Androstane-3alpha,17beta-diol glucuronide as a steroid correlate of visceral obesity in men

Plasma levels of androstane-3alpha,17beta-diol glucuronide (3alpha-DIOL-G) and androsterone glucuronide (ADT-G) as well as testosterone and adrenal C19 steroid concentrations were measured in a sample of 80 men in whom visceral adipose tissue (AT) accumulation was also determined by computed tomography. Plasma 3alpha-DIOL-G concentrations showed significant positive correlations with total body fat mass (r = 0.31; P < 0.05) and percent body fat (r = 0.28; P < 0.05). Furthermore, plasma 3alpha-DIOL-G levels were significantly associated with visceral adipose tissue accumulation (r = 0.41; P < 0.0005) as well as fasting plasma insulin (r = 0.35; P < 0.005) and glycemic and insulinemic responses to an oral glucose load (r = 0.39; P < 0.0005 and r = 0.32; P < 0.005, respectively). However, associations between 3alpha-DIOL-G and plasma glucose-insulin homeostasis indexes were no longer significant after adjustment for visceral AT area. ADT-G levels were not significantly associated with any of the adiposity variables. Subjects matched for abdominal sc AT area but with either low or high levels of visceral AT area showed significant differences in 3alpha-DIOL-G concentrations (P < 0.05), whereas subjects with low or high levels of abdominal sc AT but similar levels of visceral AT had similar 3alpha-DIOL-G concentrations. Among men with high testosterone levels, subjects with reduced 3alpha-DIOL-G concentrations had lower visceral adipose tissue accumulation than subjects with increased 3alpha-DIOL-G levels. The present results indicate that plasma 3alpha-DIOL-G, but not ADT-G, is a steroid correlate of visceral obesity. Excess visceral adipose tissue and/or concomitant alterations in insulin levels or in vivo insulin action could be responsible for the increased 3alpha-DIOL-G formation observed in this condition.