Abstract
Estrogens, including estradiol and estrone, and androgens, including testosterone,
are locally produced in adipose tissue throughout a woman's lifespan. Already in fertile-aged
women, subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue produce notable amounts of estrogens
despite ongoing ovarian estrogen synthesis. After menopause, adipose tissue becomes
the most important producer of estrogens. A decrease in circulating estrogen concentrations
coincides with a relative increase in the amount of visceral adipose tissue and an
increased risk for metabolic disorders. Furthermore, local adipose tissue biosynthesis
of sex steroids may regulate the distribution of adipose tissue between the subcutaneous
and visceral depots. Further studies are needed to characterize the relation of local
adipose tissue sex steroid milieu to local and circulating markers of adipose tissue
and metabolic dysfunction. This can shed more light on the increasing adiposity and
metabolic burden associated with menopause. Here, we discuss the roles estrogens and
androgens play in adipose tissue distribution and function before and after menopause,
and highlight the role of local sex steroid biosynthesis, or intracrinology, in determining
local tissue sex steroid environments.
Keywords
adipose tissue - sex steroids - estrogen - androgen - menopause
