Serum sex steroids and steroidogenesis-related enzyme expression in skeletal muscle during experimental weight gain in men
DIABETES & METABOLISM
Authors: Sato, K.; Samocha-Bonet, D.; Handelsman, D. J.; Fujita, S.; Wittert, G. A.; Heilbronn, L. K.
Abstract
Objectives. - Low-circulating testosterone is associated with development of type 2 diabetes in obese men. In this study, we examined the effects of experimental overfeeding and weight gain on serum levels of sex hormones and skeletal muscle expression of steroidogenic enzymes in healthy men with (FH+) and without (FH-) a family history of type 2 diabetes. Methods. - Following a 3-day lead in energy balanced diet, FH+ (n = 9) and FH- men (n = 11) were overfed by 5200 kJ/day (45% fat) for 28 days. Body weight, fasting glucose, insulin, sex steroid, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels, insulin sensitivity (hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamp) and body fat (DXA) were assessed in all individuals at baseline and day 28, and sex steroidogenesis-related enzyme expression in vastus lateralis biopsies was examined in a subset (n=11). Results. - Body weight, fat mass and fasting insulin levels were increased by overfeeding (P < 0.01) and insulin was increased significantly more in FH+ men (P < 0.01). Serum sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) were reduced with overfeeding (P < 0.05), and serum testosterone and DHT were reduced to a greater extent in FH+ men (P < 0.05). Overfeeding reduced mRNA expression of 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) and 17 beta HSD (P <= 0.007), independently of group. 5 alpha-Reductase (SRD5A1) mRNA expression was not changed overall, but a time by group interaction was observed (P = 0.04). Conclusion. - Overfeeding reduced SHBG and muscle expression of enzymes involved in the formation of testosterone in skeletal muscle. Men with a family history of T2DM were more susceptible to deleterious outcomes of overfeeding with greater reductions in serum testosterone and DHT and greater increases in markers of insulin resistance, which may contribute to increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. (C) 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
A low carbohydrate, high protein diet suppresses intratumoral androgen synthesis and slows castration-resistant prostate tumor growth in mice
JOURNAL OF STEROID BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Authors: Fokidis, H. Bobby; Chin, Mei Yieng; Ho, Victor W.; Adomat, Hans H.; Soma, Kiran K.; Fazli, Ladan; Nip, Ka Mun; Cox, Michael; Krystal, Gerald; Zoubeidi, Amina; Guns, Emma S. Tomlinson
Abstract
Dietary factors continue to preside as dominant influences in prostate cancer prevalence and progression-free survival following primary treatment. We investigated the influence of a low carbohydrate diet, compared to a typical Western diet, on prostate cancer (PCa) tumor growth in vivo. LNCaP xenograft tumor growth was studied in both intact and castrated mice, representing a more advanced castration resistant PCa (CRPC). No differences in LNCaP tumor progression (total tumor volume) with diet was observed for intact mice (P=0.471) however, castrated mice on the Low Carb diet saw a statistically significant reduction in tumor growth rate compared with Western diet fed mice (P=0.017). No correlation with serum PSA was observed. Steroid profiles, alongside serum cholesterol and cholesteryl ester levels, were significantly altered by both diet and castration. Specifically, DHT concentration with the Low Carb diet was 58% that of the CRPC-bearing mice on the Western diet. Enzymes in the steroidogenesis pathway were directly impacted and tumors isolated from intact mice on the Low Carb diet had higher AKR1C3 protein levels and lower HSD17B2 protein levels than intact mice on the Western diet (ARK1C3: P=0.074; HSD17B2: P=0.091, with alpha = 0.1). In contrast, CRPC tumors from mice on Low Carb diets had higher concentrations of both HSD17B2 (P = 0.016) and SRD5A1 (P = 0.058 with a = 0.1) enzymes. There was no correlation between tumor growth in castrated mice for Low Carb diet versus Western diet and (a) serum insulin (b) GH serum levels (c) insulin receptor (IR) or (d)IGF-1R in tumor tissue. Intact mice fed Western diet had higher serum insulin which was associated with significantly higher blood glucose and tumor tissue IR. We conclude that both diet and castration have a significant impact on the endocrinology of mice bearing LNCaP xenograft tumors. The observed effects of diet on cholesterol and steroid regulation impact tumor tissue DHT specifically and are likely to be mechanistic drivers behind the observed tumor growth suppression. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.