Abstract
The theory that alcohol causes liver dysfunction, which then causes feminization, is false. Alcohol is a primary gonadotoxin, and in acute and chronic consumers of alcohol it affects both the reproductive and the endocrine compartments of the testes. Acetaldehyde, the first degradation product of alcohol, is highly toxic and alters the testicular redox potential. Hypogonadism is common in alcoholic men and occurs independently of liver disease. Alcohol produces primary gonadal failure and may have an effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 93-97 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Heart and Lung: Journal of Acute and Critical Care |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| State | Published - Jan 1 1983 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
- Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine