SECRETION OF MAJOR ADRENAL ANDROGENS FOLLOWING ACTH ADMINISTRATION INOBESE WOMEN WITH DIFFERENT BODY-FAT DISTRIBUTION

To investigate whether obese female subjects with abdominal obesity ma y have adrenal androgen hypersecretion, we examined two groups of wome n with abdominal (n = 12) and peripheral (n = 13) obesity (defined by body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio) and a group of seven healthy n ormal-weight women. All subjects underwent the following protocol stud y that included a) baseline determination of major adrenal androgens, b) an ACTH test, performed by administering two boli of ACTH (Synacthe n, 0.2 mu g/kg BW, ev), at 90 min intervals, with blood samples taken for cortisol and androgens, c) an oral glucose tolerance test, perform ed by administering glucose (75 gr), with blood samples taken for gluc ose and insulin determination. Each woman also underwent a control sal ine study. We then investigated the relationships between basal and st imulated androgen levels, body weight and fat distribution and fasting and stimulated insulin levels. Although basal cortisol levels were si milar, their increase (as AUC) after the ACTH test was higher in women with abdominal obesity than in the other groups. On the contrary, the re were no significant differences in basal and stimulated serum level s of dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenedione and 17-hydroxyprogesteron e among the three groups. Fasting and stimulated las AUC) insulin leve ls were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in women with abdominal obesit y than in those with peripheral obesity and controls. No significant c orrelation was present between basal and stimulated androgen levels an d body mass index, the waist-to-hip ratio or basal and stimulated cort isol values. Therefore, our data indicate that adrenal androgen secret ion following low-dose ACTH administration in premenopausal women does not seem to be a function of body fat mass, fat distribution and insu lin levels, nor does it correlate with the capacity of the adrenal gla nds to secrete cortisol in both basal and stimulated conditions.