Raging hormones: gender and renal disease

Abstract

Gender affects the progression of renal disease. In a variety of animal models and in certain human renal diseases, females exhibit a more modest course of kidney disease. Estrogens and testosterone have been implicated in this gender disparity. Doublier and colleagues explore the direct effects of sex hormones on podocyte viability in the α-estrogen receptor knockout (αERKO) mouse. They report that testosterone induces, and estradiol inhibits, podocyte damage in this model.