beta(2)-Adrenergic receptor-dependent sexual dimorphism for murine leukocyte migration

In wild-type FVB mice, leukocyte recruitment to lipopolysaccharide was sexually dimorphic, with a greater number of leukocytes recruited in females. In male beta(2)-adrenergic receptor knock out mice (bred on a congenic FVB background) the number of leukocytes recruited was increased approximately 4-fold, while in females there was no change, eliminating sexual dimorphism in leukocyte migration. While there were significantly fewer recruited CD62L(+) and CD11a(+) leukocytes in wild-type males, only in male beta-adrenergic receptor knock out mice was there an increase in the number of recruited CD11a(+) leukocytes, again eliminating sexual dimorphism. Thus, leukocyte migration and CD11a(+) adhesion molecule expression in male, but not in female, leukocytes is beta-adrenergic receptor-dependent. Our findings provide support for a role of beta(2)-adrenergic receptor mechanisms in the inflammatory response, and suggest that beta(2)-adrenergic receptor on male leukocytes contributes to sexual dimorphism in the effect of stress on inflammatory diseases.