Circulating Androgen Regulation by Androgen-Catabolizing Gut Bacteria in Male Mouse Gut
July 2022
in “
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
”
TLDR Certain gut bacteria can lower androgen levels in male mice.
The study investigated the role of gut bacteria in regulating circulating androgen levels in male mice, focusing on the Thauera sp. strain GDN1. This bacterium was capable of both aerobic and anaerobic androgen catabolism, significantly reducing serum androgen levels by approximately 50% when administered to C57BL/6J mice. The research highlighted the differential expression of androgen catabolic genes in the mouse ileum and caecum, and the presence of androgenic metabolites in fecal extracts. The findings suggested that androgen-catabolizing gut bacteria could potentially be used as functional probiotics to treat conditions like hyperandrogenism.