The immunocompetence handicap hypothesis has attracted a lot of attention and an impressive amount of studies have been published on this topic (reviews in Owen-Ashley et al. 2004; Roberts et al. 2004; Muehlenbein & Bribiescas 2005). In a seminal paper, Folstad & Karter (1992) put forward a novel hypothesis to explain the honesty of testosterone-based sexual signals. Male zebra finches received subcutaneous implants filled with flutamide (an anti-androgen) or testosterone, or kept empty (control). The immunocompetence handicap hypothesis has been proposed as a possible mechanism ensuring honesty of SST on the basis that testosterone, in addition to its effect on sexual signals, also has an immunosuppressive effect. Significantly reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, lipid peroxide contents and hypoxia induction factor (HIF)-1α stabilization and activation were found with 100-nmol l−1 testosterone treatment. Cytoprotective effects were identified with 100-nmol l−1 testosterone treatment, but cytotoxic effects were found with ≥500-nmol l−1 testosterone supplementation. However, the effects of exogenous testosterone on Leydig cells are still unclear and need to be clarified. Conversely, zinc supplementation can preventoxidative stress-induced inhibition of testicular antioxidant enzymeactivities (with increased formation of lipid peroxidation productsand oxidative modification of DNA) and of testosterone synthesis378,379. Conversely, elevatedsystemic oxidative stress downregulates the expression of lipoic acidsynthase, increasing the need for dietary α-lipoic acid in order toforestall retardation of aerobic energy production . The Leydig cells of rats fed the polychlorinated biphenyl,Arochlor-1254, exhibit decreased activities of antioxidant enzymes,increased generation of H2O2, lipid peroxidation products andother ROS, and inhibition of the StAR protein, P450scc, HSD3B2,and testosterone synthesis . For example, the50- to 91-year old male participants in the Baltimore LongitudinalStudy of Aging exhibited significant correlations between their initialserum total testosterone concentrations and measures of visualmemory, verbal memory, and visuospatial functioning measured 10years later . Although definitions of "testosterone deficiency" vary, mid-morning serumtotal testosterone concentrations less than 7 nmol/L to 10.5 nmol/Lare considered to reflect "testosterone deficiency" 68,76-78. Male sexual performanceand function are dependent upon testosterone adequacy 63-73,while relative testosterone inadequacy reduces male sexual desire,function, performance, and potency 63-67. Following the chemical induction of hypoxia, intracellular HIF-1α stabilization and activation increased to 132%±3% (P2 or testosterone treatment). To test whether the cytoprotective effect is specific for testosterone, we further investigated the effect of an inert steroid, epitestosterone, on cell viability. After chemical induction of hypoxia with 100 µmol l−1 CoCl2, whole-cell lysates were taken directly from samples in extract buffer (50 mmol l−1 Tris (pH 7.4), 150 mmol l−1 NaCl, 5 mmol l−1 EDTA, 0.1% sodium dodecylsulfate, 1 mmol l−1 phenazine methosulfate and complete protease inhibitor). Testosterone-treated cells were lysed by adding 2 ml of a guanidium thiocyanate phenol RNAzol B solution (Biotex, Houston, TX, USA). In order to demonstrate the effect of testosterone on intracellular steroidogenesis, alterations in StAR messenger RNA (mRNA) and AR mRNA were detected. The eluent was monitored with a Jasco fluorescence detector (with excitation at 525 nmol l−1 and emission at 550 nmol l−1). Whether it's dragging yourself out of bed, hitting a wall during workouts, or feeling that spark fade in the bedroom, declining testosterone levels are often the silent culprit. Because the normal growth of prostate tissue, as well as theprogression of certain intermediate and high-risk prostate cancers,are dependant on the presence of testosterone, it has been fearedthat improvement in testosterone status might increase the risk forthe development of benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostate cancer. Dietary supplementation withselenium increases intracellular thioredoxin reductase activity andincreases the efficiency of regeneration of ascorbic acid . The selenium-dependentthioredoxin reductases also catalyze the regeneration of ascorbicacid from oxidized dehydroascorbic acid (thereby contributing tointracellular antioxidation) 380,398. In addition to the absence of adverse reactionsduring these trials 361,362, the safety of exogenous α-lipoic acidwas demonstrated by the absence of adverse reactions during astudy in which men and women with metabolically stable diabetescomplicated by symptomatic diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathyreceived intravenous injections of 600 mg of α-lipoic acid (5 injectionsper week for 3 weeks) . Among these subjects, the incidence ofgastrointestinal upset was increased slightly by 1200 mg and 1800mg of α-lipoic acid daily, although no other adverse reactions wereobserved. Dietary supplementation of rats exposed to these agents withα-lipoic acid has prevented or reversed these detrimental effects ontestosterone status 291,355,356,358,359. However, the study is not comparable because they previously castrated the males, thus inducing the decolouration of the beak (feminization). Moreover, testosterone can also increase locomotor activity as a consequence of changes in behaviour (Wikelski et al. 1999; Lynn et al. 2000) and a high muscle activity might enhance oxidative stress (e.g. Finaud et al. 2006 and references therein). The highest value reported for unmanipulated male zebra finches is 8.2 ng ml−1 (McGraw et al. 2006), although untreated captive males may reach values higher than 20 ng ml−1 (E. Adkins-Regan 2006, personal communication). Although we used implants of the same size as those used in studies involving zebra finches, as well as other passerine species, we found that birds implanted with testosterone showed a substantial increase in their levels of circulating testosterone. Later work has, however, shown that the relationship between testosterone and oxidative stress can be more complex than previously thought, as it is tissue- and gender-dependent. Together, these updated findings confirm thesafety of vitamin C consumption. In contrast, when the effectsof the daily consumption of 218 mg or more of vitamin C from foodwere compared to the effects of the consumption of 105 mg or lessof vitamin C from food, the relative risk for kidney stone formationincreased significantly by 31%, suggesting that a confounding factorconsumed with vitamin C-rich foods and beverages, and not vitaminC, is urolithogenic. Further analysis revealed that there was noincrease in risk when the effects of the consumption of 1000 mg ormore of supplemental vitamin C was compared to the effects of nosupplementation with vitamin C .