The relationship between leptin and testosterone in infertile men

Abstract

The corresponding decrease in men fertility and fecundity may be explained in parallel to obesity, and obesity may be considered as an etiology of male infertility. Leptin, the adipocyte-derived hormone that plays a key role in body weight homeostasis, has recently emerged as a relevant neuroendocrine mediator in different systems, including the reproductive axis. A case-control study was carried out to examine the relationships between leptin and testosterone hormone in males. Eighty men their ages between 20 and 45 years; fertile normozoospermia as a control (n = 28) and infertile oligozoospermia (n = 52); were recruited in the study. There was a highly significant negative correlation between testosterone and leptin. This result is suggestive of a link between the adipocyte derived hormone, leptin and male reproduction. This study showed that obesity may represent an actual threat to male fertility causing a decrease of total testosterone with hyperleptinaemia.