Herbální přípravky jsou po staletí důležitou součástí humánní medicíny, léčbu poruch mužské potence a plodnosti nevyjímaje. I v současné době představují potravní doplňky s obsahem přírodních extraktů podporujících mužskou potenci nezanedbatelnou část trhu. V českých lékárnách najdeme převážně přípravky s obsahem macy peruánské, kotvičníku zemního a ženšenu pravého, nicméně je dostupné také značné množství přípravků obsahujících další méně známé rostlinné extrakty. Mechanismy působení těchto látek jsou různé, jedná se převážně o antioxidační účinky. Pod pojmem fytoandrogeny si můžeme představit spíše rostlinné látky podporující různými mechanismy mužskou potenci, než aby docházelo k přímé vazbě na androgenní receptory, tak jak tomu je v případě fytoestrogenů, které se na estrogenní receptory skutečně vážou. V tomto článku přinášíme přehled devatenácti rostlin používaných k podpoře mužských sexuálních funkcí.
For centuries, herbal substances have been a crucial part of human medicine, including the treatment of male potency and fertility disorders. Even today, food supplements containing natural extracts supporting male potency represent a significant part of the market. In Czech pharmacies, we can mainly find preparations containing Lepidium meyenii, Tribulus terrestris and Panax ginseng, however, a considerable number of supplements containing other lesser-known plant extracts is also available. The mechanisms of action of these substances varies between individual herbs, they have mainly antioxidant effects. Under the term phytoandrogens we can rather imagine plant substances supporting male potency by various mechanisms, than via binding to androgen receptors, as is known in phytoestrogens, which actually bind to estrogen receptors. In this article, we provide an overview of 19 herbs used to support male sexual functions.
There has been increasing evidence in recent years for the hypothesis of bones as endocrine organs. Osteocalcin, long considered just a marker of new bone formation, is now seen as the first hormone produced by bones, and seems to be associated with regulating glucose metabolism and reproduction. The aim of this work was to monitor changes of osteocalcin in reaction to hypoglycemia, and determine if there are differences in such reactions between the sexes. The study included 61 healthy probands with physiological calciophosphate metabolism (30 men and 31 women). We applied to each of them an insulin tolerance test, and then monitored levels of undercarboxylated osteocalcin and reactions to hypoglycemia at regular time intervals. We found differences in the reaction to hypoglycemia between the sexes. In men there was a significant decline in undercarboxylated osteocalcin between the 30 and 40 min (p<0.0015), which reflects a reaction to a glycemic decline between 25-30 min, followed by reversal. Low undercarboxylated osteocalcin in men lasted up to 90 min, after which they returned to levels before the test. In women we did not find any significant changes in undercarboxylated osteocalcin levels. Changes in undercarboxylated osteocalcin induced by hypoglycemia indicate a relationship between bones and glucose metabolism. There was an interesting difference between the sexes. However, a definitive conclusion about the role of osteocalcin in human metabolism will require numerous future studies.
- MeSH
- Biomarkers blood MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Hypoglycemia physiopathology MeSH
- Bone and Bones metabolism pathology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Osteocalcin blood MeSH
- Sex Factors MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
As environmental and genetic components contribute to the PCOS expression, we compared levels of endocrine disruptors, steroid hormones, cytokines, and metabolic parameters in twenty healthy, nine normal-weight PCOS women, and ten obese PCOS women. Steroid hormones, bisphenols (BPA, BPS, BPF, BPAF) and parabens (methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, butyl-, benzyl-parabens) were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Differences between the groups were assessed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated for the individual parameters relationship. Significantly higher levels of BPA, anti-Müllerain hormone, lutropine, lutropine/folitropine ratio, testosterone, androstenedione, 7beta-OH-epiandrosterone, and cytokines (IL-6, VEGF, PDGF-bb), were found in normal-weight PCOS women compared to controls. Between normal-weight and obese PCOS women, there were no differences in hormonal, but in metabolic parameters. Obese PCOS women had significantly higher insulin resistance, fatty-liver index, triglycerides, cytokines (IL-2, IL-13, IFN-gamma). In healthy, but not in PCOS, women, there was a positive correlation of BPA with testosterone, SHBG with lutropine, and folitropine, while testosterone negatively correlated with SHBG. In obese women with PCOS, insulin resistance negatively correlated with SHBG and estradiol. No differences were observed in the paraben exposure. Levels of BPA were higher in PCOS women, indicating its role in the etiology. Obesity significantly worsens the symptoms.
