Androgen-induced gut dysbiosis disrupts glucolipid metabolism and endocrinal functions in polycystic ovary syndrome

BACKGROUND: The characteristics of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common reproductive endocrinal disorder, are high incidence, complicated aetiology and poor therapeutic effects. PCOS patients frequently exhibit gut dysbiosis; however, its roles in the regulation of metabolic and endocrinal balances in PCOS pathophysiology are not clear. RESULTS: In this study, gut dysbiosis was reproduced in dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)-induced PCOS-like rats. An antibiotic cocktail was used to eliminate gut microbiota during DHEA treatment; however, depletion of the gut microbiota did not prevent the occurrence of PCOS phenotypes in DHEA-treated rats. DHEA-shaped gut microbiota transplanted to pseudo germ-free recipients trigged disturbances in hepatic glucolipid metabolism and reproductive hormone imbalance. The clinical features of PCOS may be correlated with the relative abundance of gut microbes and the levels of faecal metabolites in faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) recipient rats. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that androgen-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis may aggravate metabolic and endocrinal malfunction in PCOS. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40168-021-01046-5.