Plasma adrenal, gonadal, and conjugated steroids before and after long-term overfeeding in identical twins.
An analysis of the data collected in the Quebec Overfeeding Study of identical twins was undertaken to determine any evidence of a genotype effect on plasma levels of adrenal and gonadal steroids arising from long term positive energy balance. Plasma levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), androsterone glucuronide, androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol glucuronide (3 alpha-DIOL-G), and cortisol were measured in 12 pairs of young, sedentary, male monozygotic twins before and after 100 days of overfeeding. The dietary energy excess of 4.2 MJ/day (1000 Cal), 6 days a week, resulted in a total positive energy balance of 353 MJ (84,000 Cal). Overfeeding induced significant changes (P < 0.0001) in body weight and other measures of body composition. Within-twin pair resemblance was observed at baseline in all steroids, except cortisol [intraclass correlation range: DHEA-S, 0.50 (P < 0.05); DHT, 0.77 (P < 0.001)] and was lost with overfeeding, except for DHT and SHBG (P < 0.05). SHBG levels fell and 3 alpha-DIOL-G rose with the gain in body fatness. The change in testosterone was a significant correlate of the change in upper body fat (r = -0.48; P < 0.05). The change in 3 alpha-DIOL-G correlated positively with increases in all measures of central adiposity (r = 0.52; P < 0.01). A decrease in DHEA-S occurred with a higher, but not with a lower, gain in abdominal visceral fat (P < 0.05). Thus, analysis of adrenal and gonadal steroids and of conjugated metabolites before and after overfeeding in monozygous twins supports the idea that there is a genotype effect on steroid circulating steroid levels and that these blood levels are correlated with the pattern of body fat distribution. Moreover, the baseline within-twin pairs similarity in steroid levels was attenuated by prolonged positive energy balance and body fat gain.
Pritchard
J
J
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Després
J P
JP
Gagnon
J
J
Tchernof
A
A
Nadeau
A
A
Tremblay
A
A
Bouchard
C
C
D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D000738:Androsterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D001823:Body Composition; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000097:blood; D004435:Eating; D002149:Energy Intake; D005502:Food; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D007328:Insulin; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; C027927:androsterone glucuronide; D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol; C028895:androstane-3,17-diol glucuronide; D013739:Testosterone; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D000738:Androsterone; D006854:Hydrocortisone