Burkin > Androgens, Anti-androgens, & ED Flashcards
what is 5α-reductase?
enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT
what is an anabolic steroid?
androgen receptor agonist used for anabolic effects
what is hereditary angioedema?
genetic dz characterized by C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency
what are the 7 fxns of androgens (it’s long, sorry)
think about what makes a dude a dude
- conversion of early bipotential gonad into testes
- masculinization of male fetus
- sperm pdtion
- vocal chord enlargement
- regulate sex drive & aggression
- inhibit fat deposition
- increase muscle mass
how many carbons do androgens have?
19
what makes 95% of androgens in males?
testes!
what cells of the testes make androgens?
Leydig cells
what controls androgen production in the testes?
LH
if the testes make 95% of androgens in males, what makes the other 5%?
adrenal cortex
where are adrenal pro-androgens converted to androgens?
in the liver, skin, & fat
what synthesizes androgens in females?
ovaries & adrenal cortex
Plasma testosterone conc in males is (__?__) times higher than in females
15x
how is 98% of testosterone circulating in blood found?
bound to plasma proteins (specifically albumin & sex hormone binding globulin)
in males, what can secrete DHT?
testes secrete a little bit
mostly the target cells synthesize DHT from testosterone via 5α-reductase
what are the 5 main types of androgens?
- testosterone
- 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT)
- dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
- androstenedione (andro)
- androstenediol
what is DHT a metabolite of?
testosterone
which is more potent: DHT or testosterone?
DHT
what makes DHT?
adrenal cortex
what makes DHEA?
adrenal cortex (made from cholesterol)
what is DHEA a precursor to?
natural estrogens
what are 2 other names for DHEA?
dehydroisoandrosterone
dehydroandrosterone
(DHEA stands for DeHydroEpiAndrosterone)
where is androstenedione produced?
testes
adrenal cortex
ovaries
what is andro metabolically converted to?
testosterone & other androgens
what are the 2 active metabolites of testosterone?
DHT
estradiol
what are the 2 inactive metabolites of testosterone?
androsterone
etiocholanolone
what are the 4 effects of testosterone?
- gonadotropin regulation
- spermatogenesis
- sexual differentiation
- sexual maturity at puberty
what happens once testosterone gets in the cell (7 steps)?
- 5α-reductase > DHT
- DHT binds to AR
- the complex dimerizes
- the dimer goes into the nucleus
- recruits a coactivator (ARA70)
- DNA binding at an androgen-response element
- target gene activation & biological response
when is sperm production maximal?
“adult” > age 17-60
how much testosterone is around when a baby boy is born?
NONE
when does testosterone peak in the prenatal period?
2nd trimester
what 2 anabolic effects do androgens have?
- increase skeletal muscle growth
2. simulate erythropoiesis
what are the 5 androgenic effects of androgens (i.e. non-anabolic effects)?
- male reproductive phenotype
- male genitalia growth at puberty
- long bone growth & epiphyseal plate closure
- male characteristic maintenance
- inc libido & aggression
what are 4 reasons you might give a pt androgens?
- hypogonadism
- to reverse negative nitrogen balance in certain catabolic states
- to stimulate erythropoiesis
- to stimulate bone growth in kids
T/F: you can’t misuse or abuse androgens
FALSE
yes you can
what are the sx of prepubertal hypogonadism?
infantile genitalia long arms & legs poor muscular dvlpmnt inc body fat dec peak bone bass high-pitched voice sparse male-pattern body hair
why is the dx of prepubertal hypogonadism rarely missed?
the sx are usu obvious & there is accompanying psychosocial distress
how do you treat prepubertal hypogonadism (generally)?
2-3 years of testosterone ester injections with either T ethanate, cypionate, or proprionate
what increases the bioavailability of methyltestosterone?
