ANDROSTANE-3-ALPHA,17-BETA-DIOL GLUCURONIDE AS A STEROID CORRELATE OFVISCERAL OBESITY IN MEN

Plasma levels of androstane-3 alpha,17 beta-diol glucuronide (3 alpha- DIOL-G) and androsterone glucuronide (ADT-G) as well as testosterone a nd adrenal C-19 steroid concentrations were measured in a sample of 80 men in whom visceral adipose tissue (AT) accumulation was also determ ined by computed tomography. Plasma 3 alpha-DIOL-G concentrations show ed significant positive correlations with total body fat mass (r = 0.3 1; P < 0.05) and percent body fat (r = 0.28; P < 0.05). Furthermore, p lasma 3 alpha-DIOL-G levels were significantly associated with viscera l adipose tissue accumulation (r = 0.41; P < 0.0005) as well, as fasti ng plasma insulin (r = 0.35; P < 0.005) and glycemic and insulinemic r esponses to an oral glucose load (r = 0.39;P < 0.0005 and r = 0.32; P < 0.005, respectively). However, associations between 3 alpha-DIOL-G a nd plasma glucose-insulin homeostasis indexes were no longer significa nt after adjustment for visceral AT area. ADT-G levels were not signif icantly associated with any of the adiposity variables. Subjects match ed for abdominal sc AT area but with either low or high levels of visc eral AT area showed significant differences in 3 alpha-DIOL-G concentr ations (P < 0.05), whereas subjects with low or high levels of abdomin al sc AT but similar levels of visceral AT had similar 3 alpha-DIOL-G concentrations. Among men with high testosterone levels, subjects with reduced 3 alpha-DIOL-G concentrations had lower visceral adipose tiss ue accumulation than subjects dth increased 3 alpha-DIOL-G levels. The present results indicate that plasma 3 alpha-DIOL-G, but not ADT-G, i s a steroid correlate of visceral obesity. Excess visceral adipose tis sue and/or concomitant alterations in insulin levels or in vivo insuli n action could be responsible for the increased 3 alpha-DIOL-G formati on observed in this condition.