Divergent correlations of circulating dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and testosterone with insulin levels and insulin receptor binding.
We evaluated the insulin response to a standard oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and in vitro insulin binding to erythrocytes (RBC) in 26 women from 3 groups: Group NW, normal women (n = 11); Group DS, women (n = 9) with elevated serum DHEAS concentrations, greater than 400 micrograms/dl (greater than 10.84 mumol/L); and Group IR, women (n = 6) with elevated basal plasma insulin concentrations (IRI). There was a significant linear correlation between the area under the insulin response curve (IRI-AUC) and serum testosterone (T) (r = 0.78, p = 0.0001). Using stepwise multiple linear regression, IRI-AUC was characterized as a function of both serum T and DHEAS; positively with T and negatively with DHEAS. In vitro (n = 17), there was a positive correlation between RBC-insulin binding and serum DHEAS (r = 0.54, p = 0.029) and a negative correlation between RBC-binding and T (r = -0.57, p = 0.017). We conclude that DHEAS may enhance insulin binding and action and that DHEAS and T have divergent functional relationships with IRI. DHEAS and T may therefore exert opposing effects on insulin secretion and action.
Schriock
E D
ED
Dept. of Ob/Gyn, University of Tennessee, Memphis 38163.
Buffington
C K
CK
Hubert
G D
GD
Kurtz
B R
BR
Kitabchi
A E
AE
Buster
J E
JE
Givens
J R
JR
D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011972:Receptor, Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
D007328:Insulin; D013739:Testosterone; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D011972:Receptor, Insulin