Stem cell activation in adults can reverse detrimental changes in body composition to reduce fat and increase lean mass in both sexes

Lifespan Effects of Muscle-Specific Androgen Receptor Overexpression on Body Composition of Male and Female Rats

Androgenic actions of gonadal testosterone are thought to be a major mechanism promoting sex differences in body composition across the lifespan. However, this inference is based on studies of androgen receptor (AR) function in late adolescent or emerging adult rodents. Here we assess body composition and AR expression in skeletal muscle of rats at defined ages, comparing wild-type (WT) to transgenic human skeletal actin-driven AR overexpression (HSAAR) rats which overexpress AR in skeletal muscle. Male and female HSAAR and WT Sprague Dawley rats (N = 288) underwent dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning and tissue collection at postnatal day (PND) 1, 10, 21, 42, 70, 183, 243, and 365. Expected sex differences in body composition and muscle mass largely onset with puberty (PND-21), with no associated changes to skeletal muscle AR protein. In adulthood, HSAAR increased tibialis anterior (TA) and extensor digitorum longus mass in males, and reduced the expected gain in gonadal fat mass in both sexes. In WT rats, AR protein was reduced in soleus, but not TA, throughout life. Nonetheless, soleus AR protein expression was greater in male rats than female rats at all ages of sexual development, yet only at PND-70 in TA. Overall, despite muscle AR overexpression effects, results are inconsistent with major sex differences in body composition during sexual development being driven by changes in muscle AR, rather suggesting that changes in ligand promote sexual differentiation of body composition during pubertal timing. Nonetheless, increased skeletal muscle AR in adulthood can be sufficient to increase muscle mass in males, and reduce adipose in both sexes.

The role of the androgen receptor in the pathogenesis of obesity and its utility as a target for obesity treatments

Obesity is associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis dysregulation in males. Here, we summarize recent evidence derived from clinical trials and studies in preclinical animal models regarding the role of androgen receptor (AR) signaling in the pathophysiology of males with obesity. We also discuss therapeutic strategies targeting the AR for the treatment of obesity and their limitations and provide insight into the future research necessary to advance this field.

The androgen receptor in bone marrow progenitor cells negatively regulates fat mass

It is well established that testosterone negatively regulates fat mass in humans and mice; however, the mechanism by which testosterone exerts these effects is poorly understood. We and others have shown that deletion of the androgen receptor (AR) in male mice results in a phenotype that mimics the three key clinical aspects of hypogonadism in human males; increased fat mass and decreased bone and muscle mass. We now show that replacement of the Ar gene specifically in mesenchymal progenitor cells (PCs) residing in the bone marrow of Global-ARKO mice, in the absence of the AR in all other tissues (PC-AR Gene Replacements), completely attenuates their increased fat accumulation. Inguinal subcutaneous white adipose tissue and intra-abdominal retroperitoneal visceral adipose tissue depots in PC-AR Gene Replacement mice were 50-80% lower than wild-type (WT) and 75-90% lower than Global-ARKO controls at 12 weeks of age. The marked decrease in subcutaneous and visceral fat mass in PC-AR Gene Replacements was associated with an increase in the number of small adipocytes and a healthier metabolic profile compared to WT controls, characterised by normal serum leptin and elevated serum adiponectin levels. Euglycaemic/hyperinsulinaemic clamp studies reveal that the PC-AR Gene Replacement mice have improved whole-body insulin sensitivity with higher glucose infusion rates compared to WT mice and increased glucose uptake into subcutaneous and intra-abdominal fat. In conclusion, these data provide the first evidence for an action of androgens via the AR in mesenchymal bone marrow PCs to negatively regulate fat mass and improve metabolic function.

Effects of diet containing flaxseed flour (Linum usitatissimum) on body adiposity and bone health in young male rats

This study evaluated the effects of flaxseed flour on body adiposity and bone health in rats fed a flaxseed flour diet during lactation until 90 days.

Androgen prevents hypogonadal bone loss via inhibition of resorption mediated by mature osteoblasts/osteocytes

Androgen receptor (AR) is expressed throughout the osteoblast lineage. Two different AR transgenic families (AR2.3-tg and AR3.6-tg mice) demonstrating overlapping and distinct expression profiles were employed to assess the effects of enhanced androgen sensitivity to ameliorate hypogonadal loss. Two different paradigms of steroid replacement following orchidectomy (ORX) were used as either preventative or therapeutic therapy. ORX was performed in male wild-type (WT), AR2.3-tg and AR3.6-tg mice at 5 months with immediate DHT replacement (prevention, higher turnover) or at 3 months with DHT treatment delayed for 2 months (therapeutic, lower turnover), both with treatment for the last 6 weeks. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), micro-computed tomography (μCT), and histomorphometry were performed. In the prevention model, ORX significantly reduced BMD and BMC in all genotypes compared to sham and DHT was effective at prevention of osteopenia. In the therapeutic model, all genotypes became osteopenic compared to sham, but after a prolonged hypogonadal period, delayed DHT treatment provided little benefit. μCT analysis of mid-shaft total bone in all genotypes generally showed reductions after ORX. Delayed DHT was ineffective at restoring bone volume in any genotype whereas immediate treatment prevented loss only in AR transgenic mice. Cortical thickness also decreased with ORX but immediate DHT treatment was effective to increase thickness only in WT mice, likely due to expansion of marrow volume in both AR-tg lines. In metabolically highly active cancellous bone, ORX resulted in lower bone volume/tissue volume (BV/TV) in all genotypes, consistent among 3 sites measured. Again with delayed treatment, there was little effect of DHT to restore BV/TV, but when administered at the time of ORX, DHT completely prevented the decrease in cancellous bone in all genotypes. Improvement in cancellous bone architecture was seen with immediate DHT replacement that was enhanced in AR transgenic lines compared to WT. In contrast, there were only modest changes in all genotypes using the delayed treatment paradigm. With ORX in both paradigms, trabecular number was decreased while spacing increased. Thus, androgen therapy is effective for the prevention of endosteal and cancellous osteopenia primarily through its anti-resorptive properties, but shows little anabolic action as a therapeutic strategy to restore bone. Given the similarity in response to androgen treatment in both AR transgenic lines, overlapping expression profiles suggest that the target cells mediating androgen action in vivo are mature osteoblast/osteocytes. Combined, these results demonstrate that in the adult mouse, androgen treatment can reduce bone resorption but has little overall anabolic activity.