Inverse relationship between plasma epinephrine and testosterone levels during acute glucoprivation in healthy men

In healthy men, a decrease in plasma testosterone levels was observed in th e context of metabolic stress. While physiological mechanisms underlying th is response are unclear, there are several lines of evidence suggesting cir culating epinephrine's influence on plasma testosterone levels. The purpose of this study was to directly relate stress-induced changes in plasma test osterone and epinephrine. The stressor used was blockade of glucose metabol ism with pharmacological doses (40mg/kg) of 2 deoxyglucose (2DG). Arterial plasma samples from 10 healthy males were assayed at 20 minutes intervals f or 60 minutes for the concentrations of testosterone, epinephrine and relat ed biochemicals. Bolus administration of 2DG resulted in progressive declin e in testosterone and increases in epinephrine and norepinephrine plasma le vels (mean change from baseline: 29, 2530 and 186%, respectively). Inverse correlation was detected between both absolute (r(s)= -0.72; df=8; p=0.017) and baseline-corrected testosterone concentrations at the 60 minute time p oint and epinephrine area under the curve values. Our results suggest that adrenomedullary activation may be involved in stress-induced testosterone e ffects. The implications of these data for the understanding of the role of catecholamines in glucoprivic stress response are discussed. (C) 2001 Else vier Science Inc. All rights reserved.