, Anthropology Department, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Paul Hooper
- Chapman University, Economic Science Institute, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Kenneth Buetow
- Arizona State University, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Institute of Human Origins, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Andrei Irimia
- University of Southern California, Psychology Department, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Margaret Gatz
- University of Southern California, Psychology Department, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan Stieglitz
- Toulouse Scool of Economics, Institute for Advanced Study Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Michael D Gurven
- University of California Santa Barbara, Department of Anthropology, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Hillard Kaplan
- Chapman University, Economic Science Institute, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Gregory S Thomas
- MemorialCare Health System, Fountain Valley, CA, USA
- University of California Irvine, Division of Cardiology, Orange, CA, USA
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Caldwell AE, Cummings DK, Hooper PL, Trumble BC, Gurven M, Stieglitz J, Davis HE, Kaplan H. Adolescence is characterized by more sedentary behaviour and less physical activity even among highly active forager-farmers. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231764. [PMID: 37909080 PMCID: PMC10618868 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Over 80% of adolescents worldwide are insufficiently active, posing massive public health and economic challenges. Declining physical activity (PA) and sex differences in PA consistently accompany transitions from childhood to adulthood in post-industrialized populations and are attributed to psychosocial and environmental factors. An overarching evolutionary theoretical framework and data from pre-industrialized populations are lacking. This cross-sectional study tests hypotheses from life history theory, that adolescent PA is inversely related to age, but this association is mediated by Tanner stage, reflecting higher and sex-specific energetic demands for growth and reproductive maturation. Detailed measures of PA and pubertal maturation are assessed among Tsimane forager-farmers (age: 7-22 years; 50% female, n = 110). Most Tsimane sampled (71%) meet World Health Organization PA guidelines (greater than or equal to 60 min/day of moderate-to-vigorous PA). Like post-industrialized populations, sex differences and inverse age-activity associations were observed. Tanner stage significantly mediated age-activity associations. Adolescence presents difficulties to PA engagement that warrant further consideration in PA intervention approaches to improve public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann E. Caldwell
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | | | - Paul L. Hooper
- Economic Science Institute, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Benjamin C. Trumble
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Michael Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan Stieglitz
- Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, Université Toulouse 1 Capitole Toulouse, France
| | - Helen E. Davis
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hillard Kaplan
- Economic Science Institute, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
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5
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Trumble BC, Pontzer H, Stieglitz J, Cummings DK, Wood B, Emery Thompson M, Raichlen D, Beheim B, Yetish G, Kaplan H, Gurven M. Energetic costs of testosterone in two subsistence populations. Am J Hum Biol 2023; 35:e23949. [PMID: 37365845 PMCID: PMC10749987 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Testosterone plays a role in mediating energetic trade-offs between growth, maintenance, and reproduction. Investments in a high testosterone phenotype trade-off against other functions, particularly survival-enhancing immune function and cellular repair; thus only individuals in good condition can maintain both a high testosterone phenotype and somatic maintenance. While these effects are observed in experimental manipulations, they are difficult to demonstrate in free-living animals, particularly in humans. We hypothesize that individuals with higher testosterone will have higher energetic expenditures than those with lower testosterone. METHODS Total energetic expenditure (TEE) was quantified using doubly labeled water in n = 40 Tsimane forager-horticulturalists (50% male, 18-87 years) and n = 11 Hadza hunter-gatherers (100% male, 18-65 years), two populations living subsistence lifestyles, high levels of physical activity, and high infectious burden. Urinary testosterone, TEE, body composition, and physical activity were measured to assess potential physical and behavioral costs associated with a high testosterone phenotype. RESULTS Endogenous male testosterone was significantly associated with energetic expenditure, controlling for fat free mass; a one standard deviation increase in testosterone is associated with the expenditure of an additional 96-240 calories per day. DISCUSSION These results suggest that a high testosterone phenotype, while beneficial for male reproduction, is also energetically expensive and likely only possible to maintain in healthy males in robust condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Trumble
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Herman Pontzer
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Daniel K Cummings
- Department of Health Economics and Anthropology, Economic Science Institute, Argyros School of Business and Economics, Chapman University, Orange, California, USA
| | - Brian Wood
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | - David Raichlen
- Department of Anthropology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Bret Beheim
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology, and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gandhi Yetish
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Hillard Kaplan
- Department of Health Economics and Anthropology, Economic Science Institute, Argyros School of Business and Economics, Chapman University, Orange, California, USA
| | - Michael Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
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6
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Caldwell AE, Cummings DK, Hooper PL, Trumble BC, Gurven M, Stiegltz J, Davis HE, Kaplan H. Adolescence is characterized by more sedentary behavior and less physical activity even among highly active forager-farmers. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.03.15.23287308. [PMID: 36993728 PMCID: PMC10055571 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.15.23287308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Over 80% of adolescents worldwide are insufficiently active, posing massive public health and economic challenges. Declining physical activity (PA) and sex differences in PA consistently accompany transitions from childhood to adulthood in post-industrialized populations and are attributed to psychosocial and environmental factors. An overarching evolutionary theoretical framework and data from pre-industrialized populations are lacking. In this cross-sectional study we test a hypothesis from life history theory, that adolescent PA reductions reflect an evolved strategy to conserve energy, given the increasing sex-specific energetic demands for growth and reproductive maturation. Detailed measures of PA and pubertal maturation are assessed among Tsimane forager-farmers (age: 7-22 yrs.; 50% female, n=110). We find that 71% of Tsimane sampled meet World Health Organization PA guidelines (≥60 minutes/day of moderate-to-vigorous PA). Consistent with post-industrialized populations, we observe sex differences and inverse age-activity associations mediated by Tanner stage. Physical inactivity in adolescence is distinct from other health risk behaviors and also not merely resulting from obesogenic environments.
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Vartanian O, Lam TK, Mandel DR, Ann Saint S, Navarrete G, Carmichael OT, Murray K, Pillai SR, Shankapal P, Caldwell J, Berryman CE, Karl JP, Harris M, Rood JC, Pasiakos SM, Rice E, Duncan M, Lieberman HR. Effect of exogenous testosterone in the context of energy deficit on risky choice: Behavioural and neural evidence from males. Biol Psychol 2023; 176:108468. [PMID: 36481265 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has shown greater risk aversion when people make choices about lives than cash. We tested the hypothesis that compared to placebo, exogenous testosterone administration would lead to riskier choices about cash than lives, given testosterone's association with financial risk-taking and reward sensitivity. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial was conducted to test this hypothesis (Clinical Trials Registry: NCT02734238, www.clinicaltrials.gov). We collected functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from 50 non-obese males before and shortly after 28 days of severe exercise-and-diet-induced energy deficit, during which testosterone (200 mg testosterone enanthate per week in sesame oil) or placebo (sesame seed oil only) was administered. Because we expected circulating testosterone levels to be reduced due to severe energy deficit, testosterone administration served a restorative function to mitigate the impact of energy deficit on testosterone levels. The fMRI task involved making choices under uncertainty for lives and cash. We also manipulated whether the outcomes were presented as gains or losses. Consistent with prospect theory, we observed the reflection effect such that participants were more risk averse when outcomes were presented as gains than losses. Brain activation in the thalamus covaried with individual differences in exhibiting the reflection effect. Testosterone did not impact choice, but it increased sensitivity to negative feedback following risky choices. These results suggest that exogenous testosterone administration in the context of energy deficit can impact some aspects of risky choice, and that individual differences in the reflection effect engage a brain structure involved in processing emotion, reward and risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oshin Vartanian
- Defence Research and Development Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada; University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Timothy K Lam
- Defence Research and Development Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - David R Mandel
- Defence Research and Development Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sidney Ann Saint
- Defence Research and Development Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada; University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Gorka Navarrete
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | | | - Kori Murray
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | | | | | - John Caldwell
- Alaka'ina, Frederick, MD, USA; Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA, USA
| | - Claire E Berryman
- Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA, USA
| | - J Philip Karl
- Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA, USA
| | - Melissa Harris
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | | | - Stefan M Pasiakos
- Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA, USA
| | - Emma Rice
- Defence Research and Development Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada; University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Matthew Duncan
- Defence Research and Development Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Harris R Lieberman
- Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA, USA
