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Androstane-3,17ß-Diol Glucuronide as a Steroid Correlate of Visceral Obesity in Men¹

Lipid Research Center (A.T., D.P., J.-P.D.), the Medical Research Council Group in Molecular Endocrinology (F.L., A.B.), and the Diabetes Research Unit (A.N.), Laval University Medical Research Center, and the Physical Activity Sciences Laboratory (C.B., A.T.), Laval University, Ste-Foy, Canada

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Jean-Pierre Després, Ph.D., Lipid Research Center, Laval University Medical Research Center, 2705 Laurier boulevard (TR-93), Ste-Foy, Quebec, Canada G1V 4G2.

Plasma levels of androstane-3,17ß-diol glucuronide (3-DIOL-G) and androsterone glucuronide (ADT-G) as well as testosterone and adrenal C₁₉ steroid concentrations were measured in a sample of 80 men in whom visceral adipose tissue (AT) accumulation was also determined by computed tomography. Plasma 3-DIOL-G concentrations showed significant positive correlations with total body fat mass (r = 0.31; P < 0.05) and percent body fat (r = 0.28; P < 0.05). Furthermore, plasma 3-DIOL-G levels were significantly associated with visceral adipose tissue accumulation (r = 0.41; P < 0.0005) as well as fasting plasma insulin (r = 0.35; P < 0.005) and glycemic and insulinemic responses to an oral glucose load (r = 0.39; P < 0.0005 and r = 0.32; P < 0.005, respectively). However, associations between 3-DIOL-G and plasma glucose-insulin homeostasis indexes were no longer significant after adjustment for visceral AT area. ADT-G levels were not significantly associated with any of the adiposity variables. Subjects matched for abdominal sc AT area but with either low or high levels of visceral AT area showed significant differences in 3-DIOL-G concentrations (P < 0.05), whereas subjects with low or high levels of abdominal sc AT but similar levels of visceral AT had similar 3-DIOL-G concentrations. Among men with high testosterone levels, subjects with reduced 3-DIOL-G concentrations had lower visceral adipose tissue accumulation than subjects with increased 3-DIOL-G levels. The present results indicate that plasma 3-DIOL-G, but not ADT-G, is a steroid correlate of visceral obesity. Excess visceral adipose tissue and/or concomitant alterations in insulin levels or in vivo insulin action could be responsible for the increased 3-DIOL-G formation observed in this condition.

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