Female Adipose Tissue Sex Steroid Biosynthesis

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.