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Urlacher SS, Kim EY, Luan T, Young LJ, Adjetey B. Minimally invasive biomarkers in human and non-human primate evolutionary biology: Tools for understanding variation and adaptation. Am J Hum Biol 2022; 34:e23811. [PMID: 36205445 PMCID: PMC9787651 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of minimally invasive biomarkers (MIBs - physiological biomarkers obtained from minimally invasive sample types) has expanded rapidly in science and medicine over the past several decades. The MIB approach is a methodological strength in the field of human and non-human primate evolutionary biology (HEB). Among humans and our closest relatives, MIBs provide unique opportunities to document phenotypic variation and to operationalize evolutionary hypotheses. AIMS This paper overviews the use of MIBs in HEB. Our objectives are to (1) highlight key research topics which successfully implement MIBs, (2) identify promising yet under-investigated areas of MIB application, and (3) discuss current challenges in MIB research, with suggestions for advancing the field. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS A range of MIBs are used to investigate focal topics in HEB, including energetics and life history variation/evolution, developmental plasticity, and social status and dominance relationships. Nonetheless, we identify gaps in existing MIB research on traits such as physical growth and gut function that are central to the field. Several challenges remain for HEB research using MIBs, including the need for additional biomarkers and methods of assessment, robust validations, and approaches that are standardized across labs and research groups. Importantly, researchers must provide better support for adaptation and fitness effects in hypothesis testing (e.g., by obtaining complementary measures of energy expenditure, demonstrating redundancy of function, and performing lifetime/longitudinal analyses). We point to continued progress in the use of MIBs in HEB to better understand the past, present, and future of humans and our closest primate relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel S. Urlacher
- Department of AnthropologyBaylor UniversityWacoTexasUSA
- Human Evolutionary Biology and Health LabBaylor UniversityWacoTexasUSA
- Child and Brain Development ProgramCIFARTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Elizabeth Y. Kim
- Human Evolutionary Biology and Health LabBaylor UniversityWacoTexasUSA
- Department of BiologyBaylor UniversityWacoTexasUSA
| | - Tiffany Luan
- Human Evolutionary Biology and Health LabBaylor UniversityWacoTexasUSA
| | - Lauren J. Young
- Human Evolutionary Biology and Health LabBaylor UniversityWacoTexasUSA
| | - Brian Adjetey
- Human Evolutionary Biology and Health LabBaylor UniversityWacoTexasUSA
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Varanoske AN, Harris MN, Hebert C, Howard EE, Johannsen NM, Heymsfield SB, Greenway FL, Margolis LM, Lieberman HR, Beyl RA, Church DD, Ferrando AA, Pasiakos SM, Rood JC. Testosterone Undecanoate Administration Prevents Declines in Fat-Free Mass but not Physical Performance During Simulated Multi-Stressor Military Operations. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2022; 133:426-442. [PMID: 35796614 PMCID: PMC9359646 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00190.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
CONTEXT Male military personnel conducting strenuous operations experience reduced testosterone, muscle mass, and performance. Pharmacological restoration of normal testosterone may attenuate performance decrements by mitigating muscle loss. Previously, administering testosterone enanthate (200 mg/week) during energy deficit prompted supraphysiological testosterone concentrations and lean mass gain without preventing isokinetic/isometric deterioration. Whether administering a practical dose of testosterone protects muscle and performance during strenuous operations is undetermined. OBJECTIVE Test the effects of a single dose of testosterone on body composition and military-relevant physical performance during a simulated operation. METHODS After a 7-day baseline phase (P1), 32 males (mean±SD; 77.1±12.3 kg, 26.5±4.4 years) received a single dose of either testosterone undecanoate (750 mg; TEST) or placebo (PLA) before a 20-day simulated military operation (P2), followed by a 23-day recovery (P3). Assessments included body composition and physical performance at the end of each phase and circulating endocrine biomarkers throughout the study. RESULTS Total and free testosterone concentrations in TEST were greater than PLA throughout most of P2 (p<0.05), but returned to P1 values during P3. Fat-free mass (FFM) was maintained from P1 to P2 in TEST (mean±SE; 0.41±0.65 kg, p=0.53), but decreased in PLA (-1.85±0.69 kg, p=0.01) and recovered in P3. Regardless of treatment, total body mass and fat mass decreased from P1 to P2 (p<0.05), but did not fully recover by P3. Physical performance decreased during P2 (p<0.05) and recovered by P3, regardless of treatment. CONCLUSIONS Administering testosterone undecanoate before a simulated military operation protected FFM but did not prevent decrements in physical performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa N Varanoske
- Military Nutrition Division, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA, United States.,Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Melissa N Harris
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
| | - Callie Hebert
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
| | - Emily E Howard
- Military Nutrition Division, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA, United States.,Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Neil M Johannsen
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
| | - Steven B Heymsfield
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
| | - Frank L Greenway
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
| | - Lee M Margolis
- Military Nutrition Division, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA, United States
| | - Harris R Lieberman
- Military Nutrition Division, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA, United States
| | - Robbie A Beyl
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
| | - David D Church
- Department of Geriatrics, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Center for Translational Research in Aging and Longevity, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Arny A Ferrando
- Department of Geriatrics, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Center for Translational Research in Aging and Longevity, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Stefan M Pasiakos
- Military Performance Division, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA, United States
| | - Jennifer C Rood
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
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10
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Smith SJ, Teo SYM, Lopresti AL, Heritage B, Fairchild TJ. Examining the effects of calorie restriction on testosterone concentrations in men: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutr Rev 2021; 80:1222-1236. [PMID: 34613412 DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuab072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
CONTEXT Testosterone concentrations decline with age, and lower testosterone concentrations are associated with several morbidities, including sexual dysfunction, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and metabolic syndrome. OBJECTIVE Because dietary habits play a critical role in weight regulation and T2DM management, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to summarize and critically evaluate the evidence from randomized controlled trials to determine the effects of calorie restriction (CR) on testosterone concentrations in men. DATA SOURCES A literature search was conducted across 4 databases, from their inception until March 2020. DATA EXTRACTION The screening and data extraction were completed by 2 authors independently, and in a blinded manner, according to a priori inclusion and exclusion criteria. DATA ANALYSIS Of the 4198 studies identified from the initial search, 7 randomized controlled trials were included for data extraction. Significant increases in total testosterone concentrations were reported in 3 of 4 studies in which CR was examined with overweight or obese men, compared with the control groups. Significant decreases in total testosterone concentrations were reported in 2 of 3 studies in which the effects of CR were examined with normal-weight, healthy men, compared with the control groups. In all 4 studies that examined the effect of CR on sex hormone-binding globulin concentrations, the intervention significantly increased sex hormone-binding globulin concentrations compared with that of the control groups irrespective of body composition. CONCLUSION This systematic review and meta-analysis provide some evidence that CR affects testosterone concentrations in men and this effect depends on their body mass index. PROSPERO registration no. CRD42020173102.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Smith
- S.J. Smith and A.L. Lopresti are with Clinical Research Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. S.J. Smith, S.Y.M. Teo, A.L. Lopresti, B. Heritage, and T.J. Fairchild are with the College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Shaun Y M Teo
- S.J. Smith and A.L. Lopresti are with Clinical Research Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. S.J. Smith, S.Y.M. Teo, A.L. Lopresti, B. Heritage, and T.J. Fairchild are with the College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Adrian L Lopresti
- S.J. Smith and A.L. Lopresti are with Clinical Research Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. S.J. Smith, S.Y.M. Teo, A.L. Lopresti, B. Heritage, and T.J. Fairchild are with the College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Brody Heritage
- S.J. Smith and A.L. Lopresti are with Clinical Research Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. S.J. Smith, S.Y.M. Teo, A.L. Lopresti, B. Heritage, and T.J. Fairchild are with the College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Timothy J Fairchild
- S.J. Smith and A.L. Lopresti are with Clinical Research Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. S.J. Smith, S.Y.M. Teo, A.L. Lopresti, B. Heritage, and T.J. Fairchild are with the College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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11
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Varanoske AN, Harris MN, Hebert C, Howard EE, Johannsen NM, Heymsfield SB, Greenway FL, Margolis LM, Lieberman HR, Church DD, Ferrando AA, Rood JC, Pasiakos SM. Effects of testosterone undecanoate on performance during multi-stressor military operations: A trial protocol for the Optimizing Performance for Soldiers II study. Contemp Clin Trials Commun 2021; 23:100819. [PMID: 34278044 PMCID: PMC8264529 DOI: 10.1016/j.conctc.2021.100819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Previously, young males administered 200 mg/week of testosterone enanthate during 28 days of energy deficit (EDef) gained lean mass and lost less total mass than controls (Optimizing Performance for Soldiers I study, OPS I). Despite that benefit, physical performance deteriorated similarly in both groups. However, some experimental limitations may have precluded detection of performance benefits, as performance measures employed lacked military relevance, and the EDef employed did not elicit the magnitude of stress typically experienced by Soldiers conducting operations. Additionally, the testosterone administered required weekly injections, elicited supra-physiological concentrations, and marked suppression of endogenous testosterone upon cessation. Therefore, this follow-on study will address those limitations and examine testosterone's efficacy for preserving Solder performance during strenuous operations. Methods In OPS II, 32 males will participate in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. After baseline testing, participants will be administered either testosterone undecanoate (750 mg) or placebo before completing four consecutive, 5-day cycles simulating a multi-stressor, sustained military operation (SUSOPS). SUSOPS will consist of two low-stress days (1000 kcal/day exercise-induced EDef; 8 h/night sleep), followed by three high-stress days (3000 kcal/day and 4 h/night). A 23-day recovery period will follow SUSOPS. Military relevant physical performance is the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include 4-comparment body composition, muscle and whole-body protein turnover, intramuscular mechanisms, biochemistries, and cognitive function/mood. Conclusions OPS II will determine if testosterone undecanoate safely enhances performance, while attenuating muscle and total mass loss, without impairing cognitive function, during and in recovery from SUSOPS. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04120363.