17 methyl group
which group of men should receive testosterone therapy?
men w/ consistent sx of low T
AND
unequivocally low serum T
what does “unequivocally low serum T” mean numerically?
total serum T < 8 nmol/L
OR
serum free T < 225 pmol/L
do NOT offer testosterone therapy to older men w/ (__?__) without clinically significant sx of androgen deficiency
low T
what are the 3 categories of clinical indications for T therapy?
sexual
musculoskeletal
neuropsychological
what are the 2 sexual indications for T therapy?
- low libido
2. ED
what are the 2 musculoskeletal indications for T therapy?
- osteoporosis or high risk for fx d/t low bone mineral density (w/ contraindications to osteoporosis drugs)
- dec muscle mass or strength in men 65+ yo
what are the neuropsychological indications for T therapy?
impaired cognition
irritability
mood changes
declining energy & stamina
T/F: there are oral, injectable, gel, patch, pumps, and subQ formulations of testosterone
TRUE
which is more potent: fluoxymesterone or methyltestosterone
fluoxymesterone
~5x more potent
what receptor do anabolic steroids use?
androgen receptor (they’re agonists)
what aspects of testosterone do anabolic steroids mimic?
build muscle tissue
promote muscle repair
what can you treat in females w/ anabolic steroids?
breast cancers & endometriosis
to affect skeletal growth, how much anabolic steroid do you need?
“large doses”
let’s
get
juiced
name the 3 synthetic anabolic steroids
stanozolol
nandrolone
methenolone
what is stanozolol derived from?
DHT
even though stanozolol is a synthetic anabolic steroid, it has therapeutic applications. for what?
anemia
hereditary angioedema
T/F: anabolic steroids don’t have very many side effects
FALSE
there are literally a zillion side effects, steroids are the worst
T/F: anabolic steroids cause reversible masculinization in women
FALSE
it’s IRREVERSIBLE!
what age group is experiencing an alarming increase in the use of anabolic steroids?
pre-teens & teens
why do people often take several other meds if they take anabolic steroids?
to increase performance or to counteract side FX
what 2 sports are particularly known for anabolic steroid misuse?
body building baseball bears beets battlestar galactica
what sex has higher levels of steroid abuse?
men
what is danazol derived from?
testosterone
if you are taking danazol for endometriosis, how long do you take it?
6 months
how does danazol affect ovulation?
it interferes w/ it by creating a high androgen, low estrogen env
what does danazol do to endometrial tissue?
atrophy of ectopic endometrial tissue
how effective is danazol?
80% of women have pain relief & lesion shrinkage
what % of women have side FX w/ danazol?
75% :(
T/F: danazol side FX are reversible
true
the voice thing might take a few months to go back to normal though
what is hereditary angioedema?
inherited disorder d/t C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency
what is C1 esterase?
serum inhibitor of the activated first component of compliment
how does danazol work for hereditary angioedema?
INC complement protein synthesis in the liver but the mechanism is unk
since the mechanism for danazol on hereditary angioedema is unk, how do we know that it does NOT work?
does NOT posses progestogenic activity
does NOT suppress corticotropin release from pituitary
does NOT suppress cortisol release from adrenals
why would you give a hereditary angioedema pt danazol?
to prevent attacks
when should you initiate danazol therapy for fibrocystic breast dz?
during menstruation
otherwise, make SURE your pt is NOT PREGGO
what happens at high doses of danazol in female pts?
irregular menstrual patterns & amenorrhea
what sx does danazol relieve in fibrocystic breast dz?
breast pain & tenderness
how long does danazol take to work against fibrocystic breast dz?
1 month
best effect in 2-3 mos
how do you eliminate nodularity in fibrocystic breast dz w/ danazol?
4-6 mos of uninterrupted therapy
Danazol is pregnancy category (__?__)
X
REAL BAD
what is pseudotumor cerebri?
a benign intracranial HTN
side effect of danazol
how does pseudotumor cerebri manifest in a pt?
papilledema
HA
N/V
visual disturbances
what should you do if you have a pt on danazol who has papilledema?
discontinue danazol IMMEDIATELY
refer pt to neurologist
where is the type II 5α-reductase isozyme primarily found?
prostate seminal vesicles epididymides hair follicles liver
the type II 5α-reductase isozyme is responsible for how much of circulating DHT
2/3
what is the primary androgen that stimulates the development of prostate tissue?
