Androgen exposure potentiates formation of intratubular communities and renal abscesses by  Escherichia coli

Females across their lifespan and certain male populations are susceptible to urinary tract infections (UTI). The influence of female vs. male sex on UTI is incompletely understood, in part because preclinical modeling has been performed almost exclusively in female mice. Here, we employed established and new mouse models of UTI with uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) to investigate androgen influence on UTI pathogenesis. Susceptibility to UPEC UTI in both male and female hosts was potentiated with 5 α-dihydrotestosterone, while males with androgen receptor deficiency and androgenized females treated with the androgen receptor antagonist enzalutamide were protected from severe pyelonephritis.
Source: Kidney International - Category: Urology & Nephrology Authors: Tags: Basic Research Source Type: research