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The symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have improved with exposure to healthy intestinal bacteria, according to a study conducted on a mouse model of this common endocrine disorder in women. The results of the study will be presented Monday at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, ENDO 2019, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
This study is based on recent research conducted by the same researchers who have shown that the intestinal microbiome, or intestinal bacterial composition, is less diverse in women with PCOS.
"Our new findings suggest that altering the intestinal microbiome via prebiotic or probiotic treatments could be a potential treatment option for PCOS," said lead researcher Varykina Thackray, Ph.D. the Faculty of Medicine at the University of California San Diego, California. La Jolla, California
PCOS affects about 10% of women of childbearing age, and the exact causes are unknown, according to the Hormone Health Network. There is no cure, but the symptoms are treated with medications and changes in diet and exercise. Signs of the disease include cystic follicles in the ovaries, higher testosterone levels, excess hair growth, irregular or absent menstruation, and sometimes weight gain and insulin resistance. Possible health consequences in the long term include infertility, miscarriages, pregnancy complications, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and depression.
Thackray and his research team caused PCOS in post-pubic female mice by administering letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor. By blocking the conversion of testosterone to estrogen, this drug causes high testosterone levels and, in mice, another feature of PCOS. Another control group of mice was treated with a placebo in this study, which received funding from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
For five weeks, the researchers kept two mice per cage in three different dwellings: PCOS mice together, placebo-treated mice, and mice from both treatment groups. Cohabitation leads to exposure to the intestinal microbiome, explains Thackray.
Researchers with PCOS living with placebo mice had significantly improved testosterone levels, standardized cycles, and ovulation compared to PCOS mice housed together, investigators said. In addition, SOPK mice housed with placebo mice had reduced weight, reduced fasting glucose, and lower insulin levels and insulin resistance (a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes). 2).
It is important to note that Thackray stated that these improvements in PCOS functionality were related to changes in the intestinal microbiome. "Further research is needed to understand how specific intestinal bacteria contribute to PCOS and whether the gut microbiome offers potential leads for the treatment of the disease," said Thackray.
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