Summary
Numerous investigations have reported an alteration of hormonal response to dexamethasone in depressive disorder. No such data are available in psychogenic sexual dysfunction. Pre- and postdexamethasone levels of testosterone, estradiol, LH and FSH were studied in 20 male patients with sexual dysfunction and 20 male healthy controls. Dexamethasone had no influence on testosterone, estradiol, LH and FSH in normal controls. The patients showed an increase in testosterone and LH but not in FSH levels in the morning after dexamethasone administration. When compared with basal levels, the increase in postdexamethasone levels in sexual dysfunction was significant for testosterone (ΔT) but not for LH (ΔLH). The altered gonadal steroid and gonadotropin response to dexamethasone in sexual dysfunction might be due to disturbances of dexamethasone metabolism and glucocorticoid receptor density comparable to similar findings in depressive disorder.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Psychiatric Association (1980) DSM III: diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 3rd edn. APA, Washington, D.C.
Benkert O (1980) Pharmacotherapy of sexual impotence in the male. Mod Probl Pharmacopsychiatry 15: 158–173
Benkert O, Witt W (1980) Age-related alteration of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in sexually impotent males. Acta Psychiatr Belg 80: 465–475
Berger M, Pirke KM, Doerr P (1984) The limited utility of the dexamethasone suppression test for the diagnostic process in psychiatry. Br J Psychiatry 145: 372–382
Comhaire F, Vermeulen A (1975) Plasma testosterone in patients with varicocele and sexual inadequacy. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 40: 824–829
Cumming C, Quigley ME, Yen SSC (1983) Acute suppression of circulating testosterone levels by cortisol in men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 57: 671–673
Doerr P, Pirke KM (1975) Regulation of plasma oestrogens in normal adult males. Acta Endocrinol 78: 531–538
Doerr P, Pirke KM (1976) Cortisol-induced suppression of plasma testosterone in normal adult males. J Clin Edocrinol Metab 43: 622–629
Domisse CS, Hayes PE, Kwentus JA (1985) Effect of estrogens on the dexamethasone suppression test in nondepressed women. J Clin Psychopharmacol 5: 315–319
Faiman C, Winter JSD (1971) Diurnal cycles in plasma FSH, testosterone and cortisol in men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 33: 186–192
Givens JR, Andersen RN, Ragland JB, Wiser WL, Umstot ES (1975) Adrenal function in hirsutism I. Diurnal change and response of androstendione, testosterone, 17-hydroxy-progesterone, cortisol, LH and FSH to dexamethasone and 1/2 unit of ACTH. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 40: 988–1000
Gormley GJ, Lowy MT, Reder AT, Hospelhorn VD, Antel JP, Meltzer HY (1985) Glucocorticoid receptors in depression: relationship to the dexamethasone suppression test. Am J Psychiatry 142: 1278–1284
Hamilton M (1960) A rating scale for depression. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 23: 56–62
Holsboer F, Benkert O (1985) Neuroendokrinologische und endokrinologische Forschung bei depressiven Patienten. Nervenarzt 56: 1–11
Holsboer F, Wiedemann K, Gerken A, Boll E (1986) The plasma dexamethasone variable in depression: test-retest studies and early biophase kinetics. Psychiatry Res 17: 97–103
Judd HL, Parker DC, Rakoff JS, Hopper BR, Yen SSC (1973) Elucidation of mechanism(s) of the nocturnal rise of testosterone in men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 38: 134–141
Klein HE, Scibold B, Bender W, Nedopil N, Albus M, Schmauss M (1984) Postdexamethasone prolactin and Cortisol: a biological state variable in depression. Acta Psychiatr Scand 70: 239–247
Kreuz LE, Rose RM, Jennings JR (1972) Suppression of plasma testosterone levels and psychological stress. Arch Gen Psychiatry 26: 479–482
Lawrence DM, Swyer GIM (1974) Plasma testosterone and testosterone binding affinities in men with impotence, oligospermia, azoospermia, and hypogonadism. Br Med J 1: 349–351
Legros JJ, Franchimont P, Palem-Vliers M, Servais J (1973) FSH, LH and testosterone blood level in patients with psychogenic impotence. Endocrinol Exp 7: 59–64
MacAdams MR, White RH, Chipps BE (1986) Reduction of serum testosterone levels during chronic glucocorticoid therapy. Ann Intern Med 104: 648–651
Meltzer HY, Fang VS, Tricou BJ, Robertson A, Piyaka SK (1982) Effect of dexamethasone on plasma prolactin and cortisol levels in psychiatric patients. Am J Psychiatry 139: 763–768
Pirke KM, Kockott G, Aldenhoff J, Besinger U, Feil W (1979) Pituitary gonadal function in patients with erectile impotence and premature ejaculation. Arch Sex Behv 8: 41–48
Raboch J, Mellan J, Stárka L (1975) Plasma testosterone in male patients with sexual dysfunction. Arch Sex Behav 4: 541–545
Reid IR, Ibbertson HK, France JT, Pybus J (1985) Plasma testosterone concentrations in asthmatic men treated with glucocorticoids. Br Med J 291: 574
Rosenfield RL, Helke J, Lucky AW (1985) Dexamethasone preparation does not alter corticoid and androgen responses to adreoncorticotropin. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 60: 585–589
Schiavi RC, Fisher C, White D, Beers P, Szechter R (1984) Pituitary-gonadal function during sleep in men with erectile impotence and normal controls. Psychosom Med 46: 239–254
Schiavi, RC, Fisher CC, White D, Thornton J (1986) Plasma prolactin and estradiol during sleep in impotent men and normal controls. Arch Sex Behav 15: 285–291
Schwartz MF, Kolodny RC, Masters WH (1980) Plasma testosterone levels of sexually functional and dysfunctional men. Arch Sex Behav 9: 355–366
Segraves RT, Schoenberg HW, Ivanoff J (1983) Serum testosterone and prolactin levels in erectile dysfunction. J Sex Marital Ther 9: 19–26
Stief CG, Bähren W, Gall H, Scherb W, Gallwitz A, Altwein JE (1986) Corpus cavernosum-autoinjection therapy: initial experiences in erectile dysfunction. Urologe A 25: 63–66
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rupprecht, R., Noder, M., Jecht, E. et al. Gonadal steroid and gonadotropin response to dexamethasone: A study in sexual dysfunction and normal controls. J. Neural Transmission 71, 227–234 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01245716
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01245716