Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41702948›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2026

Androgen dysregulates the follicular extracellular matrix and increases pro-fibrotic gene expression in the mouse ovary.

Thomas I R Hopkins, Avigdor Lerner, Iain E Dunlop, Stephen Franks, Kate Hardy

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Thomas I R HopkinsDepartment of Materials, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2AZ, UK. thomas.hopkins@kcl.ac.uk.
Avigdor LernerInstitute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London, W12 0NN, UK.
Iain E DunlopDepartment of Materials, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
Stephen FranksInstitute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London, W12 0NN, UK.
Kate HardyInstitute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London, W12 0NN, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The extracellular matrix (ECM) defines the biomechanical and biochemical microenvironment of tissues, directing cell behaviour and phenotype. In the ovary, ECM must dynamically remodel in each cycle under hormonal regulation to control follicle development and produce fertilizable oocytes. Dysregulation of this process may result in aberrant formation of ECM as seen in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) whose pathology includes fibrosis of the ovary and which is a major cause of infertility. PCOS is characterised by hyperandrogenism and, here, we investigate the impact of androgens on fibrosis, cell-ECM interactions and mechanosensing. We report an altered network of gene expression related to the genesis of fibrosis. Preantral follicles from C57BL/6 mice (14-15 days postpartum) were stimulated with dihydrotestosterone (DHT, 10nM) in 24/72 hours culture. Expression of fibrosis-associated genes (Eln; Ctgf; Acta2; Plod2; Hpse) significantly increased with androgen (72 h), as did TGF-β signalling (Tgfb1; Tgfb3). We show a direct connection between androgen and mechanosensing within the ovary, with androgen upregulating the mechanosensitive Hippo pathway (Yap1; Lats1; Lats2; Stk3; Stk4; Frmd6) and downstream targets (Ctgf; Axl; Cyr61). Our results highlight hyperandrogenism as a probable driver of the fibrosis in the polycystic ovary, and emphasise the importance of ECM regulation in follicle development and fertility.

Indexed as

AndrogensExtracellular MatrixGene Expression RegulationOvarian FollicleOvaryAnimalsDihydrotestosteroneFemaleFibrosisMiceMice, Inbred C57BLPolycystic Ovary SyndromeAndrogensDihydrotestosteroneAndrogenECMFibrosisOvaryPCOS

Identifiers

PMID41702948
PMCPMC12988145

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.