Lookingbill D P, Demers L M, Wang C, Leung A, Rittmaster R S, Santen R J
Department of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey 17033.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1991 Jun;72(6):1242-8. doi: 10.1210/jcem-72-6-1242.
Stimulation of androgen-sensitive hair follicles is mediated by dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is formed in these tissues by 5 alpha-reduction of testosterone. A possible mechanism for increased body hair in some human populations might, therefore, be an increase in 5 alpha-reductase activity, resulting in elevated tissue levels of DHT. If present, this finding could have other important clinical implications, since the 5 alpha-reductase enzyme is pivotal in the pathophysiology of prostatic disease. To explore differences in clinical and biochemical parameters of androgen action, we conducted a study of 184 caucasian and Chinese subjects in whom we evaluated chest hair density and serum levels of androgen precursors and 5 alpha-reduced androgen metabolites. Differences in chest hair density were most notable in the men, in whom comparative mean chest hair scores (using a scale of 0-4) were 3.0 vs. 0.8 (P less than 0.0001), caucasian vs. Chinese. Levels of 5 alpha-reduced androgen products were also strikingly higher in the caucasian vs. Chinese subjects. Serum 3 alpha-androstanediol glucuronide levels (nanomoles per L) were 34.7 +/- 2.4 vs. 19.7 +/- 0.9 (P less than 0.001) for the men and 21.5 +/- 3.2 vs. 9.4 +/- 0.6 (P less than 0.001) for the women, and serum levels of androsterone glucuronide (nanomoles per L) were 179 +/- 26 vs. 107 +/- 7 (P less than 0.01) for the caucasian vs. Chinese men and 173 +/- 23 vs. 81 +/- 9 (P less than 0.001) for the women. Serum levels of total and bioavailable testosterone did not differ between the racial groups, but serum levels of the precursor androgens, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and androstenedione, were significantly higher in the caucasian vs. Chinese men, but not in the women. We conclude that increased serum levels of 5 alpha-reduced androgen metabolites in caucasians vs. Chinese subjects provide circumstantial evidence for a racial difference in 5 alpha-reductase activity and suggest a mechanism for the increased body hair observed in the caucasian men. Increased levels of precursor androgens may also play a role.
雄激素敏感毛囊的刺激是由二氢睾酮（DHT）介导的，DHT是睾酮在这些组织中经5α-还原而形成的。因此，某些人群体毛增多的一种可能机制可能是5α-还原酶活性增加，导致组织中DHT水平升高。如果这一发现属实，可能会有其他重要的临床意义，因为5α-还原酶在前列腺疾病的病理生理过程中起关键作用。为了探究雄激素作用的临床和生化参数差异，我们对184名白种人和中国受试者进行了一项研究，评估了他们的胸毛密度以及雄激素前体和5α-还原雄激素代谢物的血清水平。胸毛密度的差异在男性中最为显著，白种男性与中国男性的比较平均胸毛评分（采用0 - 4分制）分别为3.0和0.8（P < 0.0001）。白种受试者的5α-还原雄激素产物水平也显著高于中国受试者。男性血清3α-雄烷二醇葡糖苷酸水平（纳摩尔/升）分别为34.7 ± 2.4和19.7 ± 0.9（P < 0.001），女性分别为21.5 ± 3.2和9.4 ± 0.6（P < 0.001）；白种男性与中国男性的雄酮葡糖苷酸血清水平（纳摩尔/升）分别为179 ± 26和107 ± 7（P < 0.01），女性分别为173 ± 23和81 ± 9（P < 0.001）。不同种族群体的总睾酮和生物可利用睾酮血清水平没有差异，但白种男性的前体雄激素硫酸脱氢表雄酮和雄烯二酮血清水平显著高于中国男性，而女性则不然。我们得出结论，白种人与中国受试者相比，5α-还原雄激素代谢物血清水平升高为5α-还原酶活性的种族差异提供了间接证据，并提示了白种男性体毛增多的一种机制。前体雄激素水平升高可能也起了作用。
