Elsevier

Pathophysiology

Volume 2, Issue 4, December 1995, Pages 235-241
Pathophysiology

Research paper
Effects of estrogen on female mouse thymus, with special reference to ER-mRNA and T cell subpopulations

https://doi.org/10.1016/0928-4680(95)00047-2Get rights and content

Abstract

The effect of estrogen (E), a female sex steroid, on the thymus tissues from castrated female mice treated with E was examined by molecular biologic, microscopic and flowcytometric techniques.

First, using an oligoprobe for E receptor (ER)-messenger RNA (ER-mRNA), one hybridized band was found at 6.2 kilobase (kb) in mouse thymus tissue, as was also the case in the human breast cancer MCF-7 cell line. ER-mRNA level in the E-treated animals was almost 3 times that in oil-treated controls.

Secondly, an electron microscopic observation indicated E treatment to bring about apoptosis of thymocytes (T cell) which were embraced by thymic stromal cells (possibly phagocytic in nature) and/or ballooning of the endoplasmic reticulum in the epithelial cells with abundant lipid droplets.

Thirdly, flow cytometric analysis demonstrated E to induce the change of T cell subpopulations: an increase in helper/inducer (L3T4+Lyt2) cells with decrease in the double positive (L3T4+Lyt2+) cells.

It follows from the above findings that E may cause morphologic changes in the thymus closely related to T cell differentiation. In addition, these changes appear to derive mainly from E-induced tissue-specific gene expression including that of ER-mRNA.

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