Effects Of Estrogen Receptor Agonists Research Articles

Estradiol and selective estrogen receptor agonists differentially affect brain monoamines and amino acids levels in transitional and surgical menopausal rat models

Estrogens have many beneficial effects in the brain. Previously, we evaluated the effects of two models of menopause (surgical vs. transitional) on multiple monoaminergic endpoints in different regions of the adult rat brain in comparison with levels in gonadally intact rats. Here we evaluated the effects of estrogen receptor (ER) agonist treatments in these same two models of menopause. Neurochemical endpoints were evaluated in the hippocampus (HPC), frontal cortex (FCX), and striatum (STR) of adult ovariectomized (OVX) rats and in rats that underwent selective and gradual ovarian follicle depletion by daily injection of 4-vinylcyclohexene-diepoxide (VCD), after 1- and 6-weeks treatment with 17β-estradiol (E2), or with selective ERα (PPT), ERβ (DPN), or GPR30 (G-1) agonists. Endpoints included serotonin (5-HT) and 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic acid, dopamine (DA), 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid, norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine, as well as the amino acids tryptophan (TRP) and tyrosine (TYR). Significant differences between the models were detected. OVX rats were much more sensitive to ER agonist treatments than VCD-treated rats. Significant differences between brain regions also were detected. Within OVX rats, more agonist effects were detected in the HPC than in any other region. One interesting finding was the substantial decrease in TRP and TYR detected in the HPC and FCX in response to agonist treatments, particularly in OVX rats. This is on top of the substantial decreases in TRP and TYR previously reported one week after OVX or VCD-treatments in comparison with gonadally intact controls. Other interesting findings included increases in the levels of 5-HT, DA, and NE in the HPC of OVX rats treated with DPN, increases in DA detected in the FCX of OVX rats treated with any of the ER agonists, and increases in 5-HT and DA detected in the STR of OVX rats treated with E2. Many effects that were observed after 1-week of treatment were no longer observed after 6-weeks of treatment, demonstrating that effects were temporary despite continued agonist treatment. Collectively, the results demonstrate significant differences in the effects of ER agonists on monoaminergic endpoints in OVX vs. VCD-treated rats that also were brain region-specific and time dependent. The fact that agonist treatments had lesser effects in VCD treated rats than in OVX rats may help to explain reports of lesser effects of estrogen replacement on cognitive performance in women that have undergone transitional vs. surgical menopause.

Experimental Procedures for Demonstration of MicroRNA Mediated Enhancement of Functional Neuroprotective Effects of Estrogen Receptor Agonists.

Protection of motoneurons is an important therapeutic goal in the treatment of neurological disorders. Recent reports have suggested that specific microRNAs (miRs) could modulate the expression of particular proteins for significant alterations in the pathogenesis of different neurological disorders. Thus, combination of overexpression of a specific neuroprotective miR and treatment with a neuroprotective agent could be a novel strategy for functional protection of motoneurons. The protocols described herein demonstrate that miR-7-1, a neuroprotective miR, can enhance the functional neuroprotective effects of estrogen receptor agonists such as 1,3,5-tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-propyl-1H-pyrazole (PPT), Way 200070 (WAY), and estrogen (E2) in preventing apoptosis in A23187 calcium ionophore (CI) exposed VSC4.1 motoneurons. This article describes the protocols for the cell viability assay, transfection of VSC4.1 motoneurons with miRs, Annexin V/propidium iodide staining for apoptosis, Western blotting, patch-clamp recording of whole-cell membrane potential, and JC-1 staining for detection of mitochondrial membrane potential. Taken together, these protocols are used to demonstrate that miR-7-1 caused significant enhancement of the efficacy of estrogen receptor agonists for functional neuroprotection in VSC4.1 motoneurons.

New approach to predicts toxic mixtures effects of estrogen receptor agonists with different parameters of individual curves

New approach to predicts toxic mixtures effects of estrogen receptor agonists with different parameters of individual curves

Suppression of the inflammatory response in experimental arthritis is mediated via estrogen receptor α but not estrogen receptor β

