The Relationships Between Testosterone Level And Related Metabolic-Genetic Polymorphisms And Reject Sensitivity

Rejection sensitivity is personal anxiously expect,readily perceive,and overreact of interpersonal rejection to others.Social cognitions and emotional regulations underlying rejection sensitivity are modulated by testosterone level,while there was no direct evidence about the relationship between testosterone functions and the individual differences in rejection sensitivity.Here,we examined the relationships of testosterone level and testosterone metabolic pathway genetic polymorphisms with one's rejection sensitivity,the endocrine and psychogenetic genetic basis of rejection sensitivity were clarified.1.Relationship between testosterone level and rejection sensitivity(1)Relationship between testosterone level and rejection sensitivity traits: 202 volunteers in a relationship were recruited(M ± SD = 22.26 ± 2.27 years,males = 105),rejection sensitivity traits were assessed with the Rejection Sensitivity Scale(RSQ),and the testosterone level was measured by ELISA kit.The results showed that testosterone level was significantly related to rejection sensitivity,anxiously expect,and readily perceive in females(ps < 0.032).By contrast,testosterone level was not significantly related with rejection sensitivity in males(ps > 0.462).(2)Relationship between testosterone level and individual's rejection sensitivity to romantic partner: Based on the above sample(N = 202),the Rejection Sensitivity of Couple Scale(RSC)was compiled according to the items of partner rejection in RSQ to measure individual's partner rejection sensitivity.The results showed that there have significant relationships between testosterone level and readily perceive in females(p = 0.028),but testosterone level was not related to rejection sensitivity in males(p > 0.699).2.Relationships between testosterone metabolic genetic polymorphisms and one's rejection sensitivity(1)Relationships between testosterone metabolic genetic polymorphisms and rejection sensitivity traits: 946 college students(M ± SD = 20.74 ± 2.02 years,males = 371)were recruited,and rejection sensitivity traits were measured with the RSQ.The polymorphisms of the SRD5A2 rs523349,CYP19A1 rs700518,SHBG rs727428,and AR(CAG)n were genotyped with the PCR-RFLP method.The results showed that,for the female,the short repeat of CAG in the AR was associated with high rejection sensitivity(p = 0.030),and the GG of the SRD5A2 rs523349 was related to high readily perception(p = 0.013).However,rejection sensitivity traits were not significantly correlated to any of the polymorphisms in males(ps > 0.333).(2)Relationships between testosterone metabolic genetic polymorphisms and rejection sensitivity from romantic partners: The polymorphisms were genotyped with the PCR-RFLP method in the subjects of Study 1.Results showed that females with the GG genotype of SRD5A2 rs523349,but the CYP19A1 rs700518,SHBG rs727428 and the AR(CAG)n(ps > 0.144),showed high rejection sensitivity(p = 0.018)and readily perception(p = 0.009).But there was no significant correlation between rejection sensitivity to romantic partner and the polymorphisms in males(ps > 0.054).In conclusion:(1)Testosterone level is associated with female rejection sensitivity and their readily perception to romantic partner,so that the female with low testosterone show high rejection sensitivity.(2)The short(CAG)n repeat of AR gene is associated with high rejection sensitivity in female,and GG genotype at SRD5A2 rs523349 is associated with high readily perception in female.Thus,this study highlights significant gender differences in the effects of testosterone level and testosterone related metabolic genes on rejection sensitivity.