[Research advance in the effects of androgen and its receptor on the development of obesity, obesity-related diseases and disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism].

Recently, there has been a growing interest in the roles of androgen in the development of obesity and obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, atherosclerosis (AS), hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, as well as in the disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism. Androgen exerts its biological role mainly through binding to the androgen receptor (AR), one of the nuclear receptors widely expressed in multiple tissues such as the skeletal muscle, liver, adipose tissue and brain. Low testosterone and AR deficiency result in obesity, obesity-related diseases and metabolic disorders. Androgen regulates almost all the intracellular transduction pathways related to glucose and lipid metabolism, including key metabolic enzymes/proteins, nuclear transcription factors (PPARγ, LXRα and FoxO1), inflammation, leptin sensitivity of hypothalamus, proliferation and differentiation of adipocyte, mitochondrial function and vascular endothelial function. In addition, females with high androgen are more likely to develop obesity as well as glucose and lipid metabolism disorders, while the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This review focuses on the role and underlying mechanisms of androgen and AR in the development of obesity and obesity-related diseases as well as glucose and lipid metabolism disturbance in men.