- MeSH
- Cytokines blood MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Endocrine Disruptors blood MeSH
- Estrogens blood MeSH
- Body Mass Index MeSH
- Insulin Resistance MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Obesity blood epidemiology pathology MeSH
- Case-Control Studies MeSH
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome blood epidemiology pathology MeSH
- Testosterone blood MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Czech Republic MeSH
The determination of steroid hormones and subsequent interpretation of results is accompanied by a range of difficulties. The amount of information that current technology can provide on the circulating concentrations of more than a hundred various steroid compounds can lead to problems with interpretation. The aim of this study is to help provide orientation in this maze of data on steroid hormones. First we focus on specific aspects arising from the pre-analytical phase of steroid determination that need to be considered when planning sampling, whether for diagnostics or research. Then, we provide a brief summary of the characteristics and diagnostic relevance of several steroid hormones and/or their metabolites: pregnenolone, 17alpha-hydroxy-pregnenolone, dehydroepiandrosterone, hydroxyderivatives of dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenedione, testosterone, estrone, estradiol, estriol, cortisol, cortisone, which in our institute are determined with validated LC-MS/MS methods. For these steroids, we also provide newly calculated reference values in fertile women according to the phase of their menstrual cycle.
- MeSH
- Balneology methods trends MeSH
- Mental Disorders * metabolism rehabilitation MeSH
- Hydrocortisone blood metabolism MeSH
- Corticosterone blood metabolism MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Limbic System metabolism MeSH
- Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry methods MeSH
- Pregnenolone blood metabolism MeSH
- Patient Health Questionnaire MeSH
- Serotonin blood metabolism MeSH
- Exercise Movement Techniques MeSH
- Exercise Therapy MeSH
- Tryptophan blood metabolism MeSH
- Check Tag
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Publication type
- Meeting Abstract MeSH
- Publication type
- Meeting Abstract MeSH
Steroid profiling helps various pathologies to be rapidly diagnosed. Results from analyses investigating steroidogenic pathways may be used as a tool for uncovering pathology causations and proposals of new therapeutic approaches. The purpose of this study was to address still underutilized application of the advanced GC-MS/MS platform for the multicomponent quantification of endogenous steroids. We developed and validated a GC-MS/MS method for the quantification of 58 unconjugated steroids and 42 polar conjugates of steroids (after hydrolysis) in human blood. The present method was validated not only for blood of men and non-pregnant women but also for blood of pregnant women and for mixed umbilical cord blood. The spectrum of analytes includes common hormones operating via nuclear receptors as well as other bioactive substances like immunomodulatory and neuroactive steroids. Our present results are comparable with those from our previously published GC-MS method as well as the results of others. The present method was extended for corticoids and 17alpha-hydroxylated 5alpha/ß-reduced pregnanes, which are useful for the investigation of alternative "backdoor" pathway. When comparing the analytical characteristics of the present and previous method, the first exhibit by far higher selectivity, and generally higher sensitivity and better precision particularly for 17alpha-hydroxysteroids.
- MeSH
- Biomarkers blood MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Infant, Newborn MeSH
- Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry methods standards MeSH
- Steroids blood MeSH
- Tandem Mass Spectrometry methods standards MeSH
- Pregnancy MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Infant, Newborn MeSH
- Pregnancy MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