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Key Words
- Anabolism
- And hypogonadism
- BIA, bioelectrical impedance analysis
- D2O, deuterium
- DSMB, data and safety monitoring board
- DXA, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry
- ECW, extracellular water
- EDef, energy deficit
- EIEE, exercise-induced energy expenditure
- Energy deficit
- Exercise
- FBR, fractional breakdown rate
- FFM, fat-free mass
- FSR, fractional synthetic rate
- HR, heart rate
- HRR, heart rate reserve
- ICW, intracellular water
- ID, identification
- IRB, Institutional Review Board
- MRE, Meal
- Optimizing Performance for Soldiers Trial I, OPS II
- Optimizing Performance for Soldiers Trial II, PAR-Q+
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, PLA
- Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire+, PB
- Ready-to-Eat, OPS I
- Skeletal muscle
- Sleep deprivation
- TBW, total body water
- TDEE, total daily energy expenditure
- TDEI, total daily energy intake
- TEST, testosterone experimental group
- VO2max, maximal cardiorespiratory fitness
- VO2peak, peak oxygen uptake
- WBGT, wet bulb globe temperature
- placebo experimental group, PS
- protein breakdown, PBRC
- protein synthesis, Q
- ratings of perceived exertion, SUSOPS
- repetition maximum, RNA
- respiratory exchange ratio, RM
- ribonucleic acid, RPE
- sustained, multi-stressor military operations
- whole-body nitrogen flux, RER
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa N Varanoske
- Military Nutrition Division, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA, USA.,Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Melissa N Harris
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Callie Hebert
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Emily E Howard
- Military Nutrition Division, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA, USA.,Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Neil M Johannsen
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Steven B Heymsfield
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Frank L Greenway
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Lee M Margolis
- Military Nutrition Division, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA, USA
| | - Harris R Lieberman
- Military Nutrition Division, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA, USA
| | - David D Church
- Department of Geriatrics, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Center for Translational Research in Aging & Longevity, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Arny A Ferrando
- Department of Geriatrics, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Center for Translational Research in Aging & Longevity, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Jennifer C Rood
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Stefan M Pasiakos
- Military Nutrition Division, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA, USA
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12
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Garcia AR, Trumble B, Kraft TS, Murillo S, Marquez M, Gurven M, Blackwell AD. Does exposure to parasites modify relationships between diurnal cortisol and leukocytes among Honduran women? AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 173:463-479. [PMID: 33460061 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function and related changes in circulating glucocorticoids have been implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases that involve dysregulated immune function. Glucocorticoid hormones have both direct and indirect modulatory effects on both pro- and anti-inflammatory aspects of the immune system, including granulocytic and lymphocytic leukocyte subsets. However, past findings are complicated by inconsistencies across studies in how glucocorticoids and immune markers interact and relate to disease risk. Some incongruencies are likely due to an overreliance on single-unit (e.g., HPA or one immune marker) measures, and a failure to consider ecological exposures that may shape the base levels or correspondence between these systems. Here, we test single-unit and diurnal measures of HPA axis and immune system interactions in a less-industrial ecological setting with relatively high parasite loads. METHODS In a sample of 114 Honduran women (mean age = 36 years), morning and evening blood samples were analyzed to quantify granulocytes, lymphocytes, and immunoglobulin-E (IgE). Saliva was collected over 2 days (8 samples per woman) to measure peak cortisol, cumulative cortisol, and slope of decline. These repeated measures of saliva and venous blood were used to investigate associations between single-point and diurnal salivary cortisol and leukocytes, under variable levels of past parasite exposure (proxied by IgE). RESULTS Individuals with less of a decline in cortisol (i.e., "flatter" decline) show less of an increase in lymphocytes (2.27% increase in cells/μL/hr; 95% CI: 0.91-7.29; p = .01) across the day compared to those with steeper cortisol decline (7.5% increase in lymphocytes; 95% CI: 5.79-9.34; p < .001). IgE levels did not modify this association. Interestingly, IgE did moderate relationships between measures of cortisol and granulocytes: diurnal cortisol was positively associated with granulocytes, only in individuals with high previous exposure to parasites. There were no consistent relationships between single-unit measures of cortisol, lymphocytes or granulocytes, regardless of past parasite exposure. DISCUSSION Results demonstrate that the relationship between HPA function and immune modulation cannot be fully understood without an understanding of local disease ecology. These results highlight the importance of research that seeks to identify etiologies of disease across environmental contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela R Garcia
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.,CESAMO, Utila, Honduras
| | - Ben Trumble
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.,School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Thomas S Kraft
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Sergio Murillo
- CESAMO, Utila, Honduras.,Universidad Catolica de Honduras, San Pedro Sula, Honduras
| | | | - Michael Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Aaron D Blackwell
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA.,Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
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13
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Letkiewicz S, Pilis K, Ślęzak A, Pilis A, Pilis W, Żychowska M, Langfort J. Eight Days of Water-Only Fasting Promotes Favorable Changes in the Functioning of the Urogenital System of Middle-Aged Healthy Men. Nutrients 2020; 13:nu13010113. [PMID: 33396948 PMCID: PMC7824351 DOI: 10.3390/nu13010113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine whether, after 8 days of water-only fasting, there are changes in the efficiency of the lower urinary tract, the concentration of sex hormones, and the symptoms of prostate diseases in a group of middle-aged men (n = 14). For this purpose, before and after 8 days of water-only fasting (subjects drank ad libitum moderately mineralized water), and the following somatic and blood concentration measurements were made: total prostate specific antigen (PSA-T), free prostate specific antigen (PSA-F), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteotropic hormone (LH), prolactin (Pr), total testosterone (T-T), free testosterone (T-F), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), sex hormone globulin binding (SHGB), total cholesterol (Ch-T), β-hydroxybutyrate (β-HB). In addition, prostate volume (PV), volume of each testis (TV), total volume of both testes (TTV), maximal urinary flow rate (Qmax), and International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) values were determined. The results showed that after 8 days of water-only fasting, Qmax and IPSS improved but PV and TTV decreased significantly. There was also a decrease in blood levels of PSA-T, FSH, P, T-T, T-F, and DHEA, but SHGB concentration increased significantly. These results indicate that 8 days of water-only fasting improved lower urinary tract functions without negative health effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sławomir Letkiewicz
- Department of Health Sciences, Jan Długosz University in Częstochowa, 42-200 Częstochowa, Poland; (S.L.); (A.Ś.); (A.P.); (W.P.)
