title: Estren promotes androgen phenotypes in primary lymphoid organs and submandibular glands.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Estrogens and androgens have extensive effects on the immune system, for example they suppress both T and B lymphopoiesis in thymus and bone marrow. Submandibular glands are sexually dimorphic in rodents, resulting in larger granular convoluted tubules in males compared to females. The aim of the present experiments was to investigate the estrogenic and androgenic effects of 4-estren-3alpha,17beta-diol (estren) on thymus, bone marrow and submandibular glands, and compare the effects to those of 17beta-estradiol (E2) and 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), respectively. Estrogen receptors (ERs) were blocked by treatment of mice with the ER-antagonist ICI 182,780; also, knock-out mice lacking one or both ERs were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As expected, the presence of functional ERs was mandatory for all the effects of E2. Similar to DHT-treatment, estren-treatment resulted in decreased thymus weight, as well as decreased frequency of bone marrow B cells. Treatment with estren or DHT also resulted in a shift in submandibular glands towards an androgen phenotype. All the effects of estren and DHT were independent of ERs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study is the first to show that estren has similar effects as the androgen DHT on lymphopoiesis in thymus and bone marrow, and on submandibular glands, and that these effects are independent of estrogen receptors. This supports the hypothesis of estren being able to signal through the androgen receptor.
authors: Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, Göteborg University, Sweden. ulrika.islander@rheuma.gu.se
authors: Ulrika
authors: U
authors: Islander
authors: Bengt
authors: B
authors: Hasséus
authors: Malin C
authors: MC
authors: Erlandsson
authors: Caroline
authors: C
authors: Jochems
authors: Sofia Movérare
authors: SM
authors: Skrtic
authors: Marie
authors: M
authors: Lindberg
authors: Jan-Ake
authors: JA
authors: Gustafsson
authors: Claes
authors: C
authors: Ohlsson
authors: Hans
authors: H
authors: Carlsten
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D004963:Estrenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020847:Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D000077267:Fulvestrant; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D038041:Lymphopoiesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009919:Orchiectomy; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010052:Ovariectomy; D010641:Phenotype; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000172:deficiency / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C468666:4-estren-3,17-diol; D004963:Estrenes; D020847:Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D000077267:Fulvestrant; D004958:Estradiol