Testosterone is the predominant androgen in men and the lack of it can be a trigger to the development of the metabolic syndrome. Here we review the relationship between testosterone deficiency, metabolic syndrome, and hepatic steatosis reported by studies with men and rodents. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and testosterone deficiency is higher among older subjects. Low total and free testosterone levels were positively associated with disturbs on energy metabolism, changes in body fat distribution, and body composition. Studies reported visceral fat accumulation in men with hypogonadism and castrated rats. Despite some contradictions, the association between higher adiposity, low testosterone, and metabolic syndrome was a common point among the studies. Few studies evaluated the hepatic steatosis and found an association with hypogonadism. Most of the studies with rodents combined the castration with a high-fat diet to study metabolic disturbs. The importance of proper levels of testosterone for energy metabolism homeostasis in men was also underlined by studies that investigated the metabolic effects of testosterone replacement therapy and androgen deprivation therapy.
The aging male : the official journal of the International Society for the Study of the Aging Male. 2020 May 14 [Epub ahead of print]
Danielle Aparecida Munhos Hermoso, Paulo Francisco Veiga Bizerra, Rodrigo Polimeni Constantin, Emy Luiza Ishii-Iwamoto, Eduardo Hideo Gilglioni
Departament of Biochemistry, Laboratory of Biological Oxidation and Laboratory of Experimental Steatosis, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Brazil.