- Urological and Andrological Clinic “Urogen”, 42-600 Tarnowskie Góry, Poland
| | - Karol Pilis
- Department of Health Sciences, Jan Długosz University in Częstochowa, 42-200 Częstochowa, Poland; (S.L.); (A.Ś.); (A.P.); (W.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-34-365-5983 or +48-508-204-403
| | - Andrzej Ślęzak
- Department of Health Sciences, Jan Długosz University in Częstochowa, 42-200 Częstochowa, Poland; (S.L.); (A.Ś.); (A.P.); (W.P.)
| | - Anna Pilis
- Department of Health Sciences, Jan Długosz University in Częstochowa, 42-200 Częstochowa, Poland; (S.L.); (A.Ś.); (A.P.); (W.P.)
| | - Wiesław Pilis
- Department of Health Sciences, Jan Długosz University in Częstochowa, 42-200 Częstochowa, Poland; (S.L.); (A.Ś.); (A.P.); (W.P.)
| | - Małgorzata Żychowska
- Faculty of Physical Education, Department of Sport, Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, 85-091 Bydgoszcz, Poland;
| | - Józef Langfort
- Institute of Sport Sciences, The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, 40-065 Katowice, Poland;
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14
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Gildner TE. Reproductive hormone measurement from minimally invasive sample types: Methodological considerations and anthropological importance. Am J Hum Biol 2020; 33:e23535. [PMID: 33174269 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Energetic investment in human reproduction has long been recognized as costly, influencing developmental, physiological, and behavioral patterns in males and females. These effects are largely coordinated through the actions of reproductive hormones (eg, testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone). Here, the utility and limitations of minimally invasive sampling techniques are explored, providing a novel perspective on how reproductive hormone measurements can enhance reproductive endocrinology research. Salivary steroid measures are most commonly used, although several dried blood spot and urine assays are also available, and researchers continue to explore the efficacy of other sample types. These relatively simple measures have facilitated the collection of multiple samples from a single participant, allowing researchers to more accurately track the diurnal and cyclical variation exhibited by many reproductive hormones. Ultimately, the ability to collect fine-grained participant data allows biological anthropologists to better test questions central to human reproductive ecology, life history theory, and public health. For example, fieldwork using these techniques suggests that testosterone profile variation across populations is influenced by energetic constraints and reproductive status. Moreover, hormone concentrations shape the development of sex characteristics, with implications for evolutionary questions related to sexual selection. Hormone levels also can be used to identify a range of medical concerns (eg, suppressed hormone production levels linked with psychosocial stress). These findings highlight how minimally invasive collection techniques can be applied to test diverse evolutionary hypotheses and identify important health concerns. Still, more work is needed to standardize collection and laboratory analysis procedures, thereby enabling more direct data comparisons between researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa E Gildner
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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15
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Gray PB, Straftis AA, Bird BM, McHale TS, Zilioli S. Human reproductive behavior, life history, and the Challenge Hypothesis: A 30-year review, retrospective and future directions. Horm Behav 2020; 123:104530. [PMID: 31085183 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The Challenge Hypothesis (Wingfield et al., 1990) originally focused on adult male avian testosterone elevated in response to same-sex competition in reproductive contexts. The purpose of the present paper is to demonstrate how the Challenge Hypothesis has shaped ideas about human life histories. We conduct a citation analysis, drawing upon 400 Google Scholar citations in the human literature to identify patterns in this body of scholarship. We cover key factors, such as context and personality traits, that help explain variable testosterone responses such as winning/losing to adult competitive behavior. Findings from studies on courtship and sexual behavior indicate some variation in testosterone responses depending on factors such as motivation. A large body of research indicates that male testosterone levels are often lower in contexts of long-term committed partnerships and nurturant fathering and aligned with variation in male mating and parenting effort. As the Challenge Hypothesis is extended across the life course, DHEA and androstenedione (rather than testosterone) appear more responsive to juvenile male competitive behavior, and during reproductive senescence, baseline male testosterone levels decrease just as male life history allocations show decreased mating effort. We discuss how research on testosterone administration, particularly in older men, provides causal insight into effects of testosterone in humans, and how this "natural experiment" can be viewed in light of the Challenge Hypothesis. We synthesize central concepts and findings, such as an expanded array of costs of testosterone that inform life history tradeoffs between maintenance and reproductive effort, and we conclude with directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter B Gray
- Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Box 455003, Las Vegas, NV 89154-5003, United States of America.
| | - Alex A Straftis
- Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Box 455003, Las Vegas, NV 89154-5003, United States of America
| | - Brian M Bird
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Canada
| | - Timothy S McHale
- Department of Anthropology, Central Washington University, United States of America
| | - Samuele Zilioli
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, United States of America; Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University, United States of America.
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16
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Sarma MS, Boyette AH, Lew-Levy S, Miegakanda V, Kilius E, Samson DR, Gettler LT. Sex differences in daily activity intensity and energy expenditure and their relationship to cortisol among BaYaka foragers from the Congo Basin. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 172:423-437. [PMID: 32441329 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The pooling of energetic resources and food sharing have been widely documented among hunter-gatherer societies. Much less is known about how the energetic costs of daily activities are distributed across individuals in such groups, including between women and men. Moreover, the metabolic physiological correlates of those activities and costs are relatively understudied. MATERIALS AND METHODS Here, we tracked physical activity, energy expenditure (EE), and cortisol production among Congo Basin BaYaka foragers engaged in a variety of daily subsistence activities (n = 37). Given its role in energy mobilization, we measured overall daily cortisol production and short-term cortisol reactivity through saliva sampling; we measured physical activity levels and total EE via the wGT3X-bt actigraph and heart rate monitor. RESULTS We found that there were no sex differences in likelihood of working in common activity locations (forest, garden, house). Across the day, women spent greater percentage time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (%MVPA) and had lower total EE than men. Females with higher EE (kCal/hr) produced greater cortisol throughout the day. Though not statistically significant, we also found that individuals with greater %MVPA had larger decreases in cortisol reactivity. DISCUSSION BaYaka women sustained higher levels of physical activity but incurred lower energetic costs than men, even after factoring in sex differences in body composition. Our findings suggest that the distribution of physical activity demands and costs are relevant to discussions regarding how labor is divided and community energy budgets take shape in such settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mallika S Sarma
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Adam H Boyette
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sheina Lew-Levy
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada.,Department of Archeology and Heritage Studies, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Valchy Miegakanda
- Institut National de Santé Publique, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Erica Kilius
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Canada
| | - David R Samson
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Canada
| | - Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA.,The Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
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17
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Effects of testosterone supplementation on body composition and lower-body muscle function during severe exercise- and diet-induced energy deficit: A proof-of-concept, single centre, randomised, double-blind, controlled trial. EBioMedicine 2019; 46:411-422. [PMID: 31358477 PMCID: PMC6711889 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.07.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Severe energy deficits during military operations, produced by significant increases in exercise and limited dietary intake, result in conditions that degrade lean body mass and lower-body muscle function, which may be mediated by concomitant reductions in circulating testosterone. METHODS We conducted a three-phase, proof-of-concept, single centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (CinicalTrials.gov, NCT02734238) of non-obese men: 14-d run-in, free-living, eucaloric diet phase; 28-d live-in, 55% exercise- and diet-induced energy deficit phase with (200 mg testosterone enanthate per week, Testosterone, n = 24) or without (Placebo, n = 26) exogenous testosterone; and 14-d recovery, free-living, ad libitum diet phase. Body composition was the primary end point; secondary endpoints included lower-body muscle function and health-related biomarkers. FINDINGS Following energy deficit, lean body mass increased in Testosterone and remained stable in Placebo, such that lean body mass significantly differed between groups [mean difference between groups (95% CI), 2.5 kg (3.3, 1.6); P < .0001]. Fat mass decreased similarly in both treatment groups [0.2 (-0.4, 0.7), P = 1]. Change in lean body mass was associated with change in total testosterone (r = 0.71, P < .0001). Supplemental testosterone had no effect on lower-body muscle function or health-related biomarkers. INTERPRETATION Findings suggest that supplemental testosterone may increase lean body mass during short-term severe energy deficit in non-obese, young men, but it does not appear to attenuate lower-body functional decline. FUNDING Collaborative Research to Optimize Warfighter Nutrition projects I and II, Joint Program Committee-5, funded by the US Department of Defence.
