The Potential Relationship between Gastric and Small Intestinal-Derived Endotoxin on Serum Testosterone in Men

Abstract

The association between H. pylori and small intestinal permeability (IP) on serum testosterone levels in men as mediated by metabolic endotoxemia remains unclear. We sought to explore relationships using correlational analysis between H. pylori IgG class antibody levels and small IP via dual sugar probe analysis on T levels in 50 male participants of reproductive age. Sleep quality, physical activity levels, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) symptom severity were measured as potential confounders. Measures for H. pylori (antibodies) increased small IP (lactulose/rhamnose ratio), and hypogonadism (testosterone) did not exceed diagnostic cut-off values for respective pathologies. There was no correlation between lactulose/rhamnose e ratio and GI function markers, zonulin, H. pylori, and IBS questionnaire scores; inflammatory markers, high-sensitivity C-reactive Protein (hsCRP) and Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein (LBP); nor endocrine markers, testosterone, Luteinizing hormone (LH), and Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). There was a moderate inverse relationship revealed between IBS symptom severity and LBP (r = −0.457, p = 0.004); and hsCRP and testosterone (r = −0.398, p = 0.004). This was independent of physical activity level and sleep quality, but not BMI, which supports the existing link between adiposity, inflammation, and hypogonadism currently present in the literature.

Keywords

• endotoxemia
• <i>Helicobacter pylori</i>
• hypogonadism
• intestinal permeability
• small intestinal bacterial overgrowth
• inflammation