Journal of Andrology
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH
Published-Ahead-of-Print April 1, 2006, DOI:10.2164/jandrol.05193

This Article
Right arrow Author Manuscript (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
27/4/560    most recent
Author Manuscript (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Winters, S. J.
Right arrow Articles by Brufsky, A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Winters, S. J.
Right arrow Articles by Brufsky, A.

Inhibin-B levels in healthy young adult men and prepubertal boys: Is obesity the cause for the contemporary decline in sperm count because of fewer Sertoli cells?

Stephen J. Winters , Chenxi Wang , Eiman Abdelrahaman , Venus Hadeed , Mary Ann Dyky , and Adam Brufsky

Inhibin-B is a heterodimeric glycoprotein produced by Sertoli cells. While inhibin-B levels are low when seminiferous tubules are damaged, studies in normal monkeys reveal that inhibin-B levels also correlate positively with Sertoli cell number. In this study, we measured inhibin-B levels in healthy young adult men age 18-24 years and in prepubertal boys age 5-9 yrs in relation to BMI. Inhibin-B levels declined with increasing obesity in young adult men; values were 26% lower in men who were obese compared to normal weight men. SHBG and total testosterone, but not free testosterone, were also lower with increasing BMI; serum FSH and LH levels were unaffected by obesity. In prepubertal boys by contrast, inhibin-B was unaffected by obesity. We propose that reduced levels of inhibin-B indicate that obese men have fewer Sertoli cells than men of normal weight. Moreover, normal values in obese prepubertal boys suggest that the effect of obesity on inhibin-B is established during puberty. Finally, because each Sertoli cell is thought to support a finite number of germ cells, fewer Sertoli cells in obesity may predispose to a lower sperm count in adulthood. We speculate that the escalating prevalence of obesity and insulin resistance among adolescents might negatively influence male reproductive function for the next generation.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 ReproductionHome page
K Faisal, V S Periasamy, S Sahabudeen, A Radha, R Anandhi, and M A Akbarsha
Spermatotoxic effect of aflatoxin B1 in rat: extrusion of outer dense fibres and associated axonemal microtubule doublets of sperm flagellum
Reproduction, March 1, 2008; 135(3): 303 - 310.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH
Copyright © 2006 by The American Society of Andrology.