Female sex hormones have shown an antiviral effect against influenza A. However, this effect was manifested only in female subjects, which may explain why men are generally more difficult to tolerate influenza infection.
The "weaker sex" is a big convention: women are in many ways stronger than men. They are given additional strength by female steroid hormones from the estrogen group, which have repeatedly demonstrated various "undocumented" beneficial properties. Thus, one of them (estradiol) has a proven antiviral effect against a number of dangerous viruses, including HIV, Ebola and cytomegalovirus.
It is assumed that this effect is due to the fact that estrogens reduce the ability of viruses to multiply within host cells. Sabra Klein, along with her colleagues from Johns Hopkins University, tested the possible action of estrogens against influenza viruses - no volunteers were injured.
Scientists collected samples of nasal mucosa cells from 10 men and 42 women aged 18 to 45 years and cultured them in the presence of estrogen (endogenous 17β-estradiol, E2), or in the presence of a selective estrogen receptor modulator that activates them. Some cell cultures were infected with the common influenza virus serotype A after the action of the drug, others before.
As a result, it was shown that after infection with the virus, neither one nor the other drug has a particular effect. But if E2 or a modulator were obtained at least 24 hours before infection, the cells showed increased resistance to influenza. In addition, the number of viral particles in the cells obtained from female volunteers was much lower than in the "male" cells.
The authors suggest that both drugs can act on estrogen β-receptors in female cells, triggering an immune response. However, proving this, as well as understanding the details of the antiviral action of hormones, has yet to be done.