IntroductionThe immune modulatory role of estrogens in inflammation is complex. Both pro- and anti-inflammatory effects of estrogens have been described. Estrogens bind both estrogen receptor (ER)α and β. The contribution of ERα and ERβ to ER-mediated immune modulation was studied in delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) and in experimental arthritisMethodsER-mediated suppression of rat adjuvant arthritis (AA) was studied using ethinyl-estradiol (EE) and a selective ERβ agonist (ERB-79). Arthritis was followed for 2 weeks. Next, effects of ER agonists (ethinyl-estradiol, an ERα selective agonist (ERA-63) and a selective ERβ agonist (ERB-79) on the development of a tetanus toxoid (TT)-specific delayed type hypersensitivity response in wild type (WT) and in ERα - or ERβ-deficient mice were investigated. Finally, EE and ERA-63 were tested for their immune modulating potential in established collagen induced arthritis in DBA/1J mice. Arthritis was followed for three weeks. Joint pathology was examined by histology and radiology. Local synovial cytokine production was analyzed using Luminex technology. Sera were assessed for COMP as a biomarker of cartilage destruction.ResultsEE was found to suppress clinical signs and symptoms in rat AA. The selective ERβ agonist ERB-79 had no effect on arthritis symptoms in this model. In the TT-specific DTH model, EE and the selective ERα agonist ERA-63 suppressed the TT-specific swelling response in WT and ERβKO mice but not in ERαKO mice. As seen in the AA model, the selective ERβ agonist ERB-79 did not suppress inflammation. Treatment with EE or ERA-63 suppressed clinical signs in collagen induced arthritis (CIA) in WT mice. This was associated with reduced inflammatory infiltrates and decreased levels of proinflammatory cytokines in CIA joints.ConclusionsERα, but not ERβ, is key in ER-mediated suppression of experimental arthritis. It remains to be investigated how these findings translate to human autoimmune disease.

Development of a stable dual cell‐line GFP expression system to study estrogenic endocrine disruptors

Environmental estrogenic endocrine disruptors are a health concern. Here we constructed a dual cell-line green fluorescence protein (GFP) expression system to identify and study endocrine disrupting compounds with activities of estrogen receptor agonists or antagonists. Human breast cancer MCF-7 cells and endometrial carcinoma Ishikawa cells were infected with a two tandem estrogen response elements--E4 promoter-GFP reporter gene construct. The use of GFP reporter enabled direct and simple evaluations of cell responses. GFP intensity in stably transfected MCF7-GFP and Ishikawa-GFP cells was dose-responsive to 17-beta-estradiol, diethylstilbestrol, 2-hydroxyestradiol, and environmental toxins bisphenol A, genistein and o-p'-DDT. Raloxifene and tamoxifen were effective antiestrogens in MCF7-GFP cells, but acted as partial estrogen receptor agonists in Ishikawa-GFP cells at concentrations of 0.1 nM and above. No synergistic effect was observed in chemical combinations between organochlorine pesticides methoxychlor, o-p'-DDT, p-p'-DDT, nor between estradiol and estrone. In summary, for the first time the effects of estrogen receptor agonists or antagonists were compared between mammary and endometrial cancer cells both stably expressing identical plasmids with GFP reporter genes under the control of tandem estrogen response elements. This dual cell-line system provides a rapid method and sensitive assay to identify environmental estrogens, antiestrogens, selective estrogen receptor modulators and to study their tissue specific effects and chemical interactions. Such a system is especially useful for direct and parallel toxicity assessments with a microfluidic cell culture device.

Effects of estrogen receptor agonists on regulation of the inflammatory response in astrocytes from young adult and middle-aged female rats

Estrogen has been shown to attenuate the inflammatory response following injury or lipopolysaccharide treatment in several organ systems. Estrogen's actions are transduced through two estrogen receptor sub-types, estrogen receptor (ER) -alpha and estrogen receptor-beta, whose actions may be overlapping or independent of each other. The present study examined the effects of ERα- and ERβ-specific ligands in regulating the inflammatory response in primary astrocyte cultures. Pre-treatment with 17β-estradiol (ERα/ERβ agonist), HPTE (ERα agonist/ERβ antagonist) and DPN (ERβ agonist) led to attenuation of IL-1β, TNFα, and MMP-9 in astrocyte media derived from young adult (3-4 mos.) and reproductive senescent female (9-11 mos., acyclic) astrocyte cultures, while pretreatment with PPT (ERα agonist) attenuated IL-1β (but not MMP-9) in both young and senescent-derived astrocyte cultures. Our previous work determined that 17β-estradiol was unable to attenuate the LPS-induced increase in IL-1β in olfactory bulb primary microglial cultures derived from either young adult or reproductive senescent females. In young adult-derived microglial cultures, the LPS-induced increase in IL-1β was not attenuated by pre-treatment with 17β-estradiol, PPT or HPTE. Interestingly, the ERβ agonist, DPN significantly decreased IL-1β following LPS treatment in young adult-derived microglia. Thus while both microglia and astrocytes synthesize and release inflammatory mediators, the present data shows that compounds which bind ERβ are more effective in attenuating proinflammatory cytokines in both cell types and may therefore be a more effective agent for future therapeutic use.

Oral Poster 53: Effects of Estrogen Receptor Agonists on Voiding Function in Hormonally-Altered Female Rats

Oral Poster Presentations: AUGS-SGS Abstracts: 2004 Joint Scientific Meeting The American Urogynecologic Society and The Society of Gynecologic Surgeons