Evidence of
Ongoing Evolution: Evidence of Increasing Testosterone and the Increase in
Preeclampsia
Copyright ã 2001 by James Michael Howard.
Some new support below: Eur J Obstet Gynecol
Reprod Biol. 2005 Aug 31; [Epub ahead of print]
This is intended to demonstrate that an
ongoing, pathological phenomenon may be directly connected to my explanation of
human evolution. That is, human evolution is directly influenced by levels of
testosterone within populations. It is my hypothesis that testosterone is
rising in society. More specifically, it is my hypothesis that the percentage
of individuals who produce more testosterone is increasing compared to people
who produce less. I suggest the increase in percentage of individuals of higher
testosterone is identifiable as a change in children known as the "secular
trend." The secular trend is the increase in height and weight and earlier
puberty in children. (That is, children of higher testosterone are bigger and
reach puberty earlier.) The secular trend is real and was recently documented
in the
This may be identifiable in the effects of
testosterone on an enzyme, epoxide hydrolase, associated with preeclampsia. Steegers, E.A., et al., "A polymorphism in the gene for
microsomal epoxide hydrolase is associated with pre-eclampsia," (Journal
of Medical Genetics 2001; 38: 234-237) report a connection between
genotype variability of the gene for "epoxide hydrolase" and the
incidence of preeclampsia. "Microsomal epoxide hydrolase is an
important enzyme involved in the metabolism of endogenous and exogenous
toxicants." The "high activity genotype" occurs more often (29%)
in preeclampsia than in controls (16%). They conclude that: "Women with
the high activity genotype in exon 3, which could reflect differences in
metabolic activation of endogenous or exogenous toxic compounds, may have
enhanced susceptibility to pre-eclampsia."
Exposure to testosterone is directly involved
in expression of epoxide hydrolase in the livers of adult rats (Denlinger, C.L.
and Vesell, E.S., "Hormonal regulation of the developmental pattern of
epoxide hydrolases. Studies in rat liver," Biochemical Pharmacology
1989 Feb 15; 38(4): 603-10). Treatment of castrated mice with
testosterone increases soluble epoxide hydrolase activity between 49% and 400%
depending upon the tissue examined (Pinot, F., et al., "Differential
regulation of soluble epoxide hydrolase by clofibrate and sexual hormones in
the liver and kidneys of mice," Biochemical Pharmacology 1995; 50(4):
501-8). Testosterone activates soluble and mitochondrial expoxide hydrolase
activity, while ".estradiol treatment showed a suppressive effect on both
subcellular activities in males, but had no effect on female activities." (Inoue, N., et al., "Sex hormone-related control of hepatic
epoxide hydrolase activities in mice," Biological and Pharmaceutical
Bulletin 1993 Oct; 16(10): 1004-7).
A number of reports connect high levels of
testosterone directly to preeclampsia: "Levels of the potent androgen
testosterone were significantly higher in primigravid women with preeclampsia
than in normotensive women with similar gestational and maternal ages. This
difference may indicate a role for testosterone in the pathogenesis of
preeclampsia." (Acromite, M.T., et al., "Androgens in
preeclampsia," American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 1999; 180:
60-3) and. "A history of preeclampsia an average of 17 yr earlier thus
appears to be associated with elevated levels of testosterone, which may
contribute to the increased risk of vascular morbidity in such women."
(Laivuori, H., et al., "Evidence of high circulating testosterone in women
with prior preeclampsia," Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and
Metabolism 1998; 83: 344-7)
It is my hypothesis that testosterone is
rising in society. More specifically, it is my hypothesis that the percentage
of individuals who produce more testosterone is increasing compared to people
who produce less. I suggest the increase in percentage of individuals of higher
testosterone is identifiable as a change in children known as the "secular
trend." The secular trend is the increase in height and weight and earlier
puberty in children. (That is, children of higher testosterone are bigger and
reach puberty earlier.) The secular trend is real and was recently documented
in the
Preeclampsia is increasing in the
Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod
Biol. 2005 Aug 31; [Epub ahead of print] |
|
Androgen levels
in the third trimester of pregnancy in patients with preeclampsia
Salamalekis E, Bakas P, Vitoratos N, Eleptheriadis
M, Creatsas G.
2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
OBJECTIVE(S):: To investigate if testosterone levels
are higher in patients with preeclampsia compared to normotensive pregnant patients.
STUDY DESIGN:: The levels of serum total and free
testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, androstenedione and sex hormone
binding globulin were estimated in 28 patients during the third trimester of
pregnancy with established preeclampsia and 25 normotensive women. RESULTS:: No statistically significant differences were noted
between the two groups regarding the maternal age, gestational age, body mass
index (BMI) haematocrit and neonatal sex. The mean+/-S.D. total testosterone
and free testosterone levels were significantly higher (p<0.01) in the group
with preeclapsia compared to the control group. The values of DHEA-S,
androstenedione and sex hormone binding globulin were lower in the group with
preeclampsia but the difference did not reach statistical significance.
CONCLUSION(S):: The levels of total and free
testosterone appear to be higher in patients with preeclampsia compared to
normotensive pregnant women during the third trimester of pregnancy. This
difference could indicate an involvement of testosterone in the pathophysiology
of preeclampsia and stimulates research in the potential role of anti-androgens
in the management of preeclampsia.