title: Can hyperbaric oxygenation therapy (HOT) modify the blood testosterone concentration?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Testosterone has a modulating effect on inflammatory and healing processes. In this study, we evaluate whether hyperbaric oxygenation therapy (HOT) modifies the blood concentration of total testosterone (TT) in patients treated for different pathologies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen male patients (23-72 years old) were treated with 90-min HOT sessions (range 4 to 23 sessions) as an adjuvant to the following conditions: leg fractures, osteonecrosis, diabetic foot, firearm injuries, complicated arthroprosthesis and underwater diving embolism. As controls, six healthy male volunteers (37-51 years old) were subjected to 10 HOT sessions. Testosterone plasma levels were determined immediately before the first HOT session and the day after the last session.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the end of treatment, 12 patients fully recovered and 2 (diabetic foot patients) showed a marked improvement. Testosterone significantly increased after hyperbaric oxygenation therapy in both patients and controls (ANOVA, p<0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that hyperbaric oxygenation therapy increases the blood concentration of total testosterone in patients as well as in healthy men. This finding raises new questions and indicates the need to investigate the causes of this increase and its therapeutic significance. Since testosterone modulates inflammation and healing processes, it is possible that hormonal changes are the mechanisms affected by hyperbaric oxygenation therapy.
authors.affiliation: Dpt of Urology Misericordia Hospital Grosseto, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Passavanti
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tanasi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brauzzi
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Pagni
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Aloisi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone