Human study · Supplements / medicine · 19 Sept 2026
Low testosterone in men with depression tracked NLRP3 inflammation in a 26-person sample
Source: Journal of Neuroinflammation
What the research found
Study (small human plus animal/cell). A Journal of Neuroinflammation paper reports 26 men with major depression had lower serum testosterone and higher IL-1β, IL-18, NLRP3, and P2X7 than controls. In testosterone-deficient models, androgen-receptor downregulation tracked hippocampal NLRP3 inflammation; testosterone replacement eased those markers in animals and an LPS cell model. Tiny clinical sample; not a depression trial in the clinic. Educational research notes, not a prescription for testosterone therapy.
Evidence level: Human study. A study in people, but an association isn't proof of cause.
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