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18
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Hodges-Simeon CR, Asif S, Gurven M, Blackwell AD, Gaulin SJC. Testosterone is positively and estradiol negatively associated with mucosal immunity in Amazonian adolescents. Am J Hum Biol 2019; 31:e23284. [PMID: 31273877 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES A core assumption of life history theory and the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis (ICHH) is that testosterone (T) upregulates energetic investment in mating effort at the expense of immunity. This tenet, along with observed positive relationships between estrogens and immunity, may contribute to the higher observed morbidity and mortality of males. In the present study, we examine the association between sex steroid hormones and mucosal immunity as well as sex differences in immunity in a rural Amazonian population of immune-challenged Bolivian adolescents. METHODS Salivary steroid hormones (T [males only] and estradiol [E2 , females only]), Tsimane-specific age-standardized BMI z-scores, and salivary mucosal immunity (sIgA, secretory IgA) were measured in 89 adolescent males and females. RESULTS Males had significantly higher sIgA levels than females, which may be due to the observed immune-endocrine associations found in the present study. Controlling for age and phenotypic condition, higher T significantly predicted higher sIgA; whereas higher E2 was associated with lower sIgA in females. CONCLUSIONS Results stood in contrast to common interpretations of the ICHH, that is, that T should be inversely associated with immunity. Findings from the present study support the notion that the endocrine system likely affects immunity in a regulatory fashion, upregulating certain aspects of immunity while downregulating others. An important remaining question is the adaptive reason(s) for sex differences in endocrine-mediated immuno-redistribution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Soubhana Asif
- Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Michael Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California
| | - Aaron D Blackwell
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California.,Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Pullman, Washington
| | - Steven J C Gaulin
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California
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19
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Positive selection of type 2 diabetes genotypes - the glycaemic threshold hypothesis. Med Hypotheses 2019; 127:150-153. [PMID: 31088640 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2019.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The high prevalence of deleterious polygenic type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a paradox requiring explanation beyond food excess, inactivity and the obesity resulting from positive energy balance. Historically, hunting-foraging and later agrarian communities often manifested a converse negative energy balance due to nutritional deficit and/or high physical energy demand - both potentially resulting in hypoglycaemia. Since hypoglycaemia impairs both reproductive fitness and cognitive function, it is proposed that that by expressing resistance to hypoglycaemia, T2D phenotypes were subject to positive selection. The insulin resistance present in often-associated atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and polycystic ovarian disease may also explain their frequent coexistence and current prevalence.
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20
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Doyle JA, Brindle E. Development and validation of hair specimen collection methods among extremely short-length Afro-textured hair. Am J Hum Biol 2019; 31:e23222. [PMID: 30791169 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Cortisol, a biomarker of stress, is slowly deposited into the growing hair strands on the head. Meyer, Novak, Hamel, and Rosenberg (2014) established a method for hair cortisol extraction and analysis, and showed that hair cortisol can serve as an integrated measure of psychophysiological stress activity during the period of hormone incorporation into the hair. The hair sample collection methods offered, however, (ie, cutting as close to the scalp as possible with scissors) is inefficient when collecting samples among participants with Afro-textured and extremely short-length hair types. In this article, we propose an alternative method for collecting hair among this group. METHODS Our proposed alternative method involves sampling hair from all sections of the scalp, rather than the posterior-vertex position alone. This provides more volume of hair making it feasible to extract and analyze cortisol in extremely short-length Afro-textured hair types. To validate this method, we compared a homogeneous specimen of hair cortisol sampled from all regions to that from the posterior-vertex region of the scalp, a region most commonly sampled. RESULTS There was no statistical difference between the homogeneous mixture and the posterior-vertex region of the scalp. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that our proposed method may serve as a feasible alternative to the currently prevailing standard collection methodology, and underscores the importance of diversifying hair cortisol research beyond the limitations of developing collection methodologies only suited for straighter-textured hair types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julius A Doyle
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, New York
| | - Eleanor Brindle
- Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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21
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Parental hormones are associated with crop loss and family sickness following catastrophic flooding in lowland Bolivia. Physiol Behav 2018; 193:101-107. [PMID: 29730037 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2017] [Revised: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The physiology of fatherhood is a growing field of study, and variability in hormonal mediators of reproductive effort (e.g. testosterone, cortisol) can predict variability in paternal investment. Studies often find that lower testosterone levels are associated with increased paternal investment, though most studies are conducted under relatively stable ecological conditions. In this paper, we examine parental physiological correlates of crop loss and family health problems among Tsimane forager-horticulturalists following a catastrophic flood in lowland Bolivia. Immediately after a devastating 2014 flood that impacted >75% of Tsimane communities, we conducted structured interviews examining crop losses and morbidity, and collected saliva specimens from 421 parents (n = 292 households) to analyze cortisol and testosterone. Over 98% of interviewees reported horticultural losses, with the average family losing 88% of their crops, while 80% of families reported flood-induced injuries or illnesses. Controlling for age, body mass index, and time of specimen collection, men's testosterone was negatively associated with both absolute cropland losses (Std. β = -0.16, p = 0.037), and percent of cropland lost (Std. β = -0.16, p = 0.040). Female testosterone was not associated with crop losses. Using the same control variables, both male and female cortisol was negatively associated with a composite measure of child health burden (fathers: Std. β = -0.34, p < 0.001; mothers: Std. β = -0.23, p = 0.037). These results are discussed in the cultural context of a strong sexual division of labor among Tsimane; we highlight the physiological and psychosocial costs of experiencing a natural disaster, especially for paternal caregivers in a nutritionally and pathogenically stressed subsistence population where cultigens provide the majority of calories in the diet.
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22
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Jaeggi AV, Trumble BC, Brown M. Group-level competition influences urinary steroid hormones among wild red-tailed monkeys, indicating energetic costs. Am J Primatol 2018; 80:e22757. [PMID: 29635811 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Revised: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Various theories emphasize that intergroup competition should affect intragroup cooperation and social relationships, especially if the cost of intergroup competition outweighs that of intragroup competition. This cost of intergroup competition may be quantified by changes in physiological status, such as in the steroid hormones cortisol (C) and testosterone (T), which rise or are depressed during periods of energetic stress, respectively. Here we tested for changes in urinary C and T after intergroup encounters (IGEs) among wild red-tailed monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius), a species that experiences frequent intergroup feeding competition, at the Ngogo station in Kibale National Park, Uganda. We assayed 108 urine samples, of which 36 were collected after IGEs, from 23 individuals in four social groups. Bayesian multilevel models controlling for various confounds revealed that IGEs increased C and decreased T relative to baseline, consistent with an energetic cost to IGEs. The C change was more apparent in samples collected early after IGEs, suggesting an anticipatory increase, whereas the T change was stronger in later samples, suggesting sustained energetic trade-offs. Hormone responses were not affected by the IGE outcome. This cost to intergroup competition, together with little evidence for intragroup competition in redtails and other guenons, establishes an interesting test case for theories emphasizing the effect of intergroup competition on intragroup cooperation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian V Jaeggi
- Departmentof Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Benjamin C Trumble
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Michelle Brown
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California
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23
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Heller M, Roberts ST, Masese L, Ngina J, Chohan N, Chohan V, Shafi J, McClelland RS, Brindle E, Graham SM. Gender-Based Violence, Physiological Stress, and Inflammation: A Cross-Sectional Study. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2018; 27:1152-1161. [PMID: 29630431 DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2017.6743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Female sex workers (FSWs) are at high risk for gender-based violence (GBV) and HIV infection. This study aimed to identify associations between GBV exposure in the past 12 months and biomarkers of physiologic stress and inflammation that may play a role in increased HIV risk among Kenyan FSWs. MATERIALS AND METHODS Participating women responded to a detailed questionnaire on GBV and mental health. Plasma was collected for assessment of systemic C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. Hair proximal to the scalp was collected to measure cortisol concentration. CRP and IL-6 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and hair cortisol concentration was determined by enzyme immunoassay. Log-transformed biomarker values were compared across GBV exposure categories using Kruskal-Wallis or Wilcoxon rank sum tests. Multivariable linear regression was used to explore associations between recent GBV and hair cortisol concentration. RESULTS Two hundred eighty-three women enrolled, of whom 112 (39.6%) reported physical, sexual, or emotional violence in the past 12 months, 134 (47.3%) reported more remote exposure, and 37 (13.1%) reported no exposure. CRP and IL-6 levels did not differ across groups (p = 0.57 and p = 0.62, respectively). Among 141 women who provided hair, cortisol concentrations were higher among recently exposed women compared to the other two groups combined (p = 0.02). In multivariable regression, recently exposed women had higher hair cortisol levels than remotely exposed or unexposed women (adjusted beta = 0.52, 95% confidence interval 0.02-1.02, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS While CRP and IL-6 levels did not differ by GBV category, recent GBV was associated with increased hair cortisol concentration. GBV-related increases in cortisol could affect health outcomes and merit study in relation to HIV acquisition risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine Heller
- 1 David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA , Los Angeles, California
| | | | - Linnet Masese
- 3 Department of Global Health, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
| | - Jacquiline Ngina
- 3 Department of Global Health, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington.,4 Department of Medicine, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
| | - Neha Chohan
- 3 Department of Global Health, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
| | - Vrasha Chohan
- 4 Department of Medicine, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
| | - Juma Shafi
- 5 Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, University of Nairobi , Nairobi, Kenya
| | - R Scott McClelland
- 6 Department of Medicine, Global Health and Epidemiology, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
| | - Eleanor Brindle
- 7 Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
| | - Susan M Graham
- 6 Department of Medicine, Global Health and Epidemiology, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
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24
