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Female sex hormones modulate the function of LPS-treated macrophages
1Department of Surgery, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. ischen01@ms15.hinet.net
Problem:
To study the effects of estradiol (E2) or progesterone on macrophage function in the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
Method Of Study:
Male rat peritoneal macrophages were treated in vitro with 0.1 microg/mL of LPS and E2 or progesterone.
Results:
At 10(-2) ng/mL, E2 significantly (P < 0.05; n = 6) enhanced tumor necrosis factor (TNF) release by LPS-treated macrophages. TNF release was significantly (P < 0.05; n = 6) inhibited by 10(2) ng/mL or 10(3) ng/mL of E2 and by progesterone at less than 10(-3) ng/mL or greater than 10(-1) ng/mL. E2 (10(-4) and 10 ng/mL) and progesterone (10(-6)-10(-4) ng/mL and 10(2) ng/mL) each significantly (P < 0.05, n = 8) enhanced H2O2 release by LPS-treated macrophages. E2 ( < 10(-2) and > 10 ng/mL) and progesterone (10(-7)-10(4) ng/mL) each significantly inhibited (P< 0.05; n = 6) NO2- release by LPS-treated macrophages.
Conclusions:
Exposure to LPS tended to diminish the effects of E2 and to enhance the effects of progesterone on the parameters determined here. Such LPS-associated alterations in the dose-response profile of macrophages to female sex hormones may contribute to gender-related differences in the immune response under normal and pathological conditions.