Human cultured skin fibroblasts express estrogen receptor alpha and beta

Human skin fibroblasts may be the target cells for estrogens. The aim of present study was to confirm the presence of both isoforms of estrogen receptors (ER) in these cells. Experiments were carried out in primary cultures of human skin fibroblasts. ER-alpha and ER-beta mRNAs were measured by quantitative assays based on reverse transcription (RT) of the mRNA and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the cDNA. To determine which of the ER isoforms were present and their intracellular locations immunohistochemical staining was performed. MCF-7 culture was a positive control for the immunostaining. The distribution immunostaining of ER-beta protein differed from that of ER-alpha in skin fibroblasts. ER-alpha was detected in both the cytosolic and nuclear compartments of fibroblasts. ER-beta was weakly detectable and was found predominantly in the nuclear compartment. Using the RT-PCR technique mRNA of both ERs was successfully detected in the skin fibroblast cultures with predominantly higher mean level of ER-beta mRNA expression than ER-alpha mRNA. In human culture skin fibroblasts ER-beta co-expresses with ER-alpha. The dominant expression of ER-beta in cultured female skin fibroblasts suggests that ER-beta may play a dominant role in collaboration with ER-alpha in the regulation of estrogen action in skin.