DHT
what is propecia for?
male pattern baldness (i.e. androgenic alopecia)
if you give a pt propecia, where does that pt probably have baldness?
vertex & anterior mid-scalp
what is the 1st line therapy for prostate cancer?
flutamide + leuprolide
flutamide is good for prostate cancer, but not other hormonally dependent dz like (__?__)
breast cancer
BPH
who should you NOT give flutamide to?
women
think of alyson hannigan from american pie and how she should not be allowed to have flutes
flutamide can cause severe side FX in what organ?
LIVER
to assess side FX of flutamide, what can you measure?
serum transaminase conc
prior to treatment
monthly during first 4 mos
then periodically
what does sustained leuprolide activity lead to?
downregulation of receptor
DEC FSH & LH pdtion
what does leuprolide stop in the male?
testosterone pdtion in testes
what does leuprolide stop in the female?
estrogen pdtion in the ovaries
what are the 4 main causes of male infertility?
- lifestyle
- pretesticular
- testicular
- post-testicular
what is Kallmann syndrome?
gonadotropin deficiency
absence of GnRH
how do you achieve virility & fertility in Kallmann syndrome pts?
FSH & LH to stimulate testis fxn
what 3 syndromes lead to GnRH deficiency?
- Kallmann
- Prader-Willi
- Bardet-Biedl
what is a “fertile eunuch”?
isolated LH def (& low T) w/ normal FSH
what are the 3 hypothalamic dzs that lead to male infertility?
- gonadotropin def (Kallmann)
- isolated LH def (fertile eunuch)
- isolated FSH def
what are LH & T like in isolated FSH def?
LH & T levels are normal
what happens if you give GnRH to a pt w/ isolated FSH def?
nothing
FSH levels won’t respond to GnRH stimulation
what are the 3 types of pituitary dz that can cause male infertility?
- pituitary insuff
- hyperprolactinemia
- exogenous or endogenous hormones
what can cause pituitary insuff?
tumors
surgery
radiation
infiltrative or granulomatous processes
what causes pituitary insuff (& therefore infertility) in sickle cell anemia?
in sickle cell, pituitary & testicular microinfarcts can cause infertility
what is hyperprolactinemia most commonly d/t?
prolactin-secreting pituitary adenoma
what hormones does hyperprolactinemia affect?
DEC FSH, LH, & T (> infertility)
what are the clinical sx of hyperprolactinemia in men?
loss of libido
impotence
galactorrhea
gynecomastia
how does XS estrogen lead to infertility?
XS estrogen > DEC gonadotropins > testis failure
what can cause XS estrogen in men, leading to infertility?
Sertoli cell tumor
obesity
hepatic cirrhosis
what can cause XS androgens in men, leading to infertility?
anabolic steroids
CAH
adrenal or Leydig cell tumors
how do XS glucocorticoids cause male infertility?
XS glucocorticoids > LH secretion > secondary testis failure
what can cause XS glucocorticoids in men, leading to infertility?
chronic therapy for ulcerative colitis
asthma
RA
cushing’s syndrome
why is thyroid balance important in male fertility?
imp for normal hypothalamic hormone secretion & sex hormone binding protein levels that govern the T:E ratio
0.5% of infertile men have deficient responses to (__?__) & (__?__) treatment improves semen quality
GH
GH
what are the 8 causes of testicular infertility?
- chromosomal
- gonadotoxins
- systemic dz
- defective androgen activity
- testis injury
- cryptorchidism
- varicocele
- idiopathic
what are some examples of gonadotoxins?
radiation
drugs & meds > -azoles, spironolactone, alcohol, cimetidine, recreational drugs
which systemic diseases can cause testicular infertility?
- renal failure
- liver cirrhosis
- sickle cell dz
how does sickle cell dz lead to testicular infertility?
microinfarcts can damage testes &/or pituitary
what are the 2 defects in androgen activity that can lead to testicular infertility?
