Tissue-specific effect of estradiol on endothelial cell-dependent lymphocyte recruitment

• Published in: Microvascular research 2004-11, Vol.68 (3), p.273-285
• Main Authors: Murphy, Hedwig S., Sun, Quan, Murphy, Brian A., Mo, RuRan, Huo, Jirong, Chen, Jun, Chensue, Stephen W., Adams, Matthew, Richardson, Bruce C., Yung, Raymond
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adhesion molecules; Animals; Autoimmunity; Cell Adhesion; Cells, Cultured; Chemokine CCL2 - metabolism; Chemokine CCL7; Chemokines; Chemokines - biosynthesis; Chemotaxis; Cytokines - metabolism; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Endothelial cells; Endothelium, Vascular - cytology; Endothelium, Vascular - metabolism; Endothelium, Vascular - pathology; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Estradiol - analogs & derivatives; Estradiol - metabolism; Estradiol - pharmacology; Estrogen; Estrogen Receptor beta - biosynthesis; Estrogens; Female; Flow Cytometry; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 - metabolism; Lymphocytes - cytology; Male; Mice; Microcirculation; Monocyte Chemoattractant Proteins - metabolism; Receptors, Estrogen - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Sex Factors; Spleen - metabolism; Tamoxifen - pharmacology; Time Factors; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 - metabolism
• ISSN: 0026-2862; 1095-9319
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mvr.2004.06.004

Estrogen profoundly affects onset and severity of many immune-mediated diseases. In our murine model of drug-induced autoimmunity, female-specific, estrogen-dependent increase in splenic lymphocyte homing was directly implicated in increased disease severity. The present study evaluated the effect of estradiol on microvascular endothelial cells from the spleen compared to endothelial cells from the dermis, which has no disease manifestation in this model. Estradiol increased spleen endothelial cell estrogen receptor (ER) alpha 2.9-fold and decreased estrogen receptor beta 2.1-fold while decreasing both receptors on dermal cells. Estradiol enhanced adhesion of D10 cells to spleen but not dermal endothelial cells 1.53-fold ( P < 0.001), an increase that was inhibited by antibodies to VCAM-1 and ICAM-1, and by the estrogen receptor antagonists tamoxifen and ICI 182,780. Estradiol induced greater VCAM-1 expression on spleen than dermal endothelial cells ( P < 0.05). Estradiol increased spleen endothelial cell estrogen receptor alpha 2.9-fold and decreased estrogen receptor beta 2.1-fold while decreasing both receptors on the dermal cells. Estrogen specifically and preferentially promoted spleen chemokine protein expression for MCP-1 and MCP-3, while having no effect on dermal protein expression for these chemokines. Estradiol-mediated effects on splenic chemokines were abrogated by tamoxifen and ICI 182,780. The gender-specific increase in lymphocyte homing to spleen may be attributable, at least in part, to tissue-specific estrogen-mediated effects on microvascular endothelial cells.