Adipose tissue and androgens: the ins and outs.

Adipose tissue (AT), one of the largest endocrine tissues in the human body, is an important site for the storage and production of steroid hormones. In particular, AT's capacity to produce androgens could enable it to have a regulatory role in local or general hormone homoeostasis. The links between obesity, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), metabolic disorders, and hormonal balance emphasise the importance of understanding the intricate relationships between AT and androgen dynamics within AT. This review, focusing on androgen metabolism, summarises the androgen profile in white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT) of humans and animal models, along with the androgen-metabolising enzymes present in WAT, and explores the role of androgens on AT physiology.