Analysis of a dexamethasone-chorionic gonadotrophin test of adreno-gonadal function in normal men as compared with dexamethasone test in normal women.

Abstract

ABSTRACT 42 normal men aged 20–40 years were subjected to a functional test involving chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) stimulation performed during dexamethasone suppression of the adrenals and with determinations of urinary androgen and oestrogen metabolites. For comparison, dexamethasone suppression was performed in 21 normal women aged 20–40 years. Steroids of adrenal origin were determined as the difference of values before and during dexamethasone suppression, and testicular reserve capacity as the difference before and after HCG. Furthermore, some ratios between steroids were calculated, and a total of 27 steroid parameters were obtained. Normal means and normal limits are given for all these parameters. All parameters were subjected to mutual correlation analyses. These showed, among several other findings, the following: Leydig cell reserve capacity for androgen falls significantly with age; adrenal and gonadal sex hormone productions are independent of each other in men but not in women; men have a significant adrenal androgen production which is not related to the adrenal production of dehydroepiandrosterone; testicular reserve capacity is not correlated with the spontaneous testicular steroid production; a high correlation exists between dehydroepiandrosterone and oestrogen excretion in men; the testicular reserve capacities for androgen and oestrogen are completely independent of each other. From these and other findings, sex hormone relationships and particularly the origin of oestrogens in men are discussed.