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Zilioli S, Bird BM. Functional significance of men's testosterone reactivity to social stimuli. Front Neuroendocrinol 2017; 47:1-18. [PMID: 28676436 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2017.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Revised: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Rapid testosterone fluctuations in response to social stimuli are observed across a wide range of species, and the highly conserved nature of these fluctuations suggests an adaptive function. This paper reviews the current literature on testosterone reactivity, primarily in human males, and illustrates how life-history theory provides an adequate theoretical framework to interpret findings. The review is structured around supporting evidence suggesting that situations implicated in mating effort either directly (e.g., interactions with a mate) or indirectly (e.g., intrasexual competition) are generally associated with a brief elevation of testosterone, while situations implicated in parenting effort (e.g., nurturant interactions with offspring) are generally associated with a decline in testosterone. Further, we discuss how these fluctuations in testosterone have been linked to future behaviors, and how situational, motivational, and physiological variables moderate the interplay between social stimuli, testosterone reactivity, and behavior. Supporting the notion that testosterone can play a causal role in modulating behavior in response to social stimuli, we also summarize recent single administration studies examining the effects of testosterone on physiology, neurobiology, and behavior. A conceptual model provides links between supported findings, and hypothesized pathways requiring future testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuele Zilioli
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA; Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
| | - Brian M Bird
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
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25
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García AR, Gurven M, Blackwell AD. A matter of perception: Perceived socio-economic status and cortisol on the island of Utila, Honduras. Am J Hum Biol 2017; 29. [PMID: 28667791 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Numerous studies link low objective and subjective socioeconomic status (SES) to chronic activation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. Here, we examine associations between objective and subjective SES and diurnal salivary cortisol, a primary HPA component, as well as demographic and ecological predictors associated with SES perceptions and changes in diurnal cortisol. METHODS Participants were residents (age 18-79, n = 61) of Utila, a Honduran island where economic disparities are overt and geographically contained. Objective SES was measured as a composite of income, education, and occupation. Subjective SES was measured with a MacArthur ladder and a perceived lifestyle discrepancy (PLD) scale. Salivary cortisol was collected three times per day for two days. Questions addressing demographic, social, and household characteristics were assessed as predictors of PLD. RESULTS Assessed independently, objective SES (P = .06) and PLD (P = .003) were associated with the steepness of diurnal cortisol changes, while PLD was also associated with higher cortisol area under the curve (AUC) (P = .036). Modeled together, only PLD predicted diurnal slope and AUC. PLD was associated with household sanitation, immigration status, food scarcity, objective SES, and owing money. Only access to sanitation and owing money had direct associations with cortisol that were not mediated by PLD. CONCLUSIONS For adults on Utila, perceptions of unmet need outweigh other social and economic status factors in predicting cortisol AUC and slope. In addition, the unmediated effects of access to sanitation and owing money on cortisol suggest that these distinct aspects of inequality are important to consider when seeking to understand how inequality can impact HPA function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela R García
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106-3210
| | - Michael Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106-3210
| | - Aaron D Blackwell
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106-3210
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26
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Zhang Z, Zhang Y, Liu C, Zhao M, Yang Y, Wu H, Zhang H, Lin H, Zheng L, Jiang H. Serum Metabolomic Profiling Identifies Characterization of Non-Obstructive Azoospermic Men. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18020238. [PMID: 28125052 PMCID: PMC5343775 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18020238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Revised: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Male infertility is considered a common health problem, and non-obstructive azoospermia with unclear pathogenesis is one of the most challenging tasks for clinicians. The objective of this study was to investigate the differential serum metabolic pattern in non-obstructive azoospermic men and to determine potential biomarkers related to spermatogenic dysfunction. Serum samples from patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (n = 22) and healthy controls (n = 31) were examined using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Serum metabolomic profiling could differentiate non-obstructive azoospermic patients from healthy control subjects. A total of 24 metabolites were screened and identified as potential markers, many of which are involved in energy production, oxidative stress and cell apoptosis in spermatogenesis. Moreover, the results showed that various metabolic pathways, including d-glutamine and d-glutamate metabolism, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, the citrate cycle and alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, were disrupted in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia. Our results indicated that the serum metabolic disorders may contribute to the etiology of non-obstructive azoospermia. This study suggested that serum metabolomics could identify unique metabolic patterns of non-obstructive azoospermia and provide novel insights into the pathogenesis underlying male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Zhang
- Department of Urology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Yingwei Zhang
- Department of Nephrology, General Hospital of Jinan Military, Jinan 250000, China.
| | - Changjie Liu
- The Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, the Institute of Systems Biomedicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Sciences of Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Mingming Zhao
- The Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, the Institute of Systems Biomedicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Sciences of Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Yuzhuo Yang
- Department of Urology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Han Wu
- Department of Urology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Hongliang Zhang
- Department of Human Sperm Bank, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Haocheng Lin
- Department of Urology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Lemin Zheng
- The Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, the Institute of Systems Biomedicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Sciences of Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Hui Jiang
- Department of Urology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.
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27
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Laws KM, Drummond-Barbosa D. Control of Germline Stem Cell Lineages by Diet and Physiology. Results Probl Cell Differ 2017; 59:67-99. [PMID: 28247046 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-44820-6_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Tight coupling of reproduction to environmental factors and physiological status is key to long-term species survival. In particular, highly conserved pathways modulate germline stem cell lineages according to nutrient availability. This chapter focuses on recent in vivo studies in genetic model organisms that shed light on how diet-dependent signals control the proliferation, maintenance, and survival of adult germline stem cells and their progeny. These signaling pathways can operate intrinsically in the germ line, modulate the niche, or act through intermediate organs to influence stem cells and their differentiating progeny. In addition to illustrating the extent of dietary regulation of reproduction, findings from these studies have implications for fertility during aging or disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin M Laws
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Daniela Drummond-Barbosa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. .,Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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28
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Cardoso AM, Alves MG, Mathur PP, Oliveira PF, Cavaco JE, Rato L. Obesogens and male fertility. Obes Rev 2017; 18:109-125. [PMID: 27776203 DOI: 10.1111/obr.12469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2016] [Revised: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
In the last decades, several studies evidenced a decrease in male fertility in developed countries. Although the aetiology of this trend in male reproductive health remains a matter of debate, environmental compounds that predispose to weight gain, namely obesogens, are appointed as contributors because of their action as endocrine disruptors. Obesogens favour adipogenesis by an imbalance of metabolic processes and can be found virtually everywhere. These compounds easily accumulate in tissues with high lipid content. Obesogens change the functioning of male reproductive axis, and, consequently, the testicular physiology and metabolism that are pivotal for spermatogenesis. The disruption of these tightly regulated metabolic pathways leads to adverse reproductive outcomes. Notably, adverse effects of obesogens may also promote disturbances in the metabolic performance of the following generations, through epigenetic modifications passed by male gametes. Thus, unveiling the molecular pathways by which obesogens induce toxicity that may end up in epigenetic modifications is imperative. Otherwise, a transgenerational susceptibility to metabolic diseases may be favoured. We present an up-to-date overview of the impact of obesogens on testicular physiology, with a particular focus on testicular metabolism. We also address the effects of obesogens on male reproductive parameters and the subsequent consequences for male fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Cardoso
- Health Sciences Research Centre (CICS-UBI), University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal
| | - M G Alves
- Health Sciences Research Centre (CICS-UBI), University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal
| | - P P Mathur
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, India.,KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, India
| | - P F Oliveira
- Department of Microscopy, Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS) and Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine (UMIB), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,i3S- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - J E Cavaco
- Health Sciences Research Centre (CICS-UBI), University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal
| | - L Rato
- Health Sciences Research Centre (CICS-UBI), University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal
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29
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Trumble BC, Blackwell AD, Stieglitz J, Thompson ME, Suarez IM, Kaplan H, Gurven M. Associations between male testosterone and immune function in a pathogenically stressed forager-horticultural population. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 161:494-505. [PMID: 27465811 PMCID: PMC5075254 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Revised: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Despite well-known fitness advantages to males who produce and maintain high endogenous testosterone levels, such phenotypes may be costly if testosterone-mediated investment in reproductive effort trade-off against investment in somatic maintenance. Previous studies of androgen-mediated trade-offs in human immune function find mixed results, in part because most studies either focus on a few indicators of immunity, are confounded by phenotypic correlation, or are observational. Here the association between male endogenous testosterone and 13 circulating cytokines are examined before and after ex vivo antigen stimulation with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in a high pathogen population of Bolivian forager-horticulturalists. MATERIALS AND METHODS A Milliplex 13-plex cytokine panel measured cytokine concentration in whole blood samples from 109 Tsimane men aged 40-89 (median = 50 years) before and after antigen stimulation with PHA and LPS. Urinary testosterone was measured via enzyme immunoassay, demographic, and anthropometric data were collected as part of the Tsimane Health and Life History Project. RESULTS Higher endogenous testosterone was associated with down-regulated responses in all cytokines after PHA stimulation (but significantly in only 2/13 cytokines), controlling for age and body mass index. In contrast, testosterone was not significantly associated with down-regulation of cytokines after LPS stimulation. MANOVAs indicate that men with higher testosterone showed reduced cytokine responses to PHA compared with LPS (p = 0.0098). DISCUSSION Endogenous testosterone appears to be immunomodulatory rather than immunosuppressive. Potentially costlier forms of immune activation like those induced by PHA (largely T-cell biased immune activation) are down-regulated in men with higher testosterone, but testosterone has less impact on potentially less costly immune activation following LPS stimulation (largely B-cell mediated immunity).
