In mammals, estrogens have both doseand cell-type specific effects on immune cells and may act as pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory stimuli depending on the setting. Evidence has been provided that in the bivalve mollusc Mytilus the natural estrogen 17β-estradiol (E2) can affect neuro-immune functions. In this work the immunomodulatory role of E2 in Mytilus hemocytes, the cells responsible...

Biliary excretion of organic anions, such as bile acids (BAs), is the main osmotic driving force for bile formation, and its impairment induces intrahepatic cholestasis. We investigated the involvement of Atp11c in the hepatic transport of organic anions using Atp11c mutant mice, which exhibit hypercholanemia and hyperbilirubinemia. Pharmacokinetic analysis following a constant intravenous infu...

PURPOSE To elucidate the mechanism of 17-β estradiol (17β-E(2))-mediated protection of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) from oxidative stress. METHODS Cultured ARPE-19 cells were subjected to oxidative stress with t-butyl hydroxide or hydrogen peroxide in the presence or absence of 17β-E(2). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured using H(2)DCFDA fluorescence. Apoptosis was evaluated by c...

The aim of the study was to investigate how the physiological condition of goats affects the contents of progesterone and 17β-estradiol in the blood and milk and the presence of natural inhibitors in milk. The experimental material consisted of the milk and blood from 13 twoand three-year old goats, in which heat and ovulation were synchronized. Blood and milk samples were collected in the cons...

The physiological importance of gonadal hormones in feedback control of gonadotropin secretion during the estrous cycle in golden hamsters was investigated with immunoneutralization methods. Anti-inhibin serum (inhibin-AS) treatment always induced a drastic increase in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) secretion and occasionally raised luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion. Anti-estradiol-17β ser...

CONTEXT It has been shown that breast tumor actively produces and metabolizes steroid hormones. However, little is known about the possible mechanisms through which the nonmalignant adipose tissue contributes to steroid hormone metabolism. OBJECTIVE We compared the metabolic pathways producing active estradiol in breast sc adipose tissue of postmenopausal women with or without breast cancer. ...

The aim of this study was to investigate the biological effects of sex hormones (17β-estradiol and testosterone) on rabbit articular chondrocytes from different genders. We cultured primary rabbit articular chondrocytes from both genders with varying concentration of sex hormones. We evaluate cell proliferation and biochemical functions by MTT and GAG assay. The chondrocyte function and phenoty...