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Regulatory roles of androgens in cutaneous wound healing

Stephen C Gilliver1, Fred Wu, Gillian S Ashcroft

  • 1Division of Immunology, Microbiology and Development and Repair, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK. gillian.s.ashcroft@man.ac.uk

Thrombosis and Haemostasis
|December 4, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Androgens, like testosterone, appear to inhibit wound healing and increase inflammation. Blocking the androgen receptor or castration accelerates healing and reduces inflammation in male mice.

Area of Science:

  • Dermatology
  • Endocrinology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Androgen receptor expression is noted in cells crucial for wound healing, including inflammatory cells, keratinocytes, and fibroblasts.
  • The precise role of androgens in regulating inflammatory and repair processes during cutaneous wound healing remains incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and synthesize current scientific understanding of how androgens influence tissue repair processes.
  • To elucidate the regulatory mechanisms by which androgens impact wound healing and inflammation.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on androgens, androgen receptors, and their involvement in cutaneous wound healing.
  • Analysis of studies investigating the effects of castration and androgen receptor antagonists on wound repair and inflammation.

Main Results:

  • Endogenous testosterone appears to inhibit the cutaneous wound healing process.
  • Androgen activity is associated with an increased inflammatory response during wound healing.
  • Castration in male mice or administration of an androgen receptor antagonist (flutamide) accelerates wound healing and attenuates inflammation.

Conclusions:

  • Androgens, particularly testosterone, play an inhibitory role in cutaneous wound healing.
  • Modulation of androgen signaling pathways may represent a therapeutic target for enhancing wound repair and managing inflammation.

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