This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Reproductive hormonal abnormalities in massively overweight men have been described in medical literature. Obese men have lower circulating levels of androgens, higher levels of estrogens, and suppressed LH and FSH levels compared to normal-weight males. However, the clinical effects of this relative hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism have not been adequately assessed. Furthermore, the mechanism by which the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG axis) is suppressed in morbid obesity is not well-understood. Recently, leptin has been found to play a role in inducing the onset of puberty and regulating the HPG axis. Preliminary animal studies suggest that ghrelin also regulates LH secretion. In obesity, levels of leptin and insulin are high and ghrelin levels are low. A complicated interaction may exist between leptin, ghrelin, insulin, and the HPG axis. In this pilot study, the interplay between leptin, ghrelin, insulin, reproductive hormones and reproductive function in men will be studied during and after surgery-induced weight loss. The clinical manifestations of these reproductive hormonal abnormalities will be assessed by semen analysis and sexual function questionnaire before and at multiple timepoints after bariatric surgery.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 370 publications
