Testosterone needs estrogen's help to inhibit depression

In popular culture, the phrase "battle of the sexes" seems to pit the male hormone (testosterone) against the female (estrogen). Now a Florida State University College of Medicine researcher has documented a way in which the two hormones work together to protect low-testosterone males from the effects of anxiety and depression.

Specifically, the testosterone must first be converted into estrogen. That's the latest discovery from the lab of biomedical sciences Professor Mohamed Kabbaj. With a six-year grant from the National Institute of Mental Health, he is investigating the ways in which anxiety affects the sexes differently.

Women are 70 percent more likely than men to experience depression during their lifetime, according to the NIMH. It also reports that "major depressive disorder" affects more than 20 million U.S. adults each year.

So far, the link between testosterone conversion and anxiety/depression has been detected only in laboratory animals. But Kabbaj says the results are potentially promising for humans as well.

"Maybe in the future, when we are trying to develop an antidepressant that works in low-testosterone males, we can target some of the mechanisms by which testosterone acts, since it has numerous side effects," he said.

Testosterone acts on many receptors and pathways in the brain, so the challenge is to come up with a drug that provides only the effect you want.

Borderline Testosterone Levels Linked to Higher Rates of Depression in Men Men with borderline testosterone levels have higher rates of depression and depressive symptoms than the general population, according to a new study.

“Over half of men referred for borderline testosterone levels have depression,” said Michael S. Irwig, M.D., F.A.C.E., associate professor of medicine and director of the Center for Andrology in the Division of Endocrinology at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

“This study found that men seeking management for borderline testosterone have a very high rate of depression, depressive symptoms, obesity and physical inactivity. Clinicians need to be aware of the clinical characteristics of this sample population and manage their comorbidities, such as depression and obesity.”

For their study, Irwig and his colleagues studied 200 men between 20 and 77 years of age whose testosterone levels were borderline (between 200 and 350 nanograms per deciliter).

The researchers collected the men’s demographic information, medical histories, medication use, and signs and symptoms of hypogonadism.

"A number of treatments are available for depression, but the drugs are not effective in all patients and the side effects can be serious, especially on the heart," said biomedical sciences Professor Pradeep Bhide, director of the College of Medicine's Center for Brain Repair. "Therefore, there is an urgent need for safer and more efficacious drugs to treat depression. Dr. Kabbaj's research is offering new insights into the causes of depression and the role of hormones in this disorder. Such insights are critical for the development of new drugs and diagnostic tests."