Androgens modulate the immune profile in a mouse model of polycystic ovary syndrome

Using a well-established PCOS-like mouse model, we demonstrate that androgen exposure affects immune cell populations in reproductive, metabolic, and immunological tissues differently in a site-specific manner. Co-treatment with flutamide, an androgen receptor antagonist, prevents most of these alterations, demonstrating that these effects are mediated through androgen receptor activation. Mice exposed to the androgen dihydrotestosterone (DHT) also display with insulin resistance, albeit unaltered fat mass. Collectively, immune alterations caused by hyperandrogenism could have considerable implications on tissue function and contribute to the reduced fertility and metabolic comorbidities associated with PCOS.