- 5α-reductase def
2. androgen receptor def
what are 3 types of testis injury that can cause testicular infertility?
- orchitis
- torsion
- trauma
what % of boys are affected by cryptorchidism at 1 yo?
0.8%
what does cryptorchidism increase the risk of?
infertility & cancer
how do you treat cryptorchidism?
prophylactic orchidopexy by 2 yo
what is a varicocele?
dilated & tortuous scrotal veins
how do you treat varicocele?
surgery
what is the prevalence of varicocele?
15% of all men
40% of infertility pts
what % of testicular infertility is idiopathic?
25-50%
what are the 3 broad categories of post-testicular infertility?
- reproductive tract obstruction
- disorders of sperm fxn or motility
- disorders of coitus
what are the 3 types of reproductive tract obstruction?
- congenital blockage
- acquired blockage
- functional blockage
what is CAVD?
congenital absent vas deferens > vas deferens, seminal vesicles, & ejaculatory ducts are atrophic or absent > obstruction
80% of CAVD pts harbor what kind of mutation?
a detectable CF mutation
what % of infertility cases are d/t CAVD?
1-2%
name 4 congenital blockages besides CAVD that can cause post-testicular infertility
- young syndrome
- idiopathic epididymal obstruction
- APKD
- blockage of ejaculatory ducts
what happens in Young syndrome?
abnormally viscous mucous
what are 3 types of acquired blockages that cause post-testicular infertility?
- vasectomy
- groin/hernia surgery
- E. coli or chlamydia
what can cause a functional blockage & result in post-testicular infertility?
nerve injury or meds > impair contractility of seminal vesicle or vasal musculature
what are the 4 types of disorders of sperm fxn/motility that can result in post-testicular infertility?
- immotile cilia syndromes
- maturation defects
- immunologic infertility
- infxn
what are the 2 characteristics of immotile cilia syndromes?
- abn motor apparatus or axoneme of sperm & other ciliated cells
- nonmotile but viable sperm in normal #s
when can sperm maturation defects happen?
after vasectomy reversal
why do pts get sperm maturation defects?
elevated epididymal intratubular pressure & epididymal dysfxn
how does a sperm maturation defect impact sperm count?
normal sperm count
sperm do not regain usual maturation & motility capabilities
what % of infertile couples can attribute that problem to immunologic infertility?
10%
what are the top 2 bacterial & viral infxns that can cause post-testicular infertility?
N. gonorrheae
Chlamydia trachomatis
CMV
Herpes simplex II
what are the 2 types of coital disorders that can cause post-testicular infertility?
- impotence
2. penile abnormalities
what is impotence?
low libido or ED
how can you start to work up impotence?
hormonal eval
how do you treat situational impotence?
counseling + oral PDE inhibitors
what is the most important penile abnormality that can cause infertility?
hypospadias
why do penile abnormalities cause infertility?
result in placement of the semen too far from the cervix
what are the 3 penile abnormalities that can cause post-testicular infertility?
- HYPOSPADIAS
- phimosis
- abn curvature
what is pyospermia?
INC leukocytes in semen
what 3 things is pyospermia assoc w/?
- subclinical genital tract infxn
- elevated ROS
- poor sperm fxn & infertility
how do you treat pyospermia?
broad spectrum abx for both partners
what is involved in coital therapy?
counseling on issues of coital timing, frequency, & gonadotoxin avoidance
(& probably some lube)
how do you treat immunologic infertility?
suppress the immune system w/ corticosteroids
IVF & ICSI
how do you treat hyperprolactinemia?
bromocriptine
what is congenital adrenal hyperplasia (a deficiency of…)?
21-hydroxylase deficiency
what happens in congenital adrenal hyperplasia?
XS androgen levels > DEC GnRH
precocious puberty
how do you treat congenital adrenal hyperplasia?
corticosteroids
how do you treat testosterone XS?
GnRH replacement in a pulsatile manner via portable infusion pump
how do you treat testosterone def?
