title: Steroid sex hormones and macrophage function: regulation of chemiluminescence and phagocytosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Female sex hormones modulate a variety of humoral and cell-mediated immunologic functions. In this study, the effects of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone on the chemiluminescence (CL) response and phagocytic ability of male rat peritoneal macrophages (M luminal diameter) were examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  In M luminal diameter pretreated with 10(-2) ng/ml of 17 beta-estradiol (E2) for 20 hours, the CL generated in response to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), 1,2-dioctanoyl-rac-glycerol (C8:0), or opsonized zymosan (OZ) was significantly increased by 135%, 140%, and 136% of control values, respectively. In addition, M luminal diameter treated with 10(-5) ng/ml or 10 ng/ml of E2 exhibited a significantly greater PMA- or OZ-stimulated CL response than did untreated controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 10(-2) ng/ml, progesterone enhanced and testosterone reduced the CL response, but these changes were not statistically significant. In time course studies, the PMA-stimulated CL response of M luminal diameter treated with 10(-2) ng/ml of E2 or progesterone for 5 h was significantly less than that of the untreated group. In the presence of endotoxin (12 pg/ml), the CL response in M luminal diameter treated with E2 or testosterone was significantly depressed as compared to untreated controls. Phagocytosis of opsonized sheep erythrocytes also was significantly enhanced (140% to 190% of control) when M luminal diameter were pretreated with 10(-12) M to 10(-8) M of either E2 or progesterone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that, at physiological concentrations, E2 is capable of modulating both CL generation and phagocytic uptake by M luminal diameter in a manner not shared by other steroid hormones.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Medical College, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Phuangsab
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Van Alten
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Walter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D013739:Testosterone; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol