title: Morphological observation of immunological alterations in the spleens from estrogen receptor deficient mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate some immunological parameters in the spleens from estrogen receptor(ER) deficient mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence analysis were used in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multiple alterations were found in the spleens of ER deficient mice, especially in ERbeta deficient mice, such as increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines and inducible nitric oxide synthase, elevated number of proliferating splenocytes and increased IgM/IgG production. Moreover, The splenocytes lack of ERbeta were resistant towards estrogen's suppression on proliferation. The activation of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB in ERbeta deficient spleens may account for the above hyperactivity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ER, especially ERbeta, plays a key role in mediating the modulation of immune response by estrogen. ERbeta disruption may increase the sensibility towards autoimmune diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Institute of Basic Medical Science, Xi'an 710032, China. z_qinghong@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Qing-hong
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Yu-zhen
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yan-hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Shun-yan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lü
authors.forename: Geng-ze
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Yu-feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000502:physiology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000502:physiology; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D016328:NF-kappa B; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496317:Nos2 protein, mouse