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Trumble
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA.
- Tsimane Health and Life History Project, San Borja, Bolivia.
| | - Aaron D Blackwell
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
- Tsimane Health and Life History Project, San Borja, Bolivia
| | - Jonathan Stieglitz
- Tsimane Health and Life History Project, San Borja, Bolivia
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
- Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | | | | | - Hillard Kaplan
- Tsimane Health and Life History Project, San Borja, Bolivia
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
| | - Michael Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
- Tsimane Health and Life History Project, San Borja, Bolivia
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30
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Trumble BC, Jaeggi AV, Gurven M. Evolving the neuroendocrine physiology of human and primate cooperation and collective action. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 370:20150014. [PMID: 26503687 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
While many hormones play vital roles in facilitating or reinforcing cooperative behaviour, the neurohormones underlying competitive and cooperative behaviours are largely conserved across all mammals. This raises the question of how endocrine mechanisms have been shaped by selection to produce different levels of cooperation in different species. Multiple components of endocrine physiology--from baseline hormone concentrations, to binding proteins, to the receptor sensitivity and specificity--can evolve independently and be impacted by current socio-ecological conditions or individual status, thus potentially generating a wide range of variation within and between species. Here, we highlight several neurohormones and variation in hormone receptor genes associated with cooperation, focusing on the role of oxytocin and testosterone in contexts ranging from parenting and pair-bonding to reciprocity and territorial defence. While the studies reviewed herein describe the current state of the literature with regard to hormonal modulators of cooperation and collective action, there is still a paucity of research on hormonal mechanisms that help facilitate large-scale collective action. We end by discussing several potential areas for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Trumble
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Adrian V Jaeggi
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Michael Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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31
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Roney JR. Theoretical frameworks for human behavioral endocrinology. Horm Behav 2016; 84:97-110. [PMID: 27320181 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2015] [Revised: 06/05/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
How can we best discover the ultimate, evolved functions of endocrine signals within the field of human behavioral endocrinology? Two related premises will guide my proposed answer. First, hormones typically have multiple, simultaneous effects distributed throughout the brain and body, such that in an abstract sense their prototypical function is the coordination of diverse outcomes. Second, coordinated output effects are often evolved, functional responses to specific eliciting conditions that cause increases or decreases in the relevant hormones. If we accept these premises, then a natural way to study hormones is to hypothesize and test how multiple eliciting conditions are mapped into coordinated output effects via hormonal signals. I will call these input-output mappings "theoretical frameworks." As examples, partial theoretical frameworks for gonadal hormones will be proposed, focusing on the signaling roles of testosterone in men and on estradiol and progesterone in women. Recent research on oxytocin in humans will also be considered as an example in which application of the theoretical framework approach could be especially helpful in making functional sense of the diverse array of findings associated with this hormone. The theoretical framework approach is not especially common in the current literature, with many theories having eschewed explicit consideration of input-output mappings in favor of parsimony-based arguments that attempt to find the one main thing that a hormone does with respect to psychology or behavior. I will argue that these parsimony-based models have many shortcomings, and conclude that the construction and testing of theoretical frameworks provides a better means of discovering the evolved functions of human endocrine signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Roney
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, United States.
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32
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Boddy AM, Kokko H, Breden F, Wilkinson GS, Aktipis CA. Cancer susceptibility and reproductive trade-offs: a model of the evolution of cancer defences. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 370:rstb.2014.0220. [PMID: 26056364 PMCID: PMC4581025 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2014.0220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The factors influencing cancer susceptibility and why it varies across species are major open questions in the field of cancer biology. One underexplored source of variation in cancer susceptibility may arise from trade-offs between reproductive competitiveness (e.g. sexually selected traits, earlier reproduction and higher fertility) and cancer defence. We build a model that contrasts the probabilistic onset of cancer with other, extrinsic causes of mortality and use it to predict that intense reproductive competition will lower cancer defences and increase cancer incidence. We explore the trade-off between cancer defences and intraspecific competition across different extrinsic mortality conditions and different levels of trade-off intensity, and find the largest effect of competition on cancer in species where low extrinsic mortality combines with strong trade-offs. In such species, selection to delay cancer and selection to outcompete conspecifics are both strong, and the latter conflicts with the former. We discuss evidence for the assumed trade-off between reproductive competitiveness and cancer susceptibility. Sexually selected traits such as ornaments or large body size require high levels of cell proliferation and appear to be associated with greater cancer susceptibility. Similar associations exist for female traits such as continuous egg-laying in domestic hens and earlier reproductive maturity. Trade-offs between reproduction and cancer defences may be instantiated by a variety of mechanisms, including higher levels of growth factors and hormones, less efficient cell-cycle control and less DNA repair, or simply a larger number of cell divisions (relevant when reproductive success requires large body size or rapid reproductive cycles). These mechanisms can affect intra- and interspecific variation in cancer susceptibility arising from rapid cell proliferation during reproductive maturation, intrasexual competition and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Boddy
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA Center for Evolution and Cancer, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Institute for Advanced Study, 14193 Berlin, Germany
| | - Hanna Kokko
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Institute for Advanced Study, 14193 Berlin, Germany Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Felix Breden
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Institute for Advanced Study, 14193 Berlin, Germany Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
| | - Gerald S Wilkinson
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Institute for Advanced Study, 14193 Berlin, Germany Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - C Athena Aktipis
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA Center for Evolution and Cancer, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Institute for Advanced Study, 14193 Berlin, Germany
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Hodges-Simeon CR, Gurven M, Gaulin SJ. The low male voice is a costly signal of phenotypic quality among Bolivian adolescents. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2015.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Rato L, Alves MG, Cavaco JE, Oliveira PF. High-energy diets: a threat for male fertility? Obes Rev 2014; 15:996-1007. [PMID: 25346452 DOI: 10.1111/obr.12226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2014] [Revised: 08/26/2014] [Accepted: 08/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Male fertility is declining in developed countries, as well as in developing countries. External factors linked to lifestyle, such as eating disorders, negatively affect spermatogenesis, both at central and gonadal levels. The overconsumption of high-energy diets (HED) alters the functioning of the male reproductive axis and consequently affects the testicular physiology, disrupting its metabolism and bioenergetic capacity. Testicular metabolism presents unique characteristics, partly because of its cellular heterogeneity and to the specific functions that each cell type plays within the testicular environment. Disruption of the tightly regulated metabolic pathways leads to adverse reproductive outcomes, such as inefficient energy supply to germ cells, sperm defects or spermatogenesis arrest. Testicular metabolic alterations induced by HED intake may also lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, which is closely associated to reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction and oxidative stress. ROS easily target spermatozoa DNA and lipids, contributing to decreased sperm quality. Thus, understanding the detrimental effects of HED overconsumption on the pathways underlying testicular metabolism and sperm production is imperative; otherwise, one may favour a transgenerational amplification of subfertility. Herein, we present an up-to-date overview of the effects of HED on testicular metabolism, sperm parameters and the subsequent consequences for male fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Rato
- CICS - UBI - Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal
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Prall SP, Muehlenbein MP. Testosterone and Immune Function in Primates: A Brief Summary with Methodological Considerations. INT J PRIMATOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-014-9752-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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37
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Alvarado LC. Do evolutionary life-history trade-offs influence prostate cancer risk? a review of population variation in testosterone levels and prostate cancer disparities. Evol Appl 2013; 6:117-33. [PMID: 23396824 PMCID: PMC3567477 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2012] [Revised: 10/31/2012] [Accepted: 11/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
An accumulation of evidence suggests that increased exposure to androgens is associated with prostate cancer risk. The unrestricted energy budget that is typical of Western diets represents a novel departure from the conditions in which men's steroid physiology evolved and is capable of supporting distinctly elevated testosterone levels. Although nutritional constraints likely underlie divergent patterns of testosterone secretion between Westernized and non-Western men, considerable variability exists in men's testosterone levels and prostate cancer rates within Westernized populations. Here, I use evolutionary life history theory as a framework to examine prostate cancer risk. Life history theory posits trade-offs between investment in early reproduction and long-term survival. One corollary of life history theory is the 'challenge hypothesis', which predicts that males augment testosterone levels in response to intrasexual competition occurring within reproductive contexts. Understanding men's evolved steroid physiology may contribute toward understanding susceptibility to prostate cancer. Among well-nourished populations of Westerners, men's testosterone levels already represent an outlier of cross-cultural variation. I hypothesize that Westernized men in aggressive social environments, characterized by intense male-male competition, will further augment testosterone production aggravating prostate cancer risk.
