R. Palmer Howard

THE INFLUENCE OF GONADAL HORMONES ON SERUM LIPIDS AND LIPOPROTEINS: STUDIES IN NORMAL AND HYPOGONADAL SUBJECTS

Excerpt Clinicians have known for almost 200 years that the manifestations of coronary atherosclerosis are much more frequent in men than in women. Numerous autopsy studies have disclosed the disea...

A Comparison of the Serum Lipids, Lipoproteins, Glycoproteins, Urinary 17-Ketosteroids, and Gonadotropins in Eunuchs and Control Male Subjects

The proclivity of men to coronary artery disease has been recognized for almost 2 centuries. The gonadal hormones have understandably come under scrutiny in the search for the explanation of this marked sex difference in susceptibility to disease. Sex hormones are known to alter the physical state of the serum lipids. It has been suggested that eunuchs suffer a less severe form of coronary atherosclerosis than uncastrated subjects. This study compares the serum lipids and lipoproteins, as well as other serum and urinary constituents, in 24 castrated and 20 uncastrated institutionalized men.

Metabolic and Serum Lipid Effects of Δ1-Testololactone.

Summary Δ1-Testololactone administration caused no protein anabolic or androgenic effects in 4 subjects. Serum cholesterol and phospholipid levels fell, however, as did a lipoprotein lipids in three. The a lipoprotein effect is typical of testosterone and suggests a separation of lipoprotein from androgenic-anabolic properties in a testosterone derivative

Effect of N-(1-methyl-2,3,di-p-chlorophenylpropyl)-maleamic acid (benzmalecene) on serum lipids and lipoproteins.

Summary Administration of Benzmalecene alters serum lipids as follows: 1) decreases serum total and esterified cholesterol concentrations; 2) decreases cholesterol and phospholipid content of α (density >1.063 g/ml) and β (density >1.019<1.063 g/ml) lipoproteins; 3) increases serum phospholipid and triglyceride concentrations: 4) increases, both absolutely and relatively, cholesterol and phospholipid content of lipoproteins of density <1.019 g ml; and, 5) decreases C P ratio in whole serum and in α and β lipoproteins. The compound possesses extraordinary lipid-altering properties which warrant further investigation. However, the increase in low density lipoprotein lipids may be an undesirable effect since low density lipoproteins may play a role in atherogenesis.

STUDIES COMPARING THE EFFECTS OF CERTAIN TESTOSTERONE ESTERS IN MAN

This is a brief preliminary report of an investigation which will be published in detail when it is completed. The study was initiated for two immediate purposes: 1) to compare in man the relative activity of certain testosterone esters in terms of the duration and the amount of their protein-anabolic and urinary 17-ketosteroid-augmenting properties; and 2) to provide a basis upon which to select the most suitable compound for the prolonged induction of these metabolic manifestations in man. In addition, this investigation has two long-range objectives: 1) to determine whether these testosterone esters and certain of their metabolic properties exhibit a dose-response relationship in the human ; and 2) to create a background of observations against which new potential therapeutic agents may be evaluated for these metabolic properties. Testosterone induces in man anabolism of protoplasm as indicated by retention of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulfur in the proportions that exist in protoRlasm during metabolic balance studies (1, 2). This steroid is metabolized and excreted as urinary 17-ketosteroid compounds, with exogenous testosterone adding an increment to the metabolites that arise from endogenous sources of the hormone (3).