Question

2. (58 pts) In the future you are a famous reproductive endocrinologist running a fertility clinic and you are working with the following 28 year old males.Allen has very elevated plasma leptin and resistin levels and very low plasma adiponectin levels.Bill is an athletic trainer who consumes a low fat, high protein and high fiber diet. His BMI and body fat percent are normal. During gestation Bill’s mother smoked 2 packs of cigarettes per day.Carl consumes a perfectly balanced diet (recommended levels of dietary fat and fiber). His BMI and percent body fat are normal and equal to Bill’s values. At 20 years of age Carl had a vasectomy, but 7 months ago he decided he wanted to have kids and had a reversal surgery (the cut vas deferens for each testicle was reconnected).Dan works for a pesticide company and for the past year he has been exposed to a chemical that he absorbs and is acting as a highly effective (100%) LH antagonist. His BMI and his body fat content are equal to Carl’s values.Evan is an Olympic swimmer that has been taking a completely effective aromatase inhibitor and LH agonist for the past 2 years. His BMI and body fat are equal to Carl.Fred consumes a high fat and low fiber diet. He is a truck driver that spends 70 hours a week driving a truck back and forth from Georgia to Texas. He exercises regularly, so despite his diet and job his BMI and body fat values are equal to Carl.George has an undiagnosed genetic mutation that renders one of his proteins nonfunctional. He had a normal puberty. His plasma LH, testosterone, activin and estrogen levels are normal, but his inhibin B levels are barely detectable, his androgen binding protein levels are low and he is infertile due to azoospermia from the lack of sperm production. His BMI and his body fat content are equal to Carl’s values.Henry works for a pesticide company and 5 days a week he is exposed and absorbs a chemical that increases the activity of 5-alpha reductase by 75%. His BMI and body fat content are equal to Carl’s values. Henry has worked at the pesticide company for 1 year.Ian is a high school biology teacher. He consumes a perfectly balanced diet (recommended levels of dietary fat and fiber). His BMI and percent body fat are normal and equal to Carl’s values.a)Compare and contrast (rank) free plasma estradiol levels between Allen, Bill, Dan, Fred and Henry (explain your answer)

Answer 1

We have a lot of information of several subjects, but the question asks to focus with Allen, Bill, Dan, Fred and Henry.

We have the following information about our subjects:

Allen: elevated plasma leptin and resistin levels; low plasma adiponectin levels.

BIll: BMI and body fat percentage normal (despite his mother smoking)

Dan: BMI and body fat percentage normal (equal to Carl's, which in turn, are equal to Bill's). Despite being exposed to a highly effective LH agonist.

Fred: BMI and body fat percentage normal (equal to Carl's, which in turn, are equal to Bill's). Despite having a high fat diet.

Henry: BMI and body fat percentage normal (equal to Carl's, which in turn, are equal to Bill's). Despite being exposed to a chemical that increases it's alpha reductase by 75%.

So, we have a lot of information with particular cases. But a common pattern emerges. Despite all the differences in the subject's environment, the Body Mass Index (BMI) and the fat content is normal, at least for the majority of them. We do not have Allen's BMI, fat content, but according to the plasma data he has a very different pattern, that is a different BMI and fat content. But we are not provided with his details.

So, even with the great variability in their environment and background, fat remains constant for the majority of individuals (except Allen). Fat content is releated with plasma metabolite's concentration and lipidic hormones (like glucocorticoids). Another important aspect of these individuals is that they either have a healthy diet or exercise a lot. Their age (all are young) and their lifestyle seems to be enough to keep fat levels normal, which in turn, helps them to keep normal glucocorticoids levels. That is, their habits, have a major impact in their hormone levels.