“jump start” the testes w/ hCG (LH) & FSH
what are the 3 empiric medical therapies for men with idiopathic infertility?
- clomiphene citrate
- antioxidant therapy
- GH
what can you use to treat oligospermia?
GH
why would you use antioxidant therapy for infertile men?
40% of infertile men have increased ROS levels in their reproductive tract
what is clomiphene citrate?
a synthetic nonsteroidal drug that acts as an antiestrogen
why do you give clomiphene citrate?
idiopathic low sperm w/ low-normal LH, FSH, & T
how does clomiphene citrate work?
blocks estrogen on male axis
increases GnRH, FSH, LH > inc T & spermatogenesis
T/F: clomiphene citrate is indicated for treatment of male infertility
FALSE
it’s “off-label” technically
what classes of meds (4) are assoc w/ impaired ejaculation?
- anti-HTN agents
- α-adrenergic blockers
- antipsychotics
- SSRIs
how does an erection happen?
stimulation > info to nerve centers (primary fibers connect to penis to regulate blood flow) > NO release > smooth muscle relaxation > INC blood flow > veins compress (no outflow)
what happens when penile smooth muscle relaxes?
blood flow dramatically increases
what happens to the veins of the penis as the erectile tissue fills w/ blood?
they are compressed, blocking outflow
what happens to abolish an erection?
cessation of nervous impulses to the penis or sympathetic vasoconstrictor impulses
(or recite the pledge)
where can you find nitric oxide synthase?
cavernous nerve endothelial cells (deep penile arteries)
what does the cavernous nerve innervate?
smooth muscle surrounding penile arteries
what is the rxn to create NO?
arginine + O2 –> citrulline + NO
how does NO cause muscle relaxation & vasodilation (long, sorry)?
- NO diffuses across SMC membrane
- activate guanylyl cyclase
- GTP > cyclic GMP
- cGMP activates a protein kinase
- ER Ca uptake
- low cytoplasmic Ca causes relaxation
- relaxation causes vasodilation
when does ED occur?
when a man can no longer get or keep an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse
what % of men suffer from ED?
52%
what % of men have minimal, moderate, & complete ED?
minimal = 17% moderate = 25% complete = 10%
what are the physical causes of ED?
literally anything > any dz, any drug, booze, even prolonged biking
what are 6 psych causes of ED?
- depression
- anxiety
- stress
- mental health conditions
- relationship probs
- combo of physical & psych probs
what terminates the erection signal?
cGMP –> GMP via PDE V in corpus cavernosum
what are the 4 ED drugs?
- sildenafil (viagra)
- vardenafil (levitra)
- tadalafil (cialis)
- avanafil (stendra)
how do the ED drugs work?
PDE V inhibitors > inc blood flow to penis
how does viagra cause blindness?
inhibition of PDE6, which is the PDE used in signal transduction of light signals in the retina
T/F: priapism is common
FALSE
what is priapism?
prolonged erection in the absence of sexual arousal
what are the 2 types of priapism?
- non-ischemic
2. ischemic
T/F: priapism is a medical emergency
TRUE
what causes non-ischemic priapism?
injury to penis or perineum
what is the treatment for non-ischemic priapism?
usu clears up on its own, or use an ice pack
what is ischemic priapism?
blood flows into penis but does not flow out
what happens in ischemic priapism d/t loss of circulation?
corpora cavernosa doesn’t get any oxygen > damages erectile tissue, causes scarring, can lead to permanent loss of fxn
what is “therapeutic aspiration” & how well does it work?
urologist draws blood directly from the cavernosa (RX for ischemic priapism)
only resolves ~30% of cases
what is the best way to treat ischemic priapism?
injecting a sympathomimetic agent > usu PHENYLEPHRINE (or epi, or metaraminol)
how effective is injecting a sympathomimetic to treat ischemic priapism?
resolves 77% of cases
what happens if ischemic priapism is resistant to both aspiration & drug injections?
surgeon must perform a surgical shunt