Estrogenic control of thermoregulation in ERalphaKO and ERbetaKO mice.
OBJECTIVE
Estrogen is the most effective treatment for preventing the vasomotor symptoms in women. The ability of estrogen to control tail skin temperature (TST) in rats is used as an animal model for the studies of estrogens on menopausal hot flushes. Today, we know that estrogen can mediate its actions via the interaction with two different estrogen receptors: ERalpha and ERbeta. To elucidate the function of each estrogen receptor subtype control of thermoregulation, we developed an animal model demonstrating estrogen control of TST in mice.


RESULTS
We determined that estrogen depletion by ovariectomy (OVX) of mice causes an elevation of basal tail skin temperature. Administration of estradiol cypionate suppressed this increase in TST in a dose dependent manner. Estrogen depletion by OVX in either ERalpha-knockout (ERalphaKO) or ERbeta-knockout (ERbetaKO) mice resulted in an increase in TST that could be suppressed by estrogen treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
We show that mice serve as a suitable animal model for estrogen-controlled thermoregulation and that the expression of either ERalpha or ERbeta alone in mice is sufficient to maintain control TST by estrogen.
Opas
Evan E
EE
Department of Molecular Endocrinology and Bone Biology, Merck Research Laboratories, West Point, PA 19486, USA.
Gentile
Michael A
MA
Kimmel
Donald B
DB
Rodan
Gideon A
GA
Schmidt
Azriel
A
D000818:Animals; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000172:deficiency / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D023421:Models, Animal; D010052:Ovariectomy; D011897:Random Allocation; D012881:Skin Temperature; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D004967:Estrogens; D004958:Estradiol