Browsing by Author "Blair, Hilary E."

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Hyperandrogenism exerts an anti-inflammatory effect in obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome
    (Springer, 2012) González, Frank; Sia, Chang Ling; Stanczyk, Frank Z.; Blair, Hilary E.; Krupa, Michelle E.; Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine
    We determined the effect of chronic androgen suppression on inflammation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) compared to weight-matched controls. We performed a pilot project using samples from previous prospective, controlled studies. Nine women with PCOS (5 obese, 4 lean) and 9 ovulatory controls (5 obese, 4 lean) participated in the study. Androgens, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), free fatty acids (FFA) and body weight were measured before and after 3 and 6 months of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist administration. GnRH agonist treatment decreased estradiol, testosterone and androstenedione to similar levels in all subjects. CRP and IL-6 increased in obese women with PCOS, was unaltered in lean women with PCOS and obese controls, and decreased in lean controls after 6 months of treatment. FFA decreased and body weight increased in obese women with PCOS, but did not change significantly in lean women with PCOS and in either control group after 6 months of treatment. The testosterone reduction was related to increases in weight and IL-6. The fall in FFA was related to the rise in CRP. The increases in weight and IL-6 were related to the rise in CRP. We propose that hyperandrogenism in PCOS may exert an anti-inflammatory effect when obesity is present, but may not promote inflammation in the disorder; and that circulating androgens have a pleiotropic effect on inflammation depending on the combination of PCOS and weight status in a given individual.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Hyperandrogenism induces a proinflammatory TNFα response to glucose ingestion in a receptor-dependent fashion
    (The Endocrine Society, 2014-05) González, Frank; Sia, Chang Ling; Bearson, Dawn M.; Blair, Hilary E.; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IU School of Medicine
    CONTEXT: Hyperandrogenism and inflammation are related in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Hyperandrogenemia can induce inflammation in reproductive-age women, but the mechanism for this phenomenon is unclear. OBJECTIVE: We examined the in vivo and in vitro effects of hyperandrogenism on mononuclear cell (MNC)-derived androgen receptor (AR) status and TNFα release. DESIGN: This study combined a randomized, controlled, double-blind protocol with laboratory-based cell culture experiments. SETTING: This work was performed in an academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Lean, healthy, reproductive-age women were treated with 130 mg of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) or placebo (n = 8 subjects each) for 5 days and also provided untreated fasting blood samples (n = 12 subjects) for cell culture experiments. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: AR mRNA content and TNFα release were measured before and after DHEA administration in the fasting state and 2 hours after glucose ingestion. TNFα release in the fasting state was also measured in cultured MNCs exposed to androgens with or without flutamide preincubation. RESULTS: At baseline, subjects receiving DHEA or placebo exhibited no significant difference in androgens and TNFα release from MNCs before and after glucose ingestion. Compared with placebo, DHEA administration raised levels of T, androstenedione, and DHEA sulfate, and increased MNC-derived AR mRNA content and TNFα release in the fasting state and in response to glucose ingestion. Compared with MNC exposure to baseline concentrations of DHEA (175 ng/dL) or T (50 ng/dL), the absolute change in TNFα release increased after exposure to T concentrations of 125 and 250 ng/dL and a DHEA concentration of 1750 ng/dL. Preincubation with flutamide reduced the TNFα response by ≥ 60% across all T concentrations. CONCLUSION: Androgen excess in vivo and in vitro comparable to what is present in PCOS increases TNFα release from MNCs of lean healthy reproductive-age women in a receptor-dependent fashion. Hyperandrogenemia activates and sensitizes MNCs to glucose in this population.