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The gut microbiota is a major regulator of androgen metabolism in intestinal contents
Colldén, Hannah Landin, Andreas Wallenius, Ville Elebring, Erik Fändriks, Lars Nilsson, Maria E. Ryberg, Henrik Poutanen, Matti Sjögren, Klara Vandenput, Liesbeth
Colldén, Hannah
Landin, Andreas
Wallenius, Ville
Elebring, Erik
Fändriks, Lars
Nilsson, Maria E.
Ryberg, Henrik
Poutanen, Matti
Sjögren, Klara
Vandenput, Liesbeth
Abstract
Androgens exert important effects both in androgen-responsive tissues and in the intestinal tract. To determine the impact of the gut microbiota (GM) on intestinal androgen metabolism, we measured unconjugated (free) and glucuronidated androgen levels in intestinal contents from the small intestine, with a low bacterial density, and from cecum and colon, with a high bacterial density. Using a specific, sensitive gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method, we detected high levels of glucuronidated testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in small intestinal content of mice of both sexes, whereas in the distal intestine we observed remarkably high levels of free DHT, exceeding serum levels by >20-fold. Similarly, in young adult men high levels of unconjugated DHT, >70-fold higher than in serum, were detected in feces. In contrast to mice with a normal GM composition, germ-free mice had high levels of glucuronidated T and DHT, but very low free DHT levels, in the distal intestine. These findings demonstrate that the GM is involved in intestinal metabolism and deglucuronidation of DHT and T, resulting in extremely high free levels of the most potent androgen, DHT, in the colonic content of young and healthy mice and men.
Keywords
dihydrotestosterone, glucuronidation, gut bacteria, intracrinology, testosterone
Date
2019
Type
Journal article
Journal
American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism
Book
Volume
317
Issue
6
Page Range
E1182-E1192
Article Number
ACU Department
Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Collections
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
Open access
License
CC BY 4.0
File Access
Open