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Konishi S, Brindle E, Guyton A, O'Connor KA. Salivary concentration of progesterone and cortisol significantly differs across individuals after correcting for blood hormone values. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2012; 149:231-41. [PMID: 22826025 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2011] [Accepted: 06/12/2012] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Between-individual variation of salivary progesterone (P4) and cortisol levels does not always closely reflect blood hormone concentrations. This may be partly a function of individual differences in salivary hormone excretion. We tested whether time of day at sampling and ethnicity contributed to individual variation in salivary hormones after adjusting for blood hormone levels. Forty-three Caucasian and 15 Japanese women (18-34 years) collected four sets of matched dried blood spot (DBS) and saliva specimens across a menstrual cycle (N = 232 specimen sets). Linear fixed-effects (LFE) models were used to estimate the effects of diurnal variation and ethnicity on salivary P4 and cortisol while adjusting for DBS levels. For each hormone, women with exclusively positive or negative residuals (unexplained variance) from the LFE models were categorized as high- or low-saliva-to-DBS hormone ratio (SDR; high or low salivary secretors), respectively. We found that salivary P4 (P < 0.05) was significantly higher in early morning compared to the afternoon, after controlling for DBS levels, ethnicity, and BMI. After further adjusting for this diurnal effect, significant individual variation in salivary P4 and cortisol remained: sixteen and nine women, respectively were categorized as low or high salivary secretors for both hormones (P < 0.001), suggesting systematic individual-specific variation of salivary hormonal concentration. We conclude that when saliva is used to quantify P4 or cortisol levels, time of day at sampling should be controlled. Even with this adjustment, salivary P4 and cortisol do not closely mirror between- individual variation of serum P4 and cortisol in a substantial proportion of individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoko Konishi
- Department of Human Ecology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
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Abstract
Male factor infertility is increasing in developed countries, and several factors linked to lifestyle have been shown to negatively affect spermatogenesis. Sertoli cells are pivotal to spermatogenesis, providing nutritional support to germ cells throughout their development. Sertoli cells display atypical features in their cellular metabolism; they can metabolize various substrates, preferentially glucose, the majority of which is converted to lactate and not oxidized via the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Why Sertoli cells preferentially export lactate for germ cells is not entirely understood. However, lactate is utilized as the main energy substrate by developing germ cells and has an antiapoptotic effect on these cells. Several biochemical mechanisms contribute to the modulation of lactate secretion by Sertoli cells. These include the transport of glucose through the plasma membrane, mediated by glucose transporters; the interconversion of pyruvate to lactate by lactate dehydrogenase; and the release of lactate mediated by monocarboxylate transporters. Several factors that modulate Sertoli cell metabolism have been identified, including sex steroid hormones, which are crucial for maintenance of energy homeostasis, influencing the metabolic balance of the whole body. In fact, energy status is essential for normal reproductive function, since the reproductive axis has the capacity to respond to metabolic cues.
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Trumble BC, Cummings D, von Rueden C, O'Connor KA, Smith EA, Gurven M, Kaplan H. Physical competition increases testosterone among Amazonian forager-horticulturalists: a test of the 'challenge hypothesis'. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:2907-12. [PMID: 22456888 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.0455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The challenge hypothesis posits that acute increases in testosterone (T) during male-male competition enhance performance and survivability while limiting the physiological costs of consistently high T. Human challenge hypothesis research focuses on young men in industrial populations, who have higher baseline T levels than men in subsistence populations. We tested whether the Tsimane, pathogenically stressed forager-horticulturalists of the Bolivian Amazon, would express acute T increases in response to physical competition. Saliva was collected from 88 Tsimane men (aged 16-59 years) before and after a competitive soccer match. Tsimane men had significantly lower baseline levels of T (β = -0.41, p < 0.001) when compared with age-matched United States (US) males. Linear mixed-effects models were used to establish that T increased significantly immediately following competition (β = 0.23, p < 0.001), remaining high 1 h later (β = 0.09, p = 0.007); equivalent to 30.1 and 15.5 per cent increases in T, respectively. We did not find larger increases in T among winners (p = 0.412), although T increases were positively associated with self-rated performance (β = 9.07, p = 0.004). These results suggest that despite lower levels of T than US males, Tsimane males exhibit acute increases in T at the same relative magnitude reported by studies in industrialized settings, with larger increases in T for those who report better individual performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Trumble
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, , Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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Simmons ZL, Roney JR. Variation in CAG repeat length of the androgen receptor gene predicts variables associated with intrasexual competitiveness in human males. Horm Behav 2011; 60:306-12. [PMID: 21722642 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2011.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2011] [Revised: 06/09/2011] [Accepted: 06/15/2011] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
An expanding body of research suggests that circulating androgens regulate the allocation of energy between mating and survival effort in human males, with higher androgen levels promoting greater investment in mating effort. Because variations in the number of CAG codon repeats in the human androgen receptor (AR) gene appear to modulate the phenotypic effects of androgens - with shorter repeat lengths associated with greater androgenic effects per unit androgen - polymorphisms in this gene may predict trait-like individual differences in the degree to which men are calibrated toward greater mating effort. Consistent with this, men in the present study with shorter CAG repeat lengths exhibited greater upper body strength and scored higher on self-report measures of dominance and prestige, all of which are argued to be indices of mating effort. Repeat length failed to predict sociosexual orientation (i.e. pursuit of short-term mating relationships), however, suggesting that the traits correlated with this polymorphism may be primarily associated with intrasexual competitiveness in the service of long-term mating effort. None of these measures of mating effort was related to baseline testosterone concentrations (either as main effects or as interactions with CAG repeat length), implying that long-term androgen exposure associated with AR gene polymorphisms may account for more variance in some androgen-dependent traits than does current testosterone concentration. These findings provide further evidence for the importance of the CAG repeat polymorphism in the AR gene in explaining a broad range of individual differences in human males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary L Simmons
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, USA.
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