| Autor: |
Brummer, Tyson P., Phillips, Rebecca A., Gogal, Robert M., Ansar Ahmed, S. |
| Předmět: |
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| Zdroj: |
Toxicological & Environmental Chemistry; Jul2008, Vol. 90 Issue 3, p421-435, 15p, 3 Charts, 1 Graph |
| Abstrakt: |
Due to growing awareness that estrogens and their metabolites are leaked into the environment at low concentrations through wastewater and agricultural run-off, it is increasingly important to examine the potential adverse health effects of environmental exposure to estrogens. Little attention has been paid to the immunological effects of 17β-estradiol (E2) and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE), potent modulators of the immune system. Does exposure to E2 or EE at low concentrations for a subacute duration affect this system? Are the effects similar for both hormones and between genders? Are these effects similar in young and aged mice? These questions were addressed here, where 10 ng kg-1 BW of E2, EE, or vehicle were orally administered every other day for 21 days to young (6-week-old) and aged (>15-month-old) C57BL/6 mice. As expected, significant gender and age-related differences were noted with regard to thymus weight, thymocyte recovery, spleen weight, and splenocyte recovery. However, low dose treatment of E2 or EE produced no marked effects on the thymus or spleen organ to body weight ratios, cell numbers, or lymphocyte subsets. Low dose oral estrogens did not noticeably alter the ability of activated splenocytes to induce interferon-γ or nitric oxide. In summary, our studies of young and aged C57BL/6 mice suggest that low dose subacute exposure to E2 or EE did not markedly affect lymphoid organs (thymus or spleen weight) or lymphocyte subsets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Databáze: |
Complementary Index |
| Externí odkaz: |
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