Human Gut Bacteria Convert Endogenous Steroids into Host Cortisol Shuttle Inhibitors

Abstract

11{beta}-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 (HSD11B2) protects the mineralocorticoid receptor from glucocorticoid overstimulation by inactivating cortisol. HSD11B2 inhibition can drive receptor overactivation and contribute to hypertension; however, endogenous inhibitors remain poorly defined. Glycyrrhetinic acid-like factors (GALFs) are steroid-like metabolites that inhibit HSD11B2. Given the capacity of gut bacteria to metabolize host steroids, we hypothesized that the gut microbiome could generate GALF-like inhibitors. Here, we identify two 11-oxygenated steroid metabolites that potently inhibit human HSD11B2 in colonic cells and organoids, enabling cortisol-dependent mineralocorticoid receptor activation. We identify gut bacteria and enzymes that produce these compounds and show that their levels are markedly reduced in antibiotic-treated humans. One metabolite is elevated during pregnancy, and both are higher in individuals with stage 2 hypertension-range blood pressure. These findings reveal a bacterial route to altered host cortisol signaling and suggest a potential link between microbiome-derived GALFs and blood pressure regulation.

Preprint server: bioRxiv
The authors list and abstract were imported from bioRxiv on 24 Aug 2026.

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