The role of androgens for bone health in elderly men is unclear. We show that free testosterone within the normal range is a predictor of BMD at predominantly cortical bone sites and of previous osteoporosis-related fractures in elderly Swedish men.Introduction: Osteoporosis-related fractures constitute a major health concern not only in women but also in men. Previous studies have clearly shown that serum levels of estradiol are associated with BMD, whereas more conflicting data have been presented regarding the predictive value of testosterone (T) for bone health in elderly men. The aim of this study was to investigate if serum levels of T are associated with BMD and/or prevalent fractures in a large cohort of elderly men. Materials and Methods:In the Swedish part of the MrOS study (n ‫ס‬ 2908; average age, 75.4 years), bone parameters were measured using DXA, and prevalent fractures were recorded using standardized questionnaires and by vertebral X-ray analyses. Serum levels of total T, total estradiol (E2), and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) were measured by radioimmunoassay, and free T (FT) and free E2 (FE2) were derived from the mass action equations. Height, weight, age, physical activity, smoking habits, and calcium intake were included together with FT and FE2 in regression models for BMD. Results: FT was an independent positive predictor of BMD in total body, total hip, femur trochanter, and arm but not in the lumbar spine. The highest independent predictive value of FT was found in the arm and the hip (with a relatively high content of cortical bone). FE2 was an independent predictor of BMD at all bone sites studied, and the highest predictive value was seen for lumbar spine (with relatively high content of trabecular bone) BMD. FT but not FE2 was a positive predictor of total body bone area and BMC. FT levels below the median were independent predictors of prevalent osteoporosis-related fractures (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.14-2.14; p < 0.01) and X-ray-verified vertebral fractures (OR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.34-2.86; p < 0.001). The predictive value of FT for prevalent fractures was not affected by adjustment for BMD. Conclusions: These findings show that variation of FT within the normal range is an independent but modest predictor of BMD at predominantly cortical bone sites and of previous osteoporosis-related fractures in elderly men. Our data indicate that not only estrogens but also androgens are of importance for bone health in elderly men. Longitudinal studies investigating the predictive value of T for fracture risk in elderly men are required.

The present paper describes a new method for manufacturing a nanostructured porous layer of a semiconductor material on a conducting plastic substrate for use in an electrochemical or photoelectrochemical cell. The method involves the deposition of a layer of semiconductor particles on conducting plastic and the compression of the particle layer to form a mechanically stable, electrically conducting, porous nanostructured film at room temperature. Photoelectrochemical characteristics of the resulting nanostructured films are presented showing, for example, overall solar to electric conversion efficiencies of up to 4.9% (0.1 sun). The potential use of the new manufacturing method in future applications of nanostructured electrodes is discussed.

Osteoporosis-related fractures constitute a major health concern not only in women but also in men. To study the predictive role of serum sex steroids for fracture risk in men, serum sex steroids were analyzed by the specific gas chromatography-mass spectrometry technique at baseline in older men (n ‫ס‬ 2639; mean, 75 yr of age) of the prospective population-based MrOS Sweden cohort. Fractures occurring after baseline were validated (average follow-up of 3.3 yr). The incidence for having at least one validated fracture after baseline was 20.9/1000 person-years. Estradiol (E2; hazard ratio [HR] per SD decrease, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.22-1.49), free estradiol (fE2; HR per SD decrease, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.28-1.55), testosterone (T; HR per SD decrease, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.16-1.39), and free testosterone (fT; HR per SD decrease, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.21-1.44) were all inversely, whereas sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG; HR per SD increase, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.22-1.63) was directly related to fracture risk. Multivariable proportional hazards regression models, adjusted for age, suggested that fE2 and SHBG (p < 0.001), but not fT, were independently associated with fracture risk. Further subanalyses of fracture type showed that fE2 was inversely associated with clinical vertebral fractures (HR per SD decrease, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.36-1.80), nonvertebral osteoporosis fractures (HR per SD decrease, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.23-1.65), and hip fractures (HR per SD decrease, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.18-1.76). The inverse relation between serum E2 and fracture risk was nonlinear with a strong relation <16 pg/ml for E2 and 0.3 pg/ml for fE2. In conclusion, older Swedish men with low serum E2 and high SHBG levels have an increased risk of fractures.

No abstract

Using digital motion analysis, the ontogeny of the cholinergic, tachykinin and pituitary adenylate cyclaseactivating polypeptide (PACAP) control systems was studied in zebrafish Danio rerio larvae, in vivo.