Immune function, inflammation, and atherosclerosis display sex differences and are influenced by 17β-estradiol through estrogen receptors subtypes ERα and ERβ. Male tissues express active ERs, but their possible involvement in inflammation in males has never been assessed. Macrophages express both ERα and ERβ and offer the opportunity to evaluate the role of ER levels and activation in inflammation. We assessed the ability of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to modulate, in a sex-specific way, the expression and the activation status of ERα and ERβ in blood monocytes-derived macrophages (MDMs) from men and women. MDMs were incubated with 100 ng/ml LPS for 24 h and used to evaluate ERα, ERβ, P-ERα, p38, and P-p38 expression by Western Blotting. In basal conditions, ERα and ERβ were significantly higher in female MDMs than in male MDMs. LPS up-regulated ERα and ERα phosphorylation in both sexes, with a significantly higher effect observed in male MDMs, and down-regulated ERβ level only in female MDMs. p38 and P-p38 proteins, indicative of ERβ activity, did not show sex differences both in basal conditions and after LPS treatment. Finally, ERα/ERβ and P-ERα/ERα ratios were significantly higher in male MDMs than in female ones. Our data indicate, for the first time, that LPS affects ERα but not ERβ activation status. We identify a significant role of ERα in LPS-mediated inflammatory responses in MDMs, which represents an initial step in understanding the influence of sex in the relationship between LPS and ERα. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 340–345, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sex Differences in Estrogen Receptor α and β Levels and Activation Status in LPS-Stimulated Human Macrophages / Campesi, Ilaria; Marino, Maria; Montella, Andrea Costantino Mario; Pais, Sara; Franconi, Flavia. - In: JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY. - ISSN 0021-9541. - 232:2(2017), pp. 340-345. [10.1002/jcp.25425]

Sex Differences in Estrogen Receptor α and β Levels and Activation Status in LPS-Stimulated Human Macrophages

CAMPESI, Ilaria;MONTELLA, Andrea Costantino Mario;FRANCONI, Flavia
2017-01-01

Abstract

Immune function, inflammation, and atherosclerosis display sex differences and are influenced by 17β-estradiol through estrogen receptors subtypes ERα and ERβ. Male tissues express active ERs, but their possible involvement in inflammation in males has never been assessed. Macrophages express both ERα and ERβ and offer the opportunity to evaluate the role of ER levels and activation in inflammation. We assessed the ability of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to modulate, in a sex-specific way, the expression and the activation status of ERα and ERβ in blood monocytes-derived macrophages (MDMs) from men and women. MDMs were incubated with 100 ng/ml LPS for 24 h and used to evaluate ERα, ERβ, P-ERα, p38, and P-p38 expression by Western Blotting. In basal conditions, ERα and ERβ were significantly higher in female MDMs than in male MDMs. LPS up-regulated ERα and ERα phosphorylation in both sexes, with a significantly higher effect observed in male MDMs, and down-regulated ERβ level only in female MDMs. p38 and P-p38 proteins, indicative of ERβ activity, did not show sex differences both in basal conditions and after LPS treatment. Finally, ERα/ERβ and P-ERα/ERα ratios were significantly higher in male MDMs than in female ones. Our data indicate, for the first time, that LPS affects ERα but not ERβ activation status. We identify a significant role of ERα in LPS-mediated inflammatory responses in MDMs, which represents an initial step in understanding the influence of sex in the relationship between LPS and ERα. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 340–345, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
2017
Sex Differences in Estrogen Receptor α and β Levels and Activation Status in LPS-Stimulated Human Macrophages / Campesi, Ilaria; Marino, Maria; Montella, Andrea Costantino Mario; Pais, Sara; Franconi, Flavia. - In: JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY. - ISSN 0021-9541. - 232:2(2017), pp. 340-345. [10.1002/jcp.25425]
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Campesi et al JCP 2017.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia: Documento in Post-print (versione referata ma senza layout editoriale)
Licenza: Creative commons
Dimensione 695.14 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
695.14 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11388/173560
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 37
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 34
social impact