Study M931

Study name

Li D 2022c

Title

3beta-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase expressed by gut microbes degrades testosterone and is linked to depression in males

Overall design

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships among testosterone deficiency, depression, and the gut microbiota. The authors explored whether Mycobacterium neoaurum in the gut could cause depression-like behavior. Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with an antibiotic cocktail in their drinking water for 1 week to deplete the gut microbiota before gavage. Then rats were divided into the following 3 groups: (1) control group (rats received saline), (2) M. neoaurum-recipient group (rats received M. neoaurum once daily for 3 successive days), and (3) M. neoaurum-recipient + erythromycin group (rats received M. neoaurum once daily for 3 successive days, then treated with erythromycin at the dose of 10 mg/kg once daily for 7 successive days). M. neoaurum-recipient rats exhibited depression-like behaviors, and erythromycin reversed these behaviors. Serum and brain samples were used for targeted metabonomic analysis (n =12/group).

Study Type

Type1;

Type2;

Data available

Unavailable

Organism

Rat; Sprague-Dawley rat;

Categories of depression

Animal model; Other animal model; Other animal model;

Criteria for depression

Tail suspension test, forced swimming test

Sample size

36

Tissue

Peripheral; Blood; Serum;

Central; Brain; Brain;

Platform

MS-based; LC-MS: Ekspert ultraLC 100-XL system (AB SCIEX, Framingham, MA, USA) with AB SCIEX 4500 QTRAP mass spectrometer;

PMID

35108497

DOI

10.1016/j.chom.2022.01.001

Citation

Li D, Liu R, Wang M, et al. 3beta-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase expressed by gut microbes degrades testosterone and is linked to depression in males. Cell Host Microbe. 2022 Mar 9;30(3):329-339.e5.

Metabolite

Testosterone;