OBJECTIVETo observe depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) and testosterone undecanoate (TU) injected at 8-week intervals for the suppression of spermatogenesis in healthy Chinese men.

METHODSAfter screening, 30 healthy volunteers were enrolled and randomly assigned to 3 dosage-groups (n = 10/group): 1000 mg TU (Group A), 1000 mg TU plus 150 mg DMPA (Group B), 1000 mg TU plus 300 mg DMPA (Group C). All dosages were given as intramuscular injections at 8-week intervals. The study consisted of an 8-week control (baseline) period, a 24-week treatment period and a 24-week recovery period.

RESULTSConsistent azoospermia or severe oligozoospermia was achieved and maintained in all the volunteers during the treatment period, except 2 in the mere TU group who experienced a "rebound" in sperm concentrations. An 8-week regimen of TU plus DMPA at both tested combination dosages effectively suppressed spermatogenesis to azoospermia. All volunteers tolerated the injections; no serious adverse effects were reported.

CONCLUSIONThe lower combined dosage is recommended for further testing in an expanded clinical trial or contraceptive efficacy study.

Adult ; Androgens ; pharmacology ; China ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; biosynthesis ; Humans ; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System ; metabolism ; Male ; Medroxyprogesterone Acetate ; pharmacology ; Prospective Studies ; Sperm Count ; Spermatogenesis ; drug effects ; Testosterone ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology

AIMTo study the relationship between circulating androgens (total testosterone [TT], free testosterone [fT] and dihydrotestosterone [DHT]) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in men with and without cardiovascular disease (CVD).

METHODSCross-sectional analyses included 1 661 baseline samples from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study (MMAS), a population-based cohort of men ages 40-70 years. Serum hormones were measured by radioimmunoassay and HDL-C was determined following precipitation of the lower density lipoproteins. CVD was determined by self-report. Analyses were performed using multiple linear regression.

RESULTSTT and HDL-C were positively correlated in the entire sample (r=0.11, P=0.0001). After adjusting for confounders, we found this relationship was mostly limited to the 209 men with CVD. Among men with CVD, TT (P=0.0004), fT (P=0.0172) and DHT (P=0.0128) were all positively correlated with HDL-C, whereas in men without CVD only TT correlated with HDL-C (P=0.0099).

CONCLUSIONOur results suggest that if androgens contribute to CVD in middle-aged men, the effect is not related to a suppressive effect of endogenous T on HDL-C.

Adult ; Aged ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; blood ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Testosterone ; blood