Figure 4.

Administration of androgen-catabolic Thauera sp. strain GDN1 into mouse gut through oral gavage can regulate host circulating androgen levels. (a) Working flow of the administration of mice with strain GDN1 through oral gavage. Nitrate (2 mM) was supplemented in the drinking water during the period of continuous administration. (b) Administration of male mice with strain GDN1 through oral gavage for 25 days reduces serum testosterone levels considerably. (c) Strain GDN1 administration does not affect the serum androgen metabolite profiles of male and female mice considerably. Testosterone is the most dominant serum androgen (>90%, w/w) in all the included mice. Results are representative of three individual experiments. Statistical results were calculated with unpaired nonparametric t-test; *p<0.05, ***p<0.001. All data are shown as means ± SEM of 8–14 mouse individuals.