title: Expression of estrogen receptor alpha and 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 4 in the ciliary body.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression and distribution of estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 4 (HSD4) in bovine and monkey ciliary body.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical study was employed to investigate the expression of ERalpha and 17beta-HSD4. To detect ERalpha and 17beta-HSD4 transcripts, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In bovine and monkey ciliary body, the staining of the anti-ERalpha antibody was distributed in nonpigmented epithelium, and was not detectable in pigmented epithelium. Vessels in the stroma were also stained. The expression of 17beta-HSD4 was observed in nonpigmented and pigmented epithelium. RT-PCR revealed that the transcripts of ERalpha and 17beta-HSD4 were expressed in monkey ciliary body.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides evidence for the presence of ERalpha and 17beta- HSD4 in the ciliary body. The presence of ERalpha and 17beta-HSD4 suggests that estrogen may have important functions in the ciliary body.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Saga Medical School, 5-1-1 Nabeshima, 849-8501, Saga , Japan. kobayask@post.saga-med.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Saga Medical School, 5-1-1 Nabeshima, 849-8501, Saga , Japan.
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iwakiri
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Saga Medical School, 5-1-1 Nabeshima, 849-8501, Saga , Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Saga Medical School, 5-1-1 Nabeshima, 849-8501, Saga , Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okinami
mesh_terms: D015067:17-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002924:Ciliary Body / Q000378:metabolism*; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D015067:17-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases